Efforts to modernize Philippine agriculture need the support of the agricultural ngineering  profession. With  fast face of development  in  various  fields of science  and technology, agricultural engineers have to ride these waves of changes in order to be relevant and effective agents in the drive to modernize our country’s agriculture.

Modernization and development requi re standards. Standards provide the specific pathways by which individ uals, groups or institutions can more effecti vely and efficiently deliver services. accomplish tasks, and fabricate, test and operate tools and equipment. For these reasons, standardization is an important i nitiati ve that Filipi no agricultural engineers are continuously  pursuing.

This volume of Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standard (PAES) contains the results of another concerted and  united  effort  in  advancing  the  agricultural  engineering profession with the ultimate goal of improving its service to the country .

During the two-year period from :Vlay 2009 to April 201 1, the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (AMTEC) implemented the project entitled “Development of Standard s for Agricultural Production and Postharvest Machinery”. With the funding support from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Delopment (PCARRD), the project was able to develop standard specifications and methods  of  tests  for  selected  machines  for  production  and  postharvest operations of agricultural  commodi ties.  The  selection  of  the  machines  was  based  on  the  commodities identified by PCARRD-DOST and the program of the Department of Agriculture .

The standards contained in this volu me were developed through the efforts and cooperation of various ind ividuals and institutions, public and private.  These include various agencies  and  units of the  Department  of Agriculture such  as Philippine  Rice  Research Institute  (PhilRice), National  Agricultural and  Fishery  Council  (NAFC),  National  Food Authority  (NFA),  Philippine  Center  for  Postharvcst  Development  and  Mechanization (PhilMech), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). Fiber Development A uthority (FIDA); the Metal Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) of the Depattment of Science and Technology (DOST); the educational institutions such as the University of the Philippines Los Banos, Cavite State University; Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers P AE);  and ,  the Agricultural  Machinery Manufacturers and  Distributors  Association (AMMDA), Inc..

The Bureau of Prod uct Standards (BPS) of the Department of Trade  and  Industry (DTI) had  approYed these standards as Philippine National Standards (PNS) such that these are now  included  in  the  Philippine  National  Standards  Catalogue.  All  of  these  developed Standards were also submitted to the Department of Agriculture and to the Professional Rgulation Commission for adoption as PAES Volume VIII (Part 1 and Part 2).

We understand  that  standard ization is a continuing process  and i t will  not  end  with this volume. We do this because we know that standards provide a clear and safe pathway to the present. They are also a bridge to the future. As we forge to improve our present , we prepare for a better future.