The 2019/20 harvest is officially underway, with Viterra’s Port Pirie site receiving the first load for the network yesterday for the third year running.
Mambray Creek grower Ben Bussenschutt made the first delivery on behalf of the Bussenschutt family for the 2019/20 season into Viterra with a load of Spartacus barley.
Ben says the Bussenschutt family has been the first to deliver into Viterra at the start of harvest on more than one occasion now – the last time was in 2017/18.
“Spartacus grows quite quickly and we normally seed at Mambray Creek from mid-April to get some early rain before starting to seed at our Paskeville property,” Ben says.
Viterra Operations Manager Michael Hill says the timing of the warmer weather in the upper Yorke Peninsula has helped finish off the crops earlier than other areas.
“Importantly, all of our sites across the network are well prepared and ready to go when growers across the state start harvesting,” Michael says.
“In the lead up to harvest, we have been working closely with growers to understand their needs to ensure we’re providing a service to them that is both valuable and efficient.
“That includes making significant investments in our supply chain with around $40 million directed each year to where we can provide the greatest value to growers during the harvest period.”
Michael says the business is continuously looking for ways to pass efficiencies back to growers.
“This harvest we have added barley dynamic binning following feedback from growers and the success of wheat dynamic binning last year which delivered approximately $6 million in value to growers,” Michael says.
“Importantly, dynamic binning provides growers with the potential to access a higher grade for loads that are just outside of receival standards.
“We have also gained efficiencies in grain transportation and passed these on to growers through our Export Select rates which at most of our major sites have decreased, or stayed the same compared to the 2018/19 rates.
“Our main focus is to operate an efficient, cost effective and sustainable supply chain, and we will work with growers during the harvest to continue doing so.”