The Rice Marketing Board for the State of New South Wales is the authority which receives the entire paddy rice crop from the growers of this State. In the past few years production has been as high as 730,000 tonnes per annum comprising about 97% of Australia's rice production.
Farmers are encouraged to harvest their rice while it is still at a relatively high moisture level (up to 23% moisture) in order to enhance the milling qualities of the grain. To ensure the rice is in a safe condition for prolonged storage the moisture must be reduced after receival to approximately 14% moisture.
In the N.S.W. Rice Industry this drying is performed after the rice is placed into store and in recent years the Rice Marketing Board has incorporated some unusual materials handling techniques into its storages in order to improve functionality.
Conventional paddy rice storage in N.S.W. is carried out in flat bed, rectangular plan storage, with a rice depth of between 6 and 7.5 m. Drying is achieved by blowing ambient air upwards through the bed in suitable climatic conditions. Until recently the grain has been laid in horizontal layers by mechanical throwers mounted in the head space above the bins.
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