South Australia overcomes grain export problems

Problems of exporting grain from South Australia appear to be easing as more shipments leave Port Lincoln for global markets.

Buyer and exporter EP Grain this week announced its first shipment of 52,000 tonnes of wheat from the 2009-10 season to Bangladesh.

"It didn't help that until shipping obligations were met in Western Australia - there were no boats coming to SA," he said. "That has turned around now. The shipping stem here has been busy for the past month or so."

Further EP Grain shipments were planned for July-August.

"In the 2009-10 season, we bought about 25% of EP's grain crop, which was three times the volume of the company's first season," Wake said.

"This was partly because of the good season experienced last year on the EP. We hope to increase that volume again this year, but it is dependent on the season,'' he said.

"We have already run a successful early-order programme for our 2010-11 harvest pool,'' Wake said.