Miscanthus Giganteus - Margin Positive, Carbon Negative*

With the current Climate Change crisis in the news full time, it's important that we as landowners look at the various ways that we can become "Margin Positive, Carbon Negative". Using this tool to calculate your potential margin and carbon sequestration, will enable you to view the potentials not only now, but, also for the future - it's quite possible that landowners will receive carbon payments for each ton of carbon sequestered. We will keep you informed of any developments in this area as they happen.

As each site varies in terms of your own circumstances, climate conditions, soil type, preparation costs, processing costs, yields and transport along with the product sale price, it is impossible to provide accurate figures for gross margins. However, we try and reflect below, the average of data for Miscanthus Giganteus that we have had access to over the years. This provides you with indicative guidelines to use as a basis for your research.

The planting and harvesting operations are currently costed as performed by a contractor. Should Miscanthus be grown as the main farm crop, then it is likely that the fixed costs will see a reduction (using your own equipment).

To achieve a healthy dispersion, rhizomes are planted at a rate of a minimum of 20,000 / ha

Establishing the Crop on Farm

Harvesting Miscanthus Giganteus

Harvesting of the Miscanthus, is based on a contractor using a modified maize harvester followed by a high density D187 type baler. Based on our 20 years of growing Miscanthus Giganteus, we can safely assume an average yield of 10 tonnes per hectare at 16% moisture content will be the equivalent of 8.4 oven dry tonnes per hectare.

Obviously these costs would be reduced by a large margin if the machinery / labour is supplied by the farm and the return increases with a higher yield.

Production Costs of Crop

From our own experience the crop lasts well over 20 years without any lifting / refresh therefore we have assumed the costs of establishment divided over this period.

Revenue From Selling the Crop

The gross margin is very much dependent on the end use purchaser and contractual extra costs you may incur. We provide an example here of selling to buyer with an extended carbon life use. Your situation is likely to be very different and we would encourage you to get in touch to discuss your opportunities.