From Risk to Reward: Safeguarding Your Grain Storage with Smart Silobag Monitoring

In the demanding world of farming, you know all too well the challenge of effectively storing grain from harvest. A common choice that has been gaining popularity in recent years is the use of silobags. These innovative storage solutions offer several advantages, including low-cost grain storage options, flexibility, and the ability to hedge grain prices throughout the year. However, silobags come with their fair share of challenges and risks, which can lead to substantial financial losses on-farm. 

What are the risks? 

Farmers who opt for silo bags face various risks, including moisture, pH imbalance, punctures, and the threat of wild animals like rodents and pigs. Incorrect fermentation can also pose a problem and unfavourable internal conditions, leading to grain spoilage. The impact of these risks can't be overstated, with an estimated cost of $2.84 billion in on-farm agricultural food losses.  

To tackle these issues, the NFF has set ambitious goals to reduce on-farm food waste, aligned with the National Food Waste Strategy. Australia produced a staggering 7.3 million tonnes of food waste in 2016-17, with 31 percent attributed to primary production. Action number 9 from the Food Waste Summit in 2022 emphasizes the importance of designing out food waste. Designing out food waste starts with prevention. So how can this be achieved on-farm? 

It Starts with Prevention 

On your farm, you witness the significance of prevention in achieving daily success. Whether protecting your crops, optimising resources, or ensuring your farm's profitability, the principle is clear: a gram of prevention is worth a kilogram of cure. When it comes to safeguarding your on-farm stored grain, the first line of defense is proactive monitoring. By focusing on prevention, we can design out food waste at its source. By addressing potential issues in your grain stored in silobags before they escalate, you protect your harvest, investment, and the bottom line of your farm business. 

Smart silobag monitoring is a groundbreaking technology designed to mitigate the risks associated with silobags and bunker grain storage. These sensors offer a range of benefits, contributing to best practice stored grain monitoring, less wastage, and significant cost savings for farm businesses. Additionally, these benefits directly align with the goals set by the NFF to reduce on-farm food waste and contribute to achieving the industry's target of maximizing the $100 billion-per-annum farm gate output by 2030. 

Why Choose Smart Silobag Sensors? 

So, why should you choose smart silobag sensors? There are a multitude of benefits they offer. With real-time monitoring and alerts, you can take immediate action when conditions threaten grain quality. The sensors detect temperature spikes, humidity imbalances, and undesirable gas levels, ensuring that spoilage and grain loss are kept at bay. This isn't just about cost savings; it's about increasing the revenue and profitability for your farm business. 

These sensors operate through satellite, wide-area mobile broadband, or narrow-band networks, enabling real-time monitoring of grain stored in silo bags across the farm. They monitor critical factors like humidity, CO2 levels, temperature, movement, and geo-localisation. When any of these parameters breach configured limits, the sensors send alerts to your phone, allowing you to take immediate action to prevent grain spoilage and protect your revenue. 

Moreover, the sensors lead to fewer manual checks on the silobags, reducing labour costs and optimising resource use. Access to historical data and quality deterioration predictions enables you to make informed decisions about grain storage and distribution, leading to better long-term planning and profitability. The extended 5-year lifespan of these sensors results in substantial long-term cost savings through reduced spoilage and increased efficiency. 

With smart silobag monitoring technology in place, you can match optimal grain quality with market prices throughout the year, maximising returns on your harvest and on-farm profitability. 

Conclusion 

In the world of farming, where success hinges on proactive measures and smart strategies, the role of prevention cannot be overstated. It's the cornerstone of protecting your hard-earned harvest. Smart silobag monitoring is critical to reducing the risks associated with on-farm grain storage and mitigating wastage. Additionally, with the wealth of data provided by smart silobag monitoring, you can make informed decisions regarding when to sell your grain, which can help optimise profits.  

About Connected Farms:   

Connected Farms is an Australian-owned company dedicated to providing reliable and appropriate connectivity solutions to the agriculture sector. Our mission is to connect farmers and enable digital agriculture, enhancing productivity, safety, and sustainability in farming operations across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. 

At Connected Farms, we are passionate about sharing our story and the positive difference fast and reliable connectivity has made to our customers' farm operations. For more information, visit HERE.  

Would you like to chat and learn more about this topic? Please call us at 1800 497 148 or email knowledgehub@connectedfarms.com.au.