According to Conab, there are now in operation in the country 176 public and private warehouses with a capacity to store up to 145 million tons of grain. This year 180 million to 185 million tons of grain should be produced, 14 million more than in the previous season.
In Brazil, only 15% of the crop is stored by the producer, a proportion that rises to 35% in Argentina, 65% in USA and 85% in Canada. This makes the producer more dependent on national public warehouses. On average, the storage capacity of the country is 80% under normal conditions falling well below the level recommended by FAO of 1.2 times the annual production.