Posted on March, 27, 2025 at 09:10 am
BEIJING, CHINA — Three new, bigger inflatable grain silos, each with a capacity of 9,000 tonnes, were installed in China’s Hunan Province on March 24, according to the provincial government.
The air film silos operated by China Grain Reserves Group (SinoGrain), are 33 meters high with a diameter of 24 meters. They are about 20% larger than the 7,500-tonne inflatable silos that were installed in Sichuan Province in September 2023.
The silos have technologies such as optimized warehouse dimensions, a hydrophobic and oleophobic coating on the membrane material and a revamped intelligent air pressure electro-control linkage system, China News Service reported. A total of five inflatable air film silos are expected to be ready in Hunan for grain storage by the end of 2025.
The innovative silos originally were developed about five years ago by SinoGrain, the country’s state-owned grain stocks manager, and China National Coal Group.
The second-largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people, China has made self-sufficiency in grains a national priority.
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture projected China’s grain output in marketing year 2024-25 to reach 706.5 million tonnes, a 1.6% increase over the previous year, driven by expanded acreage and higher yields. All three major grains (wheat, corn and rice) are expected to achieve production increases, the FAS said.
Source: World Grain