AsianScientist (Jul. 30, 2012) – An airtight, reusable plastic bag that protects stored rice from moisture, pests, and rats, and keeps rice seeds viable, is now available to Filipino farmers in almost 200 retail stores nationwide.
Developed by the International Rice Research Intitute (IRRI) and manufactured by GrainPro Inc., SuperGrainbag is said to reduce post-harvest losses of up to 15 percent from poor storage conditions, which also lead to a loss in grain quality.
According to the IRRI, the SuperGrainbag works by blocking the flow of both oxygen and water vapor from external environment to the grain.
When properly sealed, the bag allows farmers to safely store their seeds for 9 to 12 months without reducing germination rates.
The bags also provide a non-chemical alternative to keeping out insects and rats and are said to improve the percentage of whole rice grains recovered after milling by around 10 percent.
“Before, a seven-month storage caused my rice grains to break from moisture and pest infestations,” said Philippine farmer Manuel Luzentales Jr.
“I tested the IRRI Super Bags on my harvest for the second planting season of 2010. After keeping my harvest in the IRRI Super Bags for 10 months, the seeds were 100 percent viable, and none were wasted,” he said.
The IRRI, through its national partnerships, has verified the benefits of the SuperGrainbag with tens of thousands of farmers throughout Asia, but acknowledges it is a challenge to commercially roll out the bags to millions of farmers.
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Source: IRRI.
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