Grain dryers introduced in Karimnagar to help farmers tackle moisture issues

Karimnagar introduces modern grain dryers to tackle post-harvest moisture issues. Machines can reduce moisture from 30% to 17% within an hour. While tractors are provided, farmers bear diesel costs of around Rs 3,000 per hour.

Karimnagar: The moisture troubles of farmers are going to end as modern equipment named ‘Grain Dryer’ to dry grains is available. Grain dryers have already been supplied to some market yards in the state.

While the marketing department officials have already started drying paddy and maize crops with the help of grain dryers, utilization of machines has not yet started in some markets.

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Earlier, farmers used to harvest the crops especially paddy by engaging farm labourers and dry the crop in the fields itself. So, the issue of moisture was not a bother for anyone.

However, now farmers are harvesting the crop with the help of harvesters. If harvesters are used to harvest the crop, there is no chance to dry the crop in fields.

So, alternate options have been explored to dry the crops. Besides paddy procurement centers, grain was spread over the roads for drying. There are incidents of farmers drying crops in PPC for weeks together and arguing with officials for not procuring the crop.

And if there are rains after the harvest, it is almost impossible for the farmers to dry to crop.

To put an end to such incidents, the Civil Supplies and Marketing departments supplied grain dryers worth Rs 14 lakh each to market yards.

Grain will be dried using hot air. Burners and fans built in the machinery will produce hot air. Grain like paddy, maize and wheat will will get dried once the grain is exposed to the inside of the container.

The moisture content gets reduced as the grain is exposed to hot air. Even if the grain has 30 percent moisture content, it could get reduced to around 17 percent within an hour.

According to marketing department officials, it is possible to reduce the moisture of 25 quintals of paddy within an hour.

Though grain dryers are more helpful to farmers, it imposes additional burden on them. Besides a tractor, diesel is required to operate grain dryers.

Though the marketing department is arranging tractors, farmers have to bear fuel charges. It requires about ten litres of diesel to operate a grain dryer per one hour. Approximately, farmers have to spend Rs 3,000 per hour.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Karimnagar market committee secretary, Ahmed said that grain dryer was more useful to farmers. Instead of drying grains on roads and PPC centers, ryots could dry their produce by utilizing the dryer. Informing that they would arrange a tractor, he said that farmers have to bear fuel charges.