A soggy harvest season means farmers will be rushing to buy and install grain dryers, and then lining up to have the installation approved for use by the Office of the Fire Commissioner – and KAP advises them to begin the process as soon as possible to avoid delays later on.
Moreover, KAP urges the OFC – which does the on-farm checks of all new grain dryer units prior to start-up – to make an exception this year and allow dryers installed by licensed installers to be used prior to inspection.
“There is a two-week service level commitment by the OFC, but we have already heard it cannot meet this because of the demand – and we’re not even at the peak of dryer use yet,” said KAP president Doug Chorney. “I recognize the OFC is making dryer inspection a priority and has hired additional inspectors, but the extremely wet conditions call for the extra measure of allowing grain-dryer use prior to inspection.”
Chorney also notes that a bin of grain will spoil if a farmer has to wait weeks to use a dryer because it hasn’t been inspected. For example, a 25,000-bushel bin of wheat that spoils because of high moisture would result in a loss of $150,000.
“Farmers have been hit hard this season with flooding, drought and now a very wet harvest. The last thing we need is for our lower-than-average yields to spoil,” said Chorney.
Producers can book their inspections by calling 204-945-3373.
