Poland faces propane shortage for drying maize, with some dryers idle
Polish farmers report a shortage of propane, the fuel used in grain dryers, during the maize harvest. Some dryers have stopped working, and certain grain buying points are limiting or suspending intake of wet maize.
Farmers in Poland say they are struggling to obtain gas, mainly propane, which is used in grain dryers during the maize harvest. According to farmers including Jacek Sloma and Damian Murawiec, some dryers have already stopped operating, while certain grain purchasing points are either restricting intake of wet maize or have halted buying altogether. This could make it harder to sell the crop and push down purchase prices.
Why drying is necessary
In northern Poland the maize harvest is roughly half complete, while in the south it has finished. Grain moisture is currently around 30%, but for safe storage it must be reduced to about 14%. In many cases that requires drying with propane. Farmers say the problem has lasted three days, and the prices offered by buyers are falling.
Farmers' explanations
One farmer who phoned gas suppliers said some are not accepting orders, while others accept them but cannot give a price or a delivery date. He cited three main causes: an embargo on Russian butane, delays in gas deliveries to port, and the contracting system between importers and distributors. In his view, distributors ordered more last year than they could sell, so they are cautious this year. Additional factors include a larger area sown with maize, an early heating season and new investment in poultry production.
Damian Murawiec, a farmer from OOPR, publicly addressed Polish minister Milosz Motyka, noting that piles of grain at buying points can heat up and spoil. He also asked where the gas reserves reported in storage had gone.
Gas market situation
According to the Polish Press Agency, the price of natural gas in Europe (TTF benchmark contracts in Amsterdam) reached 101.89 euros per megawatt-hour on Friday, 30 October, up about 4.1%. It was the first time prices have exceeded this level since the 2022 crisis. Poland's gas storage was 99.3% full at the end of October. The average retail price of heating propane for households is 3.05 zlotys per litre gross.
Journalists at the Farmer portal checked the reports with several sources and confirmed that the gas shortage is real, though it does not affect all buying points or all regions. If dryers cannot operate, grain intake will be delayed and the risk of quality deterioration and storage losses will rise.
