In the first assessment of the use of the nation's wheat, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Tuesday (February 10) reported 3.5 million tonnes were exported/used domestically in the 2008 calendar fourth quarter.

 

Of this, 2.2 million tonnes was exported and 1.3 million tonnes used domestically, the bureau reported, without including year-ago figures.

 

Western Australia was the major source of exports, with 1.4 million tonnes leaving the state in the fourth quarter, while 344,000 tonnes was shipped from southern Australia and lower amounts from other states, it said.

 

New South Wales was the source of most of the wheat used domestically, supplying 582,000 tonnes, while Victoria accounted for 315,000 tonnes and other states lower amounts, it reported.

 

On Sept. 30, 2008 - just before the start of the new harvest - 2.0 million tonnes of wheat were in storage, the bureau reported.

 

Of this, 78 percent was stored by bulk grain handlers and the rest by large users such as animal feedlot operators, poultry and pig producers, grain mills and cereal/baking manufacturers, it said.

 

Stocks of wheat grain stored by domestic users increased at the end of November following the commencement of the harvest. New South Wales domestic users had the largest quantity of wheat grain held in store, the report said, without providing actual volumes.

 

As of Dec. 31, 3.3 million tonnes of wheat were committed or were under contract for either domestic use or exports. Of this committed wheat, 2.0 million tonnes were contracted for exports and 1.3 million tonnes for domestic use, it said.

 

Up to June 30, 2008 Australian wheat was exported through a monopoly operated by AWB Ltd., but export arrangements were deregulated and 21 companies have been accredited as exporters.

 

The current scope and coverage of this collection of data is understood to account for the majority of Australia's wheat grain stored, used and committed, according to Wheat Use and Stocks, Australia.

 

It is a new monthly publication about wheat grain stocks in Australia and their use by selected manufacturing and agricultural businesses, licensed exporters and bulk grain handlers.

 

The government's Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics will use this information to compile a monthly report on the Australian wheat industry.