In Ukraine, corn harvesting is gaining momentum while it has been raining for several weeks across the country. Under these conditions, the grain from the field comes with a large percentage of excess moisture, which must be removed before storing the crop. At the same time, due to the rise in gas prices, grain drying services at elevators have risen in price, so farmers decide whether to pay more or wait for rainy weather, and then there is a chance that the corn will dry in the field, writes “ProAgro Group”.
How much will it cost an agricultural producer to dry corn at current prices, according to Latifundist.com.
“On average, reducing the moisture content of corn by 1% will cost the farmer 200 UAH / ton. To reduce by 5%, it is respectively 1000 UAH. additional costs per ton. Per 1 hectare with an average corn yield of 70 c/ha – it is already 7 000 UAH per 1 hectare. It makes you think,” said DroneUA co-founder Valerii Yakovenko.
Anton Korobko, the executive director of “KALIPSO”, thinks the same way, but notes that drying grain at its own elevator will be cheaper.
“Now the average price per tonne-percentage fluctuates around 150-200 UAH. At the NBU rate, it is $ 5. And now let’s calculate how much drying will cost us if we need to dry 10 tonnes of corn with a moisture content of 24% (you see what autumn is now)? Therefore, I believe in the price of $50/ton for those who transport to a third-party elevator. Especially taking into account the current gas price. But at the same time, drying on your own will cost cheaper – about $35/ton,” Korobko said.
