27/06/13: Explosion at elevator kills man; FAO Statistical Yearbook 2013; all aboard the grain train

A man has died in an explosion at a grain elevator in Indiana, USA. James Swank, 67, was working at the Co-alliance owned facility, Union Mills the when the explosion happened on Monday June 24, 2013. The cause of the accident is as yet unknown but the focus of investigations is on grain ignition.

On Tuesday June 25, 2013, a fire broke out on one of the conveyor belts at the top of the elevator. This fire was a result of smoldering grain from the original incident and as a precaution, 30 nearby residences were evacuated.

In a statement, Co-Alliance says that there are now 'hot spots' of concern in five grain silos which are being watched closely by local fire agencies on the scene, Nationwide Insurance's grain salvage expert, and Co-Alliance professionals. In three of the five concerning bins, the fire department has added water in an effort to remedy the situation. Next steps of action are being determined for the remaining issues.
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The FAO has released its FAO Statistical Yearbook 2013 - a comprehensive reference point for statistical data on food and agriculture. The publication also provides a snapshot of related economic, environmental and social trends and issues.

According to José Graziano da Silva, director general, FAO, "Good statistics are needed to monitor the progress of development. The better the data, the better policies can be designed to protect vulnerable populations. And, without good data, it is impossible to evaluate or determine the impact of policies."

Print copies are available to buy but there is also a wealth of information which is free to access online and downloads for e-book readers and tablets.

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All aboard! It's the Victoria to Melbourne grain train. This video charts the progress of a 638 metre grain train as it makes its way across Australia through the night.

22/05/2013: Assad troops attack grain depot; Brisbane silo demolition; Pakistan wheat exports to Iran

Forces loyal to the Assad regime have attacked a grain depot in Tell Rifaat, a city in northern Syria near Aleppo, which is under control of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Sources said that 5 tonnes of barley were destroyed in the shelling of the depot compound.

Assad troops have also targeted 150 bread bakeries and killed more than a hundred people queuing to buy bread in a bakery last December.

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A demolition crew set 100kg of explosives inside a disused silo, which was used to store malt for brewing beer in Brisbane.

However, crowds were left a bit bewildered when the controlled explosion failed to fell the structure, which merely tilted to one side.

"There's always that chance that it does hold up like it did," Troy McCracken from Southern Cross Demolition told Nine News, "so there's a fine line between too much and not enough [explosives]."

Watch footage of the explosion here.

Pakistan has authorised the export of 100,000 tons of wheat to Iran in trade not jeopardised by Western sanctions, to settle dues for electricity supplied to Pakistan's energy-starved border areas, the commerce ministry said on Friday.

The shipment of 100,000 tons was to have been delivered to Iran in mid-February, but was delayed by preparations for May 11 elections.

"The wheat is being given to Iran against the outstanding payment of $53 million for electricity supplied to Pakistani border areas from the Iranian grid," said Mohammad Ashraf, ministry spokesperson.

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English: Kamut Brand Khorasan wheat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

09/05/13: Dust explosions; Vietnamese rice exports; Biomin receive good mycotoxin feedback

Dust may have been the cause of an explosion at the Bartlett Milling Co, facility in North Carolina, USA in April this year. Although the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, investigators suspect that combustible dust, which is nine times more explosive than coal dust, is at fault. The explosion caused the collapse of several exterior brick walls and seriously injured one person.

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Vietnamese rice exports topped 2.1 million tonnes in the first four months of 2013, according to data released by the Vietnam Food Association. The figure is a 23.4 percent increase on the same perdiod in 2012. 

However, it is not all good news as rice prices have fallen by US$30 a tonnes compared to the first four months of 2012. This has led to 280,000 tonnes of rice being cancelled.

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Biomin has become the first company to receive positive European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) feedback on mycotoxin biotransformation.  

In their scientific opinion, the EFSA concluded that Biomin^® BBSH 797 (part of the well-established Mycofix^® product line) is not only safe for animals, humans and the environment, but also demonstrably efficacious in target species. 

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Long grain rice from the United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

New! GFMT article: Controlling explosion risks in hammer mills

The new issue of GFMT starts off with a bang! Kevin Spiess, EMEA sales manager for explosion protection, BS&BSafety Systems, United Kingdom details safety precautions to control explosions in hammer mills.

Grain and feed processed within hammer mills is common fuel for dust explosions due to the nature of its handling and storage. Any time that feed such as grain, meals and flours is handled or moved, the fine organic dusts are at risk of burning and exploding.

A fire or explosion results from ignition of combustible material (dust, gas or vapour) when mixed with oxygen in the air. When this takes place inside a grain silo, process or storage enclosure, the rapid rise in pressure could cause a violent explosion in milliseconds, placing personnel and property at risk.

Just a few burning embers entering a dust collector are enough to trigger a dust explosion. Likewise, combustible material conveyed into a storage silo could become the nucleus of a fire. Sparks or smouldering particles from hammer mill operations may spread from the mill to other more vulnerable equipment. 

Click on the image to read the article in full.

Controlling explosion risks in hammer mills

New issue of GFMT online now

The first issue of Grain and Feed Milling Technology is at the printer and online now. We've kicked off the year with a bumper 68-page issue including articles on controlling explosions in hammer mills, barge unloading technology and feed enzymes in animal nutrition.

Swine farm explosions possibly connected to DDGS

Foam at a hog farm

Foam rises from Hog manure, this foam has caused explosions at some swine farms, Swine farms in mid-western USA have stumbled on a phenomenon that so far has been difficult to explain. The foam caused the explosion of six pig farms since 2009. Originally the cause was thought to be methane trapped Charles Clanton, University of Minnesota, said, “This has all started in the last four or five years here. We don’t have any idea where it came from or how it got started. Whatever has happened is new.” Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of 'PPLAPP' click here.

Kanses US, grain elevator explosion. leaves three dead and three missing

In Atchison, Kanses, an explosion rocked a grain elevator on Saturday evening, three workers were killed and three are missing and two were hospitalised and in critical condition. Atchison City Manager Trey Cocking says "officials are weighing whether it's safe to send fire teams into the facility, which sustained significant damage". Witnesses said the enormous boom resulted in a fireball shooting up so high from the Bartlett Grain Co. that it could be seen across state lines in Missouri. The explosion also shook homes and businesses miles from the facility. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers.