Dryer machine to reduce paddy moisture up to 8 pc in 2 hours

Since the DPCs refuse to accept paddy beyond the prescribed moisture condition, many farmers are left in lurch as the moisture condition goes beyond the level owing to the climatic condition that lands them into a heavy loss.

In such circumstances, the progressive farmers from Thanjavur with the support of a private firm have made a dryer machine that would reduce the moisture condition up to 8 per cent. For instance, the paddy which has a moisture condition between 24 and 26 per cent would be turned to 18 per cent after drying it through the machine. Presently, the DPCs allow paddy with a moisture condition between 17 and 20 per cent.

The machine, made by a private agriculture engineering firm from Hosur, has a capacity of 2 MT and would dry the paddy up to two hours after which it would be taken to the DPCs.

The progressive farmer Ganapathy Agraharam Srinivasan who had initiated steps to bring out the machine, said that after a series of improvements, the machine was brought out and the trial run was made at a DPC in Ponnappur in Thanjavur district where the other farmers were asked to visit the machine.

“We have also invited District Collector M Govinda Rao to inspect the machine and he witnessed the process of drying the paddy through the machine and he was satisfied with the working condition,” said Srinivasan.

On seeing the machine, the District Collector said that the machine would be introduced to the Chief Minister after its successful results and urged it to be used by all the farmers across the state.

Meanwhile, the farmer Srinivasan said that he had suggested a few upgraded features on the machine like more capacity and digital display of moisture condition which would save manpower as well as time and the company has assured to work on it.