1121 Basmati
Basmati · Extra long- Length
- 9.8–10.4 mm
- Width
- 2.4 mm
- Length : width
- 4.21
- Broken below
- 7.1 mm
Dry munji is safe munji. Let me show you how to check and keep it!
Munji guide
Munji (paddy) guide
Good munji gives more whole rice at the mill and a better price. Check it before you sell, and keep it dry and clean while it waits.
10munji types
12–14%safe moisture
16checks and tips
1 minvideo
Munji grain sizes
Paddy is measured with its husk. Green = a typical whole grain; the dashed line = the broken limit (70% of the average length). Tap a card to see how we check it.
Kainat
Basmati · Extra long- Length
- 9.6–10.1 mm
- Width
- 2.4 mm
- Length : width
- 4.1
- Broken below
- 6.9 mm
1509 Basmati
Basmati · Extra long- Length
- 9.7–10.2 mm
- Width
- 2.45 mm
- Length : width
- 4.06
- Broken below
- 7.0 mm
Super Basmati
Basmati · Long- Length
- 9.0–9.5 mm
- Width
- 2.45 mm
- Length : width
- 3.78
- Broken below
- 6.5 mm
Super Kernel
Basmati · Long- Length
- 9.0–9.4 mm
- Width
- 2.45 mm
- Length : width
- 3.76
- Broken below
- 6.4 mm
515 Basmati
Basmati · Long- Length
- 9.1–9.6 mm
- Width
- 2.45 mm
- Length : width
- 3.82
- Broken below
- 6.5 mm
PK-386
Basmati · Long- Length
- 8.8–9.3 mm
- Width
- 2.5 mm
- Length : width
- 3.62
- Broken below
- 6.3 mm
IRRI-6
Non-basmati · Medium-long- Length
- 7.8–8.4 mm
- Width
- 2.7 mm
- Length : width
- 3
- Broken below
- 5.7 mm
IRRI-9
Non-basmati · Medium-long- Length
- 8.0–8.6 mm
- Width
- 2.7 mm
- Length : width
- 3.07
- Broken below
- 5.8 mm
KS-282
Non-basmati · Medium-long- Length
- 7.8–8.4 mm
- Width
- 2.8 mm
- Length : width
- 2.89
- Broken below
- 5.7 mm
Other
Other / unknown · Medium-long- Length
- 7.8–8.4 mm
- Width
- 2.8 mm
- Length : width
- 2.89
- Broken below
- 5.7 mm
Typical sizes of good whole grains; each crop varies a little with the season and the mill.
Quality grades
A
Excellent
Broken up to 5% · other faults up to 4%
B
Good
Broken up to 12% · other faults up to 8%
C
Average
Broken up to 25% · other faults up to 15%
D
Poor
More broken or faults than grade C
Other faults = grains of another type + empty + discoloured grains, as a share of all counted grains. Dust, stones and straw are cut from the weight separately.
Whole
A full grain: at least 70% of the standard length for its type, measured with the husk.
Broken
A grain shorter than 70% of the standard length: often cracked by sun or rough threshing. It gives broken rice at the mill.
Other type (T2, T3)
Grains with a clearly different shape (length ÷ width): often another variety mixed in.
Empty / half-filled
Light, flat husks with little or no rice inside. They float in water and give no rice.
Discoloured
Black, brown or spotted husks, from disease, rain or heating in the stack.
Not counted
Grains that touch, overlap, are blurry or cut off by the picture edge: their length can't be measured.
Check and protect your munji
Moisture decides how long munji keeps and how much whole rice it gives. Then check it with 8 quick tests and store it safely. How to check moisture →
Moisture: the most important number
≤ 12%
Seed for next season
Keeps the seed alive and growing well.
12–13%
Long storage (6–12 months+) Best
Best for keeping munji a long time without heat, mould or insects.
13–14%
Best for milling Best
Gives the most whole rice. Wetter munji is soft and gets crushed; drier than 12% is brittle and breaks.
14%
Sell or store up to 6 months
The usual level mills want. Wetter munji gets a weight cut.
15–19%
Danger: dry it first
Munji heats up in the stack, gets mould and turns yellow. Never store it like this.
20–24%
At harvest
Cut when about 80–85% of the grains have turned golden. Waiting longer makes grains crack in the sun.
How to check munji
8 quick tests before you sell
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Moisture
Use a moisture meter. Without one, bite a grain: dry munji is hard and cracks with a click; wet munji is soft and chewy.
-
Empty grains
Drop a handful in a glass of water: empty and half-filled grains float. Fewer floating grains = better munji.
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Colour
The husk should be an even golden-straw colour. Black, brown or spotted husks mean disease, rain damage or heating.
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One variety
All grains should have the same shape and size. Other varieties or red rice mixed in lower the price, especially for basmati.
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Clean
No dust, stones, straw, mud balls or weed seeds.
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Smell and insects
It should smell fresh, with no musty smell, live insects, holes in grains or powder.
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Hand-husk 100 grains
Rub them between two wooden blocks or your palms and look at the rice: count broken, chalky (milky white) and cracked grains (hold them up to the light).
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Size check
Take a photo on a black cloth and use our free quality check: each grain is measured against the standard size of its variety.
How to protect munji
Keep it dry, clean and safe in storage
Watch it in one minute
Our owl shows every step below, from drying to the 2-week check:
- Dried to 12–14%
- Dried the right way
- On pallets, off the walls
- Lots kept apart
- Pests kept out
- Checked every 2 weeks
-
Dry it the right way
Dry on a clean tarpaulin or pakka floor, never on the road or bare soil. Spread it 2–4 cm thick and turn it every 30–60 minutes.
-
Not too fast
Strong midday sun or very thin layers crack the grains inside, and cracked grains break at the mill. Cover it in the hottest hours and at night (dew).
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Clean store
Sweep out old grain and dust, fix roof leaks and close rat holes before the new crop comes in.
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Good bags, off the floor
Use new or clean jute/PP bags. Stack them on wooden pallets, about 50 cm from walls, with space between stacks for air and checking.
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Keep varieties apart
Never mix varieties, or old and new crop, in the same bags or heap. Label each stack.
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Insects and rats
Use traps and keep the area clean. Small lots keep well in airtight (hermetic) bags. Fumigation must only be done by a licensed pest-control team; the gas is deadly.
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No chemicals nearby
Don't keep fertiliser, pesticide, diesel or animal feed in the same store.
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Check every 2 weeks
Push your hand deep into the stack: if it feels warm or damp, smells musty or you see insects, dry or sell that lot quickly.
How rice is made
See what happens to munji at the mill, from the truck to the rice bag, with a short video. 100 kg of munji gives about 65–70 kg of rice.
From munji to rice →Questions about munji
What moisture is best for storing munji (paddy) for a long time?
For storage up to 6 months, dry munji to 14% moisture or less. For a long time (6 months to a year or more) dry it to 12–13%. Seed paddy should be 12% or less. Above 14% it heats up, gets mould and insects, and turns yellow.
What moisture is best for milling munji into rice?
13–14%. At this moisture the husk comes off cleanly and you get the most whole rice. Wetter munji (above 15%) is soft and gets crushed; munji drier than 12% is brittle and breaks more. Very dry munji should rest a day or two in a cool, shaded place before milling.
How do I check munji (paddy) quality?
Check the moisture (bite test or a moisture meter), drop a handful in water to see how many empty grains float, look for black or discoloured husks, other varieties, dust and stones, and hand-husk 100 grains to count broken, chalky and cracked rice inside.
How do I protect stored munji from insects and rats?
Store only dry, clean munji in clean bags on wooden pallets, away from walls, in a dry, airy store. Keep rats out, check the stack every 2 weeks for heat, smell or insects, and let only a licensed pest-control team fumigate.
Selling your munji?
Check it from a photo for free, then send us your offer. We buy dry, clean munji at a fair mill price.