抄録
One of the key strategies for economic development and poverty alleviation, especially in rural areas of Cambodia, is brought about by adding value to local agricultural products by agro-processing. Although rural farmers traditionally produce various processed products, these productions have not yielded added value. Rice liquor, which has been traditionally produced by small-scale farmers, faces low profitability due to low prices associated with the low quality of the product. The objective of the present study was to determine modified techniques for improving rice liquor quality using the action research method. In the study, first, the causes of low quality were identified by observing the farmer’s liquor production. Thereafter modified production techniques to eliminate the causes behind the low quality by repeated trials until the problem was solved. Finally, the quality of a trial product was evaluated through consumer tests, and unfavorable smells and tastes were considerably reduced due to the improvement of the hygienic conditions and production management. Some examples of changes included the prevention of putrefaction of fermenting rice (bay sraa in Khmer), the degrease of burning problems during rice cooking and distillation, and the separation of clear and cloudy distilled liquor. The smells and tastes of the trial rice liquor were highly appreciated by the consumers, suggesting the high possibility for commercialization of the improved product. Thus the technical modifications for rice liquor production were considered to achieve an expected level of quality using traditionally based, simple, and inexpensive methods that can be applied by rural producers in Cambodia.
