How many big bags do I need for 20 tonnes of grain?

Wheat — 26 bags 90×90×130 cm (≈ 780 kg each), corn — 28, barley — 32, sunflower seeds — 48. In tall 95×95×150 cm bags wheat fits a full tonne — then you need 20 bags.

How many big bags per tonne?

For heavy cargo (sand, crushed stone, cement, salt) — one 1000 kg bag per tonne. Grain and bulk goods lighter than 0.95 t/m³ hold less than a tonne in a standard bag: wheat — 780 kg, pellets — 680 kg, so a tonne needs 1.3–1.5 bags or one bag of a larger volume.

How many big bags for 20 tonnes of sand?

20 bags rated 1000 kg: sand weighs 1.5–1.6 t/m³, so the bag is filled to only 60–65% of its volume with exactly a tonne in each. A bag filled to the top with sand would weigh about 1.6 t and exceed the rated load.

Why doesn't a 1000 kg big bag always hold a tonne?

Because volume is the limit: 1.05 m³ × the cargo's bulk density. Wheat gives 780 kg, pellets — 680, sawdust — only 260. A full tonne of light cargo needs a bigger bag — 1.35–2.18 m³.

Which big bag should I choose so the batch needs fewer bags?

For cargo lighter than 0.7 t/m³ — tall 95×95×150 or 100×100×165 cm models: 20 t of wheat takes 20 or 17 bags instead of 26 standard ones. For heavy cargo it is the opposite — lower 90×90×110 cm bags, because the load rating sets the quantity anyway.

How Many Big Bags Do You Need for 10, 20 or 100 Tonnes: Calculator and Tables

October 6, 2026·6 min read

Batch of new big bags with blue lifting loops stacked before shipping

20 tonnes of wheat needs 26 big bags of the standard 90×90×130 cm size, 20 t of sand — 20, 20 t of wood pellets — 30. Two values set the quantity: the bulk density of the cargo and the safe working load of the bag. Below is a calculator for 45 cargo types and 8 bag models, tables for 10/20/50/100 t, and the formula to work out any batch yourself.

A wrong estimate costs money either way: order too few and the batch sits without packaging at the peak of the season; too many and your cash is tied up in spare bags on the shelf. So we count precisely: pick the cargo, enter the tonnage and the bag model — the calculator shows the quantity, and the comparison table shows whether a different size would need fewer bags.

Calculator: how many big bags your batch needs

Big bag quantity calculator

Cargo

Bulk density: 0.75–0.80 t/m³

Batch weight, tonnes

Big bag model

26 big bags

Wheat — ≈ 780 kg per bag, filled to the full volume

How many bags this batch needs, by model

Big bag	Weight per bag	Quantity
500 kg — 75×75×100 cm	≈ 420 kg	49 pcs
750 kg — 85×85×120 cm	≈ 650 kg	31 pcs
1000 kg — 90×90×130 cm(selected)	≈ 780 kg	26 pcs
1250 kg — 90×90×150 cm	≈ 910 kg	23 pcs
1500 kg — 95×95×150 cm	≈ 1,000 kg	20 pcs
2000 kg — 100×100×165 cm	≈ 1,230 kg	17 pcs
2500 kg — 105×105×175 cm	≈ 1,430 kg	14 pcs
3000 kg — 110×110×180 cm	≈ 1,620 kg	13 pcs

Get a quote for 26 big bags

Leave your number — a UKRBAGPAK manager will confirm the calculation for your cargo and quote the batch. The size and quantity are added to the request automatically.

All big bags — catalog and prices

The formula for the number of big bags

Number of bags = batch weight ÷ cargo weight per bag, rounded up. The weight per bag is the smaller of two numbers: the safe working load (SWL) and bag volume × cargo bulk density. Example — 50 t of wood pellets in 1000 kg big bags (90×90×130 cm, 1.05 m³):

How much the bag holds by volume: 1.05 m³ × 0.65 t/m³ ≈ 0.68 t (680 kg).
Compare with the load rating: 680 kg is below 1000 kg — volume is the limit, the bag is filled completely.
Quantity: 50 t ÷ 0.68 t = 73.5 → round up — 74 big bags.

Sand works the other way round: 1.05 m³ × 1.55 t/m³ ≈ 1.6 t — above the SWL, so exactly 1000 kg goes into each bag (≈ 62% of the volume), and 50 t needs 50 bags. The result is a minimum: in practice add 3–5% for rejects during filling and damage in handling — for 74 bags that is another 3–4 pieces.

Table: how many 1000 kg big bags for 10, 20, 50 and 100 tonnes

Calculated for the standard 90×90×130 cm big bag (1.05 m³, SWL 1000 kg) — the most common model on the market. For heavy cargo (cement, crushed stone, sand) the load rating sets the quantity: the bag is only partly filled, but each one carries exactly a tonne.

Cargo	Weight per bag	10 t	20 t	50 t	100 t
Wheat	≈ 780 kg	13	26	65	129
Corn (maize)	≈ 720 kg	14	28	70	139
Barley	≈ 630 kg	16	32	80	159
Sunflower seeds	≈ 420 kg	24	48	120	239
Flour	≈ 550 kg	19	37	91	182
Granulated sugar	≈ 830 kg	13	25	61	121
Urea	≈ 740 kg	14	28	68	136
Ammonium nitrate	≈ 850 kg	12	24	59	118
Wood pellets	≈ 680 kg	15	30	74	147
Dry sawdust	≈ 260 kg	39	77	193	385
Hard coal	≈ 900 kg	12	23	56	112
Cement	≈ 1,000 kg	10	20	50	100
Crushed stone 5–20	≈ 1,000 kg	10	20	50	100
Dry sand	≈ 1,000 kg	10	20	50	100

The cargo weight per bag for these and other materials, plus the tare weight, is covered in how much a big bag weighs; the same values are used here. For cargo not in the table, use the calculator above — it lists 45 materials from husk to crushed stone.

How many big bags for a harvest: wheat, corn, soybeans, barley, rapeseed, sunflower

Farms count packaging for the harvest coming off the field or for an export batch. The table gives the number of bags for 100 t of each crop in two popular models: the standard 1000 kg bag and the tall 1500 kg bag (95×95×150 cm, 1.35 m³), which takes a full tonne of wheat. For other volumes scale proportionally or enter your tonnage in the calculator.

Crop	Bulk density	1000 kg bag (90×90×130)	1500 kg bag (95×95×150)
Wheat	0.75–0.80 t/m³	129 (≈ 780 kg)	100 (≈ 1,000 kg)
Corn (maize)	0.70–0.74 t/m³	139 (≈ 720 kg)	108 (≈ 930 kg)
Barley	0.60–0.65 t/m³	159 (≈ 630 kg)	124 (≈ 810 kg)
Soybeans	0.70–0.75 t/m³	138 (≈ 730 kg)	107 (≈ 940 kg)
Rapeseed	0.62–0.68 t/m³	154 (≈ 650 kg)	120 (≈ 840 kg)
Sunflower seeds	0.40–0.44 t/m³	239 (≈ 420 kg)	186 (≈ 540 kg)

Sunflower, barley and rapeseed are light crops: a standard bag holds only 420–650 kg, so tall 1.35–1.65 m³ models pay off — fewer bags, fewer forklift runs. Which big bag to choose per crop, whether you need a liner and how to store the harvest — see big bags for grain and the guide how to store grain in big bags.

Filled four-loop big bag on forklift tines

Heavy cargo: why sand needs fewer bags than grain

Sand, crushed stone, cement and salt are denser than 1 t/m³ — a full 1.05 m³ bag would weigh 1.2–1.6 t and exceed the rated load. So they are filled to 55–85% of the volume, with exactly a tonne in each bag: 20 t of any heavy cargo needs 20 bags rated 1000 kg. To avoid paying for empty space, use lower 90×90×110 cm models or reinforced 1500–2000 kg bags for such materials — maximum fill levels by material are on the big bags for sand and building materials page.

Light cargo: when a bigger big bag pays off

Sawdust, husk, wood chips, peat and PET flakes use only 15–40% of a standard bag's load rating — you pay for fabric and loops but haul air. 20 t of sawdust needs 77 bags of 1.05 m³, but only 37 bags of 2.18 m³ (110×110×180 cm): half the packaging and faster loading. Rule of thumb: when the calculator shows load use below 60%, check the 1.35–2.18 m³ models in the comparison table. Pellets have their own sizing page — big bags for pellets.

How many to order: reserve, pallets, delivery

✔Add 3–5% to the result for rejects during filling and damage in handling.
✔Empty big bags ship folded: 200–250 pieces per Euro pallet, so 500 bags are 2–3 pallets and about 1.5 t.
✔Minimum order at the UKRBAGPAK plant — 50 pieces; standard sizes ship from the Zhytomyr warehouse within 1 business day, free delivery from 5,000 pieces.
✔For batches of 100+ tonnes, send the calculator result through the form above — we will verify the figure against the actual density of your cargo and pick the model.

Buy big bags wholesale from the manufacturer in 500, 1000, 1500 kg and larger — with a discharge spout, liner and logo print. If your cargo is unusual, we will make a bag for your volume and density.