IRRI-Bangladesh gets the ball rolling on new project for reducing postharvest losses

by Alfred Schmidley 

IRRI-Bangladesh kicked off the Innovations Lab for Reduction of Postharvest Loss, a new project that aims to enhance food security in Bangladesh by reducing postharvest losses and recovering more rice from farmers’ harvests, at the BRAC Center in Dhaka on 3 June.  The 5-year project is funded by USAID, under the Feed the Future initiative, and will be implemented by IRRI–Bangladesh with support from Kansas State University and  the University of Illinois.

The event included learning activities in identifying postharvest needs for research and technologies. It also focused on improving the processing of both paddy and seed through multi-stakeholder partnerships, including farmers and women Self-Help Groups. Participating organizations included international NGOs, universities and government research institutions, community-based organizations, and other postharvest stakeholders. Dr. M.A. Sattar Mandal, former vice-chancellor and current professor at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Dr. Shahidur Rahman Bhuiyan, USAID senior agricultural and food policy advisor, and Dr. Paul Fox, IRRI representative for Bangladesh, were the featured speakers. 

As part of its next step, Innovations Lab for Reduction of Postharvest Loss will engage local partner networks for assessing needs for training and piloting of awareness-raising of options that suit to local actors needs.

ADB-IRRI Postharvest Project Planning Meeting conducted

by Trina Leah Mendoza

Partners of the IRRI-ADB Philippine Postharvest Project from different provinces in the Philippines and the Philippine Rice Research Institute, as a key project partner, recently conducted the ADB-IRRI Postharvest Project Planning Meeting last June 1 and 2, 2010 at the Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte.
The 2-day meeting aimed to update partners on the project’s current activities at IRRI and in pilot provinces, plan and agree on activities targeted for the next 18 months, brief partners on steps to creating a business model, and introduce adaptive research and pilot study protocols to partners.

Fifteen partners from key institutions in the three pilot sites of Camarines Sur, Bohol, and Agusan del Norte attended and reported on their progress on participatory hermetic storage verification.

Updates on the activities on hermetic storage were presented. Wilson Orino, program officer of Caritas Diocese of Libmanan, Camarines Sur also provided the results of their adaptive trials. Dr. Caesar Tado, co-project leader from PhilRice, reported on the adaption of mechanical dryers, particularly the new reversible dryers. IRRI anthropologist Rica Flor discussed updates on what the postharvest learning alliance in the Philippines has done. 


A lecture on Business models development was also done with group exercises facilitated by Alfred Schmidley and Rica Flor. The meeting concluded with each pilot site having their set of work plans which will be a jump off point for the 2011 project implementation strategies.

Learning Alliance activities for 2010

Forging of partnerships and collaborative efforts have been the forefront of Learning Alliance teams in Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines. The IRRI-based team started with plans of activities for each target countries.

For Vietnam, implementation of Posthavest research and extension in coordination with various universities (Nong Lam, Can Tho, SIAEP, VIAEP, and HUAF) are in the pipleline and will start anytime soon.

In Cambodia, collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture through Dr. Pyseth Meas was renewed to be able to continue the Postharvest outscaling efforts.

In the Philippines, Flat bed dryers and hermetic storage training and needs assessment will be conducted in the target areas of Bohol, Camarines Sur, and Agusan del Norte. Partnerships between NGOs, private individuals and farmers' groups were tapped through these activities. Partnership with the Philippine Rice Postproduction Consortium has also been explored.

Exploring different platforms were also prioritized to widen the access to the latest technologies and studies in Postharvest. The team is strengthening its partnership with the IRRI Rice Knowledge Bank and other IRRI-based consortia to facilitate and encourage sharing of good practices and lived experiences.

For the next couple of months, rest assured that the team and their partners will be bent on deliveringPH technologies through efficient outscaling of scientifically-proved technologies, conducting of adaptive research, and quality extension delivery service in the most accessible platform.