Using bulk bags to store grain in the agricultural industry has become a more popular solution. It allows for the safe and easy transportation of the grain, as well as the efficient storage of the dry produce before and after transit. Custom Bulk Bags has been a major supplier of flexible storage solutions to the agricultural sector for many years.
Our bulk bags are manufactured to international standards for quality and safety. They have a minimum safety factor of 5:1, which means that our bulk bags can safely carry at least five times their intended load capacity. This makes them ideal for farmers and agricultural businesses looking to store grain. Here are some helpful tips on how to properly store grain in Custom Bulk Bags.
1. Storing your bulk bags
Firstly, you need to think about where you would like to keep your bags, bearing in mind weather conditions and accessibility. Your bulk bags need to be easily accessible when you need them, so choose a location that is dry and flat, where trucks will be able to load the bulk bags with ease.
Avoid keeping your bags underneath trees, as branches and leaves can fall onto the bags and puncture them or contaminate the grain. If possible, store your bags in an area where the surface has a reasonable amount of traction, as this will make it easier for truck and farm equipment to fill and load the grain bags.
2. Choose an elevated surface
Ideally, the area in which your bulk bags are stored should be firm, elevated and slightly sloped so that your bags will not be at the risk of flooding. Drainage channels can be dug out if the area does not drain adequately. The floor of the storage area should be swept to remove sticks and stones that could puncture the bulk bags.
Ideally, the storage area should have a roof and a concrete floor. But if there is only a soil floor, be careful not to loosen the soil while sweeping it – you don’t want to make the ground less firm for the storage of your grain bulk bags.
3. Have adequate pest prevention and control
If you are planning to store your bulk bags in an open storage area, position all of your bags in a straight line. This prevents rodents and pests from using your grain bags as shelter. You should also remove weeds and long grass from the surrounding area to minimise the habitat for pests.
4. Increasing the lifespan of your bulk bags
Do your best to keep the grain and bulk bags as dry as possible. Dry grain can be stored, without any loss of quality, in a bulk bag until the next growing season. Grains with a high moisture content will not store for as long as dry grains, but breathable bulk bags will allow farmers to store these grains for a significant period of time.
5. Repair any holes as soon as possible
You should inspect your grain bags on a weekly basis. While bulk bags are durable and tough, sharp objects can puncture holes in the polypropylene fabric. As soon as you spot a hole, you should seal it to ensure that the grain inside the bag stays dry. Always check your bulk bags immediately after a storm, in case a fallen branch or sharp object has been blown into the side of the bags.
You can repair small holes in your bulk bags with tape from Custom Bulk Bag, but if the hole is too large, you need to empty the grain and load it into a new bulk bag. The damaged bag can be recycled or repurposed. For more information on our bulk bag products or to get a quote, please contact us today.
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Custom Bulk Bags is a South African manufacturer of woven polypropylene bags for various industries, such as mining, chemicals and food. We are able to produce over 3.5-million bulk bags per year, keeping our customers in stock at all times. Our bags adhere to the highest levels of quality as a result of our stringent in-house testing and quality control programmes.
Custom Bulk Bags holds ISO 9001 certification and we currently have a number of UN-certified designs. We are a Level 3 B-BBEE manufacturer and supplier and fall under the ownership structure of Deneb Investments Limited. For more information on our products, contact sales@custombulkbags.co.za. Follow us on Facebook for our latest news and industry insights.
