Marie D'Souza dsouza.ma...@gmail.com I want to share with you my experiences in growing paddy and then milling to white or brown rice.
Earlier I bought rice in the market and never ever considered the process the farmer has to follow to finally give us the rice we eat, whether non-organic or organic; raw or parboiled, white or brown. Last year I grew organic paddy and after it was harvested, dried and winnowed I sold all of it except a sack I kept for my own use. Since in Bardez Taluka there is no mill that mills paddy to raw rice, I requested my neighbour to parboil and mill this one sack of paddy and I got parboiled white rice that required a little winnowing and sieving before it could be stored. This rice lasted me till the end of October (about one year). This year I decided to keep all my paddy after people said they were interested in organic parboiled rice, preferably brown. After harvesting, the paddy was dried thoroughly and then winnowed and stored. Parboiling started with a huge 'copper' pot kept on the fireplace, filled with paddy to the brim and then water added, to cover the paddy, before starting the fire. An experienced person then watched over the pot till the paddy reached a certain consistency. The paddy was removed and left to dry thoroughly in the sun. In the evening the paddy was spread in a shady and well aired place. It was then stirred three or four times daily, for six to eight days till the consistency was brittle. The parboiled paddy can be kept for several months without spoiling. When white rice is required,z most of the husk is ejected and the rice is gathered into the bin in the process of milling itself. Later, a little manual labour is required to winnow, sieve and pick out the paddy that is still mixed with the milled rice before it is ready to store or sell. When brown or red rice is required the husk separates but drops into the bin together with the rice. As a result, a lot of manual labour is required later to winnow away the husk, sieve the 'kanni' and pick out the paddy that is still mixed with the milled rice before it is ready to store or sell. (I have been told that brown rice preserves longer than white rice with getting weavils.) I am not sure whether the paddy that needed to be picked, that was mixed with the brown rice, was a lot because the mill I took it to needed attention and repairs or whether this is normal. The price for brown rice is probably higher not just because it is healthier but because of the increased manual labour involved. Finally, my organic Jyoti parboiled red rice is finally ready for sale. It is available for sale at Rs.100 per kg. from December 15, 2014 on Mondays and Wednesdays between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon. First come first serve. -- Marie can be contacted at 406/1 Grande Coimavaddo, Aldona, Bardez Goa 403508. Tel +91-832-2293034 or mobile +91-9921875544 This article was first posted on the Goa Gardeners network, and is reproduced here with permission from the writer http://groups.google.com/group/goagardeners