Farmers in the western corn belt are spending much less on grain drying costs this fall, especially compared to 2019 which was marked by a late harvest and a wet crop. This year the crop matured ahead of normal pushed by the heat and dryness late season and with ideal harvest weather it dried down naturally in the field. As a result, CHS Director of Propane Sales and Marketing Dennis St. Aubin says farmers saw lower grain moisture, especially on corn.

He says this has translated into substantial saving on drying costs compared to the last five year and especially last year.

St. Aubin says surprisingly the cost of propane is comparable to last year even with less demand.

The outlook for this winter’s grain drying season is for higher demand due to La Nina which generally means colder temperatures in the Midwest.