Season starter ready to tip. Viterra head classifier Jordan Sladdin with Mambray Creek grower Ben Bussenschutt at Port Pirie. Photo: Viterra

SOUTH Australian grain handler Viterra took its first load for the season yesterday when Mambray Creek grower Ben Bussenschutt delivered a load of Spartacus barley to the company’s Port Pirie site.

Early harvest timing for the Bussenschutts for some years has been a function of factors including variety selection and planting date.

“We normally seed at Mambray Creek from mid-April,” Mr Bussenschutt said.

“Spartacus grows quite quickly.

“We’ve been the first to deliver into Viterra at the start of harvest on more than one occasion now; the last time was in 2017/18.”

Viterra operations manager Michael Hill said the timing of the warmer weather in the upper Yorke Peninsula helped finish off the crops earlier than other areas.

“We are well prepared and ready to go when growers across the state start harvesting,” Mr Hill said.

“In the lead up to harvest, we have been working closely with growers to understand their needs to ensure we’re providing a service to them that is both valuable and efficient. The business is continuously looking for efficiencies.”

Mr Hill cited dynamic binning, through which growers can access a higher grade for loads just outside receival standards, as delivering additional value.

“This harvest we have added barley dynamic binning following feedback from growers and the success of wheat dynamic binning last year which delivered approximately $6 million in value to growers.

“We have also gained efficiencies in grain transportation and passed these on to growers through our Export Select rates which at most of our major sites have decreased, or stayed the same compared to the 2018/19 rates.”

Source: Viterra

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