Grain Cost of Carry Calculator
See what it costs to store grain instead of selling now — and the price you'd need down the road to make carrying it worthwhile.
Your grain
Enter a price someone's offering for later delivery to see whether storing actually pays.
| Month | Storage | Interest | Carry / bu | Breakeven |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.05 | $0.03 | $0.08 | $4.28 |
| 2 | $0.10 | $0.06 | $0.16 | $4.36 |
| 3 | $0.15 | $0.08 | $0.23 | $4.43 |
| 4 | $0.20 | $0.11 | $0.31 | $4.51 |
| 5 | $0.25 | $0.14 | $0.39 | $4.59 |
| 6 | $0.30 | $0.17 | $0.47 | $4.67 |
Estimates only. Doesn't account for basis changes, quality or shrink loss, drying, or taxes. Not marketing or financial advice.
What “cost of carry” really means
Carrying grain isn't free. Every month you hold it instead of selling, two costs add up: the storage you pay (commercial elevator fees or the cost of your own bins), and the interest or opportunity cost on the money tied up in unsold grain. Together they set the price you'd need later just to break even against selling today.
The two costs
- Storage = your per-bushel monthly rate × the months you hold the grain.
- Interest / opportunity = today's cash price × your annual rate × the fraction of a year you store it.
- Breakeven = today's cash price + total carry. Sell above it later and storing paid off; below it and you'd have been better off selling now.
Carrying charges and the market
Sometimes the market pays you to wait: deferred-delivery bids are higher than the cash price, a “carry” in the futures spread. The question is whether that premium more than covers your storage and interest. Put your cost to carry next to a real later bid — this calculator will tell you whether storing earns or loses money per bushel, and on your whole bin.
Estimates only. This tool doesn't account for basis changes, quality or shrink loss, drying, or taxes. It is not marketing or financial advice.