News Bangladesh: Local millers learn more on new technologies for drying paddy

A meeting of stakeholders of the US-AID funded FtF Innovations Laboratory for the Reduction of Postharvest Loss was held at Rajbari District in southwest Bangladesh on 2 March 2014. Represented in the meeting were IRRI, Practical Action, and VPKA Foundation and five local millers.

The meeting builds on a previous exposure tour where millers were taught about improved technologies for mechanical drying of paddy.

Local millers, during the meeting, shared about their new knowledge, including the costs and benefits of adopting a particular technology that allow them to overcome bottlenecks in sun-drying on chatels (platforms), especially during the rainy season. They also affirmed ways of increasing the drying capacity and overall efficiency of their village mill enterprises.  The project plans to join these millers to conduct trials of mechanical drying of fresh parboiled paddy at an established CSISA pilot site in Jessore to demonstrate the benefits to milling before installing additional pilot sites.

As a supplement to the meeting, attendees made field visits to the represented mills to conduct site assessment of where mechanical dryers could be installed.

The millers had particular interest on improving drying and milling of newly released varieties, such as BRRI 50, to gain market acceptance and thus help farmers and other postharvest actors gain better prices.

The meeting received TV, internet and a national newspaper (see above right).

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