COUNTRY BULK GRAIN STORAGE--AN EVALUATION.

This paper is a case study of investment in an inland (or "country") silo. These silos are used as local "collecting centres" for the on-movement of bulk grain (by rail) to a port terminal. Though specifically oriented to South Australian conditions, the general issues are common to those in any state where bulk grain must be moved to the coast from inland areas. To be economically justifiable the saving in bulk rail and farmers' time must outweigh the cost of resources used in country silo construction. At some point the double handling of grain through the country silo and the proximity of a port terminal will make such investment expenditure uneconomical. In this study an estimate has been made of the present value of the pay-off yielded by the construction of a silo at Crystal Brook (S.A.), 19 miles from a terminal at Port Pirie. Crystal Brook is on a major railway line and at the time of the survey did not have a silo, nor the prospect of one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]