LATEST export data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows Australia shipped 357,358 tonnes of malting barley and 27,533t of feed barley to China in February.

The monthly total of 381, 891t is up marginally from 371,950t shipped to China in January, despite February holding the deadline for Australian barley exporters to lodge submissions to China’s anti-dumping case into the pricing of Australian barley.

Japan on 88,068t was Australia’s major destination for feed barley in February.

Australian sorghum exports in the three months to 28 February were confined to containerised shipments.

This reflects the chronic shortage of locally produced feedgrain in eastern Australia as a result of its drought, which has lifted its up-country prices to well above export parity.

The drought has precluded bulk barley exports from eastern states, and exports of current-crop Australian barley are being sourced mostly from Western Australia, with some also loading in South Australia.

CBH Group is WA’s bulk handler, and the state’s major grain exporter, and has confirmed shipments of Australian barley to China are continuing while the anti-dumping investigation is taking place.

“The Australian barley industry enjoys a long-term relationship with the Chinese market and is continuing to work with its customers,” a CBH spokesperson said.

Table 1: ABS malting barley export data for December 2018 and January and February 2019.

Table 2: ABS feed barley export data for December 2018 and January and February 2019.

Table 3: ABS sorghum export data for December 2018 and January and February 2019.