FT 81 – Cereal Science and Technology (Lecture)

Assignment (October 8, 2021)

Reflection Paper

Name: Precious Mae C. Barbosa Score: ___________________

Section/ID Number: BSFT 3 – 2019302871 Date Submitted: October 15, 2021

In the Philippines, where rice is the preeminent agricultural industry, drying

and storing crops can be a real common problem for Filipino farmers after
harvesting. The current type of storage facility that the small farmers use in the
Philippines or our locality: both the traditional practices and advancements of
technology. In the traditional way to store grains, the small farmers utilize
particular “bodega” (storehouse), makeshift infrastructures or even their own
houses as their storage facility, which is inefficient and time-consuming in
producing marketable, good quality and quantity of grains. Due to the following
factors: sudden rain, theft, pestilence, and even passing vehicles, the traditional
practices of drying and storing grains by Filipino farmers typically result in grain
quality and quantity losses. Additionally, facilities for drying and storing crops are
the primary requirement for the farmers to protect their commodities from
infestation. So, the lack of facilities could be one of the factors of grain losses.
That is why awareness of the available new technologies in post-harvest
interventions is relevant for the farmers. In this system, the small farmers could
utilize upgraded and improved storage facilities and even drying facilities for the
grains that will help to minimize and soon eliminate post-harvest grain quality and
quantity losses.
Despite the relevance of the available advancements in post-harvest
interventions, traditional farmers still have resistance against the utilization of new
technologies to improve post-harvest practices of rice and corn grains. In my
opinion, this is primarily because of financial issues, lack of knowledge, and
inadequate support for various farmers in our locality. There are still farmers out
there that are depreciated with values and rights. They may likely experience
difficulties in regaining and recovering from the quality and quantity losses of their
grains. It is important that we, especially the government, should appreciate and
support our local farmers. Because without them, there would be no one to
cultivate crops for us, which may result in a massive shortage of food and a
crucial problem in the supply chain. Drying and storage are integral to the income
growth of our farmers. That is why technologies are introduced and enhance to
make post-harvest processes easier and more efficient. “Para bawat butil
protektado, kada ani sigurado.”