Farmers shouldn’t let lower grain prices dissuade them from building bins — if anything they could pay higher dividends in a tough market say sales representatives from bin-maker AGI.
“If there’s a $1 a bushel move in the price of corn between harvest and February, when you’re selling some grain, that can add up pretty quickly,” said Jim Allison, regional sales director for AGI, at the firm’s display at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2024.
Having on-farm storage to give farmers greater control over marketing their crop isn’t a new concept, and it’s something that’s taken off in the past 10 years in Ontario. But it’s not without a learning curve, as farmers take on more risk and responsibility, said AGI technical sales representative Ron Kleuskens.
Read Also
Senft to step down as CEO of Seeds Canada
Barry Senft, the founding CEO of the five-year-old Seeds Canada organization is stepping down as of January 2026.
“There are some risks – it’s a management thing,” said Kleuskens. “But the benefits far outweigh the risks.”
Essentially, Kleuskens said, farmers will be their own elevator agents, managing the drying and storage of their crops. There are some skills and strategies to learn, but it’s not a steep learning curve, Allison said.
“There’s a lot of support out there, from us at AGI, from the dealer network, from local farmers that have experience,” Allison noted.
He also said that if a farmer is entering the storage game for the first time, they should take a bit of time to get started on the right foot.
“They should remember it’s probably not the last bin they’re going to build,” Allison said. “They should start with a plan that allows them to add more storage later.”
Doing so will mean there’s less likelihood of a bin in the yard that’s in what becomes an awkward spot later.
“It’s not just where the bin falls off the truck,” he said. “There should be some planning.”
For more on grain storage, conditioning and handling on the farm, see the next edition of Farmtario.
