DA unit issues guidelines for rice mill standards

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) has issued two illustrative guides for rice mill standards, in line with the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s goal of mechanizing the rice industry.

In a statement, the BAFS said it released the illustrative guides for the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for Postharvest Machinery-Rice Mill-Specifications, and Rice Mill-Methods of Test.

The illustrative guideline for Rice Mill-Specifications contains detailed illustrations of different parts of the rice mill, its methods of operation, fabrication requirements and the proper marking and labeling of the machine.

It also specifies the general requirements for ensuring the safety of machine operators, and the workmanship and finish of a rice mill.

Meanwhile, the illustrative guide for Rice Mill-Methods of Test presents the standard procedures for sampling agricultural machinery and its components to verify the mechanism, specifications and performance of the rice mill.

It also serves as a reference in identifying the effect of milling on grain quality through laboratory analysis, as well as evaluating the handling and safety procedures to ensure the safety of the machine operators.

According to the BAFS, one of members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) from the University of the Philippines Los Baños-Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (UPLB-AMTEC) suggested the inclusion of the IG in the training and refresher course on the rice milling test being conducted by AMTEC.

The Bureau is hopeful that this initiative will encourage manufacturers and fabricators, including rice mill fabricators, test engineers and farmer organizations, in adopting modern, appropriate, cost-effective and environmentally safe rice machinery and equipment while ensuring the safety of the farmers.

A rice milling system appropriate for Philippines’ widely planted rice varieties is contributory in producing whole rice kernels that are sufficiently milled, free of impurities, and contain a minimum number of broken kernels.

Earlier this year, the BAFS also released an illustrative guide for the PNS for paddy and milled rice classification to guide farmers and buyers on trade of paddy and milled rice.