1. Rice post harvest management-Bangladesh context
Debashish Chanda, Ph.D
Post Harvest & Business Model Specialist
IRRI Bangladesh

2. Why is Post-Harvest Management Important?
Food Safety
Quality assurance
Better storage
Better protection from pests
Reduce losses (quantity & quality)
Better marketing opportunities

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Harvesting Harvesting mainly manually (almost 99 %)
Very rare use of reapers and combine harvesters
Combine harvester is more appropriate and cost effective

8. 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

9. Threshing
Most of the farmers now use mechanical thresher like fully mechanized open drum power thresher and pedal thresher

10. Drying for storage Drying traditionally (sun drying)
Use bite test to get m/c

11. Mechanical dryer
Low-cost seed dryer
Flat bed dryer
Mechanical dryer

12. Cleaning & grading for seed
Pre-cleaning
(for both seed and milling)
Fine cleaning
(for seed)
Grading
(for wheat, barley, maize, etc)

13. Storage

14. Storage technology
IRRI Super bag
Cocoon

15. Parboiling Parboiling (5-10 min) Soaking (min 12 hours)
Drying (12% - 16%)

16. Milling

17. Post harvest flow chart
Pre-drying
in field
Harvesting
Harvesting
Threshing
Winnowing
Drying
Hauling
Parboiling and drying
For milling
Storage
Utilization by
consumer
Marketing
Marketing
Processing (pre
cleaning, fine
Cleaning, grading)
and fumigation
for seed
Packaging

18. Thank You