1. V IET N AM E CONOMY REPORT ON RICE MOISTURE Huynh Trong Nghia Quality Assurance & Testing Center 3 APLMF Training Course on Traceability in Rice Moisture Measurement 25 - 29 November, 2013 Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand

2. MY E CONOMY Economy : Viet Nam Capital: Ha Noi Provinces: 63 Area: 331.212 km 2 Population: 90 milion

3. M ANAGEMENT PROBLEM As you know, Vietnam is still an agricultural country with 70 percent of the population lives on agriculture. Season 2011/12, Viet Nam exported 7.72 million tons of rice in total output 27.15 million tons and imported above 100.000 tons from Campodia, Laos, …, therefore the rice quality control is very important. Nowaday, disputes over results of the measurement of moisture content of rice always occur at the point of sale in our country, because the rice of grain is determined by its moisture. In addition, we test the moisture of grain for the management of the grain prior to or during storage and for quality testing in food processing

4. M ANAGEMENT PROBLEM Much of grain moisture meters used in Viet Nam are measuring instrument that are subject compulsory verification. However, people who use moisture meters require their meters to be verificated just only when necessary for them. Every year the total amount of calibrated moisture meters at Quatest 3 is above 400 pcs that is many times less than the number of moisture meters being used in Viet Nam Most moisture meter is imported from Kett Company (Japan) in different types (Riceter L, J, m, f; PM - 300, 400, 410, 600; FD – 600, 610 ). Some other moisture meters is small amount are from G-Won (Korea), Satake (Japan), India, England, etc. Some of Balance analyzer from AND (Japan), OHAUS, METTLER TOLEDO, etc.

5. M ANAGEMENT PROBLEM Moisture meter is required to be checked once a year to ensure appropriate repeatability and accuracy. All of Vietnam has about 30 organizations calibration capability grain moisture meter, the organization is available from north to south (as VMI, Quatest 1, Quatest 2, Quatest 3, the measurement standards department in each province, etc.)

6. L ABORATORY QUATEST 3 with full is Quality Assurance And Testing Center 3 that is a Science-Technological Organization of the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) – Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). QUATEST 3 – one of the leading organizations in Vietnam is able to provide services in the fields of standards, metrology and quality Currently, QUATEST 3 has a team of consulting and technical staffs, including 500 members. Its organization structure consists of 11 testing laboratories, 7 metrological laboratories, 7 inspection divisions evaluating product quality, works and product certification and two subsidiaries – Quality and Productivity Division and Laboratory Instrumentation Service Division

7. L ABORATORY Laboratory for calibration on moisture meters was set up in 1986 in Quatest 3 In 1989, we had applied ISO standards for calibration on moisture meters for cereal grains (ISO 712 for determination of moiture in rice, ISO 1447 for coffee, ISO 6540 for maize, ISO 665 for oilseeds and ISO 7700 for checking moisture meters). After that, we started to trengthen all facilities for moisture meter calibration laboratory as Up-grade equipment, Improving environment conditions, Training labo staff, composing calibration procedure, etc.

8. CALIBRATION PROCEDURE In 2007, we composed the moisture meters calibration procedure by reference method below:  OIML R 59 : 1984 - Moisture meters for cereal grain and oilseeds  ISO 712:2009 - Cereals and cereal products – Determination of moisture content – Reference method (ref. ISO 1447, ISO 6540, ISO 665, ISO 7700,...)  Moisture properties related physical ang chemical aspects, Kett electric Laboratory, 2004  EA-4/02 - Expression of the Uncertainty of Measurement in Calibration  ĐLVN 27 : 2009 – Moisture meters for paddy rice, rice, maize and coffee. Methods and means of verification

9. CALIBRATION PROCEDURE Calibration procedure can be briefly described by 4 main sections: 1) Sample reparation:  Collect samples from the perchase points, markets or from seed institutes  Selection and cleaning of samples  Making different moisture content points  Sample storage 2) Moisture content determination of samples  Determination of the drying conditions from reference method  Instruments: Grinding mill, dry oven, analytical balance, metal dish, desiccator, etc

10. CALIBRATION PROCEDURE 3) Checking of moisture meter  Refer manual to perform right measurement  Perform 7 times of measuring for each moisture content point  Make correction if necessary 4) Expression of results  Other informations: client informations, moisture meter informations, reference method, etc.  Result of test  Uncertainty

11. T HE E ND Thanks for your listening!