Hitec Grain & Silage Bags

The Hitec Bag is a top quality product with 45 years of experience in agricultural plastics behind it.

Hitec Bags are produced by the Plastika Kritis Group, one of the largest producers of specialized agricultural plastics in the world.

The company was established in Greece in 1970, and today operates 8 plants in 7 countries, supplying over 50 countries around the world.

The annual output of Agricultural Films exceeds 90,000 metric tons. Plastika Kritis is able to offer unparalleled quality and consistency due to the fact that the company produces its own masterbatches and additives in-house.

Discover the advantages of the Hitec Bags flexible grain and silage storage system.

The Hitec Grain Bag has proven its durability in all environments, whether buried in snow in Russia and Canada or under the harsh conditions in South Africa and in the desert of Sudan .

The Hitec Grain Bag offers nutritious silage which is essential for healthy, high-yielding cattle. Silage bags ensure top quality feed and minimal losses, along with efficiency on the farm.

Hitec Bags are the market leaders in most major grain-producing countries, where users report they can pack 5-10% more grain into Hitec Bags than other bags of the same size.

Hitec bag

Grain Bag

Hitec Grain Bags are an excellent solution for storing grains (Wheat, Barley, Sorghum, Maize, Soybean, Rice, Oats, Rye, Legumes, etc) that is increasingly popular all over the world.

The grain can be loaded in the bag directly from the harvester or from a truck and be stored safely for up to 2 years.

The Hitec Bag creates a hermetic environment that promotes oxygen depletion and simultaneous carbon dioxide production as a result of the respiratory process of the biotic components inside the bag (grain, fungi, insects, etc).

The new atmosphere, rich in CO2 and poor in O2, suppresses, deactivates, or reduces not only the reproduction and/or development capacity of insects and fungi but also the grain’s own activity thus facilitating its preservation.

Hitec Bag capacity in tons of grain (approximate)
Diameter	Length
	60m	75m	90m	120m
9′	200 tons	250 tons	320 tons	450 tons
10′	250 tons	310 tons	380 tons	520 tons

Benefits

Using Hitec Bag for grain storage offers the following benefits compared to traditional storage methods:

- Lower initial investment (in machinery, not structures), no tied-up capital
- Bags represent the actual harvest cost, further investment (i.e. grain bins) is not needed
- Faster, uninterrupted harvest independent from weather conditions, transportation availability and elevator bottlenecks
- Unlimited on-site storage, flexible capacity depending on yield – storage is now a variable cost
- Savings on freight to collection point
- Flexibility in storage and marketing of the grain
- Control over price and market fluctuations
- Higher grain quality and smaller losses due to spoilage
- Quality and variety separation

Grain should be ideally bagged at moisture levels of 12-14% and not higher than 16%. The levels below are estimates and may vary depending on the kind of grain.

Silage Bags

Hitec Bags are the basic component of this new system for cost effective storage of animal feed. Oxygen depletion in the airtight environment of the bag creates optimal fermentation conditions allowing better preservation of the feed’s nutrient value.

Fermentation achieved in an airtight environment leads to 100% efficient conversion of sugars to lactic acid which acts as a preservative and mold inhibitor.

This results in well-preserved, high-quality silage that resists mold and does not freeze. Bags are the only system that completely seals the silage, preserves the Dry Matter (D.M.) and reduces energy losses, resulting in optimal quality feed.

That translates to more digestible nutrients for healthy, high producing cattle.

Silage should be bagged at moisture levels between 60 and 70%. The levels may vary depending on the kind of crop and how thin it is chopped.

Hitec Bag Capacity in tons of silage at 65% moisture (approximate)
Diameter	Length
	60m	75m	90m	150m
9′	240 tons	300 tons	340 tons	n/a
10′	300 tons	375 tons	450 tons	n/a
12′	400 tons	500 tons	600 tons	1000 tons
14′	n/a	n/a	800 tons	1375 tons

Benefits

Using Hitec Bag for silage storage offers the following benefits compared to other methods (bunkers, pits):

- Low Capital investment
- Low annual storage cost
- Flexibility on the farm
- Unlimited storage capacity
- Separation of quality of forage allowing more efficient use
- Consistent and uniform compaction
- No contamination from tractor usage
- Exceptional quality silage
- Minimal spoilage losses
- Small feed-out face
- Easy feed quantity calculation
- Fewer health and safety hazards
- No leachate seepage – environmentally friendly

Location selection and ground preparation

Bags should be placed on high and well drained fields with a slight slope. Ground preparation is very important. The soil must be levelled, dry, firm and clean from branches, rocks, water, grain from previous bags, etc. The bag must ideally be placed away from trees and bushes, in the North-South direction so that the sun hits it from both sides during the day.

Mounting of the bagger

Remove the Hitec Bag from its box by cutting any bands or cords that secure the box. Do not cut the last cord until the bag is loaded on the tunnel. Locate the “Top center of bag”. Unfold the bag to a flat lying position.

Lift the bag onto the bag loading cradle so the position of the logo and fill bar indicator is at about the 10 o’clock position (left side) when standing facing the tunnel of the bagging machine.

Raise the bag loading cradle to the tunnel height. Clean off the top of the bagger tunnel so that bag will slide on easily. From each side of the cradle, push the bag onto the tunnel. (Some prefer to pull the bag onto the tunnel from the front. If this approach is used, it is best to pull on the cords rather than pulling on the bag). Make sure the bag is positioned as far forward as possible.

Lower the bag tray to the ground. Slide the lower part of the bag into the tray. Raise the tray to leave ¾” – 1 ½” (2 – 4 cm) spacing between the tray lip and the bottom of the tunnel frame. Remove the remaining cords that contain the folds.

Pull out 10-15 feet (3-5 meters) of the Hitec Bag starting from the bottom (where it will lie on the ground when filled), then from the side and finally from the top. Check with the bagging machine manufacturer for proper filling instructions. Attach the bungee cord over the tunnel and hook it on each bottom side under the tray. Bungee cord should be positioned so that the cord holds the bag folds onto the tunnel and only one fold at a time comes off.

Seal the open end of the film.

* Double check to see that the bag is not binding on the machine, that the tray gap is correct and that the fill bar is in position at about 10 o’clock.

Filling the bag

Make sure you fill the bag evenly. When filling the Hitec Bag, use the bag fill bar (stretch bar) as a brake pressure setting indicator. Use the ruler supplied in the bag’s box to measure the stretch levels while filling. The maximum stretch is 10%. The intent is to FILL the bag not to STRETCH the bag. The ruler’s red area represents stretching up to 10%; if the bags stretch bar exceeds the total length of the ruler, then the bag is over-stretched. Over-filling the bag in diameter will weaken the bag, cause it to be shorter in length and it will void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Stop filling the bag with about 5m of material left to allow for sealing the end. Be sure to leave enough plastic to allow for closing of the bag and hooking onto the unloader (for Grain Bags).

After filling, seal the open end using the same procedure as used on the beginning end. Grain bags should be sealed as soon as possible. Silage bags can be left open on one end for 48 hours after filling so that the gas created in the bag can exit. Alternatively, seal the silage bag right after filling, on day 2 make a small slit on each end of the bag and leave them open for 24 hours so the accumulated gas can exit. Please stand back when making the slits and do not breathe in the gas. Use the provided repair tape to seal the slits

Grain spilled during filling must be removed from around the bag as it attracts pests (insects and rodents). Regularly check the bag for any damage from birds, rats, deer, foxes, etc. Repair the damage immediately with the approved bag repair tape (included in the box).

Emptying the bag

Take care when opening the bag before extraction so that it doesn’t “zipper” down its entire length. Before making any vertical cuts, make a small horizontal cut first. This should be made 1′ off-center, avoiding the tight points of the bag. Then make a vertical cut, starting from the horizontal one until the end of the bag. You are now ready to mount the bag on the unloader.