Steps In Local Harvesting,Storage And Preservation Of Rice Grains

Rice is ready to be harvested when the grains are hard and are turning yellow/brown. That is about 30-45days after flowering or a month after 50% flowering.

STEPS IN RICE HARVESTING:

Cut the stems with sickle about 10-15cm above the ground lay harvested rice crop in upright position for drying before threshing begins.

THRESHING:

- Thresh immediately after harvesting and drying to avoid losses.

- Use whacking frames or mechanical devices, but avoid threshing on bare floor to prevent sand, pebbles  and other foreign matters.

- Thresh on mat or tarpaulin over concrete floor or by flailing (i.e beating rice against the floor or against a stick of drum.

- Threshing carefully avoid de-husking the grains.

ALSO READ: HOW TO PRODUCE MAGGOTS FOR ANIMAL FEED

ALSO READ: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SNAIL FARMING

WINNOWING:

- Winnow to separate the chaff and empty grains from the well-filled matured grains.

- Remove foreign matter in the paddy to avoid localized heating spots during parboiling.

DRYING:

- Dry paddy properly to a safe moisture content of 13%-14% by spreading in thin layer (2-3cm thick) on clean concrete floors, mats or tarpaulin and turning over periodically.

- Sun dry slowly for 2-3days to reduce breakage during milling.

- On a clear bright day, sun day for one day(9-10hrs) only by spreading paddy thinly on clean concrete floors, mats or tarpaulin.

- Use a mechanical drier if available.

- Avoid drying on bare floor or roadside.

                                                  

PARBOILING:

- Parboiled rice has the advantage of better storage, cooking  quality, rich in food value, devoid of unpleasant odour and breaking less during milling

- Soak paddy in hot water at 70⁰C for 6 hours.

- Remove all floating empty grains.

- Parboil rice by steaming rice paddy  in jute bag for 10-16 minutes.

- Suspend the bag over steaming water in a drum.

- Stop parboiling when rice husks start to split open.

- Chalky grains or white centers indicate incomplete parboiling which may cause breakage of grains during milling.

- Parboiling can also be done using earthen pots or empty petrol drums depending on quantity of rice.

MILLING:

This is a process of removing the husk from the grains. Greater efficiency in the milling process results to whole grain with minimal broken grains to attract good price.

                                                                 RICE MILLING

- Always mill rice in two stage milling machine.

- Always mill one pure variety at a time.

- De-stone, package, brand and store

- In Storage of rice paddy Make sure you store rice in 65% relative humidity.

 - Store rice paddy at a temperature within 5.5⁰ C of the average monthly air temperature and below      15.6⁰C as long as possible during the year,

-  Design and operate aeration system to maintain uniform rice paddy moisture and temperature.

- Store only well cleaned rice

- Inspect rice paddy regularly weekly.

PREVENTION OF STORAGE PESTS IN RICE GRAINS

  

- Used dried chilli pepper to keep pests away.

- Apply 2 tablespoon of phostoxin in an unsealed envelope per 50kg bag of rice grain.

N/B:  phosphine gas is highly toxic and should not come in direct contact with rice grains.)

- Treat seeds/grains with activated silica gel powder to dehydrate possible insects in the bulk.

- Store grains in extreme low temperature.

- Use airtight containers for grain storage.