From one earto a cargo.

A lot of 5,000 tonnes of milling wheat is millions of ears from fields we can name. This is how it adds up, and how we keep track of it.

Milling wheat, plant — Milling wheat1 ear

Sunflower seed, plant — Sunflower seed1 head

Milling wheat, field — Milling wheat≈ 4 t / ha

Sunflower seed, field — Sunflower seed≈ 2 t / ha

Milling wheat, the grain — Milling wheat12.5 % protein

Sunflower seed, the grain — Sunflower seed44 % oil

Feed corn, the grain — Feed corn14.5 % moisture max.

A bulk carrier in the Bosphorus off Istanbul

The plant.

Three crops, grown in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria.

The field.

What a hectare gives in a normal year, give or take the weather.

The grain.

Ear, seed and cob. What the buyer pays for is measured on every lot.

25t per truck

It leaves the farm by truck, to an elevator or straight to the port.

≈ 1,500t per barge

On the Danube, barges bring it down to the sea ports.

≈ 30,000t per bulk carrier

At sea, a coaster or a bulk carrier takes it through the Bosphorus to the buyer.

One lot, one number.

5,000 tLot GR-26-0412

200truckloads of 25 t

≈ 3Danube barges

1coaster

However many trucks, barges or vessels it takes, the lot keeps one number from the field to the buyer’s port, with its origin and its quality results attached. Specimen figures, for illustration.