Fuel price hike hits grain drying
Fuel price hike hits grain drying
RECENT fuel price rises threaten to make drying grain uneconomic for livestock producers feeding home-grown cereals, but alternatives do exist.
Based in northern Scotland, pig producer Dennis Bridgeford is concerned about recent rises. "Grain drying costs will double as red diesel has risen from 10p/litre last summer to 19p/litre currently."
It is worth considering alternatives such as propionic acid treatment, according to SAC crop storage consultant, Rod McGovern. "It will nearly always work out cheaper to treat grain destined for feeding livestock with propionic acid than to dry it."
Propionic acid can safely be fed to any livestock, according to Richard Knight of Trouw Nutrition. "Grain typically harvested at 18-20% moisture will cost £6-£7/t to treat with Propcorn and can be stored in any building providing it has a dry floor.
"Treated grain can be fed to cattle, sheep, pigs and horses, as the active ingredient – propionic acid – is digested by the animal. But vitamin E content of the grain does fall so ensure that supplementation of this vitamin is adequate."
Pig nutritionist Caroline Bevan adds that preservative application must be even. "Propionic acid treated grain is fine for pigs but ensure an even application to avoid hot spots or untreated areas which may lead to palatability problems."
But for those continuing to dry grain, ensuring that dryers are running efficiently can reduce fuel costs, says Mr McGovern. "Get a heating engineer to test your dryer and check that the burner is correctly set. The older the dryer, the more likely it is that parts will be worn, making it less efficient.
"For batch tray dryers – common in north-east Scotland – installing a modern burner chamber which costs about £1000 may be a good investment. This reduces heat loss and trials have demonstrated that it reduces fuel use by 35%." *