Research of the development process of dried-melon products

In Kazakhstan, garden and melon crops are grown mainly by peasant and farm households, as well as individual entrepreneurs. Residents grow them in their own gardens and summer cottages. Their main task is to preserve and process the grown fruits, vegetables and greens. In the 2024 Address of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, it was specifically emphasized that improving the quality of processing and storage of agricultural products is a "strategic task for the state." Furthermore, a modern requirement is to bring the quality of horticultural products produced in our country up to international demand through innovative methods and ensure their export to foreign countries. The main regions for growing melons in Kazakhstan are Turkestan (59%), Zhambyl (19.7%) and Kyzylorda (6.9%) regions. Peasants, farms and individual entrepreneurs of these regions received a record harvest of garden, fruit and vegetable crops in 2024, but were unable to fully process it on site.This article provides a rationale for the use of a mobile solar drying unit, which reveals the use of mobile solar drying units using innovative methods for the primary processing of horticultural and fruit and vegetable crops. The main focus is on the development and implementation of energy-efficient drying technology that ensures the preservation of product quality, waste reduction and lower production costs. The article presents the experimental part of the work, investigating the drying process of melon slices, including changes in product weight, drying time and organoleptic properties. The device operates on solar energy, which, as economic assessment shows, allows to reduce processing costs, while increasing its availability and attractiveness for farms.The proposed mobile drying unit using solar energy and innovative methods is an important direction for improving the primary processing of garden and fruit and vegetable crops, as well as livestock products in remote areas.