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LOSS PREVENTION UPDATE: SOYA BEAN SEASON 2025
Published: 20 March 2025
Brazil’s soya bean harvest starts in January and lasts until June. The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects 169 million metric tonnes of soya beans to be produced in Brazil this year. As the world’s largest soya bean producer, Brazil exports a large share to China.
High moisture levels of up to 14% (the maximum allowed under Brazilian standards), combined with shipping times of up to 40 days to China, increase the risk of cargo damage. Delays at Chinese ports, where vessels often wait at anchor for a berth, can further heighten this risk.
Moisture content and temperature at the time of loading are key factors in determining the approximate allowable storage time for this cargo.
NDSU APPROXIMATE ALLOWABLE STORAGE TIME FOR SOYA BEANS
- Airflow through the soya beans permits maintaining the grain temperature but does not extend the allowable storage time beyond that listed in the table.
- Allowable storage time is cumulative. If 16% moisture soya beans were stored for 35 days at 50 degrees, one-half of the storage life has been used. If soya beans are cooled to 40 degrees, the allowable storage time at 40 degrees is only 70 days.
*Approximate figure in degrees Celsius added for convenience
SOURCE: NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY (NDSU)
In July 2024, our local correspondent in China, Oasis P&I, reported a rise in heat damage claims in China for Brazilian soya beans, and produced this self-explanatory circular. The Club has also produced useful information on ventilation logs and cargo ventilation that can assist in meeting requirements.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Preventing Heat Damage in Soya Bean Cargo
Managing Challenges on Soya bean Claims webinar