GNBS ensuring farmers, millers adhere to standards for rice harvest

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Business will be ensuring that farmers and millers upkeep the necessary standards relating to rice harvesting.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the GNBS, Lloyd David said that the harvest period for the first rice crop of 2017 will take place soon. The GNBS is the National Metrology Institute (NMI) which is responsible for the enforcement of the 1981 Weights and Measures Act, thus 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.

David explained that 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 should ensure that they adhere to the following guidelines:

• 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 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. (Tare weight is the unladen weight, or the weight of an empty vehicle or container.)

• Witness the determination of moisture content, by ensuring that the samples tested are those obtained from their truck/trailer and record the value indicated on the moisture meter.

David further elaborated that farmers should ensure that they carefully observe the determination of the dockage content of their paddy, by making certain that the samples tested are obtained from their truck/trailer and record the value obtained.

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.