China - November 18, 2024 Smart devices assist with grain storage, processing across China (Voice_over) In grain storage facilities across China, smart devises like robots and sensors are being widely used to improve efficiency and reduce loss. At this rice trading center in central China’s Hubei Province, a smart sensor is used to monitor temperatures and humidity levels in real time. Staff from the center say it’s a great help. (Sound_bite) Zhang Decai, granary keeper, Wuhan National Rice Trading Center: "The temperatures at the monitoring sites on each granary floor are showed on the screen. Once entering the granary, the keeper can work immediately with the system to do all his job." (Voice_over) In northeast China, meanwhile, a rice processing company is using robotics to speed up sample collection and testing processes. When a truck pulls in, sensors drop from the ceiling and extract a small amount of grain that’s then packed into a sampling container. The whole process takes less than one minute. (Sound_bite) Jia Shaoying, Deputy manager, grain quality department, COFCO Rice Industry (Shenyang) Company Limited: "The machine has nine functions, including weighing the raw grain, testing the collected by-products, judging and delivering the test results, as well as calculating the price of grain. The test of the raw grain was reduced to 12 minutes per truck from the previous 25 minutes." (Voice_over) China has set up more than 5,500 post-harvest service centers so far, covering all the main grain producing areas in the country. [Restriction: No access Chinese mainland]