Problems with receiving wet grain: Kazakhstani elevators struggle with high crop humidity.

In Kazakhstan, there are issues with accepting wet grain that elevators are unable to solve. Agricultural producers and the Grain Union of Kazakhstan confirm this. This year, the amount of wet grain is expected to be twice as much as last year. However, the drying capabilities of elevators are significantly limited, says the "APK News" agency.

"The moisture content of the harvest is currently 18-19%. The drying units at the elevators cannot handle this. They are not being used efficiently enough because the proper storage and continuous operation rules are not being followed. Therefore, elevators, although considered ready for the start of the season, are unable to cope with the high moisture content of the grain," explained trader and grain producer Ilyar Intizamov.

The Grain Union of Kazakhstan also confirmed that grain is arriving in large quantities wet. The problem of its acceptance and drying at elevators is becoming increasingly relevant.

"If an elevator is capable of drying 1,000 tons, it will accept that much. It can temporarily accumulate wet grain for 2-4 days, but not more. This is indeed a problem that we saw in 2009 and 2011. When a unexpectedly large amount of wet grain arrives simultaneously, problems arise with its acceptance at the elevators. And the acceptance capabilities are limited by drying capacities," said the official representative of the Grain Union, Yevgeny Karabanov.

Despite this, the government continues to talk about the readiness of elevators to accept the harvest.

"Yes, they are ready, but only within their technological capabilities. If a specific elevator has three functional dryers, it can accept grain in the corresponding volume. But its capabilities are limited. In general, elevators are ready, but this year all the grain is wet. Such years happen once in ten years. No one will invest large sums in dryers that will be used so rarely," commented Karabanov.

In such a situation, it is necessary to work within the available capabilities. Elevators should carry out grain drying round the clock. However, there is a problem of lack of funds for shipping dried grain. If the grain is not removed from the elevator, it may become full and farmers will not be able to deliver dry grain. Therefore, it is necessary to solve all problems comprehensively. It is also necessary to ensure smooth shipment and coordination of plans with the help of KTZ (Kazakhstan Temir Zholy)," said the interviewee.

The harvest in Kazakhstan is expected to be 17 million tons. This forecast is confirmed by the Grain Union of Kazakhstan.

"Not because the amount of grain itself has not increased, but because we will not be able to harvest it. This year, the amount of wet grain is expected to be twice as much as last year. However, not many additional drying capacities have been added. The problem also lies in the simultaneous inflows of grain. Farmers have already started harvesting the crop, ignoring the moisture content. This grain requires drying. And they are sending it to elevators in large quantities, leading to overloading. There have been no rejections in acceptance yet, but the situation is worsening. At some point, elevators will start pausing acceptance for drying. However, farmers will object, saying that it is necessary to harvest wet grain so that it does not spoil on the field. This already happened in 2011, when many farmers harvested the crop as they were ready to deliver to elevators," Karabanov recounted.

As previously reported, the issue of mass wet grain was discussed in the government back in August. At that time, Serik Zhunngarin instructed to calculate the number of necessary dryers for peasants and allocate subsidies for their purchase.