Worldwide increase in Rice production, volatility in international rice prices and declining profits has forced millers to rethink about their operation strategies and look for the ideas that will make them more competitive than competition. The future belongs to the millers who recognize the aforesaid uncertainties and initiate efforts to reduce “PROCESSING COST WHILE MAINTAINING QUALITY” to get an edge over the competition. Factors described below are directed towards this aim only; 1. Build to bring Reliability & Economy in Operation 2. Effectiveness of Paddy Purchase & Storage 3. Efficiency in Operation 4. Production Centric Quality Lab 5. Reduce Power Cost 6. Forward and Backward Integration 7. Good House Keeping & Sanitation

1. Future Strategies of Rice Mills
A welcome shift towards
Reliability & Economy in Operation
To get an competitive edge
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2. Synopsis
Worldwide increase in Rice production, volatility in international rice
prices and declining profits has forced millers to rethink about their
operation strategies and look for the ideas that will make them more
competitive than competition.
The future belongs to the millers who recognize the aforesaid
uncertainties and initiate efforts to reduce “PROCESSING COST
WHILE MAINTAINING QUALITY” to get an edge over the
competition.
Factors described below are directed towards this aim only;
1. Build to bring Reliability & Economy in Operation
2. Effectiveness of Paddy Purchase & Storage
3. Efficiency in Operation
4. Production Centric Quality Lab
5. Reduce Power Cost
6. Forward and Backward Integration
7. Good House Keeping & Sanitation
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3. 1 Build to bring Reliability & Economy in
Operation
While designing and building a New Rice Mill, Professionals must ensure the
following;
• Ensure unidirectional flow of Man, Material, Traffic, Utilities and Product. Keep
minimum 20% space for expansion.
• Ensure Power Savings in operation by using Variable Frequency Drives, High
Efficiency electric Motors, smaller conveying system and using gravity wherever
possible etc.
• Ensure lesser downtime by defining the operation sequence and hooking the same
with hard or soft interlocks
• Selection of Most Economic Machines must be done on the basis of Cost of
Ownership for minimum 2 Years
• Beware of false claims of manufacturers, always ask for test results and
performance guarantees
• Do not overdo and under-do flexibility as both make operation inefficient.
• Mill must be designed by professionals in such a way that no machine is constraint to
operate less than 24 hours
• Buy equipment only from Vendors who have test beds to test their equipment in their
facility
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4. 2.1 Effectiveness of Paddy Purchase &
Storage
Paddy Purchase
Paddy Purchase must be made more scientific by using
portable high quality instruments
◦ Legal for Trade Moisture Meter to check Paddy Moisture
◦ Dockage Tester to Check Impurities
◦ Grain Counter & Weigher to check Paddy Weight per 1000 grains
◦ Lab Husker to check De-Husking Efficiency and Estimated Yield
Buying Decisions must be made on the basis of Net Result
of the above. Quality Vans going to mandis with aforesaid lab
equipment could be a good idea.
Note: Moisture being major criteria always measure Moisture
without an Accurate moisture meter which is accurate up to
one decimal place
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5. 2.2 Effectiveness of Paddy
Purchase & Storage
Paddy Handling and Storage
 Avoid Bagging, bring Paddy in Bulk and store in bulk i.e in Silos, Silo
Bags or Bunker Storage
 Bulk Handling ensure mechanization and make system cost
effective and Spillage Free.
 Quality can be easily monitored and maintained in bulk handling
system.
 Storage must be done only after cleaning the paddy as impurities
initiates infestation
 Ideally Paddy must be dried to Equilibrium Moisture Level of Paddy
before transferring the paddy for bulk storage.
 Spillage is largely restricted in Bulk Handling System as it is a closed
system.
 Manpower is largely reduced in Bulk Silo Storage and also accurate
Bulk Weighment is possible.
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6. 3.1 Efficiency in Operation
Paddy Parboiling
 Use a system that reduces operator’s dependence. Automate or Semi-
Automate process timings of Pre-Steaming, Soaking and Post Steaming to
ensure quality of product by installing Solenoid Operated Valves, Level
Probes, timers, counters, online moisture meters and PLCs
 Monitor and Control usage of steam for Pre-Steaming, Soaking, Post
Steaming and Drying since the steam is very expensive. Size your pipelines
to use low pressure steam as low pressure steam has more latent heat.
 Use proper condensate recovery system to reduce fuel consumption in
boiler.
 Use condensate to pre-heat soaking water temperature.
 Use continuous Drying system with intermediate tempering bins; avoid batch
system as batch drying system is highly expensive due to high steam
consumption.
 Install Steam Flow Meters at relevant locations to control Steam Wastage.
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7. 3.2 Efficiency in Operation
Parboiling & Milling
 Upgradation to PLC Automation to reduce downtime and Operator’s dependence
 Semi-Autonomous Maintenance – Unless there is a major fault, operators must be
trained to do machine maintenance. Using ITI trained people as operators is always a
good idea as they are more conversant with Electro-mechanical machines
 Implement Reliability Centric Maintenance through Semi-Autonomous Maintenance to
Ensure 24/7 machine availability
 Trained Manpower : A good trained manpower is an asset to the company as it
saves a lot of money by reducing downtime and increasing quality production.
 Measurement – “Whatever can be measured can only be improved”. Use Online
Weighers to measure sectional efficiencies and strive for improvement
 Blending – Blending must be done through Automatic Online Blending Machines so that
there are lesser variations in final production.
 Material Handling System - Use High Quality, Maintenance free material handling
system so that more focus could be given to Rice Milling machines
 Record Product Changeover Activities & Changeover Time and reduce time to clean,
time to change parts, time to adjust machines and improve the timing to make it as less
as possible
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8. 3.3 Efficiency in Operation
Finished Product and Packing Lines
 “Just in Time” Packing is always a good idea as it
reduces multiple handling
 Finished products may be kept in sealed bins and
packing must be done as and when required with PLC
driven High Speed High Quality packing system
 Use Blending machines for automatic and accurate
blending
 Use packing machines that are certified in accordance
with OIML Class 0.2 accuracy levels.
And, Finally always try to use genuine or good quality
spares.
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9. 4 Production Centric Quality Lab
 Production centric quality lab can help reduce re-work, helping
production improve quality and ensure proper blending to improve
cooking quality
 IPQC – Strengthening In-Process Quality Controls can ensure “Right
at First Time Approach” by timely correcting process. Please
understand that the Cost of poor quality is very high
 Quality lab must help production by establishing production
parameters before starting a batch on production line
 Quality Labs must have all latest lab equipment to simulate
Parboiling, De-Husking, Whitening, Blending. Visual Inspections
must be avoided, instead instrument must be used.
 Amylose Content, Alkali Score, Gel Mobility, Pesticides Residue,
Presence of Heavy Metal, must always be tested to ensure final
product quality and reduce rework
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10. 5 Reduce Power Cost
 Power is major expense, approx 25% to 32% of
production cost is power cost
 Rice Mills must have their own power to save on
production cost and hence must go for Bio-Mass based
co-generation power plants Power Plant
 All Biomass based power plants are eligible for RECs +
CDM + Capital Subsidy
 Besides, Buy equipment that consume less power as 1
KW saved means Rs 60000/- saved annually
 Power Cost is increasing year on year. Having own
power plant not only makes you more competitive but
also makes your production plans reliably realistic.
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11. 6 Forward and Backward
Integration
Forward & Backward Integration enables a Rice Mill to be more
competitive.
 Power Plants - Biomass based and Solar both are profitable for Rice
Mills
 Recovered Condensate Heat may be used for Vapour Absorption
Machines for Air Conditioning
 Rice Husk Ash has 70%-90% Silica. Silica Extraction Plants from
Rice Husk Ash is very lucrative business
 Water Recycling Plants with Methane Generation
 Glucose Plant – Brokens to Glucose or MDP
 Value Addition in terms of Ready to Eat Rice
 Solvent Extraction and Bran Oil Manufacturing
 Husk Furnaces
 Animal Feed Mills
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12. 7 Good House Keeping & Sanitation
 Incorporate 5S in Rice Mills and maintain Good House Keeping
 Dedicate a team with vacuum cleaners to Pick and Save Spilled
Over Grain regularly
 After every maintenance of any equipment clean the area properly to
ensure that no foreign material enters the product
 All production consumables must have a designated space properly
marked
 Cleaning rejects, Magnet Rejects, De-stoner Stones must always be
removed from the production floor at regular interval
 Good House Keeping saves a lot silently.
 Meeting Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary requirements always gives
millers a edge over the others hence a proper laid out plan must be
implemented to meet these requirements
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