Technology Empowerment, Treasuring and Economizing on Grains

Hundreds of temperature sensors are installed in the 6-meter-high granary for monitoring and giving warning. As high definition cameras can magnify more than 20 times, they can not only monitor every corner of the granary, but also remotely identify the pests… On the 40th World Food Day on October 16, 2020, the reporter walked into the Central Grain Reserves Wuhan Subordinate Warehouse to feel the power of science and technology, arouse people's awareness of treasuring and economizing on the grains, and ensure the food safety of China.

Grains Into and Out of the Warehouse, Bring in Every Single Grain

In the process of grain storage and transportation, natural grain losses, including water loss and impurity removal often happen. According to the Fu Aiping, General Manager of the Central Grain Reserves Wuhan Subordinate Warehouse in Hubei Province of China, "We should spare no efforts to save every grain. Through effective methods, we can control the loss of grains delivered out of the warehouse within 0.8%, which is less than the national loss standard of 20%. Saving food means to increase grain production." The reporter saw that there are belt conveyors and grain scrapers outside the warehouse. Before being sent to the warehouse, grains will be sifted and blown by two times and swept for several times" to remove impurities, reduce grain losses in the transportation and place grains in the warehouse.

The Grain and Oil Quality Supervision Center of Central Grain Reserves Wuhan Subordinate Warehouse in Hubei Province also owns grain testing equipment and professional testing personnel. In the process of grain purchase, inspectors will be responsible for a comprehensive inspection based on quality indicators and food safety indicators of each truck of grains and ensuring that the various indicators of the grain in the warehouse are met.

Science and Technology Ensuring Grain Storage in a Environmental Manner

Eighty percent of the accumulated heat in the warehouse comes from the top. In order to effectively control the temperature of the grains, inhibit the propagation of pests, and avoid the losses caused by mildew, the personnel in charge of Central Grain Reserves Wuhan Subordinate Warehouse in Hubei Province adopts heat insulation methods in the roof, air-conditioning, temperature control, grain surface covering and other technologies, which means "covering grain piles with quilts throughout the year" and "allowing grains to live in a large cold room".

The reporter saw the "quilt" is about 30 cm of rice husk. In summer, the temperature of the surface grains covered with rice husks is 2℃ lower than that of the surface grains directly placed in warehouses, and can maintain a better quality. In autumn and winter, as the external temperature gradually decreases, axial fans and centrifugal fans are used to ventilate and cool the grain piles like a fridge in different stages.

In replace of chemical agents, the Central Grain Reserves Jingzhou Subordinate Warehouse in Hubei Province adopts intelligent nitrogen-controlled grain storage technology to create a low-oxygen environment for grain piles, inhibit pests and molds, and achieve green and pollution-free grain storage in the warehouse. Also, the low-temperature grain storage system based on superficial geothermal energy and other technologies are applied. The water is used as the medium to collect low-temperature cold sources, and further helps save nearly 40% of energy compared with general air-conditioned warehouses.In order to ensure the enough quantity and good quality of China's central grain reserves, the warehouses managed by the Hubei Branch of the SINOGRAINS vigorously promotes the construction of intelligent grain depots and uses technological innovation to ensure the food security in China. According to Xia Qiang, Deputy General Manager of the Hubei Branch of SINORGAINS, at present, Hubei Province has entered the harvest season of autumn grains. The company is organizing the purchase of grains in an orderly manner to ensure the grains from farmers to be kept soundly in warehouses, maintain the food security and realize the goal of "guaranteeing the abundant grains in the warehouses and holding firm China's rice bowls".