Role of Industrial Technology Institute in promoting use of rice

FOOD DRIVE: Rice is the major food grain grown in about 900,000 hectares, and is the staple food of Sri Lanka. It has recorded production levels of about 2.5 m. MT during high harvests, such as Maha season 2006.

The ongoing peace process, favourable climatic conditions with efforts to increase the number of bushels per acre and government's concerted efforts to encourage the farmers by providing the fertiliser subsidy are the main reasons responsible for the bumper paddy harvest this year.

The present per capita consumption of cereal based foods in Sri Lanka is about 150 kg of the per capita rice consumption amounts to 100kg while the balance 50 kg is met by wheat imports. Wheat imports for the year 2006 has been about 800,000 MT amounting a drain of large sums of foreign exchange.

Value addition to rice and other food grains will no doubt keep the farmer families occupied with income generating activities between the two main seasons of paddy harvests Yala and Maha. This will create better employment opportunities for the rural sector and also improve the living conditions of the paddy farmer. Industrial Technology Institute has been striving hard to develop technologies for utilisation of rice through research and development.

Rice and rice flour was the focus of a UNDP/UNIDO sponsored programme carried out at the ITI (then CISIR) in the late 1980's. Through the successful completion of this programme the ITI acquired expertise, pilot scale facilities and technology for manufacture of a multitude of new products from rice.

The promotion of these products is now opportune and will undoubtedly be of national interest in several ways. ITI promoted many products way back successfully during the past.

ITI has promoted those by conducting exhibitions, seminars and workshops.

ITI conducted a Regional Workshop on food grain processing and processing of alternate products from rice was highlighted by a team of experts from Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.