Rice Storage Silos - to prevent food losses and consequently to achieve food security

Efficient post-harvest handling of rice ensures food security. Keep rice clean, dry, and undamaged during storage. Factors to consider: -Moisture content: Aim for ≈ 25% at harvest. -Temperature: High temps promote fungi growth and oxidation. -Storage period: Shorter is better; clean grain before storage. -General condition: Check for broken seeds, impurities, and more. Post-harvest processes include reception, cleaning, drying, and storage. To maintain quality: -Reception: Analyze heat, moisture, and impurities. Use insect control measures and an aspiration system. -Cleaning: Install an integrated system with a magnet separator, drum sieve, grain precleaner, grain cleaner, and buffer silos. Ventilation and exhaust fans are crucial. -Drying: Reduce moisture to safe levels. Prevent discoloration, loss of germination, freshness, and breakage. -Storage: Popular options are steel silos, concrete silos, warehouses, and bag silos. Optimize storage with proper management.