Australia's March grain stocks down 19 percent to 12.1 million tonnes

 

 

Total grain stored by Australian bulk handlers and users as of March 31 fell 19 percent or 2.9 million tonnes to 12.1 million tonnes from Dec. 31, the government's Bureau of Statistics reported Friday (May 8).

 

Wheat stocks held by bulk handlers at March 31 of 11.5 million tonnes fell 21 percent on quarter and comprised 77 percent or 11.5 million tonnes of milling wheat, with the balance feed wheat, it reported.

 

The bureau estimated that total wheat used in March of 2.4 million tonnes rose 40 percent on- month "mainly due to a significant increase in exports," which took the national total for wheat used since Oct. 1 to 9.2 million tonnes.

 

Wheat committed for domestic use or export on March 31 of 5.1 million tonnes rose 7.6 percent on- month, and of this total, 80 percent or 4.1 million tonnes was contracted for export and 1.0 million tonnes or 20 percent were contracted for domestic use, it reported.

 

A total of 2.0 million tonnes of wheat were exported in March, up 54 percent from 1.3 million tonnes in February, with shipments from Western Australia accounting for 50 percent of total exports in March, New South Wales 15 percent, South Australia 14 percent and minor amounts from Queensland and South Australia, it reported.

 

Exports in March took total shipments overseas in the six months ended March 31 to 6.7 million tonnes, of which Western Australia accounted for 58 percent, South Australia 15 percent, and New South Wales 13 percent, with other exports sourced from the other two mainland states, the bureau reported in a monthly Wheat Use and Stocks publication.

 

Wheat used in Australia in March of 394,600 tonnes rose 2.8 percent on- month.

 

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.