Australia February wheat consumption, exports reach 1.8 million tonnes

 

 

Australia consumed or exported a total of 1.83 million tonnes of wheat in February, up 11 percent from 1.65 million tonnes in January, taking the total in the five months ended Feb. 28 to 6.94 million tonnes, the government's Australian Bureau of Statistics reported Tuesday (April 7).

 

Year-earlier figures weren't supplied.

 

A total of 1.44 million tonnes of wheat was exported in February, up 17% from 1.23 million tonnes in January, with shipments from Western Australia accounting for 56% of total exports in February, New South Wales 18%, South Australia 16% and minor amounts from Queensland and South Australia, it reported.

 

Exports in February took total shipments overseas in the five months ended Feb. 28 to 4.85 million tonnes, of which Western Australia accounted for 62%, South Australia 15%, and New South Wales 13%, with other exports sourced from the other two mainland states, the bureau reported in a monthly Wheat Use and Stocks publication.

 

Of total wheat used in Australia in February of 383,800 tonnes, New South Wales accounted for 44%. Of total wheat used in Australia in the five months ended Feb. 28 of 2.08 million tonnes, New South Wales accounted for 45%, Victoria 24%, Queensland 11%, South Australia 9.3% and Western Australia 9.1%.

 

On Feb. 28, there were 4.75 million tonnes of wheat committed or under contract either for domestic use or for export, up 2.4% on month, the bureau reported.

 

Of wheat committed on Feb. 28, in Australia, 77% was contracted for export and 23% for domestic use.

 

Wheat stored by bulk grain handlers as of Dec. 31 totaled 14.49 million tonnes, up from 1.53 million tonnes on Sept. 30 - before the annual harvest began.

 

In early March, the government's chief commodities forecaster, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, estimated national wheat production last crop year ended March 31 at 21.4 million tonnes.

 

The Bureau of Statistics reported that the current scope and coverage of the data accounts for most of Australia's wheat grain stored, used and committed, but coverage of these collections might be expanded in the future.