November 12, 2007

West Australia harvest reaps 1.1 million tonnes; CBH forecasts 8 million tonnes

Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd. Monday reported receiving 1.1 million tonnes of grain into its storage system from a harvest underway in Western Australia state.

CBH estimates that total receivals from the drought-reduced harvest to be completed by year end will reach around 8 million tonnes, up about one third from a severely drought-affected harvest in 2006 but down from a longer-term annual average of 11 million tonnes.

Usually, about 70 percent of the harvest is wheat, implying state production of around 5.6 million tonnes, although 5.0 million tonnesof wheat were produced in the state in 2006, most of which is available for export.

Harvest activity will increase in the coming weeks, particularly if the weather is fine, company managers were quoted as saying in a statement.

CBH operates a system of upcountry grain storage and four export terminals in Western Australia.

The grower-owned company made no mention of grain quality in its harvest report.