Did you have a good harvest?

Seasonal climate change and wetter weather bring challenges for the farming community. Eternit’s agricultural building specialist Stuart Daniell shares his insights on maintaining revenues through wet harvests.

“When I was growing up in the 1970s and ‘80s working on the farm, we managed to get the hay cut and dried and into the barn every summer – the combines went out and they got the harvest in,” says Stuart. “These days we get less sunshine and a lot more rain, making harvest time increasingly difficult for farming communities.” The problem is that combines work faster than dryers. Grain comes off the dryer and into the shed but without enough storage space, the grain that has just come off the field may have to be tipped on the ground while waiting for the dryer. If there is no space to store the wet grain, it’s often left outside under a tarpaulin. “This is expensive because you will lose corn,” says Stuart. “You’ve spent all of that money and effort getting the harvest off the field only to have to tip it outside.”

Have you considered that it might be time for a new shed, for storing wet grain so it doesn’t go to waste, losing you money?

“If you’ve cut 500 acres and you still have 200 left, you don’t want a situation where you are tipping 200 acres worth of grain outside because the dryer can’t keep up,” says Stuart. “There are only so many hours in the day and even if you’ve got somebody working all night and they still can’t keep up, you need to find a way to take the pressure off.”

Keeping your crops cool and dry

We understand that temperature and ventilation are key when it comes to storing crops –crops need to be kept cool and dry. With over 100 years’ experience manufacturing roofing sheets for agricultural buildings, Eternit’s innovative solutions are designed for UK farmers and the country’s unique climate, so important in current challenging weather conditions.

Why choose Eternit fibre cement sheets?

• They keep heat from outside off the crops and retain moisture to reduce the chance of any dripping, keeping crops dry • Eternit profiled sheeting is designed to absorb 25% of its weight in moisture, this is more than all imported fibre cement sheets available in the UK today • They can be used in conjunction with ventilation systems, which can help to control the airflow within the building and reduce humidity to keep crops dry and free from fungi and mould • The lower temperatures they help maintain suppresses early sprouting and prolongs the storage life of crops to maximise profits • Unlike metal, fibre cement doesn’t rust, mould nor oxidise and helps to build barns that will last, supporting your business into the next generation and beyond

Our expertise at your fingertips

Our technical team has over 60 years of farming and building experience and we will advise and support you through every step of the project, from orientation, ventilation and lighting to insulation and wildlife control. Working in partnership with the farming community we serve, we have been creating roof sheets used on arable buildings for decades.

Browse our projects in farms around the country to find inspiration and hear from our customers

Get in touch

For personalised advice and information, contact your local area sales manager.

Visit our website at Eternit.co.uk for full product details and to request more information, call us on +44 (0)1283 501 555 or email infouk@etexgroup.com