1989 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 49-55
Postharvest processing is fundamentally different from crop production process on such point that the latter is basically of natural process which helps plants to grow by supplementing the environmental conditions whereas the former is purely of artificial one and similar to industrial production.
This makes great difference on the functions of agricultural machinery applied for the both cases: field machinery is basically for labor-saving and postharvest machinery not only for that but also for quality improvement of the products.
Where higher quality product is sold with equally higher price, postharvest machinery can be profitable regardless of labor cost. For utilizing them, however, for the small-scale rice farmers in Asia, joint-ownership/operation is required.
Establishment of the objective quality standards for the products facilitates joint marketing of the products by farmers.
Both of these would strengthen farmers' solidarity and cooperation, improving their economical and social conditions.
Farmers' positive involvement into commercial transaction will make them feel the necessity of literacy and access to information. Together with discipline acquired through cooperation and technical skill by machine-use, farmers can thus be prepared for being modern industrial workers.
