Storage solutions for your summer crop

In this article, Janine Ryan and Nichelle Steyn take a look at storage options for grains and oilseeds.

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While many may believe that a farmer's work is done once the crop has been harvested, this is far from the truth, particularly for farmers who store their harvested crops on their farms. Inadequate storage can lead to the spoiling of a crop, ultimately impacting the farmer’s bottom line and profitability. As such, crop storage is an essential aspect of every operation, and cannot be ignored or underestimated. Fortunately, there are several storage options available to farmers.

OFF-FARM STORAGE

After harvesting their crops, most medium to large commercial grain farmers turn to companies like NWK to store, and later on, sell their grains. Gerrit Olivier, manager of Silo Services at NWK, says that with 42 state-of-the-art storage facilities and a capacity of about two million tons, farmers’ harvested crops are in good hands.

“The NWK silo-services team makes sure that our facilities are in top working condition; we service and repair our equipment during the off season as a preventative measure so that the collection and storage of our clients’ crops go without a glitch.”

At NWK, the crops are stored in watertight tunnels to eliminate the risk of the crop being ruined.

“The temperature and humidity percentage levels are monitored regularly so that the grain does not decay. We also make use of the latest technology to manage storage capacity, and our team is focused on getting the product into the silos as efficiently as possible by optimally managing the offloading process.”

ON-FARM STORAGE

Farmers have multiple options for storing grains and oilseeds, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The best method depends on factors like the scale of the operation, the type of grain or oilseed being stored, climate conditions, and economic considerations.

SILOS