Approximately three million of the four million acres of corn grown in Wisconsin each year are harvested as grain. This can be either as dry grain intended to be stored at 15% moisture or as high-moisture shell corn (HMSC) which is used in many dairy and livestock rations across the state.
The UW–Madison Division of Extension developed an Equivalent Price per Ton for HMSC conversion chart for those farmers and ag professionals who wish to negotiate the value of corn above 15%. The Excel file uses the current agricultural price of LP (liquid propane) gas and electricity ($KWH) and well as a standard shrink factor to determine a fair value for HMSC converted to a dry corn equivalent. The active Excel file as well as a printable PDF version can be downloaded.
The spreadsheet is very easy to use. Simply:
- Select the percent (%) moisture of the corn on the left-hand column.
- Determine the value of dry corn at 15% by moving from left to right across the top of the spreadsheet.
- Find where the two points intersect. This is your estimated value per ton.
Example: If corn is 30% moisture, and the value of a bushel of dry corn at the local co-op is $3.80 per bushel, then the equivalent value of the high moisture corn is $99.10 per ton.