Improved rice bag protects stored rice from moisture, pests and rats and keeps rice seeds viable

Tipo de pratica Reduce

Nombre la actividad profesional Improved rice bag protects stored rice from moisture, pests and rats and keeps rice seeds viable

Nombre del agente principal International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Tipo de agente(s) Agricultores

Ubicación Philippines

Etapa de la puesta en práctica Almacenamiento

Año de puesta en práctica 2012

Actividades realizadas o en vías de realización A rice storage bag that blocks the flow of both oxygen and water vapor has had a great result for rice farmers, who often deal with postharvest losses of up to 15 percent of the harvest, as well as loss of nutritional quality. Developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the bag enables farmers to safely store their seeds for 9–12 months without reducing germination rates. The bag also keeps away insects and rats without using chemicals and increases the percentage of whole rice grains recovered after milling by around 10 percent. A Filipino farmer, who found that his rice grains broke from moisture and suffered pest infestations during 7-month storage, tested the new bags and reported that after keeping the harvest in the bags for 10 months, “the seeds were 100 percent viable, and none were wasted." IRRI initiated and facilitates National Post-harvest Learning Alliances to embrace public and private stakeholders with an interest in, and mandate to, establish local supply chains for technologies. Through Postharvest Learning Alliance, IRRI is assisting in setting up and training local distributors in new technologies for reducing post-harvest losses.

Resultados y repercusiones The FWF model calculated that, in Southeast Asia, the carbon footprint of rice cultivation is particularly high, as rice is a methane-emitting crop, because of the decomposition of organic matter in flooded paddy fields. Therefore, reducing post-harvest loss by 15 percent has a significant climate change mitigation effect.