Combines looming post hurricane drought problem

[r5]

Here in SW Minnesota we also have our elevators about full. We do have a good local feed demand and several ethanol plants on line in the area, but just not enough to cope with last years good crop and another likely bumper crop on the way. lots of corn will end up being piled on the ground in this part of the country, hoping to pick up a better basis early in 2006.

 

[tbran]

if we piled grain on the ground, we would have a pile of seething maggots and rot in a few months.

 

[John_W]

I read today that barge traffic and shipping on the Mississippi is moving again and will back to normal soon.

 

[bb]

I have farmed for many years and I am the grain business now. the river is moving, but painfully slow. barge frt is about 400 times higher than the highest recorded level traded to date. we are making do with minimal space and lots of grain and no where to go. the gulf sitiuation could take 30 to 40 days to catch-up.Thats catchup if everything goes perfect. three export houses came on line yesterday. It will take almost a week for these barges to get to tn_ky line. If can hold, hold ,if it looks alittle green wait till monday. we would rather see you later in the year. Working with our customer as best we can, we didn't cause the hurricane, we just have to deal with it. bear with us we're trying. BB

 

[R_O_M]

From down under; My comments below apply to a totally different situation but they may be of interest. Australia actually uses earth bunkers or stacks to store millions of tonnes of grain each year. When full, each bunker may store up to 50,000 or more tonnes. A heavy plastic waterproof ground sheet is laid and the stack is covered with a very heavy plastic tarpaulin which is sealed with the ground sheet to make it virtually airproof. Insect fumigants are placed in large slow release pouches,under the tarps along the top of the stacks. Being heavier than air, the fumigant permeates down through the grain. One key requirement is to have the grain below 12.5% moisture before being stored. The storage companies are rigid on this requirement. It is a quick, versatile and modestly priced way of storing large quantities of grain for up to a year or more. Cheers!

 

[tbran]

We heard the Miss is so low can't fully load barges, any truth to thatIJ

 

[Kevin_Alabama]

I farm on the Tenn. River here and some of the corn is barged off, but most goes to poutry feed mills and will bring 20 to 50 cents above market. I can store 80,000 bu. and will likly hold untill Spring. Other than what I feed for cattle.