Posted on February, 26, 2025 at 09:23 am
The agriculture industry is experiencing a transformational shift in grain flow, with more commodities destined for processing into ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and more.
“Those are just some of the opportunities that are out there for us, as well as a number of other discoveries and new uses for corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum and other grains,” said John Caupert, executive director of the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS), during the Exchange 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri, US.
That’s part of the reason why for the first time in its 95-year history, the GEAPS Exchange included a processing track, with sessions focused on oilseeds, distilling and ethanol. Representatives from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) also attended and presented on their respective industries.
“When I look at Exchange 2025, I really see a conference that is a true coming together of not only all the steps in the value and supply chain of grain, but now we’re going into that kind of advanced value area,” Caupert said in an interview with World Grain during Exchange at the Kansas City Convention Center. “You’re taking your kernel of corn, taking your grain of wheat, taking a soybean through some form of processing and creating more products from it. You’ve added value to the original bushel.”
Caupert said attendance was about 3,700, similar to last year, but a final count won’t be available for a few days. That total included a record of 320 new attendees. The expo also reached a new record of 416 exhibitors.
Suppliers on the trade show floor said they are doing more business with processors, who in many cases need larger, specialized equipment.
In the last one to two years, AGI, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, has seen an increase in projects that are a part of ethanol and fuel related processing as well as oilseed and canola crush, said Mike Hand, vice president Americas commercial. They are involved with oilseed crush plants in western Canada and several in the United States.
The ramp up in business in the processing industry is a testament to the strength of its conveying products, along with bin storage, Hand said.
“You start with your target conveyance, like I need 50,000 or 100,000 bushels per hour, and you build the rest of the facility around that,” he said. “They don’t want to start with the processing plant. Whatever the processing plant is capable of, you want your receiving and your conveyance to exceed that by a certain percentage.”
AGI was showcasing its Tramco Bulk Flo heavy duty chain conveyor with a capacity up to 30,000 bph. In addition to its large capacity, it is suited for tight spaces because it can bend at sharp angles, Hand said, such as in the shape of an S or C.
The larger capacity features a dual path, so if there’s a hitch in one, the other keeps moving.
“They kind of help each other out,” Hand said.
Sioux Steel, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US, was highlighting its Raptor IV bin sweep, ideal for large bins and soybeans. Customers were requesting a sweep that could handle products such as soybean meal or soybeans that had a lot of chaff and pods, said Max Rysdon, sales engineer, Sioux Steel.
“Those can tend to clump up and form walls,” he said. “We expect this sweep to be able to perform there, things that the original Daay paddle weren’t able to sweep as efficiently.”
The Raptor was introduced last year, and a few units were prototyped throughout the year. Some changes were made, and now Sioux Steel has opened a few select production slots for the sweep.
It is available in capacities up to 20,000 bph for grain bins of up to 180 feet in diameter.
“It’s a monster of a sweep; it moves a lot of grain,” Rysdon said. “This is going to be closer to a zero-entry sweep, so we maintain our focus on safety but also moving mass amounts of grain at once.”
The Raptor has a 45-degree angle drive, compared to the straight up and down Daay paddle sweep.
“This is an avalanche proof sweep,” Rysdon said. “Those paddles come down at an angle and they produce an on-mass flow that helps us move those higher quantities of grain. It’s still sweeping close to the floor so you’re still getting that perfect clean you expect from a paddle sweep.”
Essmueller, based in Laurel, Mississippi, US, also brought large equipment, an elevator boot and head with a capacity of 100,000 bph. The equipment drew in a lot of visitors, which is what the company was hoping for.
“We’ve been in business for 147 years and people know us,” said Jamison Anding, executive vice president. “We’ve been around this a long time because we know a thing or two. We have a lot of history, and we know a lot of what not to do. And sometimes that’s just as important as knowing what to do.”
The company is seeing more interest in customized layouts and equipment and specialty applications, including from grain processors, he said.
Increasing the focus on processing seemed like a natural extension, especially since the “P” in GEAPS stands for processing, Caupert said. When a farmer delivers a load of corn, whether it’s to an elevator, a river terminal, ethanol plant or soy crush facility, the very first person they encounter could be, or is, a member of GEAPS.
“This is where I think there’s so much upward opportunity for GEAPS, is being that connecting point between the farmer and what happens after they deliver that load of grain,” he said. “I think we’re just scratching the surface of what we can do with this.”
Caupert said he heard some feedback that processing should be a part of the education breakout sessions, expanding beyond the innovation stations in the Expo Hall.
“The innovation stations are a great way to get a flavor of that particular topic and if there is an appetite for something to grow there,” he said. “I think that there is.”
Collaboration and cooperation among GEAPS, the NCGA, the RFA and the ASA is important, particularly as rural America’s rural population continues to decline, Caupert said.
“With collaboration, everyone regardless of their level of contribution, benefits,” he said.
Robert White, senior vice president of industry relations and market development at the RFA, said there’s lots of room for the groups and their members to work together.
“As the number of people who come from the farm dwindles and as the number of elected officials coming from rural America dwindles, we have to be louder,” he said. “We have to tell our stories more often and that’s why there’s going to be more power in numbers.”
Source: World Grain