MAJOR bulk handlers in Australia’s eastern states have received close to 11 million tonnes (Mt) of grain from the current harvest as activity in all regions winds down.

The last days of harvest on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Photo: Chad Glover

In NSW, Queensland and Victoria, GrainCorp has received a total of 5.53Mt in the harvest to 8 January, while Viterra in South Australia has received 5.39Mt in the harvest to 31 December to total 10.92Mt in the four states all up.

In the week to 8 January, Queensland sites received 250t, NSW 6000t, and Victoria 49,000t to take totals for those states to 556,750t, 2.07Mt, and 2.91Mt respectively.

In its latest weekly harvest report, GrainCorp said frost had significantly impacted yields across some areas of Victoria, and that its operations across the network were transitioning from intake to outload for domestic and international customers.

In South Australia, Viterra said in its final weekly report for the current harvest that it had received 158,142t of grain in the week to 31 December.

The company said its sites had taken in 76 different segregations during this rain-affected harvest, 13 more than in the previous season, to potentially allow growers to capture higher value for their grain.

Viterra said Ardrossan, Arno Bay, Bowmans, Cummins, Dooen, Monarto South, Port Giles, Saddleworth, Snowtown, Strathalbyn, Tintinara, and Two Wells all set new daily receival records this harvest.

Around SA’s regions:

Western

Cooler weather last week slowed reaping in the few remaining areas in the Western region, with 45,383t taken to bring total receivals to 1.49Mt.

The Port Lincoln terminal loaded two vessels over the Christmas/New Year period, allowing deliveries from outside the local delivery zone for ASW1 and APW1.

Central

In the central region, 60,053t was delivered in the last week of 2017 to take its total to 2.62Mt, and new-crop exports from Wallaroo started with nearly 19,000t of wheat loaded.

Eastern

In the eastern region, 52,706t of grain was delivered in the week to 31 December to take total receivals to 1.28Mt.

While receivals are slowing down, sites have been busy throughout the Christmas/New Year period loading rail and out-turning grain to meet a busy shipping schedule.

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