Can you have too much grain storage on farm?
Is on-farm grain storage a trap to procrastinate in marketing your crop?
Depending on where you farm, what’s the ideal amount of grain storage relative to your annual crop production?
On-farm grain storage has always been a necessity on the prairies, but capacity is growing in Ontario and parts of the Midwest as farmers seek marketing flexibility.
Grain storage can come in different forms — piles, grain bags, hopper bottom or flat bottom bins. This fall there is much discussion on selling soybeans and storing corn in the U.S. Midwest. A Western Canadian example could see durum growers hold inventory for three years to catch a bounce in cash prices.
Selling off the combine is usually not the most profitable option. In the case of bumper crops, a lack of long term storage may force you into sales that do not allow you to optimize revenue.
Complete our short 3-question survey on grain storage
So what is the most ideal amount of on farm storage as a % of estimated annual production? Click on the survey link above and let us know what you think. We will release the survey results in the near future to let you know some of the regional differences. All of the responses are anonymous.
