The Learning Alliance team conducted training in grain quality assessment for about 30 farmers from different villages in Bogale and Mawlamyinegyun Townships on 4 April. The event consisted of lectures and hands-on exercises on using the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) grain quality assessment kit. The IRRI kit can be used to quantify quality traits of paddy and milled rice either by direct measurement or by calculation. Dr. Myo Aung Kyaw, postharvest consultant of the Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LiFT) project, taught the farmers to measure moisture content, identify dockage, cracked grains, and assess seed purity and discolored grains.
At the end of the activity, the farmers expressed their appreciation for the first-of-its-kind training. They also identified other topics that they are interested to learn such as cooking quality and better production management practices to enable them to produce better quality rice and obtain higher profit. Rice from Bogale Township command low market price due its poor quality.
The event was funded by the LiFT project through its Improving livelihoods of rice-based rural households in the lower region of the Ayeyarwady delta initiative. Under the initiative IRRI, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), and other nongoverment partners of Learning Alliance collaborate to help improve food security and livelihood in Myanmar.
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