The ever-increasing importance of agricultural products together with the complexity of modern technology for their production, processing and storage need a better knowledge of their engineering properties so that machines, processes and handling operations can be designed for maximum efficiency and the highest quality of the final end products. Raw food materials are biological and have certain unique characteristics. Turmeric undergoes various unit operations from pre-harvest to post-harvest, processing, preservation, packaging, storage distribution, and final consumption. During all these processes, the properties of turmeric will be changed. The shortage of processing and preservative equipment for Turmeric, which may be due to the fact that data on the engineering properties of turmeric required for the design of these machines are insufficient or not available in some cases. Compressive Force (N), Max Strength (MPa), Force Holding Capacity (N). a full factorial randomized subtype design with two factorial interaction model tests was used to develop the experimental runs of eighteen (18) using design expert 11.1.2.0 statistical package Complete test carried out on the mechanical properties of the turmeric rhizome samples was decreasing with increase in the moisture content of the rhizomes at 3 to 15.8 N compressive force, 207 to 478.35 MPa max rhizome strength except for force holding capacity that increases with increase in moisture content between 2 to 11 N, Geometric size of the all sample tested was completely increasing with increase in the rhizome size. The tested properties analysis values at P? 0.05 indicate that the properties tested are all significant at difference moisture content and geometric size, while the two factors interaction shows no significant effect on the tested properties.

interation

force

moisture

storage

strength