Post-harvest rice activities support the livelihoods of more people than those who are involved in rice cultivation itself

The term, "post-harvest activities" refers to the suite of processes "from the floor to the fork" - threshing, milling, processing, market transport and cooking.

Although much progress has been made in the prevention of post-harvest losses in rice, in developing countries rice losses average between 15 and 16 percent.  These rice losses are significant during critical operations such as drying, storage and milling. The major reasons for these losses are poverty, insufficient or scarce access to technical information and lack of access to appropriate technologies.

Rice is Life not only because of the food provided by its grains, but also because of the contribution of various parts of the rice plant to human life. For example, rice straw has been used as roofing material. A participatory assessment of farmers' needs, therefore, is essential for an efficient post-harvest system because each stage of the process includes specific trade-offs.

The contribution of post-harvest operations to economic development is often underestimated. The production, servicing and maintenance of tools, implements and equipment for harvest and post-harvest operations have created additional sources of employment for rural populations, while the trading of rice tools has supported the development of many manufacturing industries.