Gurugram-based Lotus Harvestec, a one-stop solution for bulk storage and rice milling technology, has launched an online learning platform on rice milling and foodgrain bulk storage technology for working professionals.
“We launched this paid knowledge-sharing platform in March. Rice milling technology and bulk storage are rarely discussed and have great potential,” Munishwar Vasudeva, Managing Director, Lotus Harvestec, told businessline.
Working professional can get specific information from the written chapters and if they want to go beyond what is covered, they can book a video conference, said Vasudeva, a veteran in the sector who helped Bangladesh set up steel silos for rice storage.
With bulk storage of foodgrains transitioning from open storage to covered warehousing, it has resulted in capital-intensive steel silos being set up to store all kinds of free-flowing food grains. Prevention of storage losses has proved to be a great motivation, with the Indian government coming up with a master plan to store 60 million tonnes (mt), he said.
Since 2014, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), through Public Private Partnership, installed silos with 5 mt capacity. FCI now plans to aggressively tender for setting up more silos to meet the 60 mt target.
Knowledge vaccuum
However, Vasudeva said there is a vacuum in knowing the basic fundamentals of bulk storage operations. Hence, the knowledge-sharing platform has been envisaged to address bulk storage issues such as conceptualisation, engineering, installation, commissioning, operations, greenfield flat storage and brownfield flat storage.
With India making rapid strides in the global rice sector, milling processes have to be standardised to meet all kinds of quality standards demanded by buyers and buying nations.
In rice milling technology, the online knowledge platform deals with drying of paddy and rice, storage, milling instrumentation for optimal yields, enhancing paddy and parboiled rice age, saving paddy moisture during storage, paddy parboiling, value-addition techniques of all rice, besides rice husk.
Vasudeva said more details are available on the company’s website www.lotusharvestec.com.