Grain unit converter: bushels, metric tons, hundredweight and pounds
Convert by crop, because a bushel is a volume and not a weight.
Grain units converter
Grain units converter
Bushels ↔ metric tons ↔ cwt, by crop weight.
How many metric tons is this many bushels?
A bushel is a measure of volume, so it does not convert to weight the same way for every crop. A bushel of corn is 56 pounds, a bushel of soybeans or wheat is 60, and a bushel of oats is 32. Converting without picking the crop first produces an answer that is confidently wrong.
This matters most against export figures. USDA and the trade quote world supply and demand in metric tons while the domestic market quotes bushels, and the two only reconcile through the crop test weight.
Worked example
- Commodity
- Corn (56 lb per bushel)
- Amount
- 1,000 bushels
- Pounds: 1,000 × 56 = 56,000 lb
- Metric tons: 56,000 ÷ 2,204.6226 = 25.401 t
- Hundredweight: 56,000 ÷ 100 = 560 cwt
The same 1,000 bushels of soybeans would be 27.216 metric tons, because the bushel weighs 60 pounds rather than 56. The volume is identical; the weight is not.
How it works
Every conversion routes through pounds. The amount is converted to pounds using the test weight for the selected crop, then out again into whichever unit is wanted. That keeps one number responsible for the crop difference rather than maintaining a table of pair-wise conversions.
The metric ton used here is the tonne of 1,000 kilograms, which is 2,204.6226 pounds. It is not the short ton of 2,000 pounds used for soybean meal in the United States, and confusing the two produces a 10% error. Meal is quoted in short tons; export volumes are quoted in tonnes.
Test weights are the legal standards, not what came off a particular field. Grain that makes a lighter test weight still sells in bushels of the standard weight, with a discount applied, so the conversion is to the standard rather than to the sample.
pounds = bushels × test weight; metric tons = pounds ÷ 2,204.6226; cwt = pounds ÷ 1001,000 bushels, by crop
Same volume every row. The spread from oats to soybeans is nearly double.
| Crop | lb per bu | Pounds | Metric tons | Cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | 56 | 56,000 | 25.401 | 560 |
| Soybeans | 60 | 60,000 | 27.216 | 600 |
| Wheat | 60 | 60,000 | 27.216 | 600 |
| Sorghum | 56 | 56,000 | 25.401 | 560 |
| Barley | 48 | 48,000 | 21.772 | 480 |
| Oats | 32 | 32,000 | 14.515 | 320 |
Common questions
How many bushels are in a metric ton of corn?
About 39.368. A metric ton is 2,204.6226 pounds and a bushel of corn is 56 pounds. For soybeans and wheat it is about 36.744 bushels per tonne, because the bushel is heavier.
Is a metric ton the same as a ton of soybean meal?
No, and this is a common and expensive mix up. Soybean meal in the United States is quoted in short tons of 2,000 pounds. A metric ton is 2,204.6226 pounds, about 10% heavier.
Why does the bushel weight differ by crop?
Because a bushel is a volume, historically about 1.244 cubic feet, and different grains pack that volume at different densities. The pound figures are legal standards set for trade rather than measurements of any particular load.
What if my grain is lighter than test weight?
It still trades in standard bushels, with a discount for the low test weight rather than a changed conversion. The conversion here uses the standard, which is what a contract and an export figure are denominated in.
Related
This tool is designed to help plan your overall portfolio and is not trading advice. You should carefully consider your portfolio, risk tolerance, and other metrics; Consult with your broker prior to making trading decisions