Viterra received its first load of grain in South Australia over the weekend to begin the state’s harvesting season.
The first load for the 2018/19 season was a load of H2 wheat delivered into Port Pirie by Port Germein grower Steven Mudge. The load delivered on Saturday was good quality, had low screenings and good test weight.
Port Pirie also received the first load of barley on Saturday and first load of peas on Monday morning.
Viterra’s Operations Manager Michael Hill says the company has been working closely with growers in the lead up to harvest to ensure the business operates at maximum efficiency to meet growers’ needs.
“We expect to see a mixture of quality this harvest based on feedback from growers and we have prepared our segregation plan to meet a broad range of requirements for growers and end-users.
“We will also open additional segregations during harvest based on the grain that is being delivered,” says Michael.
Strong domestic demand is driving strong prices for grain.
“Growers delivering into the Viterra system can participate in a competitive market. Grain can be sold immediately with access to major buyers in the system.”
Growers delivering to a Viterra site can also benefit with the introduction of wheat dynamic binning.
“Growers may be able to access a higher grade for loads that are just outside of the receival standards. Loads could be upgraded to ASW1, APW1, H2 or H1 wheat grades,” Michael says.
As part of Viterra’s ongoing focus to provide a high-level of service to growers, the business will have a similar number of sites open as last harvest.