AUSTRALIA exported 72,489 tonnes of feed barley in November, up from 3932t in October, to mark the start of new-crop shipments, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Malting barley shipments fell to 4790t in November from 45,248t in October, as malting requires a period of dormancy between harvest and use, and shipments are therefore not expected to start until this month.

Australia’s total barley exports in November totalled 77,279t, up 46 per cent from 52,850t shipped in October.

On sorghum, November shipments at 1232t were 16pc of the October figure of 7602t.

This reflects both limited Australian supply brought on by drought which decimated sorghum production in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, and buoyant domestic demand for the crop harvested in Queensland last year.

Table 1: Australia’s September, October and November 2019 malting barley exports. Source: ABS

Table 2: Australia’s September, October and November 2019 feed barley exports. Source: ABS

Table 3: Australia’s September, October and November 2019 sorghum exports. Source: ABS