Storage
Rice production
•World – 589 million tons
•Asia - 534 million tons
•Bag storage - 500 million tons
(Total world cereal and pulse production
2,075 million tons)
Present situation
Between 25-50% of the total grain value
(quantity+quality)is lost between
harvest and consumption in developing
countries
Reasons for post harvest losses
1. Poor product coming into storage
2. Poor storage management
3. Poor quality paddy + poor milling
techniques
Traditional Bag Storage (Indonesia)
Granary (Laos)
Woven Basket ( Cambodia)
Clay Pots (Bangladesh)
Concrete Bin (Bhutan)
Steel Bins (Bhutan)
Bag storage (Philippines)
Summarizing existing on farm storage
situation
•Grain is stored in open systems in bags
or open granaries
•Grain is exposed to insect,rodent and
bird attacks
•High equilibrium moisture content
>14.0
•Grain is not always protected from rain
Farmers Present Practices
1. Sell excess immediately after
harvest (indebted or poor
storage)
2. Dry grain to 10-11% before
storage
3. Take grain out and re-dry during
storage period
4. Store seed in “sealed” containers
Storage
•The process of keeping grains whether
in bags or in bulk in a storage structure
designed to protect the stored product
from inclement weather and pests for a
short or long period of time to await
processing or movement to other
location.
Storage
•Food grains are stored for the
following reasons
1) To effect a uniform supply of food
throughout the year
2) To provide reserve for contingencies such
as drought, flood and war
3) To speculate on a good price either in
domestic or in the export market
Basic Requirements for Safe
Storage of Grain
a.A healthy, clean and uniformly
dried grain
b.A structure that will maintain a
suitable environment that will
prevent insect and animal
pests.
Storage Practices
A. On-farm storage
B. Off-farm storage
Storage Practices
A. On-farm storage
Category
i. Container type facilities- include jute or synthetic
sacks, metal or wooden boxes, bamboo baskets, and cans
and drums
ii. Granary type facilities- include wooden or bamboo
structurs, sheet metal granaries or small concrete
warehouses.
Storage Practices
B. Off-farm storage
Sizes
i. Village level
ii. Commercial level
iii. Centralized storage
Storage Systems
1. Bag Storage System
2. Hermetic storage
3. Bulk Storage System
Bag Storage System-
Hermetic storage
Bulk Storage System
Storage Systems
1. Bag Storage System- Jute or
synthetic fiber sacks
Bag warehouses usually
have concrete flooring,
galvanized or concrete
hollow blocks.
Have rotary or continuous
ridge ventilators.
Storage Systems
2. Bulk Storage systems
i. Bulk warehouse - grain
is stored in bulk at the
farm or at commercial
collection houses
ii. Silos-
Bag Storage of Grain
•See standard PAES 419 for specification
•Advantages
• Flexible
• Lower capital cost
•Disadvantages
• Labor intensive and slow
• Involves much spillage
• Higher operation cost
• More difficult to monitor for control of insects,
rodents and birds
• Deterioration is more difficult to monitor
Bulk Storage
•Advantages
•Not labor intensive, requires fewer men
•Results in little spillage
•Lower handling cost
•Easier to monitor for control of insects,
rodents and birds
•Changes in temperature and moisture is
easily observed
•Insect infestation is easier to prevent, easy
to fumigate
Bulk Storage
•Disadvantages
•Inflexible
•Requires a higher level of skill in
construction and operation
•Requires mechanical handling
equipment
•Higher capital cost
Storage Systems
3. Hermetic Storage systems
In hermetically sealed storage systems
grains are placed inside an airtight
container, which stops oxygen and water
movement between the outside
atmosphere and the stored grain.
Types of hermetic storage systems
1. Cocoon
2. Super bags
3. locally available
containers
Estimating Warehouse Capacity
• Stacking density- the number of bags that can be stored in a 1 Cubic
meter space.
• Rice – 15 bags per cu. Meter
• Palay – 10 bags per cu. Meter
• Corn- 12 bags per cu. Meter
• Height of sack in pile – 0.225 m
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
1 Locating a Warehouse
Construct warehouse on level ground, ideally slightly
raised above surrounding area, well drained and not
prone to flooding.
Warehouse and approaches need to be protected
from running water by an effective drainage system.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
1 Locating a Warehouse
For easy access and movement of stocks,
warehouse should be sited as near as possible to a
main road.
Approaches to warehouse should permit easy
movement and maneuvering of vehicles.
Main road
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3.1 Locating a Warehouse
In tropical countries, the long axes of warehouses should
be oriented East-West as nearly as possible.
If this is not possible, long axis should be oriented across
prevailing wind direction.
o interior be cooled by opening all doors and windows
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
1. Locating a Warehouse
Grain will probably be fumigated with gas
lethal to human beings from time to time.
site must be a safe distance from dwelling
houses, etc.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2 Standard Warehouse Design
Warehouses consist of
o Floor,
o walls,
o roof,
o one or more entrances
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2 Standard Warehouse Design
Quality of commodity stored should not be
affected by physical factors such as moisture and
heat. Grains should be maintained dry and cool
as much as possible.
Wherever possible and practical, warehouse
should incorporate features to protect grains
from attack by rodents and birds, and facilitate
the use of insecticides.
Warehouse should be easy to clean and
maintain and should provide good working
conditions.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.1 Foundation and Floor
Floor must be able to bear weight of the grain stacked
upon it.
Must be impermeable to ground water
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.1 Foundation and Floor
Reinforced concrete slab laid upon well
compacted hard core with moisture barrier
sandwiched in between (asphalt or polyethylene
film).
Reinforced concrete slab must be made with
expansion joints to prevent cracking.
Floor level must be sufficiently above ground
level to ensure that water will not enter
warehouse.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.2 Walls
Modern warehouses are constructed with
framework usually of reinforced concrete.
If supporting posts are thicker than walls, the
extra thickness is on outside of building, so that
internal wall surfaces are smooth and free from
projections.
o facilitates cleaning of store
o avoids interference with other operations
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.2 Walls
Walls may be made of concrete hollow blocks, or
earth bricks 15 to 20 cm thick for structural
strength and thermal insulation.
Should be rendered smooth on both sides.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.2 Walls
Should be painted white.
o inside to facilitate detection of insect pests
o outside to help keep the warehouse as cool as
possible
Walls may be made of lightweight material such as
galvanized metal sheet, but walls of this kind are
o have poor thermal insulating properties
o more easy to deteriorate
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.2 Walls
Concrete strip about 1 meter wide should be laid around
the outside of warehouse
o to prevent rain from eroding the base of walls
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.3 Roof
Modern engineering techniques allow very wide
'free-span' roofs to be constructed.
Roofing material may be of
o galvanized steel
o asbestos cement - more fragile but better
insulating properties
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.3 Roof
Should overhang the gables by 0.7 to 1.0 meters, and
eaves by at least 1 meter
o ensure that rainwater is shed well clear of the walls
o eliminate the need for guttering and drainpipes which
may become blocked or assist rodents entering the
warehouse
o help to keep walls cool and protects ventilation
openings from rain
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.4 Ventilation
Ventilation openings necessary to allow fresh air
and reduce temperature.
o They also allow some light to enter it
Should be fitted on outside with anti-bird grills
(20 mm mesh)
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.4 Ventilation
Should be fitted on inside (10 cm behind the grills) with 1
mm mesh screens (removable for cleaning) to deter
insects.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.5 Doors
Should be at least two doors.
to be able to rotate stocks on a 'first in, first out'
basis
Double sliding doors recommended, preferably
made of steel to protect against rodents
Should be sufficiently large (at least 2.5 x 2.5 m)
and close fitting
Should protected from rain by extension of the
roof or separate cover
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.6 Illumination
Many warehouses are fitted with translucent sheets in
roof.
o inadvisable, may risk spot heating of grains in the top
layers of stacks
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
2.6 Illumination
Other warehouses reasonably well lit by daylight
filtering through ventilation gaps.
Non-opening windows set high up in walls could
provide natural lighting
o But window sills could harbor pest-infested
grain residues unless specially sloped
Leaving several doors open could provides
adequate illumination of interior
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3 Estimating Warehouse capacity
If intended as transit store, and bagged grain will be
moved through it quickly
o stacks should be low and plenty of working space
needed
If for storage of reserve stocks
o stacks should be as high as possible and minimum
working space required
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3.1 Specific Volume of Product
Defined as volume in cubic meters occupied by 1 ton of
bagged grain.
Specific
Bags per cu.
Product Volume
meter
(cu. meter / ton)
Paddy 2.00 10
Milled rice 1.33 15
Maize 1.67 12
Note: 1 bag = 50 kg
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3.2 Maximum Tonnage
Will depend upon purpose for which the warehouse is
required.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3.3 Stack height
Woven polypropylene sacks have a tendency to slide on
each other.
o should not be stacked more than 3 meters high
Jute sacks bind together better
o may be stacked up to 6 meters high
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3.3 Stack height
Height should not exceed height of walls.
o at least 1 meter between top of stacks and roof frames
1m
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3.4 Separation of lots
Maximum use gained by storing products in one
stack.
But it is necessary to separate lots for better
stock control.
Gangways have to be provided between and
around stacks.
Basic Design of Grain Warehouse
3.4 Separation of lots
Spaces 1 meter wide between stacks and between
stacks and walls.
Should provide one or more areas at least 2 meters wide
to handle incoming or outgoing stocks.
Problem #1
A ware house is 24 meters long and 24 meters wide. If
bagged paddy is to be stored in one pile up to 6 meters
high, estimate its storage capacity. Assume that doors are
located on both ends of warehouse.
Warehouse
Solution #1
1m
12 meters
2m
Stack pile 2m
1m
24 meters
Pile length = 24 m – 2 m from wall – 2 m from other wall = 20 m
Pile width = 12 m – 1 m from wall – 1 m from other wall = 10 m
Pile volume = 20 m length x 10 m width x 6 m height = 1,200 cu.m
Storage capacity = 1,200 cu.m pile volume / 2 cu.m per ton specific
volume
= 600 tons x 20 bags per ton = 12,000 bags
Problem #2
About 12,000 bags of paddy is to be stored into two
square piles 6 meters high. Estimate the required length
and width of warehouse. Assume that doors are located
on both ends of warehouse.
Solution #2
Tons per pile = 12,000 bags / 20 bags per ton = 600 tons / 2 piles
= 300 tons
Pile volume = 300 tons x 2 cu.m per ton specific volume = 600 cu.m
Pile floor area = 600 cu.m pile volume / 6 m pile height = 100 sq.m
Pile length = Pile width = 10 m (10 m x 10 m)
Solution #2
Warehouse width = 10 m pile width + 1 m from wall + 1 m from other wall
= 12 m
Warehouse length = 10 m pile length + 10 m pile length + 1 m between
piles + 2 m from wall + 2 m from other wall = 25 m
1m
Stack pile Stack pile
10 m x 10 m 12 meters
2m 10 m x 10 m 1m 2m
1m
25 meters
Problem #3
A ware house is 22 meters long and 34 meters wide. If
bagged paddy is to be stored in one pile up to 6 meters
high, estimate its storage capacity. Assume that doors are
located on both ends of warehouse.
Solution #3
Pile length = 34 m – 2 m from wall – 2 m from other wall = 30 m
Pile width = 22 m – 1 m from wall – 1 m from other wall = 20 meters
Pile volume = 30 m length x 20 m width x 6 m height = 3,600 cu.m
Storage capacity = 3,600 cu.m pile volume / 2 cu.m per ton specific
volume
= 1,800 tons x 20 bags per ton = 36,000 bags
Solution #3
Pile height
Warehouse 22 meters 6m
34 meters
1m
22 meters
Stack pile
2m 2m
1m
34 meters
References
• Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
• CLSU, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
• Proctor, D.L. (ed.). 1994. Grain storage techniques - Evolution and trends in developing countries. FAO Agricultural Services
Bulletin No. 109, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome.
• [Link]
• PAES