Farmers can store 20 million tonnes of grain in «sleeves» until exports resume

Russian farmers are expanding the use of plastic sleeves for grain storage amid export restrictions through the Azov-Black Sea basin. Such storage facilities can hold up to 20 million tonnes of the 2026 harvest — almost the entire volume that cannot be exported, Reuters reports.

«We are seeing a significant increase in the use of so-called Argentine bags for grain storage. We believe that up to 20 million tonnes of Russian harvest can be placed in these bags,» Dmitry Rylko, CEO of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR), told Reuters.

A comparable volume of unsold grain, according to IKAR, could accumulate in the country this year. It will need to be stored until export opportunities are restored.

Sleeves make it possible to place the harvest directly near fields, reducing the need to build permanent storage facilities. One sleeve holds up to 200 tonnes of grain. According to Sibur, which supplies polyethylene to manufacturers of such packaging, storage life can reach 18 months.

Aeon Agro in the Penza region has increased the volume of grain stored in sleeves eightfold since 2023 to 180 thousand tonnes, more than half of its production.

However, the technology requires constant monitoring: damage to the covering by birds and rodents creates a risk of losses. With proper care, losses are comparable to storage in elevators, the experts interviewed by the agency said.