Stover
Stover is the stalk, leaf, husk and cob left standing in the field after a grain crop is combined, most often maize but also sorghum, millet and soybean. It was historically left to decompose or grazed in place; it is now collected, baled, ground and densified into pellets and briquettes and traded as a commodity. Two markets buy it. Livestock feeders use it as a low cost roughage and carrier in ruminant rations, where its bulk and long fibre matter more than its protein. Industrial buyers use it as a solid biofuel for heat and power, as a feedstock for cellulosic ethanol and biogas, and as a fibre input in moulded packaging, particleboard and bedding.
Listed stover markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Stover is contracted differently depending on where it is going. Feed lots are settled on a forage analysis; fuel and industrial lots are settled on a solid biofuel specification covering calorific value, ash, moisture and the ash melting behaviour. Both are laboratory certificates drawn from a sampled lot.
Crop identity and collection
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Crop of originDeclared, by botanical name | Maize, sorghum, millet, soybean, sunflower or a named mix. |
| FractionDeclared | Whole stover, stalk only, cob and husk fraction, leaf and husk fraction, or a stated blend. |
| Collection methodDeclared | Raked and baled, single pass collected behind the combine, or shredded and windrowed. Single pass collection carries less soil. |
| Crop yearDeclared | The harvest year, recorded with the lot. |
| Grain residuePercentage by mass | Residual grain left in the stover, which raises the energy value for feed and the fouling risk for combustion. |
| Genetic modification statusDeclared | Declared because named destinations restrict genetically modified plant material and test for it. |
Nutritive value measurement
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dry matterPercentage by mass | The basis for every other number on the certificate. |
| MoisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined under ISO 6496. It governs storage stability, pellet durability and the delivered energy per tonne. |
| Crude proteinPercentage of dry matter | Determined under ISO 5983. Low by design in a residue and contracted as a floor rather than a target. |
| Neutral detergent fibrePercentage of dry matter | Amylase treated, determined under ISO 16472. The dominant fraction in stover. |
| Acid detergent fibrePercentage of dry matter | Determined under ISO 13906. |
| Acid detergent ligninPercentage of dry matter | The indigestible cell wall fraction, and the fraction that limits both feed value and enzymatic conversion. |
| Neutral detergent fibre digestibilityPercentage of neutral detergent fibre, at a stated incubation hour | Measured in vitro. It separates a usable roughage from a filler. |
| Cellulose and hemicellulosePercentage of dry matter | Determined by sequential detergent fractionation. Contracted where the buyer is converting the material rather than feeding it. |
| Crude ashPercentage of dry matter | Determined under ISO 5984. In stover it is mostly field soil and it is the term that decides both feed value and combustion behaviour. |
| Total digestible nutrientsPercentage of dry matter, calculated | Derived from the measured fractions by a named published equation. |
Solid biofuel and industrial specification
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Net calorific valueMegajoules per kilogram, as received and on a dry basis | Determined by bomb calorimetry. The primary commercial term for a fuel lot. |
| Ash contentPercentage by mass, dry basis, maximum | Determined by controlled incineration. Agricultural residues carry far more ash than wood and it is the defining fuel limitation. |
| Ash melting behaviourDegrees Celsius, at the deformation, hemisphere and flow temperatures | Determined in a heating microscope. Low melting ash slags and fouls a boiler and this is the measurement that predicts it. |
| ChlorinePercentage by mass, dry basis, maximum | It drives high temperature corrosion in the boiler and it is a hard contract limit. |
| Sulphur and nitrogenPercentage by mass, dry basis | They govern the emissions the plant must permit for. |
| Bulk densityKilograms per cubic metre | Determined in a standard container. It sets freight and storage cost per unit of energy. |
| Mechanical durabilityPercentage, for pellets and briquettes | Determined by tumbling. It measures how much of the densified product survives handling. |
| FinesPercentage by mass passing a stated sieve aperture | Measured after handling. Fines are a dust explosion hazard and a boiler feed problem. |
| Particle size distributionPercentage by mass, by sieve aperture | Determined by sieve analysis on chipped and ground material. |
| Pellet or briquette dimensionsMillimetres, diameter and length | Declared to the class named in the contract. |
| Additives and bindersPercentage by mass, declared with the substance | Starch, lignosulphonate or vegetable oil, named because some certification schemes cap them. |
Cleanliness, contamination and feed safety
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Foreign materialPercentage by mass, maximum | Soil, stone, wire, twine, plastic and any material that is not the named crop, separated by hand from a drawn sample and weighed. |
| Weed contentPercentage by mass, and declared by species where restricted | Undesirable plant material in the lot. Some destination markets prohibit named noxious species outright and the contract names them. |
| Mould and spoilagePercentage by mass, maximum | Visibly mouldy, heat damaged or spoiled material, weighed after separation. It is the defect that most often causes rejection at discharge. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram, maximum, by named toxin | Aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisin and ochratoxin A, determined by chromatography where the destination or the buyer specifies a limit. |
| Heat damage and caramelisationDeclared, with the acid detergent insoluble protein measurement | Heating in the stack binds protein and makes it unavailable to the animal. It is measured, not judged by smell. |
| Insects and live pestsZero tolerance where specified | Inspected before stuffing. A live find at discharge is a rejection, not a discount. |
| Soil and stonePercentage by mass, maximum | The characteristic contamination of a field collected residue. It is measured as ash and it is separated and weighed. |
| Metal and tramp materialZero tolerance | Removed by magnet and inspection before densification. It destroys grinding and pelleting equipment. |
Delivery, packing and certification
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| PackingDeclared, with the bale or package format and the wrap | Field bales, double compressed bales, pressed and re-pressed bales, wrapped bales, bulk or pelleted, with the wrapping material named. |
| Container or vessel stowDeclared, with the loading method | Container stuffed weight, breakbulk stow or bulk vessel, with the target payload written into the contract. |
| Phytosanitary certificateCertificate, issued by the national plant protection organisation | Required by most destinations for plant origin feed. The certificate names the treatment applied and the pest freedom declared. |
| Fumigation or heat treatmentDeclared, with the certificate | Methyl bromide, phosphine, heat treatment or irradiation, named where the destination requires it. |
| Weight and sampling basisDeclared | Landed weight or shipped weight, with the survey house and the sampling protocol named in the contract. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | GMP+, organic, non genetically modified, or a private buyer feed safety standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Crop year and cutDeclared | The harvest year, and the cut number where the crop is taken more than once in a season. |
| Densified formDeclared | Bales, chopped bulk, ground, pelleted or briquetted, with the die size named. |
| Sustainability certificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Where the lot is sold as a biofuel or a renewable feedstock, the applicable sustainability scheme is named on the contract. |
| Self heating declarationDeclared, with the moisture ceiling | Densified agricultural residue self heats in bulk storage. The contract states the moisture ceiling and the stow conditions. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona, the Intermountain West and the Great Plains | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Aragon, Catalonia, Navarre and Castile and Leon | Origin and destination |
| Canada | Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario | Origin and destination |
| Australia | New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia | Origin and destination |
| Italy | the Po valley, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto | Origin and destination |
| France | Champagne, Burgundy, Normandy and the southwest | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Santa Fe and La Pampa | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State | Origin and destination |
| Sudan | the Nile valley and Gezira | Origin and destination |
| Egypt | the Nile delta and the reclaimed desert schemes | Origin and destination |
| Ukraine | the central and southern oblasts | Origin and destination |
| Kazakhstan | the northern grain belt and the southern irrigated zone | Origin and destination |
| Turkey | Konya, Anatolia and the Aegean | Origin and destination |
| Romania | the Danube plain and Transylvania | Origin and destination |
| Poland | the central and eastern voivodeships | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Lower Saxony, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam, Vlissingen and the intensive dairy provinces | Destination |
| Ireland | the southern and midland dairy counties | Destination |
| United Kingdom | England, Wales and Scotland | Destination |
| Portugal | Alentejo, Ribatejo and the Azores | Destination |
| China | Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shandong, Ningxia and the coastal feed ports | Destination |
| Japan | Hokkaido, Tohoku and the Kanto and Kansai feed terminals | Destination |
| South Korea | Gyeonggi, Chungcheong and the Busan and Incheon feed terminals | Destination |
| Taiwan | the western dairy belt and Kaohsiung | Destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh, Al Kharj, Qassim and the Jeddah and Dammam feed terminals | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain | Destination |
| Qatar | Doha and the Al Khor dairy zone | Destination |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City and the Sulaibiya farms | Destination |
| Oman | the Batinah coast and Salalah | Destination |
| Jordan | Amman and the Jordan valley | Destination |
| Israel | the coastal plain and the Negev | Destination |
| Vietnam | the Mekong delta, the central highlands and the northern dairy provinces | Destination |
| Indonesia | Java, Sumatra and the Lampung feed corridor | Destination |
| India | Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka | Origin and destination |
| Pakistan | Punjab and Sindh | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | Chihuahua, Sonora, La Laguna and Jalisco | Origin and destination |
| Chile | the central valley and Los Lagos | Destination |
| Brazil | Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Parana and Rio Grande do Sul | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | the central plain and the northeast | Destination |
| Morocco | the Gharb, Doukkala and Souss | Destination |
| Singapore | the trading and structuring desks that finance the feed trade | Trading and finance |
| Switzerland | the agricultural commodity trading houses in Geneva and Zug | Trading and finance |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the grain crop is combined and the residue collected at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is drying, grinding, densification, testing and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Mar to Dec, arrival Jan to DecKharif maize residue collected after the autumn harvest and rabi residue in spring, pelleted for feed and fuel. |
| United States | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Jan to DecCorn belt stover collected behind the combine, baled and densified. |
| China | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Jan to DecNorth China plain maize residue, collected for feed, fuel and board manufacture. |
| Brazil | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to Aug, arrival Jan to DecSafrinha and main crop maize residue from the centre west. |
| Ukraine | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Oct, arrival Jan to DecMaize and sunflower residue densified for the European fuel trade. |
| Argentina | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to May, arrival Jan to DecPampas maize and sorghum residue, baled and pelleted. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for stover. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1213.00 Cereal straw and stover, unprepared, whether or not chopped or pelletised
- PackingDouble compressed bales loaded into containers, or 1 t big bales for bulk trades. Moisture at bale is the clause that decides both mould claims and freight economics.
- Container loading20ft: 22 t to 26 t double compressed. 40ft high cube around 26 t. Uncompressed forage is volume limited long before weight and rarely pays the freight.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on analysis for crude protein, relative feed value, moisture and foreign material with a certificate at load port. GAFTA feed contracts where the trade is bulk, arbitration under GAFTA rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsPhytosanitary certification under Regulation 2016/2031 with weed seed and soil free declarations, fumigation or heat treatment for several destinations, EU feed hygiene under Regulation 183/2005 with undesirable substance limits under Directive 2002/32, and GMO controls where the crop has genetically modified varieties.
Common questions
What grades of stover does SIP Global trade?
We quote 45 published grades of stover, including Crop of origin - Declared, by botanical name, Fraction - Declared, Collection method - Declared, Crop year - Declared, Grain residue - Percentage by mass and Genetic modification status - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is stover graded?
Stover is contracted differently depending on where it is going. Feed lots are settled on a forage analysis; fuel and industrial lots are settled on a solid biofuel specification covering calorific value, ash, moisture and the ash melting behaviour. Both are laboratory certificates drawn from a sampled lot. Grading runs on 5 systems: Crop identity and collection, Nutritive value measurement, Solid biofuel and industrial specification, Cleanliness, contamination and feed safety and Delivery, packing and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade stover?
We trade stover in United States, Spain, Canada, Australia, Italy, France, Argentina and South Africa and 34 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is stover harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are India: harvest mar to dec, arrival jan to dec; United States: harvest sep to nov, arrival jan to dec; China: harvest sep to nov, arrival jan to dec; Brazil: harvest feb to aug, arrival jan to dec; Ukraine: harvest sep to oct, arrival jan to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for stover?
Stover is normally classified under HS 1213.00 (cereal straw and stover, unprepared, whether or not chopped or pelletised). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for stover?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed stover market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- IPPCInternational Plant Protection Convention phytosanitary measures
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.