Phung Hoang Rice Mill, Vietnam
Rice is the most important staple food in Vietnam. The country ranks among the top 5 rice consuming countries in the world. However, recently it has also become an important exporter owing to the recent improvements in rice quality. It all starts with the rice cultivation in Mekong delta. The Mekong delta is also known as Vietnam’s rice bowl. The region is the largest area inwhich this staple food is grown in Vietnam; it is the southern breadbasket ofthe country with 25 million tonnes harvested here every year. More than 1.6 million rice farmers cultivate Vietnam’s fields, 70 % of the country’s population work in agriculture. Despite this scale, the quality of rice processing was not the best in the world until recently. Phung Hoang has been a pioneer in the rice processing industry to change the perception of Vietnam’s rice quality in the international trade markets.
The equipment that stands out in this facility are the six Sortex S sorting lines. Each single rice kernel is optically assessed in the process, with thediscolored or damaged ones removed. The Sortex S is by far the most advanced optical sorter in the marketplace, the Rolls-Royce amongcompetitors. The machine scans 20 million kernels a minute with 250 datapoints and an outstanding hit rate.
The rice processing industry in Vietnam had an issue of low prices due to the perception of low quality by importers. When Phung Hoang’s owner Hong Thi Bich Tuyen heard about Buhler, she had a dream & a plan of improving the vietnamese rice brand to match international standards. With the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) round the corner, it was important for Phung Hoang & Buhler to collaborate & commission the plant before the event since import orders were to be delivered at the time. With sheer commitment of both the teams, the project was executed in double quick time. Phung Hoang was particularly impressed by this & has also expanded the plant capacity. After increasing total daily production to 1,200 tonnes of rice in the year 2018 with a fully-automated Bühler facility, Phung Hoang Rice Mills is now planning to add a fourth Bühler facility.
Buhler helps double the productivity of the old technology & I need less manpower to manage. This helps me monitor & manage the quality & quantity. It also reduces the electricity by 3 to 5 times.
Hong Thi Bich Tuyen,
Owner, Phung Hoang
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
