The company recently launched a temporary silo system called Grainstor. With this system grain is blown into specially produced bags using the EGS 900 grain bagger.
These can then be left where packed, as the bag is weatherproof and will store the grain safety for several years
Once the grain is ready to be used, it can be removed ad hoc with a specially made extractor. Capper says the portable bagging system is cost-effective when compared to traditional grain silos with the 200 ton capacity bags costing $1700.
“You don’t have to transport it to a silo; bags can be laid in the paddock, which is fast, cost effective and time saving.”
Capper says the entire system has been set up with ease of use and low capital costs in mind. The bagger only requires 45hp to operate to put 250 tons of grain into bags per hour.
He adds that getting it out again is just as easy. The P-Ex Max extractor uses two small augers to draw grain out of the bag and into the main discharge auger along with two hydraulically driven rollers, which roll up the bag. The method of extraction doesn’t put any strain on the tractor, allowing smaller tractors to be used and larger machines to be freed up for other contracting jobs, says Capper.
“It is an ideal machine for contractors because they can tow it around different farms and store grain wherever they want.”
Bags can be emptied as quickly – at 180 tons/hr with a 75hp tractor, with operators able to seal off bags once grain has been taken out of them.
The polyethylene bags ‘remember’ their original shape, allowing the fabric to draw back on itself, causing any oxygen to be expelled from the bag; the quality of the stored grain is therefore better than in a traditional silo. The bags stand up to the elements, Capper adds. “They are UV-protected bags, but tearing can happen if the operator is not careful.”
He says the system is ideal for anybody producing or handling 150 tons of grain a year. “It really comes into its own in times like the 2011-2012 season; when grain farmers faced bumper crops and increased supply from granaries in Australia keeping prices low.
“With the Grainstor, arable farmers can cope with excess supply without building costly infrastructure,” says Capper.
Tel. 09 275 5555
www.farmgard.co.nz
