Wheat being delivered direct to vessel at Cargill’s Port Adelaide facility in March. Photo: Leigh Fuller

AUSTRALIA exported 3,785,436 tonnes of wheat and durum in March, up 25 percent from 3,038,804t shipped in February, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The figure is believed to set a new monthly record for Australian wheat exports.

In containerised exports, China on 96,070t and Vietnam on 80,458t were the biggest markets for March shipments by far, with Thailand on 34,495t in third place.

Total containerised exports of wheat in March at 314,857t were up a hefty 40pc from the February total, with the China figure up 69pc and accounting for 39,334t and much of the lift.

Containerised shipments to The Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand also jumped by more than 50pc.

Ahead of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement coming into effect, containerised wheat exports posted almost tripled to 3957 in March, up from 1370t in February, and much less in preceding months.

In bulk exports, China’s appetite for Australian wheat seems to know no bounds, and at 1,038,798t was up 59pc from the 651,788t shipped in February.

The second-biggest market for bulk Australian wheat exported in March was Indonesia on 317,148t, followed by Vietnam on 306,172t.

Thailand on 291,947t, The Philippines on 290,126t and South Korea on 280,092t were also major volume buyers.

Bulk export figures include the two biggest durum cargoes for the current marketing year, with 21,838t heading to Italy and 31,500t bound for Spain.

Australian containerised wheat and durum exports from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. Source: ABS

Australian bulk wheat and durum exports from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. Source: ABS

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