As part of the program, Indigo said it plans to work with farmers to store and monitor harvested grain on site. The company then will handle pick-up and transport of grain directly to buyers. Indigo said it will finance grain bagging systems at no upfront cost to those farmers who need it.
Indigo said it believes the on-farm storage program will bring direct benefits to farmers, including simplified logistics at harvest, savings on transportation, and payment for any improvement in basis between harvest and grain collection. Additionally, Indigo said it will compensate farmers for loading and monitoring grain while it is on their farms, which would bring the total potential economic benefit to 45¢ to 65¢ per bushel, which would be an increase of about 5% to 20% over current commodity prices.
“On-farm storage has the potential to significantly improve farmer profitability,” said David Perry, president and chief executive officer of Indigo. “Not only does it provide logistical efficiencies, but also it enables a new marketplace for buyers and farmers of high quality, identity preserved crops. When combined with the yield improvements from Indigo’s microbiology and data sciences, we have the potential to really improve the economics, and the environmental sustainability, of farming.”
The Indigo on-farm storage program is available to all U.S. farmers producing through the Indigo Model. The grain bagging system, financed by Indigo, is available to wheat, corn, and soybean growers who farm at least 1,000 acres and commit to producing through the Indigo Model for a period of five years.