Performance Evaluation of Rice Milling Machines and Equipment: Impacts on Milled Rice Quality

Rice milling is a postharvest process that determines the quality of milled rice. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of rice milling machinery and equipment and its impact on milled rice quality. The research was conducted at 26 Rice Milling Units (RMUs) in Tabanan Regency, Bali. Data was collected through surveys on the completeness of milling units (dryer, husker, polisher, and sifter) and laboratory analysis of rice quality. The observed parameters included milling capacity, head rice, broken rice, brewers, foreign matter, and milling losses. The results showed that the completeness and modernization of machinery improved rice quality. The husker produced 73.07% head rice, 23.74% broken rice, and 3.12% brewers, while the polisher produced 72.86% head rice, 23.97% broken rice, and 3.09% brewers, with total fractions approaching 100%. The use of mechanical dryers increased head rice yield by approximately 5.4% compared to sun drying. Milling losses ranged from 2.0% to 3.0%. Overall, the milled rice quality met the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 6128:2020) for Medium II grade.