Monday 2 March to Sunday 5 April 2020 report

We received over 7,000 tonnes of grain into our network between 2 March and 5 April, and lentils made up the majority of deliveries.

We moved grain quickly last month as strong domestic and international demand for grain out of the Viterra system continued. Viterra employees are working hard to meet buyer demand, moving grain via bulk shipments, container, rail and road to various end use destinations.

In mid March, Viterra loaded our first ever 100 wagon train which is twice the size of a typical rail movement. Read more.

Viterra loaded a second 100 wagon train later in the month to further service interstate demand. When loading these large trains, wagons are filled simultaneously at different sites to provide an efficient service.

On 23 March, Viterra began publishing our stock on hand report on the Viterra website to help buyer customers and end users manage their ongoing supply requirements.

The stock on hand report was already being published each month in Ezigrain for Viterra’s grower and buyer customers to access. We are releasing this information given the current environment of two consecutive years of drought and potential pressure on supply chains. The report is available on the News section of our website and will be updated as soon as practical after the first of each month.

We are closely monitoring and responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as it continues to evolve. We are following advice and protocols from federal and state government authorities, and activating response plans in our offices and along our supply chains. This includes upcountry sites and port terminals. Our highest priority is to protect the health and safety of our people and the communities in which we operate, including our customers and suppliers.

The agriculture industry, food supply chain and our business as part of that, has been identified as an essential service that needs to keep operating. We have put in place measures at all our sites to manage the health and wellbeing of our employees and the broader community. These measures are also designed to ensure business continuity, and being able to operate our supply chains to meet the needs of our grower and buyer customers during this period.

We are continuing our preparations for the 2020/21 harvest. In early March, we released our preliminary segregation plan which growers are encouraged to provide feedback on to their regional office. Among the changes introduced, Viterra is: 

• opening the local delivery line for all pulses at Inner Harbour to allow all growers to deliver directly into the site and
• removing the local grower delivery line at Wallaroo to allow all growers to deliver directly into the site.

Disclaimer
* This data is subject to variation due to individual site operations and the timing of reports.
** The total 2019/2020 data includes grain received into Viterra’s storage and handling network since 08 October 2019.
*** Eastern region data includes Inner Harbour and Victorian sites.