When does BoMill make business sense?
Single-kernel sorting is not the right answer for every grain lot. Here is how to judge whether it could create value for yours, and what you would need to find out.
The business case lives in your grain
Know Your Grain showed that a grain lot holds more information than its average. What makes BoMill different? explained how BoMill InSight™ can act on that information by dividing a lot into two fractions based on kernel protein.
The next question is the commercial one: would doing that create value for your business?
The answer depends on your grain, your target, your market and your process. It does not depend on the machine alone.
What sorting does, and does not do
Sorting does not create more grain. It changes how one lot is divided between uses.
So the economic question is simple:
Are the two fractions together worth more than the unsorted lot, by enough to cover the cost of sorting?
For that to be true, six conditions need to come together. If one is missing, the case usually weakens or disappears.
1. Meaningful variation between kernels
Sorting can only separate differences that exist.
Research shows that protein can differ meaningfully between kernels in the same lot. But not every lot has the same spread. A lot where most kernels are close to the average has little to separate, however well it is sorted.
Don't assume variation. Measure it. The distribution in your own representative lots is the starting point of any evaluation.
2. A relevant target
Sorting needs a direction. That direction comes from a target: a specification, a customer requirement or a process need.
The target is not necessarily "better grain." The target is grain that fits a particular use.
Bread-making wheat usually needs protein above a minimum. Brewing barley usually needs protein below a limit. The same measurement points in opposite directions depending on the application.
If there is no clear protein-related target or value opportunity, there may be little reason to sort.
3. A meaningful economic difference
The two fractions need to be worth meaningfully different amounts. That difference usually comes from price spreads between grades. It can also come from internal factors, such as meeting a process requirement or a customer contract. These may be harder to price, but they belong in the evaluation.
Price spreads are not fixed. According to AHDB data, the UK premium for bread-making wheat over feed wheat fell from £66.40/t in January 2024 to £22.80/t a year later.
A business case built on one season's prices can be misleading, so it is important to consider realistic market conditions over time.
4. A use for both fractions
The value of sorting comes from both fractions, not only the one that meets the target.
If Fraction A reaches a higher-value use but Fraction B has to be sold at a heavy discount, or has no clear outlet, the gain from Fraction A can disappear.
A stronger case usually has a clear home for both. For example, one fraction meets a bread-making specification while the other goes to a use with a lower protein requirement. Or one fraction fits a malting specification while the other goes to feed or to another use. These examples illustrate the logic, not a typical result.
5. Sufficient volume
Investment and operating costs are spread over the tonnes sorted. The more grain with a real sorting opportunity, the more those costs are shared.
It also matters whether that volume is steady or seasonal. A case built on occasional difficult harvests needs to be judged differently from one based on regular sorting throughout the year.
The BoMill InSight™ portfolio ranges from InSight™ Single at approximately 2 t/h, through BoMill InSight™ at up to 30 t/h, to the modular HiFlex concept at up to approximately 200 t/h.
6. Practical ability to handle the fractions
Two fractions need two destinations. That means separate storage, conveying that keeps the streams apart, a way to track each fraction, and logistics for moving each one to its use.
If these already exist, sorting fits into current operations. If not, their cost belongs in the business case.
The target is not necessarily "better grain." The target is grain that fits a particular use.
How to evaluate your own grain
Before considering an investment, work through these steps:
1. Define the target. What specification or use defines the right grain?
2. Measure the distribution. Analyse representative lots to see how protein varies between kernels. Historical quality data can show how often the variation recurs.
3. Identify the outlets. Where would Fraction A go, and where would Fraction B go?
4. Review the market over several seasons. How large, and how stable, is the value difference between those outlets?
5. Check the practical side. Is there storage, conveying and tracking for two fractions?
6. Estimate volume and costs. How many tonnes a year have a real sorting opportunity, and what would sorting cost?
If the answers point in the right direction, the next step is a detailed business case.
The question to start with
Every business case for single-kernel sorting starts with one question:
What does the distribution look like in your grain?
BoMill can help you find out, using representative samples of your grain, historical quality data, or both.
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