Rice post harvest management-Bangladesh context
Debashish Chanda, Ph.DPost Harvest & Business Model Specialist
IRRI Bangladesh
Why is Post-Harvest ManagementImportant?
Food Safety
Quality assurance
Better storage
Better protection from pests
Reduce losses (quantity & quality)
Better marketing opportunities
Post harvest losses in Bangladesh(Present scenario)
Production of Rice per year = around 30 million tons Post harvest loss of Rice = 10 – 15 % per year (approx)
Post harvest loss of F & V = 30 – 40 % per year (approx)
In value losses (all crops) cost = around 30,000 crore BDT
If we can reduce these losses only 3% , we can save 1.0 million tons food crops.
Causes of post harvest losses
Generally these include:
Inefficient harvesting and handling methods Labor shortage during harvest season Harvesting immature and over-mature crops Poor processing techniques Limited drying facility Excess rain-fall expose Lack of storage facilities Rough transportation/load/unload No or poor access to new technology No farmers friendly business model
Post harvest steps Harvesting (cutting – field drying – hauling) Stacking/Piling - Threshing (and winnowing) Moisture control (drying) Fine cleaning (for seed) Bagging Fumigation (for seed) Storage (paddy storage) Parboiling & milling Transportation - Marketing
Harvest Handling Harvest in dry and sunny weather to avoid extra
moisture
Harvest only in appropriate ripening stage (80-85%)
Use combine harvester if available/possible
Do not mix grain for milling with seed production
Take moisture measurement after harvesting
Avoid delays in threshing and drying after harvesting
Harvesting Harvesting mainly
manually (almost 99 %)
Very rare use of reapers and combine harvesters
Combine harvester is more appropriate and cost effective
Field drying Leaving the cut crop
in the field and exposing it to the sun for drying
Panicle drying, usually farmers dry their paddy 2-3 days in the field
Dry up to 17-18%
For seed its better thresh after cutting and then dry
Threshing Most of the farmers
now use mechanical thresher like fully mechanized open drum power thresher and pedal thresher
Cleaning & grading for seed Pre-cleaning
(for both seed and milling)
Fine cleaning(for seed)
Grading(for wheat, barley, maize, etc)
Storage technology IRRI Super bag
Cocoon
Post harvest flow chart
Harvesting
Pre-drying in field
Threshing Winnowing Drying
StorageParboiling and drying For milling
Processing (pre cleaning, fine
Cleaning, grading)and fumigation
for seed
Harvesting
Packaging
MarketingMarketingUtilization by consumer
Hauling
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