ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

Problems and priorities of grain drying in Thailand.

Naewbanij, M.;

Grain drying in Asia: Proceedings of an International Conference held at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand, 17-20 October, 1995. Year: 1996 Pages: 54-56 Ref: 2 ref.

1996

บทคัดย่อ

Changes that have occurred in the rice postharvest practices of Thai farmers are described. Rapid development of the industrial sector caused a serious farm labour shortage which resulted in intensive use of farm machinery. Locally manufactured combine-harvesters are widely used in the major rice-producing areas. The mechanically harvested rice was initially not dried sufficiently, creating handling problems for millers and local traders. The price of rice fell to below its production costs. To solve the problem, the Thai Government remitted over 250 million baht in soft loans to millers and collectors to install driers. It also provided subsidies of over 250 million baht to farmer institutions to secure appropriate driers. A follow-up survey of the method of drying and type of drier installed showed that sun drying was still the major means of drying at mill and collector levels. Driers in use were found to be mostly of the mixed-flow type, with holding capacities of around 25 t. They were oper

ating as grain recirculating batch driers. Some of the driers found were of the millers' or collectors' own designs. Fluidized-bed driers were found to have some potential at the collector level. As part of a drier project, 20 6-t (holding capacity) driers were installed at 10 farmer groups, but a follow-up study carried out in the following year showed that only 5 of the groups were using them.