December 4, 2006

Australian stored grain totals 13.2 million tonnes

The total quantity of grain held in storage facilities operated by Australia's major bulk grain handling companies on Oct. 31 was 13.2 million tonnes, the government's Bureau of Statistics reported Monday.

While this level may at first appear high, considering the recent dry conditions across Australia and an expected poor harvest, it does include the residual (after exports and domestic consumption) of the near record grain harvest in 2005-06, the bureau said in a statement.

Of stocks, wheat accounted for 9.8 million tonnes, barley 2.2 million tonnes, and others including oats, triticale, sorghum, pulses and oilseeds totaled 1.2 million tonnes.

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

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, the bureau said.

It was halted in December 2004 but has been revived in response to concerns regarding feed grain availability during the current drought.

The data will be collected monthly until the end of May with the possibility of quarterly collections thereafter, subject to user funding, it said.