January 5, 2012
Western, South Australia's wheat gathering almost complete
Mainly the nation's two major sources of export wheat, Western and South Australia's wheat and other winter crop yields for the year are nearing completion, major logistics providers in both states said.
Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd. said it has received 13.59 million tonnes of winter grains into its network of upcountry storage sites and coastal export terminals in Western Australia, more than double its intake from the previous drought-reduced harvest in 2010-11. It said it expects another 400,000 tonnes, around 3% of its estimated intake, to be delivered in the coming weeks.
Typically, 70% of the harvest in Western Australia is wheat and deliveries to CBH account for 90% of total state production - nearly all of which is exported.
The harvest in Western Australia, usually the nation's biggest wheat-producing state and a major global supplier, was delayed by heavy rains that damaged crops. CBH didn't characterise the quality of the harvest.
Meanwhile, Canada-based Viterra Inc. (VT.T), which dominates grain storage and export facilities in South Australia, reported receiving 161,600 tonnes of grains into its upcountry and coastal storage facilities in the week ended Sunday (Jan 1), raising the total during the current harvest to 6.4 million tonnes.
Newly harvested wheat and barley are the predominant commodities being delivered to Viterra's sites, though some grain is also being transferred from on-farm storage facilities, it said.
Ship loading continued over the Christmas and New Year holidays and the company's sites remain busy preparing and out-turning grain for export, it said.
Deliveries to CBH so far account for around 31% of estimated national production of winter crops, while those to Viterra account for around 15% of estimated output.
The government's Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has estimated national production of winter crops at 43.4 million tonnes for the year ending March 31.
