Researcher talks about concerns and losses in storing corn in the open

Storage is extremely important to maintain the quality of the post-harvest product and not lose the yield acquired in the field. However, according to a survey carried out by the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea), Mato Grosso has a deficit in the capacity to store around 50% of the annual production of soybeans and corn. Harvesting the grains and leaving them in the open is a risk for the producer. These are damages that can compromise the food and economic security of an entire region. So what to do with this amount of grain that, in theory, would have nowhere to be stored?

The grain storage deficit is worrying and it is increasingly common at this time of year to walk through producing municipalities and see mountains of corn stored in the open. This is because data from Imea shows that productivity in the state has increased due to the transformation of livestock areas into agricultural areas and due to greater investments in production technology made by producers. Which causes an increase mainly in productivity and thus impacts the entire production chain, including static storage space

Director of research at the Rio Verde Technological Research and Development Foundation (Fundação Rio Verde), Fábio Pittelkow explains that the lack of suitable storage locations can cause losses to producers, even leading to loss of load. Being exposed to high temperatures, the possibility of rain and without insect control leads to a loss of grain quality.

"However, there is no alternative at the moment that can meet the storage demand due to the volume of grains arriving from the fields. The ideal is for the producer to delimit the location to avoid the grains flowing throughout the yard; only packaging grains with low moisture out of the warehouse; check the temperature to avoid grain fermentation and prepare for the possibility of scattered and unexpected rain showers", advises the researcher.

Although there is no specific time for the grain to be exposed to the open sky, the ideal is not to store the grain directly under the influence of adverse weather conditions. The Rio Verde Foundation researcher explains that the possibility of sudden rains can bring great risks, however, in the cerrado due to the prolonged drought there is a certain security in this regard.

One of the solutions would be to store it in a sealed silo. "The producer can also store it in a bag silo directly on the farm, for a shorter period of time until sale or delivery to the warehouse, with temperature and humidity control of the grain to maintain grain quality", explained Fábio Pittelkow.

According to an analysis released by the Association of Soybean and Corn Producers of the State of Mato Grosso, (Aprosoja-MT), with the expectation of productive advancement in the coming years, Mato Grosso would need to increase static capacity to 125 million tons by 2030, i.e. , would have to present an annual growth rate in storage capacity of around 22,9% compared to the 3,7% observed in recent years.

President of the Rural Union of Lucas do Rio Verde, Marcelo Lupatini comments that these data generate concern, because if this percentage of increase in static capacity of 3,7% per year continues, in a few years there will no longer be enough space for the producer to deliver its entire production.

“This scenario could lead to a sharp increase in storage rates, due to the law of supply and demand. In this sense, due to the need for financial investment, we recommend that rural producers plan with projects that meet their storage needs, so that they are prepared if they have the opportunity for credit”, he advised.