As farms have increased in size, their storage requirements now mean far greater quantities of a single crop, whether it be canola or wheat. This means higher capacity, flat-bottomed bins. These are often centrally located, with larger capacity handling equipment and sometimes permanently installed handling equipment.
Farm growth pushes farmers to bring grain handling and conditioning home
Whether warm or cold, know your bin inside-out
Grain storage experts say a winter with irregular highs and chilling lows brings challenges
Reading Time: 3 minutes A warm winter, interrupted by at least one deep freeze, presents challenges for crop storage so diligence is required, said a crops market analyst with the Alberta government. Aerate and turn stored crops while monitoring grain bin moisture and temperature, especially when outside temperatures fluctuate, wrote Neil Blue in a recent news release. “Several cases […] Read more
U.S. farmers face harsh economics with record corn supplies in silos
Growers miscalculated when they held on to corn rather than booking sales, experts say
Farmers across the United States are kicking themselves for putting off corn sales after fields dried up in May and June, fueling expectations for higher prices and smaller harvests. Instead, prices tanked as rains saved the crop. The size and speed of the price collapse stung farmers and left their storage bins stuffed with record amounts of corn.
War teaches Ukrainian farmers tough lessons
As the war approaches its second anniversary, the farmers who adapted earliest have been in the best position to survive
Feb. 24 marks two years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It seems like a short time, but it has caused huge upheaval in our society. Hundreds of thousands have died and millions have lost their homes.
Storage strategies change with bigger bins
As storage systems have grown, more attention is needed to keep crops safe
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – In the 1970s, a standard bin was 14 feet in diameter with a capacity of 1,350 bushels. High rollers might add an extra ring to stretch that another 300 bu. There were bins 19 feet in diameter, with a 2,700 bu. capacity, but few farmers bought them because they were hard to […] Read more
Keeping grains safe when in storage
Reading Time: < 1 minute Storage considerations must be top of mind as a variable crop is harvested in Alberta. Grain temperature and moisture are two key factors for safe grain storage. If one or both are not properly managed, the risk of spoiled grain can increase significantly. To help prevent spoilage, the Canadian Grain Commission has developed storage charts […] Read more
Russia destroyed 300,000 tonnes of grain since July in attacks, Kyiv says
Port damage cuts export potential 40 per cent, deputy PM says
Kyiv | Reuters — Russia has destroyed almost 300,000 metric tonnes of grain since July in attacks on Ukraine’s port facilities and on ships, the Ukrainian government said on Friday, underscoring the war’s threat to global food security. In summer, Moscow quit a U.N.-brokered deal that had allowed exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black […] Read more
Watch for post-harvest grain pests
Reading Time: < 1 minute As farmers prepare to put their next crop into storage, the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has some tips to help identify insects (and know if they’re pests) if they appear in stored grain. The commission identifies 20 species of insects as primary pests (19 beetle species and one species of moth). Over 33 species are […] Read more
French agency drops fumigant ban on non-EU grain exports
Limit on phosphine won't apply if use required for export
Paris | Reuters — French health safety agency ANSES on Thursday cleared the use of phosphine pesticide in contact with grains exported outside the European Union when importing countries require the process, averting a halt to shipments from the EU’s top grain exporter. In late October ANSES cleared the use of phosphine tablets used for […] Read more
France says pesticide ban will not hit grain exports
Fumigant can't be in 'direct contact' with grains
Paris | Reuters — France will ensure that a decision by health and safety agency ANSES to ban the use of a pesticide in direct contact with grains does not hamper its exports outside the European Union, its trade and agriculture ministers told Parliament on Tuesday. In late October ANSES cleared the use of phosphine […] Read more
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