This study developed and tested a cylindrical dryer prototype fueled by rice hulls, designed as a practical alternative for post-harvest drying suited to small scale farming conditions. Using a descriptive developmental approach, the research involved assessing current drying methods, designing and building the unit, and carrying out controlled performance tests. Constructed from materials easily found locally, the system features a separate combustion chamber, heat exchange unit, rotating drying cylinder, and adjustable airflow control. Trials used 25 kilogram batches of freshly harvested rice with initial moisture content of 25% on a wet basis, aiming to reduce this to the safe storage level of 14%. Results showed the prototype completed drying in an average of 7 hours, consuming only 2.8 kg of rice hulls per batch at a rate of 0.40 kg per hour, while achieving a moisture reduction rate of 1.57% per hour. Operating temperatures inside the chamber stayed steady between 48 °C and 58 °C. Measured values included heat exchanger efficiency of 70.31%, overall thermal efficiency of 45%, and combustion efficiency of 85%, with specific energy use recorded at 4.2 MJ per kilogram of water removed. These findings confirm that the developed system offers an efficient, low cost, and sustainable solution to meet the drying needs of small scale farmers