Week ending Sunday 3 December 2023 report

Grower deliveries slowed last week with the wet weather conditions seeing growers deliver over 291,000 into Viterra sites, taking total receivals to almost 4.4 million tonnes. Wheat made up more than half of all commodities delivered. 

In connecting local growers’ grain with international markets, Viterra General Manager Supply Chain, Derek Robjohns says we have achieved a shipping milestone. 

“It’s been a busy two months of shipping at our SA port terminals, we’ve loaded over 1 million tonnes of grain onto vessels for international markets,” Derek says.

“It’s been a fantastic effort by our hard-working employees to achieve this milestone. This is the first time in more than 10 years we’ve loaded over 1 million tonnes during October and November.” 

Viterra Western region Operations Manager, Nick Pratt says it was a slower receivals week due to the weather and harvest starting to wrap up in parts of the region.

“Some growers were frustrated about the rain slowing their harvest. We supported customers by opening our sites for moisture tests to see when they could start harvesting again,” Nick says.

“Our main sites still seeing activity are Cummins, Port Lincoln and Tumby Bay, while Port Neill and Kapinnie are receiving smaller quantities of pulses.

“Most sites further afield are winding down with sites closing, cleaning up or preparing for fumigation as part of our food safety and quality management process.”

Nick says while it was a lower volume week for receivals, it was a busy period for shipping with local growers’ grain setting sail from the region’s two ports on their way to international customers.

“During the week, we completed vessels at Port Lincoln and Thevenard and began loading another shipment at Port Lincoln,” Nick says.

Viterra Central region Operations Manager, Jack Tansley says the region saw a reduction in deliveries towards the weekend.   

“The busiest receival sites during the week were Roseworthy, Gladstone, Saddleworth, Port Giles, Snowtown and Bowmans,” Jack says.

“Deliveries reduced as the wet weather set in, with growers getting back into harvesting on the weekend.

“We estimate that growers in the Central region are around two thirds through their harvests. Most growers are harvesting wheat with a few still on beans and finishing up the remaining barley and canola.”

Jack says we exported the first vessel for the season at Port Giles during the week.

“The cargo of 10,000 tonnes of wheat began its voyage from Port Giles on Friday bound for international end use customers.”

The Eastern region took the most deliveries across all regions. Operations Manager, Andrew Cannon says deliveries increased later in the week, with parts of the region at different intervals in their harvests.

“As conditions improved later in the week and into the weekend, we saw an increase in grain receivals across our sites,” Andrew says.

“We estimate that growers in the Eastern region are about halfway through harvesting. The northern Mallee harvest is coming towards the end, while deliveries in the south east are continuing to build.   

“It was also a big week for shipping in the region, with new season export shipments leaving Outer Harbor and Inner Harbour and other vessels beginning to load across both ports."

Disclaimer
* This data is subject to variation due to individual site operations and the timing of reports.
** The total 2023/24 data includes grain received into Viterra’s storage and handling network since 25 September 2023.