BCM’s Belahna facility at Tulloona. Photo: BCM

GROWERS and traders wishing to store or accumulate sorghum from the upcoming harvest will have access to Boolah Commodity Management (BCM) sites as it moves into warehousing in northern New South Wales and Brisbane.

“We are offering storage and handling of sorghum to the trade, as well as to individual growers, at our up-country sites at Roburn at Milguy, at Belahna at Tulloona, and at our Brisbane facility at Pinkenba,” BCM operations manager Michael Beeston said.

Stuart and Lyndall Tighe’s company BCM expanded from its northern NSW base last year when it moved into receiving, storing and out-turning interstate grain coming into Pinkenba by ship to supply end-users in Brisbane and surrounding districts.

As the drought-driven demand for grain out of Brisbane increased, BCM sites near the port have grown from one to four.

Expansion into sorghum-handling in Brisbane will supplement the company’s Brisbane activities, which have continued to handle interstate barley and wheat on behalf of traders and end-users.

“We are offering the trade the ability to accumulate sorghum for their export or domestic markets, and growers an option which is not available elsewhere to warehouse at all sites including Brisbane.

“We will be able to manage grower deliveries into Brisbane, even if there are issues with quality, or with insect infestation, which have been long-term concerns for growers delivering into Brisbane.”

BCM is in the process of putting together the facilities to containerise grain and load vessels in bulk in Brisbane to support its existing up-country packing facility at Belahna on the Newell Highway.

“We are expecting potential activity in the sorghum export market to China, and we want to be ready to offer services in this space when and if it eventuates.”

Hot and dry weather for Queensland and NSW sorghum-growing areas is forecast this week, and without rain to follow, it could remove upside from yield potential in crops with subsoil moisture profiles which already need topping up.

While a small percentage of the sorghum crop was planted in August-September and will be harvested this month, harvest will start in earnest late next month and continue into April on the Darling Downs and areas south.

The planting window for Central Queensland is open, though most of its growers are looking for rain soon to establish the crop which is harvested from May, and is tipped to attract buying interest from China.

Depending on how much sorghum the beef, poultry and pork industries decide to use in their rations, and what they are prepared to pay for it, China may also be a buyer of sorghum from NSW and southern Queensland.

“Anything is possible. It’s hard to get a handle on what the Chinese may be considering, and how high they will be prepared to bid for supply.

“The other factor is also how much sorghum will go into the local ration.”