Different Types of Rice Milling Processes & Methods

The process of removing the husk and bran layers, and producing white rice kernel that is free of impurities is referred to as rice milling. Usually, the three methods of purifying the rice are a one-step process where husk and bran removal are done together, a two-step process where husk and bran are removed separately, and a multistage process in which rice undergoes a series of different rice milling processes & methods.

 

The two categories in which the rice milling is divided are Village Rice Mills and Commercial Mills. Rice mills which are used for milling paddy of farmers for home consumption are called as village rice mills whereas when the rice is sufficiently milled and all the husks and stones are removed to appeal to the customers, it is known as commercial rice milling. Another objective of commercial mills is to minimize grain breakage.

 

Multistage Rice milling Process

The paddy is boiled partially, in order to increase its nutritional value, and this process is called parboiling. It reduces breakage and even changes the texture of cooked rice.

 

Pre-cleaning method: In order to attain high milling recoveries, pre-cleaning of the rice is necessary. If not done properly, the fines in the rice can create dust and can reduce the airflow through the rice grain. De-stoning is done to remove undesired stones present in the rice using a gravity separator or a de-stoner. The process includes passing the rough rice through a series of sieves and a closed-circuit aspiration system.

De-Husking: The process of removing the husk from rice grains is referred to as de-husking. The process includes directing paddy into a pair of rubber rolls, rotating in opposite directions and at different speeds. A shear force is generated on the surface of the hull because of horizontal inward pressure that is applied on rubber rolls. Removing the husk from the brown rice or unhusked paddy is known as husk aspiration.

Paddy Separation: The surface of a rice grain is smooth, whereas the surface of paddy is rough. Paddy Separator uses this difference in texture to spate brown rice from paddy.

Whitening & Polishing: A humidified rice polisher is used to polish the surface of the rice. The factors which determine the extent of whiteness are the radial velocity of the stone wheels, the grid size of the stones, and the external pressure on the outlet chamber of the whitening machine. 

Weighing and bagging machines are then used to pack and weigh the rice accurately to be sold in the market.

 

Conclusion

With so many different rice milling processes & methods, it can be confusing if you don’t have prior knowledge of it. It’s always better to look for Rice Mill Consultants for advice so as to get better results even in the initial stage of the mill. Having more than 10 years of experience, Nextech Grain Processing & Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd. can provide a solution to all your queries related to the food grain industry.

 

 

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Importance of Modern Rice Mill Machinery

Factually speaking, India is the largest producer and exporter of Basmati rice and one of the largest exporters of rice, in general. Rice milling is perhaps the oldest and also the biggest agro-processing industry in the country.
As it was last determined, India had a turnover of more than Rs. 25,000 cr/year and had the capacity to process approximately 85,000 tonnes of paddy each year, in turn, providing the staple food item to more than 60% of its population.

Factually speaking, India is the largest producer and exporter of Basmati rice and one of the largest exporters of rice, in general. Rice milling is perhaps the oldest and also the biggest agro-processing industry in the country.

As it was last determined, India had a turnover of more than Rs. 25,000 cr/year and had the capacity to process approximately 85,000 tonnes of paddy each year, in turn, providing the staple food item to more than 60% of its population.

When a country witnesses economic growth along with a situation of stable supply, we see a shift in the customer preference. Their demand shifts from quantity to quality and security. If we shift our focus on modern countries, we get to see that those nations are trying and consolidating their rice milling operations into large milling facilities, whereas most of the small and medium scale milling facilities are dying away.

This clearly proves that people over there are more critical of rice quality. This growing consciousness in the rice milling market would ultimately lead to bigger, more sophisticated machinery.

Developing countries, on the other hand, face a distinct challenge of sustained productivity. In the business environment, sustained production comes across as the biggest challenge rice milling units face.

So, how can we get over this one of the most critical challenges? Well, by streamlining and automating work processes. This is the only way to enhance productivity and reach a stage of sustained productivity.

Modern, automated rice milling machines not only have more reasonable designs but also have higher milling efficiency. The quality of milling operations straightaway determines the rice output’s quality, whiteness, milling degree, grain dimensions, etc. Using modern rice milling technology can let the rice millers cater to the exact customer demand on quantity as well as quality.

Today, most of the developing nations like India, China, Nigeria, etc, owing to the low-entry barrier and high profitability have grown swiftly. However, their lack of updated processing techniques and rearward equipment is hindering the development of their country’s rice industry, as a whole.

While the surge in population has created a demand for increasing the productivity, there have been numerous cases of grain loss due to inefficient, obsolete milling equipment. Developing, rice-producing nations are said to lose about 10% of their yield each year. And this calls for an improved, automated rice milling and processing machinery.

If you’re one of those farmers suffering from the lack of adequate milling infrastructure, make sure you get in touch with Nextech Agri Solutions Pvt. Ltd. It’s an Indian-based rice milling consultant with years of experience in the rice milling industry.

 

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Rice Plantation and its Growth

As such, the rice production cycle is divided into 3 distinct stages. These are pre-planting, growth and post-production. In one of our previous blogs, we thoroughly discussed the initial stage of rice production, i.e. the pre-planting process.

As such, the rice production cycle is divided into 3 distinct stages. These are pre-planting, growth and post-production. In one of our previous blogs, we thoroughly discussed the initial stage of rice production, i.e. the pre-planting process.

With this blog, we’d now move to the next step of rice production process, which is the growth stage. The rice growth stage includes 5 different processes. These are:

  • Rice plantation
  • Water management
  • Managing nutrients
  • Weed control
  • Disease and pest management

 

1. Rice Planting

Rice planting begins once the land has been prepared. As such, in rice farming, 4 different methods of cultivation exist.

These are mentioned as follows:

    • Direct seeding or broadcasting: Broadcasting involves sowing the seeds directly by hand and is suitable for areas with infertile soil and dry land.

 

    • Transplanting: Practiced where the soil fertility is optimum, transplanting is the most popular seed establishing method. It involves the transfer of pre-germinated seedlings from seedbed to the main field.

 

    • Drilling: Confined to peninsular locations, this method only requires 2 persons; one for ploughing land and the other for planting seeds.

 

  • Japanese technique: The Japanese method requires seeds to be sown on raised nursery beds which should further be transplanted in rows. It requires timely fertigation, i.e. injecting fertilizers and other chemicals into the soils, and weeding and is only used for high-yield rice varieties.

 

2. Water Management

Everyone involved in the process of rice production knows that rice of extremely sensitive to water shortage. Generally, rice is grown in fields that are continuously flooded for at least 10 days, almost a week until beginning the harvest. This is particularly important for lowland rice. This constant flooding ensures water sufficiency while controlling weeds.

Since there is a global shortage of water, it’s important to follow water management practices like constructing field channels, prepare and level land, and construct bunds.

3. Manage Nutrients

During the growth stage, rice plants require nutrients to grow and develop. Also, applying nutrients to the crop is also one of the most crucial steps for improving soil fertility and prevents nutrient imbalance in the field.

4. Weed Management

To prevent yield losses, bring down production cost and maintain grain quality, it’s fairly important to prevent and control weeds. Since weeds compete equally for sunlight, water and nutrients, it becomes all the more important to prevent them. Not just during the crop growth, weed management should be practiced during land preparation and in the nursery as well.

5. Disease and Pest Management

Weed is not the only enemy that we face during rice production; the rice plant faces a lot of foes during its growth. These are insects, rodents, viruses and diseases. On an average, each year, farmers lose about 37% of their crops to diseases and pests. It is, therefore, important for farmers to understand how pests and other enemies interact with crops and come up with necessary management practices.

They need to:

  • Clean the field and farming equipment
  • Use pest resistant varieties
  • Avoid over fertilizing
  • Implement natural pest inhibitors
  • Refrain from applying pesticides during the initial 40 days of seed planting

For detailed information on the above-mentioned steps and any other information on rice growth, rice milling and rice storage, one should contact Nextech Agri Solutions, a New Delhi based rice planting and rice milling consultant.

 

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