“Strategic Grain Storage” is a concept being discussed more and more. Particularly by governments who wish to provide sufficient reserve grain storage to be able to feed their nation in the event of reduced grain supplies, possibly due to natural factors such as drought, floods, pests, etc., but also because of economic factors such as rising world grain prices, importation costs, war, etc. Additionally, safe grain storage may be required simply to hold the country’s grain harvest production to supply the country’s need during the rest of the year. It is surprising how many times excess grain is exported in times of plenty, only to find that later shortages result in the need to import grain, usually at higher prices.
However, strategic grain storage is not just a term that applies to countries and governments, since every grain farmer, miller, grain trader and livestock owner has similar considerations. The grain farmer needs to store his grain to ensure he can sell it at the best price, not the lowest price which prevails at harvest time. The miller needs to buy grain when it is cheap and plentiful at harvest time, or if he is importing he can chose when world prices are most favourable. Grain traders make their money by both buying and selling at favourable prices and to do this they have to have storage facilities. The livestock feeder has to keep reserves of grain, purchased at favourable prices, and ensure he has sufficient stocks to cover any short term interruptions in supplies. Feeding his cattle, pigs, or poultry, is a continuous process. He has to have strategic stocks.
Chief Industries has been supplying grain storage silos for over 60 years. Projects range from small to large farm installations, to grain millers, to livestock producers, to large government and commercial strategic storage plants, and to large port installations.
Chief Industries UK Ltd is a division of Chief Industries Inc. in USA and has responsibility for project design, and sales of grain storage silos, grain dryers, grain handling equipment and ancillary equipment throughout Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
In 2009 Chief UK began the production of Continuous Mixed Flow Grain Dryers at their facility in Maldon, Essex. The basis for their dryer, now even further improved, was the well known and well respected Law Denis dryer.
This means that apart from being able to supply one of the most advanced grain dryers in the world, Chief UK can also service, repair and provide all parts for existing Law Denis dryers.
Zambia is an important grain producing country and is, therefore, considered an important market for Chief.
A few examples of Chief Industries UK Ltd installations in Africa are as follows:
- 6,000ton grain storage in Rwanda, including cleaning, drying, weighing and bagging. Intake and outloading capacity 50tph.
- 15,000T grain storage project in Ghana , 15,000T storage in 10x 1,500T silos. 150t/h mechanical intake and 150t/h handling equipment supplied to fill the silos.
- 2,000T grain storage project in Uganda, 2,000T storage in 2x 1,000T silos, including silo sweep augers, unloading augers and full aeration systems. Intake and out loading capacity 50t/h.
