March 1, 2007

Australian January grain stocks down 9.2 percent after harvest
 

Total grain held in storage facilities operated by Australia's major bulk grain handling companies fell 9.2 percent on-month in January to 14.8 million tonnes, the government's Bureau of Statistics reported Thursday.

Stocks of wheat fell 11 percent in the month to 10.2 million tonnes, barley stocks fell about 9 percent on-month to 3.1 million tonnes, while others including oats, triticale, sorghum, pulses and oilseeds slipped a little on-month to 1.5 million tonnes, it reported.

Stocks of winter grains usually rise during harvest to peak in December before declining steadily through the year on the back of exports and domestic use.

The bureau restarted this data series in late spring. It does not issue year-earlier figures or comment on them.

This data series commenced in 2002, following concerns about the lack of information on the quantity of grain stored across Australia during the drought of that year, and was done monthly and quarterly until December 2004, when it was halted as concerns lessened following increased production after the drought ended.

It was revived in response to concerns regarding availability of grain after a drought-affected harvest in 2006.

The collection does not measure the total grain held in Australia, with regional or small storage operators not represented in these statistics.