Rice Storage

Storage is the process of keeping grains, whether in bags or in bulk, in a storage structure designed to protect the stored product from inclement weather and pests for a short or long period of time to await processing or movement to other location.

Grains are stored for either of the following reasons :

• To provide uniform supply of food throughout the year, because grains are produced seasonally while consumption is fairly uniform throughout the year.
• To provide reserve for contingencies such as flood, drought and other calamities.
• To speculate on a good price either in domestic or in the export market.

The grains are stored at three different levels, such as :

• Producer's Level
• Trader's Level
• Urban Organizational Storage Level

The methods followed for storing the grains are :

• Storage in bags
• Loose storage

Storage in bags is convenient for short term storage, where grain is intended for very early onward movement. For short term storage, no control measures against insects is needed. In loose/bulk storage method, large quantity of grains can be stored in per unit volume of space and the infestation of insects/pests is lower.
The basic requirements of a good storage practice are: a healthy, clean, and uniformly dried grain, and a structure that will maintain a suitable environment that will prevent pests.