September 27, 2007

Pre-harvest Australian wheat stocks down 20 percent

Wheat stocks held in storage facilities operated by Australia's major bulk grain handling companies and traders fell 20 percent on-month in August to 2.8 million tonnes, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported Thursday.

Stocks of winter grains and oilseeds typically rise during the annual harvest October through December, then decline steadily through the year on the back of exports and domestic use.

Total grain stocks also fell 20 percent on-month in August to 4.3 million tonnes, the ABS said.

Barley stocks slumped 23 percent to 829,000 tonnes, while others including oats, triticale, sorghum, pulses and oilseeds also contracted 23 percent to 611,000 tonnes, it reported.

Year-earlier figures are not published.

The collection does not measure total grain stocks held in Australia, as figures from regional or small storage operators are not captured in this series.