Rice mills warned of increased checks to ensure scales, moisture meters working

Mar 07, 2017 News

Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Business, has announced plans to increase monitoring of rice mills to ensure that the necessary standards are kept.

GNBS has warned rice millers of increased checks to ensure their scales and moisture meters are working.

Public Relations Officer for the GNBS, Lloyd David said that the harvest period for the first rice crop of 2017 is expected to start soon.
The GNBS is the National Metrology Institute (NMI) which is responsible for the enforcement of the 1981 Weights and Measures Act, ensuring that all weighing and measuring devices used in trade are verified within specified periods and are operating accurately.
“The GNBS is responsible for the verification of all weighbridge scales, platform scales, laboratory scales and moisture meters used at rice mills, to ensure accuracy and transparency within the industry.”
David said that the verification of the devices is usually done prior to the harvesting of each crop or at least twice yearly during the periods of January to March and July to September.
GNBS inspectors will conduct regular impromptu visits to mills countrywide to observe how weighing and measuring devices are being used, and to make the necessary recommendations to farmers and millers.
Farmers, according to GNBS, should be present at mills to oversee their interests or be properly represented by a suitable individual who is knowledgeable of mills’ buying operations.
“Ensure that the indication on the scale and the moisture meter is at zero before weighing or measuring commences. Carefully observe the weighing of their paddy, by ensuring that the tare (unladen) weight of their truck is taken after the paddy is weighed and offloaded. They must subtract the tare weight of the truck from its total weight and the paddy previously obtained, to determine the actual weight. Record the value obtained.”
Rice farmers and their representatives were also advised to witness the determination of moisture content, by ensuring that the samples tested are those obtained from their truck and trailer.
“Farmers should also check the values indicated for the weight, moisture and dockage on the document given to them to ensure that they correspond with the values previously obtained and recorded, and ensure that they are in full agreement with the values obtained for the weight, moisture and dockage before signing any document provided.”
Additionally, David pointed out that the determination of the moisture and dockage contents must be done with a moisture meter and a dockage machine respectively, and should not be estimated.
In the past, rice farmers have accused some rice millers of fixing their scales and meters to show less weight and more moisture – this results in farmers receiving less for their crops.