Monday 3 March to Sunday 6 April 2025 report

Growers delivered just under 10,000 tonnes to Viterra sites during March. Meanwhile, Viterra has continued to move growers’ grain to market, and review the 2024/25 harvest as preparations for next harvest begin.

Viterra delivers first lentil vessel to India under ECTA tariff reduction

The first lentil vessel to enter India with a 50% tariff reduction under the Australia/India ECTA was a Viterra vessel we loaded with South Australian growers' lentils.

Loaded at Viterra’s Port Lincoln terminal, the Watatsumi is valued at over AU$21 million. The shipment is the first to benefit from the ECTA’s (Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement) tariff reduction on Australian lentil imports into India, granted for a set volume.

Viterra Chief Executive Officer ANZ, Philip Hughes says India is an important lentil export market.

“Thanks to the Australian and Indian Governments' agreement, growers can continue to access this premium market,” Philip says.

“South Australian lentils are in demand due to their high quality. We look forward to continuing to support South Australian lentil growers by connecting them with our Indian end use customers.

“The agriculture industry is a key contributor to the Australian economy, the majority of which is in regional areas. We thank the government for their ongoing support of this important industry.”

2 million tonnes of SA grain outturned for 40+ buyers

Viterra is continuing to deliver SA grain to international and domestic customers, recently reaching a milestone 2 million tonnes of exports and outturns for the 2024/25 season.

Viterra General Manager Supply Chain, Derek Robjohns says we’ve seen high numbers of buyers accessing the Viterra network to purchase grain this season, despite below average production.

“So far, over 40 buyers have purchased 2024/25 season grain delivered to our sites,” Derek says.

“This number is consistent with the buyers we see accessing our network in stronger seasons, demonstrating the domestic and international demand for the high-quality SA grain growers produce.

“Of the buyers in our network, 23 have also posted cash prices for 2024/25 grain, which provides growers another option for selling their grain through our warehouse to cash service.

“We’ve also been working with more domestic buyers than usual this season, enabling them to access our network to purchase grain and in turn support southern Australian growers.

“Having continued access to a wide range of domestic and international buyers benefits growers who deliver to Viterra, giving them more choice and competition when selling their grain, regardless of seasonal conditions.”

Viterra continues review of 2024/25 harvest operations

Last week, we published a summary of results from our 2024/25 postharvest survey, with insights from growers and carriers on their experience delivering to Viterra this harvest.

The review includes a summary of the feedback received on our storage and handling services, safety commitment and online platforms, and what we are doing in response.

Read the full summary of results on our website.

We also recently concluded our annual postharvest meetings, engaging with growers and employees from across our network to review the recent harvest and discuss what went well and improvements for future seasons.

These meetings provide an important opportunity for direct feedback and open discussions, ensuring that our operations continue to align with the needs of local growers and carriers.

Read more.

The Watatsumi discharging 21,000 tonnes of South Australian growers' lentils at Mundra port, India late last month.

Disclaimer
* This data is subject to variation due to individual site operations and the timing of reports.
** The total 2024/25 data includes grain received into Viterra’s storage and handling network since 10 October 2024.