Several trends have emerged in the grain drying industry this harvest. I will take the next few posts to reflect on these. These reflections offer an opportunity to take stock in anticipation of the rapidly approaching UK Grain exhibition in November. The most notable trend is the continued rise in popularity of using Mecmar mobile grain driers in an automated, continuous batch grain drying system. We briefly summarised this in a piece of editorial recently written for a UK Grain event supplement.
This season has seen further growth in the use of Mecmar grain driers in continuous batch drying systems. The Mecmar’s performance, reliability and durability makes it highly suited to being at the centre of high-output, automated grain drying installations.
Mecmar automation options make it possible to run continuous batches and feature a range of additional functions. The drier is also capable of controlling grain handling equipment required to fill and empty.
There is a compelling economic case for installing a Mecmar drier in this way. It is based on relatively low capital costs and the high resale value of Mecmar grain driers. Couple to this the ability to dry down from very high moisture levels in one pass, the Mecmar continuous batch system presents an economical and robust grain drying option.
Furthermore, Mecmar now provide a turnkey service for fully integrating handling systems with the grain drier.
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The first new Mecmar Super Range grain driers have just arrived in the UK. The Super Range was first manufactured by Mecmar in the 1980s and has been revived this season. It is a small capacity mobile batch grain drier with a simple and robust design that retains the high level of specification featured on the entire Mecmar range.
I recently came across a book called Drying and Storing Combinable Crops by K. A. McLean, it was published in 1980. A small section (one and half pages in fact) is dedicated to mobile batch grain driers. It is a fantastic indicator of the changes in the UK market in the last 30 years. It also offers some very good advice that is still as true today as it was back then. I will briefly reflect on some of the more interesting points it raises.
I will start my second post on fuel economy by reiterating the most important point in my previous post. 
Mecmar grain driers come with the option of a 
We have just returned from exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show and as always it was a fantastic event. I think it must be the leading agricultural show in the UK, fully encompassing all aspects of rural life. For the exhibitor, the Royal Highland Showground is an absolute luxury, especially after the mayhem of Cereals this year (why they insist on having such a significant event in a field while Stoneleigh sits empty is beyond me).