Protect Your Rice: Prevent Grain Loss from Harvest to Storage

Farmer

Mr. Raju’s 10-year-old son

The first step to reduce harvest and post-harvest losses of your rice is to harvest it at the right time. Listen to this conversation between father and son on how to avoid losses of the family’s rice crop, from harvest to storage. See if young Ravi has been paying attention while helping his father and mother in the fields.

MUSIC/SOUND EFFECTS.

Ravi, my son, for the last three months you have helped your mother and me to harvest, process and store our rice. Now let’s see what you have learned.

But father, I am only 10 years old! I cannot take over your fields. I am not strong enough!

(Laughing)No, son! I do not expect you to take over the work in the fields. Your mother and I have many years of life left in us. I just want to make sure that you have been paying attention! Now, tell me what you know!

Well … I have learned many things, father. I learned that it is very, very important to know when is the right time to harvest your rice.

And why is that, son?

Because birds, rodents and insects can eat or damage all your rice grains if you wait too long to harvest!

And why else?

Because …. because we get really hungry if there is no food to eat when the sun gets hot!

(Laughing) Yes, I suppose we would get hungry if we waited too long to harvest the grains! Your first reason was right, son — if you wait too long to harvest the rice then it will be eaten by birds, rodents and insects AND you increase the risk of breaking the grains during harvest. But, if you harvest the grains too early, then much of the rice may get broken during threshing and milling.

So you can see that harvesting at the right time is very important. Now what do we do before harvesting the rice?

I know! We have to let all the water out of the fields seven to ten days before we are going to harvest the rice! A dry field is easier to harvest.

Very good! How do we know when it is time to let all the water out of the fields?

I do not know, father.

Do you remember me showing you the grains just before we drained the water from the fields? The grains are ready for harvest when the kernel is clear white and firm.

Yes, I remember now … you made me squeeze the grains between my teeth. You said that if the grain is firm and looks clear white, then it is ready for harvest. If the grain is brittle and breaks when I bite on it, that means it is too dry and over mature. The rice is ready to be harvested if most of the grains are golden yellow and the leaves and stems are straw coloured.

That is right, Ravi. And the newly harvested grain should be threshed immediately and dried within 24 hours for safe storage.

Remember what I told you about moisture in the grains?

Yes. A little moisture is good for better storage and good quality milled rice. But if your rice is too moist, then it cannot be stored for a long period of time. My school teacher says that a lot of moisture in rice makes the grains soft which means that insects, bacteria and moulds can infect and damage it, leaving less for your family to eat! Sometimes, a lot of moisture causes the rice to become stained or discoloured. And stained rice means a lower market price.

Your teacher is right! Too much moisture means poor storage and milling quality of the rice, and not enough food on the table. You have learned a lot in school, Ravi.

But I am confused father … Peter’s family did not thresh their rice as soon as it was harvested. They left their harvested rice in bundles in the field.

That was because they could not thresh the grain right way. So they bundled the harvested rice stems and stacked them in a dry place.

Yes, now I remember. Peter’s family made a round stack by putting all the panicle ends toward the centre.

You remember well! It is important that you bundle the rice so that the air can move around it. And if your rice is very moist, you should avoid using round stacks. You will remember, Ravi, we stacked our rice into a square stack by making a pile only two bundles wide with panicles end to end. This keeps the grains better protected from rats, birds, and livestock!

To dry harvested rice in the sun, spread it out in a thin layer on a drying mat or on the floor during a sunny afternoon. Remember how important it was to stir the grains frequently when we left them to dry in the sun? Uneven sun drying will result in lower head rice recovery.

Now Ravi, what do you remember about storing the rice?

The storage area must be dry and not damp, and it must keep the rice grains dry and away from moisture. We always check the storage area for a leaking roof or gutters, and holes that would let rodents and birds in. That’s my job, right, father?

Yes, Ravi, that is your job! But you missed one thing. You forgot that after drying the rice we have to put it into clean jute sacks. Remember what happened two years ago when your uncle stored his rice in empty fertiliser containers?

Yes, the rice tasted very bad! All that hard work only to get poor quality rice! It is better to use a jute sack to store your rice whether it is for 2 or 7 months! Even my teacher told me that — and to watch out for all those nasty insects!

You have been doing a good job helping your mother close all the small openings in our sacks. Maybe this year we will not have as many storage pests!

I hope not, father! I want to compete in all the school races this year, so I will be eating a lot of rice!

Well Ravi, if you keep learning how to take care of our harvested rice, I have no doubt that there will be enough rice to help you win all the school races!

MUSICAL BREAK.

What did you learn from the conversation between father and son? What could you do to improve your chances of protecting your rice and preventing grain loss … from harvest to storage?