1. Publication
  2. Research Highlights
  3. 2002

Development of a small unhulled rice-dryer suitable for use in the Mekong Delta

Country
Viet Nam

Description

[Objectives]

   The Mekong Delta is Vietnam's largest rice producing region. During the rainy season harvest time, conventional sun-drying methods can cause the quality of unhulled rice to deteriorate. Problems also arise during days of intense sunlight, when drying occurs too quickly and causes grains to crack. To assist cultivators in drying their rice in a more efficient and consistent fashion, researchers developed an all-weather, easy-to-use compact dryer that can dry approximately two tons of unhulled rice without deterioration and cracking.

[Results]

   This dryer operates using a honeycomb coal furnace, air blower fan, and driving engine with slanted drying layers on both sides. Since the drying layers are located at a low position, it is easy to hold, mix and take out unhulled rice. An easily prepared weather protection tent allows users to continue to conduct drying even during sudden rainfall (Fig. 1 and Table 1). When the dryer is installed outdoors on an uneven surface, users must ensure that air does not leak from the ground plane.

   Two tons of uhulled rice can be dried in approximately 13 hours with 25 percent initial moisture content without adverse effects. Drying can generate uneven moisture on the upper and lower layers of dry unhulled rice. However, this moisture can be reduced if the drying speed is increased by mixing and agitating the rice after five hours of operation. Since four people and approximately four hours are needed to complete the entire process of assembling, drying, and removal, one-time mixing and agitation is sufficient.

   Fuel costs for honeycomb coal and light oil are approximately 74,000 VND (about 620 yen) per one ton of dry unhulled rice. The dryer is priced at 6,500,000 VND (about 54,000 yen), excluding the weather tent. Forty units are currently in use, primarily in the Mekong Delta area.

Figure, table

  1.  

    Fig. 1. Unfulled rice dryer.
    Fig. 1. Unfulled rice dryer.

  2. Table 1. Dryer specifications.

    Table 1. Dryer specifications.
Affiliation

Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences Crop Production and Environment Division

National Agricultural Research Center for Western Region

Term of research

FY2002 (FY1999-2002)

Responsible researcher

DAIKOKU Masamichi ( National Agricultural Research Center for Western Region )

KOBAYASHI Kyo ( NARO Agricultural Research Center )

KANETANI Yutaka ( NARO Agricultural Research Center )

KOBAYASHI Hiromi ( Crop Production and Environment Division )

HIRAOKA Hiroyuki ( Crop Production and Postharvest Technology Division )

BANH Le Van ( Cuulong Delta Rice Research Institute )

QUOC Hoang Bac ( Cuulong Delta Rice Research Institute )

OSHITA Yasuo ( Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, NARO )

ほか
Publication, etc.

Banh, L. V., Quoc, H. B., Ngan, P. V., Kanetani, Y., Kobayashi, K. and Hiraoka, H. (2001): Development of simple small dryer suitable to small farms in remote area. Journal of Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, 9, 140-143.

Kobayashi, K. and Hiraoka, H. (2001): Farm work of rice drying in the Mekong Delta - Performance of small rice dryer-. Japanese Journal of Farm Work Research, 36 extra issue 1, 45-46 (in Japanese).

Japanese PDF

2002_07_A3_ja.pdf707.18 KB

English PDF

2002_07_A4_en.pdf51.64 KB

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