Australia June wheat exports rise 27 percent on-month to 1.6 million tonnes

Australian wheat exports surged 27 percent in June to 1.64 million tonnes from a month earlier, the government's Bureau of Statistics reported Thursday (August 6).

Exports in June took total shipments this marketing year ending Sept. 30 to 11.30 million tonnes, the bureau reported in a monthly Wheat Use & Stocks publication.

The domestic use of wheat in June of 390,500 tonnes fell 0.7 percent on- month and took total use this marketing year to 3.65 million tonnes. This took total wheat used, domestically and exported, to 14.95 million tonnes, it reported without giving year-earlier figures.

Of total wheat stored at the end of June of 7.00 million tonnes, 5.42 million tonnes was milling grade and 1.58 million tonnes feed grade.

At the end of June, 3.64 million tonnes of wheat were committed for domestic use within Australia or for export, down 17 percent from 4.38 million tonnes at the end of May.

Of this committed wheat, 2.8 million tonnes, or 77 percent, was contracted for export and 840,000 tonnes, or 23 percent, was contracted for domestic use.

Total grain stored by bulk grain handlers and users at June 30 was 7.4 million tonnes, down 1.8 million tonnes, or 20 percent, from May, it reported.

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.