Updated Oct 07, 2020
Md. monjurul Alam
Send MessageFocus Areas:
Agriculture, Food Safety and Standards and Post Harvest
Implemented In:
Bangladesh, Ghana and Guatemala
Drying of paddy rice in Bangladesh traditionally happens in field and on farm, leaving it open to contamination from pests, dirt and dangerous fungal toxins. Post-harvest loss at the farm level is estimated to be about 14%, with drying and storage losses a key component of these losses.
To address these challenges, the PHLIL Bangladesh team developed the BAU-STR dryer, modified from Vietnam, which is a small-batch dryer that is mobile and can be operated on farm. It provides an effective drying technology alternative to traditional sun drying in terms of drying rate and drying efficiency. The BAU-STR dryer can dry one-half metric ton of paddy rice in 4-5 hours and bring moisture content from 22 percent, which is often the result from field drying, to a safe 12 percent, reducing the risk of mycotoxin contamination.