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Proceedings of the Peradeniya University Research Sessions.Sri Lanka. Vol. 14. 3'dDecember2009 RICE MILL OWNERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING NEW PROCESS AND PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES A.K. Kulatunga', T.M.R. Dissanayake'', H.M.A.P. Rathnayake" and A. Lufthi l I Department of Production Engineering, University of Peradeniya, 2 Institute of Post- harvest Technology, Anuradhapura Introduction Rice is the staple food for many centuries in Sri Lanka. The scale of rice milling has gradually increased from domestic level de-husking operation to large scale mills over the years. Rice Processing Plants in Sri Lanka can be categorized in to three main types: (I) Traditional Rice Processing Plants (2) Semi-modern Rice Processing Plants (3) Modern Rice Processing Plants, depending on the machinery used. Both raw and parboi led rice are processed in these rice milling plants. The process steps and machinery used for these three categories increase from traditional to modern plants (Rice Processing Research & Development Centre, 2007). Modernization of this industry took place recently with the introduction of new machinery from various loans and supports schemes offered by the government to increase the production and to reduce the cost of production whilst maintaining the quality of the products. However, still this industry operates without proper products and process standards. Furthermore, the operational cost of this industry remains high mainly due to poor productivity. Therefore mil owners find it difficult to earn enough profits and to sustain in the global and local economic conditions with fix paddy and rice price scenario. Furthermore, 412 due to rapid industrialization presently central environmental authority has imposed stringent regulations for all the industries including rice milling to minimize industrial pollution. Sustainability of this industry greatly depends on its ability to rapidly response to prevailing issues. However, this solely depends on mill owners' attitudes towards acquiring new process improvement and productivity improvement techniques and to get changed. their views on environmental conservation. Therefore, this research is carried out to investigate mill owner 's attitudes towards process and products productivity enhancement, environmental conservation and their willingness towards adapting some of the modern techniques used in other manufacturing sectors to overcome the issues raised previously. Lean Manufacturing, Cleaner Production and environmental management concepts (Roy et. ai, 2006), were selected as benchmark techniques for this investigation. Rest of the paper presents the methodology adapted for the investigation, results followed by discussion and conclusions. Methodology Required information was categorized into sub areas and subsequently most appropriate mode of collecting those information was selected. Three
Transcript of RICE MILL OWNERS'ATTITUDES TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING …ipht.lk/Publications/HMAP Rathnayake/Rice mill...
Proceedings of the Peradeniya University Research Sessions.Sri Lanka. Vol. 14. 3'dDecember2009
RICE MILL OWNERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING NEWPROCESS AND PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES
A.K. Kulatunga', T.M.R. Dissanayake'', H.M.A.P. Rathnayake" and A. Lufthi l
IDepartment ofProduction Engineering, University ofPeradeniya, 2Institute ofPostharvest Technology, Anuradhapura
IntroductionRice is the staple food for manycenturies in Sri Lanka. The scale ofrice milling has gradually increasedfrom domestic level de-huskingoperation to large scale mills over theyears. Rice Processing Plants in SriLanka can be categorized in to threemain types: (I) Traditional RiceProcessing Plants (2) Semi-modernRice Processing Plants (3) ModernRice Processing Plants, depending onthe machinery used. Both raw andparboi led rice are processed in theserice milling plants. The process stepsand machinery used for these threecategories increase from traditional tomodern plants (Rice ProcessingResearch & Development Centre,2007).
Modernization of this industry tookplace recently with the introduction ofnew machinery from various loans andsupports schemes offered by thegovernment to increase the productionand to reduce the cost of productionwhilst maintaining the quality of theproducts. However, still this industryoperates without proper products andprocess standards. Furthermore, theoperational cost of this industryremains high mainly due to poorproductivity. Therefore mil ownersfind it difficult to earn enough profitsand to sustain in the global and localeconomic conditions with fix paddyand rice price scenario. Furthermore,
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due to rapid industrialization presentlycentral environmental authority hasimposed stringent regulations for allthe industries including rice milling tominimize industrial pollution.
Sustainability of this industry greatlydepends on its ability to rapidlyresponse to prevailing issues.However, this solely depends on millowners' attitudes towards acquiringnew process improvement andproductivity improvement techniquesand to get changed. their views onenvironmental conservation.Therefore, this research is carried outto investigate mill owner's attitudestowards process and productsproductivity enhancement,environmental conservation and theirwillingness towards adapting some ofthe modern techniques used in othermanufacturing sectors to overcome theissues raised previously. LeanManufacturing, Cleaner Productionand environmental managementconcepts (Roy et. ai, 2006), wereselected as benchmark techniques forthis investigation. Rest of the paperpresents the methodology adapted forthe investigation, results followed bydiscussion and conclusions.
MethodologyRequired information was categorizedinto sub areas and subsequently mostappropriate mode of collecting thoseinformation was selected. Three
Proceedingsof the PcradcniyaUniversityResearch Sessions. Sri Lanka. Vol.14. 3rd December2009
main strategies were used to collect thedata for the invest igation. Field visits(FV) were used to collect the existinglevel of practicing level of the mills.Questionnaire (QS) was prepared tocover the detailed information neededfrom the owners. In addition, face toface discussion (DC) sessions werecarried out in order to gether ownersviews of the issues raised before andpossible techniques which can beadapted to overcome problemshighlighted previously. The schematicrepresentation of the data collectionand investigation process is given inFigure 1. Table 1 provides mode ofdata collection against different subareas in the matrix form. Majority ofrice mills were selected in followingdistricts: Polonnaruwa Anuradhapura,Ampara and few other places alsoselected for this survey. Altogether 28mills / owners were considered for thissurvey.
Peliminary StudiesI. Attitudes checks of Rice Mill owner
2. Present situation of the Rice 1\1i11lndustry
In formation col lection
Table I. Data collection matrix
Foc us Area FV QS DCOperatingin/ ormation
Existing level XProductioninformation X
Operating hours X
Difficulties faced X X X
Owners details
Education level X
source of Investment XKnowledge aboutindustry XKeenness about .environment X XInterests towardsnew concepts X X
Employeeinformation
Employment status X
Working hours X
Welfare facilities X X
Results and DiscussionThe nature of the business, scale,investment type and production relatedinformation of surveyed mills aresummarized in Table 2.
Arranged J Non-amlngedMldv;sits
Distribution ofdetailed
questionnaire
fare to facediscussions
Table 2. Summary of rice mills, existingproduction, investment and type ofownership
Factors
AnalysisI. Identify the level ofknowled2t of the mill owners
towards different aspects2. The level of tec hnical support needed
Launching the project
Figure I. Schematic representation ofthe methodology
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Single Owner millsSource of investment (bankloans)
Type of rice (raw/parboiled)
Average working hours
Daily productionLevel of education (O/L orabove)
95%
90%
85%/15%
7 hours30010000kg
69%
Proceedings of the Peradeniya University Research Sessions. Sri Lanka. Vol.14. )'d December 2009
The characte ristics related to attit udesof the mill owners towards newtechniques to overcome the prob lemsfaced by them currently, are presentedin summary form in Table 3.
Table 3. Owners' attitudesadapting new techniques
CharacteristicsWillingness to adapt newtechniquesConcern about theenvironmentWillingness to participate inworkshopsWill to consider workersuggestions
Production Visualization
towards
%
74%
65%
75%
50%
55%
awa re that they will have darker futureif they are not quick ly responsivecurrent issues.
ReferencesRoy P., Shimizu N., Shiina T, Kimura
T. (2006) . " Energy consumptionand cost ana lysis of localparboiling processes", Jo urna l ofFood Engineering 76: 646-655
Rice Processing Research &Development Centre, 200 7(Prese nt Institute of Post -HarvestTechnology).
The percentages of table 3, reveals thatmajority of the mill owners showntheir willingness to adapt newtechniques to overcome existing issuesin the industry. Furthermore, owner'sattitudes towards process visual izationand promoting workers suggestions tosolve the problems were invest igatedand only 50 % showed interest towardsthem since they have negati ve feelingsabout the workers suggestions andpresently workers are not groomed tocome up with their own suggestions.Some of them even scared to exposeproduction information to workforceand to visitors. Furthermore majorityof the mill ow ners did not showinterest to reduce excessive amount ofwater usage since cost incurredpresently for that is considerably lowwhen compared to other inputs.Finally, it can concl ude that majorityof rill mill owners are willing to adaptmodern techniques and main reasonsbehind this are pressure from marketand from present environmentalregulations and mill owners are well
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