Some estimates of farm-level storage losses of rice in Bangladesh

This paper relates to farm-level storage of Aman (winter) season paddy (unhusked rice) and rice in 1978-79. The estimates are based on work from the first year of the Institute of Development Studies post-harvest research project in Comilla district of Bangladesh. After a description of the causes of loss arising during farm-level storage, the problems of loss measurement and the methods adopted are explained. Estimates of quantitative losses of paddy and parboiled rice, in a variety of different storage structures, are given with a 'best estimate' of average physical loss (2.04 per cent). A factor (1.25) has been calculated to convert the physical loss of paddy to a loss of food, so as to obtain an overall estimate of average food loss (2.43 per cent). The results are briefly discussed with regard to the relative performance of raw and parboiled grain and to possible implications for policies concerned with reducing post-harvest loss