Expert Advice Helps Guide Grain Storage Investment
14 September 2026, AU: Speaking at the 2026 Australian Grain Storage and Protection Conference, NSW grain grower and GRDC Northern Panel member Mark Swift emphasised the importance of due diligence when investing in grain storage.
Mark Swift says he farms in the “zone of crazy”. At Tichborne in Central West NSW, his property straddles the ‘Mediterranean’ south and subtropic north, receiving between 350 and 800 mm of rainfall in any given year.
“Sometimes the desert comes to visit and sometimes we are in a high-rainfall zone,” he says.
This variability leads to fluctuating production outputs and was one of the drivers for the family’s decision to invest in a new on-farm storage system.
In 2022, the Swifts began upgrading from the grain bag storage they had outgrown to an integrated system with capacity for 10,000 t of storage, including 1,700 t and 350 t silos, as well as a garner bin, dryer and cleaner.
“We’ve really built a ‘Swiss Army Knife-style’ system looking at where we can capture value from freight efficiencies, dealing with slightly off-spec grain, drying wet grain, keeping our harvest logistics in-house, and being able to turn out to markets strategically,” he says.
Mark, who is also a member of the GRDC Northern Panel, says implementing and operating the new system has been a steep learning curve and is still a work in progress, with hygiene and safety the focus areas.
But he says consultation with and advice from the GRDC Grain Storage Extension team has been invaluable in navigating protocols and procedures.
“I’ve leaned on them through our due diligence process and they’re great,” he says. “They answer calls, they ask questions, they tell you if there’s a gap because there are some significant gaps in this space,” he says.
Mark says anyone looking to invest in grain storage should do due diligence by consulting with independent experts and growers who already have systems in place.
“Find someone who has got what you’re looking at who is 5 years in and ask, ‘how does it behave?’ and ‘how does it operate?’ so you can see it in action and are informed,” he says.
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