While it’s easy to remember to pull the big machines into the shop for that, don’t neglect other pieces of critical equipment on the farm. That includes grain handling equipment. Something as simple as a problem with a grain auger can stop an entire harvesting operation.

And permanent grain handling facilities, too, need regular inspections and maintenance to ensure they’re operating properly and safely.

Recently, GSI sent out a reminder to producers to give grain handling systems a thorough inspection while things are relatively quiet.

“If they haven’t already done so, now is the time to check their grain bins, dryers and grain handling equipment,” GSI district manager Dave Ellis says. “An ounce of prevention can help save farmers tons of problems next season.”

For those growers with permanent grain handling setups, here are some tips from GSI.

First, if there’s a delivery pit, be sure to clean it out and keep it from filling up with debris or allowing any remaining grain to rot, which could attract rodents or other pests. Keep water out.

Next, inspect the bearings on grain legs and conveyors to make sure they’re in good working order. Check that grain elevator belts and buckets are intact and that belts are tight — and, of course, replace as needed.

Grain augers, too, should get an inspection to make sure their bearings are holding up. Also, cleaning any leftover grain out of them will reduce rust.

Cleaning up any spillage around bins will help reduce rodent problems. It’s also a good time to repair any damage to bins that might allow water infiltration.

Lastly, clean fans, removing debris or any other obstructions that could reduce performance. Inspect the motor and electrical connections to determine if any repairs or replacement parts are required.

The post Don’t forget year-end grain handling equipment maintenance appeared first on Grainews.

”The divestiture of Grain and Protein supports Agco’s strategic transformation, recently accelerated by the PTx Trimble joint venture, which closed in April 2024,” Agco CEO Eric Hansotia said last Thursday in a release.

“Divesting this business allows us to streamline and sharpen our focus on Agco’s portfolio of award-winning agricultural machinery and precision ag technology products, which underpins a long-term focus on high growth, high margin and high free cash flow generating businesses.”

Agco expects to use the cash from the sale for debt repayment, further investment in technology as well as “organic growth initiatives and return of capital to shareholders.”

The sale includes five Agco-owned brands: GSI, livestock housing systems brands Automated Production (AP), Cumberland and Tecno, and grain processing equipment brand Cimbria. The sale does not include Agco’s Grain and Protein business in China.

Agco had launched a “strategic review” of the Grain and Protein division last September, at the same time as it announced it would contribute its JCA Technologies business to the PTx Trimble precision ag joint venture.

Agco said at the time it would “assess all strategic options to ensure the Grain and Protein customers are serviced in the best way possible, and that the business is best positioned to maximize its full potential.”

GSI, which started in the steel grain bin business in Illinois in 1972, was sold in 2005 and again in 2007 to U.S. private equity buyers before Agco picked up the company for US$928 million in 2011. By then the GSI Group included the Cumberland and AP brands, among others.

Cimbria, which started as an ag machinery manufacturer in Denmark in 1947, today makes equipment for the food, feed and seed processing sectors. Tecno is an Italian company making housing systems for layer hens. Both were sold to Agco in 2016.

Agco said Thursday it expects to incur a loss on the sale of the Grain and Protein business, in the range of US$450 million-$475 million. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

The buyer, American Industrial Partners, is a New York-based private equity firm, with stakes in industrial tech and manufacturing businesses including Ontario precision engineering technology firm Virtek.

The post Agco to sell grain bin firm GSI appeared first on Grainews.

The walls of steel bins AGI sells up here in Canada and in “select northern states” under the Westeel brand are made with four-inch-wide corrugation, while in other U.S. markets AGI has been selling bins with sidewalls corrugated at 2.66 inches.

Now, however, AGI will standardize all its galvanized steel bin lines across the U.S. and Canada at the four-inch corrugation, “to align with category growth and customer demand.”

Unfortunately, that move means AGI will close its bin manufacturing plant at Grand Island, Nebraska, about 200 km west of Omaha. The Grand Island plant has mainly made bins for AGI at the 2.66-inch corrugation.

That plant came to AGI in 2017 when it bought Global Industries, which made bins under the Stormor and MFS brands, along with other grain drying and grain handling brands such as Neco, Hutchinson and Mayrath.

“This standardized bin format strengthens AGI’s storage catalog in the United States and provides dealer customers with new products that increase their ability to compete in the widely adopted 4.00-inch corrugation market,” AGI said in a statement last month.

MFS/Stormor bins used to be promoted with the 2.66-inch corrugation as a selling feature; the manufacturer had said it “provides more steel per square inch when compared to wider corrugation of the same thickness, and that matters when you have tons of grain inside the bin.”

The post AGI standardizes steel bins appeared first on Grainews.

Anne Kirk, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, advises aeration and vigilant monitoring of bin moisture and temperature. The latter is particularly important when outside temperatures fluctuate.

“We have definitely heard of some issues with canola having some heating in the bin and some higher moisture zones,” Kirk says. “That’s something that farmers definitely need to be on the lookout for.”

Alberta is also experiencing higher spoilage risk, Neil Blue, a provincial government crops market analyst, wrote in a recent release.

“Several cases of spoiling crops have showed up lately, leading to marketing difficulty and large price discounts,” he says.

In contrast, Kim Stonehouse, crops extension specialist with the Saskatchewan agriculture ministry, reports storage conditions have been “fairly normal” in her province this year.

The science of spoilage

Spoilage in bins is usually caused by moisture migration.

“In the fall and winter, grain in the bin cools because it’s colder on the edges,” Kirk says. That cool air on the periphery of the grain then starts to settle.

“As it moves towards the floor of the bin and into the centre, (the air) becomes warmer because the grain on the inside of the bin is warmer, and then that warmer air becomes lighter.”

That warm air then reverses, rising in the centre of the bin before cooling again when it reaches cold grain near the surface.

“What results is an increase in moisture content near the surface, which can cause rapid grain spoilage.”

Grain and oilseeds will respire for a month or more after storage, Blue notes.

“This respiration can release moisture, which in turn can lead to spoilage. Dense crops like canola are particularly subject to storage problems, although all crops with moisture can spoil.”

Producers’ best bet is to aerate binned crops during the respiration period.

Deep winter seesaw

The basic moisture migration process and its management are the same even when it’s -40 C, Blue says, but the cold snap may have caused more migration.

“The colder January temperatures would further cool the outside portions of the stored crop, possibly leading to more moisture migration from the bottom-middle up towards the top, where that moisture would meet cold crop, possibly causing condensation there.”

Kirk also notes any sudden shift from springlike temperatures to bone-chilling cold should warrant a bin check.

“Do you have a high moisture zone? Is your grain kind of crusty on top, which indicates higher moisture? What temperatures are you going to add?”

Cycling grain or canola can equalize temperatures in the bin, she says.

“Especially for something like canola, take a load or part of a load out of a variety of canola bins to just check it and then cycle it through so you are mixing it up a bit and not creating those really high moisture results in the bin.”

Blue also recommends turning the crop by removing some from each bin, letting it sit on a truck for a day or two and then returning it to the bin. It’s better to do this during cold weather — but springtime may require another bin turning.

“If continued safe storage is questionable, it may be advisable to turn the grain again in the spring as the stored grain warms, or use the fan if the bin is equipped,” Blue says, adding that consistent monitoring is key.

“Many producers use in-bin monitoring systems to detect potential storage trouble. While lower than last crop year’s prices, crop prices are still historically high and worth protecting in storage.”

Monitoring can be also be done with a grain probe, Kirk says, although she cautions producers to be thorough.

“We like to recommend probing all sides and the centre of the bin,” she says.

Stonehouse agrees that monitoring grain temperatures and quickly addressing any issues is always a good practice. Even grain that is not at a safe storage moisture content can have a long shelf-life as long as temperatures stay below 5 C, she noted. Beyond that, problems occur.

“If there is spoilage happening, it is possible that the grain did not cool to below 0 C after harvest due to the unusually warm weather we had,” she says.

Moisture targets

Although 10 per cent moisture — the dry moisture standard for canola — is usually sufficient for marketing, its actual moisture in the bin should be lower, Blue says.

“Safe, longer-term storage moisture levels are below eight per cent. If it is binned at high temperatures, canola can even spoil at six per cent moisture,” he notes.

The Canadian Grain Commission outlines moisture standards for many grains. Buyer expectations also play a role.

“Certain markets or contracts may have different moisture level specifications than (the commission’s). For example, feed barley sold to a domestic feed user is commonly considered to be dry at 15 per cent moisture or less,” Blue says.

Kirk also recommends using CGC resources.

“They have a lot of graphs on their website where you can plot out your initial moisture content of your grain and the temperature of the grain going in the bin.”

The post Avoid grain spoilage when temperatures get wild appeared first on Grainews.

The same holds true for on-farm grain storage, says Derek Johnson, regional sales director for AGI, one of the largest manufacturers of grain bins in Canada. He says planning for grain storage helps ensure the crop’s quality is properly preserved until it reaches buyers.

“When it comes to storage, next year starts now,” Johnson says. “We want to ensure that producers understand that, as a manufacturer, we’re manufacturing and building bins today that are going to be assembled on farms next summer.

“Producers should begin the planning process now so that they’re not waiting until the last minute for storage. It’s not like buying seed or chemical. Storage is a long-term investment and it needs to be treated as such. It involves a plan and that planning needs to start early.”

Digvir Jayas agrees. He is a professor emeritus of biosystems engineering at the University of Manitoba who was recognized by Engineers Canada in 2022 with a gold medal for his work on finding better ways to dry and store grain.

Jayas says keeping grain in the best condition possible during storage season is critically important as it can have a huge impact on a farmer’s marketing efforts.

“If you don’t store it properly and you have that deterioration, the market to sell that grain is reduced,” says Jayas, who is also a member of the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.

“The market is reduced to sell that grain because it can’t be used for the kind of products that (higher-grade) grain would be able to make or it would require a process adjustment or blending from other sources of grains, and it becomes more difficult to sell.

“If you store it properly, it’s much easier to market because your product is top-notch quality.”

Grainews asked Jayas and Johnston for grain storage tips. Here’s what they had to say.

Cool and dry

A key consideration is ensuring grain is kept cool and dry. Moisture content levels should not exceed 13 per cent for wheat or 12.5 per cent for barley during warmer-season months.

Storage temperatures should not typically exceed 20 C. Safe storage condition charts for most cereal crops are available via the Canadian Grain Commission.

Jayas says keeping stored grain cool is important because it “greatly increases the storage life of the grain and (helps) maintain quality longer” while reducing the chance of insect and mould problems.

A bin aeration fan can help in this effort. Jayas advises farmers to ensure the fan is properly sized for the bin in which it is installed. If capacity is too low, it may not dry the grain in the time available in the fall. He says fan size should be based on initial moisture content at harvest and the date of the harvest.

Johnson advises farmers to schedule regular monitoring of grain in bins and make it part of someone’s role on the farm.

That job has become much easier over the past decade, thanks to monitoring systems that can detect temperature and moisture levels within a bin. They send alerts to a computer or mobile device when warming or spoilage occurs and a fan can then be started remotely.

Most monitoring systems use cables that are inserted into grain and send feedback on what’s occurring during storage. Jayas recommends as many as five of these cables should be used within a bin — one in the centre and others in east-west and north-south directions between the centre and wall of the bin. This ensures all sections are properly monitored.

Farmers have a few options if they receive a spoilage warning from a monitoring system. They can turn on the fan to lower grain temperature and maintain it at a lower temperature until the problem is taken care of. If the problem appears to be in the centre of the bin, it may be resolved by removing that portion of the grain.

While monitors are standard in most newer large-capacity bins, many older, smaller bins don’t have sensors. Outside of physically checking each bin on a regular basis, Johnson recommends producers inspect the bin to see how much snow is on its roof in the winter.

“The old adage is, if there’s snow on the roof of the bin in the wintertime, you’re in a good spot,” he says. “Typically, if it’s warm in the bin and there is spoilage happening, it’s generating heat and it’s creating heat on the roof of the bin. If there was any snow, it would just melt off. If all the snow is melted off, you may want to check that bin.”

Insects

Temperatures in Western Canada are usually cool enough to kill insects that may find their way into storage bins during the winter. However, infestations can still occur the following year as temperatures climb in spring and summer.

In such a scenario, Jayas says farmers can use a chemical fumigant. Among the most common of those, phosphine can kill most pests within three to four days. He suggests farmers hire a licensed fumigator to apply it, since exposure can cause serious health complications.

Another option is compressed carbon dioxide in the form of dry ice or compressed gas, which can take seven to 10 days to kill insects.

Maintenance

Johnson says routine bin maintenance is often neglected or forgotten. A simple step is to remove potential hazards in and around grain bins early in the season so harvest can take place quickly and safely.

Aeration fans should also be regularly inspected and cleaned; rodents, small animals and insects can get into open units and create all sorts of problems. The same advice applies to grain dryers, especially if they’re not being used every year.

While grain augers are indispensable, they are often parked in fields for much of the year. Johnson recommends they be inspected before harvest each year to ensure they are greased, have motors in good working condition and belts properly tightened.

Bigger bins

Western Canada was once known as the hopper bin capital of the world, in part because so many different crops require segregation.

That has changed as farms have grown larger and now produce more bushels of the same crops. As a result, many farmers have moved to larger, flat-bottom storage structures. These newer bins measure 36 to 54 feet in diameter and have storage capacities of 25,000 to 72,000 bushels.

While these newer bins offer an assortment of bells and whistles, the general maintenance requirements are the same, according to Johnson. He says farmers should make it a priority to conduct periodic inspections of the rooftop area to confirm it is free of debris and operating properly, including the filler cap.

“We get a lot of wind in Western Canada and in some cases the wind can pull open those caps,” he says. “Farmers want to make sure they definitely take a look at the springs on their filler caps to ensure that they’re in good working order on those larger bins.”

Cleaning

Jayas and Johnson both stress the importance of cleaning bins before storing new grain.

Jayas says cleaning a storage structure is important because insects can survive in debris and leftover grain, then re-infest new grain.

Johnson says most newer flat-bottom bins are “fairly self-cleaning.” They often require only a quick sweep inside if they’re being used to store the same crop in consecutive years.

However, he says, they require more significant cleaning if they are being used to store a different crop from the one held previously. That’s especially true for seed growers, who should do a detailed cleaning inside.

Helpful advice

Johnson has one final piece of advice when it comes to grain storage: don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“Utilizing the support that’s out there is important. We have many folks in Western Canada on our AGI team that are experts when it comes to aeration and grain drying. Those people need to be leaned on for advice throughout the year. Reach out for help if you have questions.”

The post Grain upkeep begins with the bin appeared first on Grainews.

The destruction from the Aug. 10 derecho storm compounded troubles for a U.S. agricultural economy already battered by extreme weather, the U.S.-China trade war and disruptions to labour and food consumption from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s amazing, it’s big,” Trump told local and federal officials at a briefing about the damage, a day after approving disaster aid for the state.

The storm packed hurricane-force winds that crumpled steel storage bins, flattened corn fields, caused widespread damage in towns and left thousands of people without power. Crop losses come as China needs to import more corn to meet rising demand to feed livestock.

Officials said Iowa, the top U.S. corn-producing state, could fill orders from China and elsewhere with reserves.

“There are millions of acres of corn that just won’t flat-out be able to be harvested,” Mike Naig, Iowa’s agriculture secretary, said at the briefing in Cedar Rapids.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week estimated the storm affected about 37.7 million acres across the Midwest, including 14 million in Iowa.

It destroyed or seriously damaged more than 57 million bushels of commercial grain storage capacity in Iowa and a similar amount on farms, according to the state’s agriculture department. Farmers may struggle to store their crops as a result.

The cost to remove, replace or repair damaged grain bins will top US$300 million, according to Iowa’s agriculture department. Farmers in the state harvested 2.6 billion bushels of corn and 502 million bushels of soybeans last year.

“We’re offering the full support of the federal government,” Trump said.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds thanked Trump for approving federal aid, and said damage from the derecho was worse than previous disasters because the storm was more widespread.

U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Pete Gaynor said he toured the damaged areas on Monday and that “we still have a ways to go” to clear out debris and other damage.

Trump said he would direct FEMA to take a closer look at the assistance available to individuals.

Iowa is in play for the Nov. 3 presidential election, in which Republican Trump faces Democrat Joe Biden. The state supported Trump in 2016 and Democrat Barack Obama in 2012.

— Reporting for Reuters by Andrea Shalal in Cedar Rapids and Tom Polansek in Chicago.

The post Trump visits Iowa as officials warn storm destroyed corn crops appeared first on Grainews.

The toll from the derecho storm has worsened as farmers and grain handlers have spent the week assessing flattened corn fields and crumpled steel storage bins.

USDA said the storm affected 8.18 million acres of corn and 5.64 million acres of soybeans in Iowa, according to the Iowa Soybean Association. The state agriculture department on Tuesday estimated a total of 10 million acres may have been impacted.

The storm affected 58,000 holders of crop insurance policies with a liability of around $6 billion in Iowa, including $1.86 billion for soybeans, the Iowa Soybean Association said, citing data from the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (all figures US$).

The Risk Management Agency released the estimates to farm and commodity groups on Friday, Iowa Soybean Association spokesman Aaron Putze told Reuters. He said the information was intended to encourage farmers to assess their losses and file claims for crop insurance.

“We knew it was big, but it’s bigger than we even anticipated it would be in terms of the acres it affected,” Putze said.

Risk Management Agency representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

The agency has urged farmers to expedite the filing of loss claims, according to Iowa Soybean Association. Claims are supposed to be filed within 72 hours of identifying losses, but allowances will be made for those suffering from disruptions in telephone and communications services, the farm group said.

“USDA is standing by to help impacted producers and strongly encourage farmers and livestock producers who experienced losses or damage to contact their local USDA Service Center,” said Dirk Fillpot, a USDA spokesman.

— Tom Polansek reports on agriculture and ag commodities for Reuters from Chicago.

The post Monday’s storm hit an estimated 37.7 million acres in U.S. Midwest appeared first on Grainews.

The company’s funding will purchase GSI RES-Q-TUBE and Haul-ALL pencil augers for eligible fire departments that have taken part in BeGrainSafe training put on by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA).

The GSI RES-Q-TUBE is a rescue tube and the pencil auger helps move grain when needed and are considered essential to rescuing someone from a grain bin, an area of increasing farm sector concern.

The BeGrainSafe program includes a mobile demonstration unit and has seen firefighters trained on grain entrapment rescue. Now the organization can supply these fire departments with needed rescue equipment.

Corteva’s support will purchase a GSI RES-Q-TUBE and a Haul-ALL pencil auger for eligible rural fire departments that have taken part in BeGrainSafe training.

The grain rescue tube and portable auger are essential in rescuing a person trapped in grain. When used in combination, the grain rescue tube creates a barrier between the victim and the grain while the auger helps rescuers quickly move the grain away from the potential victim.

“Having a grain rescue tube and a portable auger available to fire departments trained in grain extrication greatly increases the probability of a victim surviving a grain entrapment,” Robert Gobeil, CASA’s agricultural health and safety specialist, said.

“Handling grain is an everyday occurrence in the agriculture industry, meaning unexpected grain incidents can happen at any moment,” said Kris Allen, communications leader for Corteva Agriscience Canada.

“We’re proud to work with CASA on this important initiative that equips rural fire departments with the tools they need to keep Canadian growers and their families safe.”

More information about BeGrainSafe, including firefighter training, is available online. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post Donation offers up more equipment for grain emergencies appeared first on Grainews.

However, figures in USDA’s regular quarterly stocks report for June will reflect losses due to flooding as well as from more typical usage by processors, exporters and livestock feeders over the preceding three months.

“As of right now we don’t have any intention of collecting anything on grain that was lost,” Lance Honig, crops branch chief of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, said at a meeting in Chicago for USDA data users.

USDA is scheduled to release its next quarterly stocks report on June 28.

“The stocks report will reflect (grain) inventories as of June first, so any losses that occurred will no longer be represented in the stocks at that time,” Honig said, adding that surveying for the amount of grain lost to flooding “would be a challenge.”

At least one million acres of U.S. farmland were flooded after a “bomb cyclone” storm left wide swaths of nine major grain-producing states under water in March, satellite data analyzed by Gro Intelligence for Reuters showed.

Indigo Ag, an agriculture technology company, identified 832 on-farm storage bins within flooded Midwest areas. The bins hold an estimated five million to 10 million bushels of corn and soybeans – worth between US$17.3 million and US$34.6 million – that could have been damaged in the floods, the company told Reuters.

— Julie Ingwersen is a Reuters commodities correspondent in Chicago.

The post USDA won’t survey for volume of grain lost to March floods appeared first on Grainews.

Ag Growth International (AGI) announced Tuesday it has bought up all shares in a Nebraska-based competitor, Global Industries, for US$100 million — a deal it expects to be “immediately accretive” with “significant synergy opportunities.”

Global, which operates mainly out of plants in Nebraska and Kansas, makes and markets Hutchinson and Mayrath augers and conveyors, MFS, York, Stormor and Brownie bins and handling equipment and Sentinel building systems.

AGI also expects to bring Global’s Omaha-based mixed-flow grain dryer, aeration and handling equipment business, which operates under the Neco brand, to the Canadian Prairie market.

AGI on Tuesday said the Neco business marks a “new product line” for the Winnipeg firm and will become “an important addition to AGI’s Canadian product offering, especially in light of management’s anticipation of increased acres of corn and soybeans in Western Canada.”

Offshore, AGI added, it has previously bought dryers from third parties when selling bundled projects, and now expects to include Global dryers in some of these projects going forward.

Global’s grain bin businesses, AGI said, are “primarily” in the U.S. Great Plains region and will have “minimal geographic overlap” with AGI’s Westeel line, but those businesses’ stationary on-farm grain handling equipment lines will be “a new addition to AGI’s product portfolio,” the company said.

Global’s stationary equipment business also gives AGI “access to new dealers and customers that are not currently addressed by AGI’s core portable grain handling offering,” the company said.

Global’s Kansas-based Hutchinson and Mayrath businesses deal mainly in bin unloading systems, AGI said, but also include grain loop products, which allow connection of several bins into one storage system and will also be a “new addition to AGI’s product portfolio.”

AGI CEO Tim Close on Tuesday described the deal for Global as a “highly strategic transaction” which will bring “key products, very talented people, and great brands into the AGI group, and significantly increases our U.S. manufacturing capabilities and distribution channels.”

The U.S. grain market, he said, “continues to be a core supplier of the world’s food and AGI is committed to our dealers and customers in this important market.”

Global’s brands in “key” U.S. markets are expected both to expand AGI’s existing product lines and to add new product categories, but also to provide “additional scale to compete against large, global peers in an environment of industry consolidation,” AGI said.

Offshore, AGI added, Global’s customer and geographic focus in offshore markets — which make up about 27 per cent of Global’s sales — is “largely complementary,” making for “potential sales synergies and an enhanced global footprint.”

“It was a very difficult decision for me to decide to sell Global Industries,” Global CEO Jack Henry said in AGI’s release Tuesday. “However, the culture and the way AGI does business were a great fit for Global and I’m very excited for Global’s future prospects as part of AGI.” — AGCanada.com Network

The post Grain equipment firm AGI buys into dryer market appeared first on Grainews.