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Abstract
This report develops handling and storage costs associated with operating 251 commercial grain elevators in 1970-71. Standardized book costs for grain storage were estimated at 8.9 cents per bushel in 1970-71, compared with 6.7 cents in a similar study in 1964-65. Based on 1970-71 replacement value of the elevator's physical plant, the average yearly cost per bushel was 14.9 cents. Projecting storage costs to 1972-73 price levels and volumes shows an increase to 16.3 cents per bushel. In a purely competitive situation, the total space needed to store the anticipated 1972-73 volumes of grain could be obtained at a total cost of 15.5 cents per bushel; 6.5 cents would meet the out-of-pocket or cash expenses for 1972-73. A special study of 30 inland and port terminals shows capital and operating costs for dust control systems averaged 6.39 cents and 1.42 cents per bushel of storage capacity, respectively, and 1.23 and 0.27 cents per bushel of grain handled.