Viterra loads its first train for the 2022-23 season at Bowmans. Photo: Viterra

DELIVERIES to Viterra’s South Australian network hit 370,411 tonnes on Sunday following receivals in the week to Sunday of 338,155t, Viterra said in its weekly harvest report released today.

Over one third of Viterra sites welcomed their first new-season deliveries last week, with barley accounting for most deliveries, followed by wheat, canola, lentils and field peas.

Included in the 22 sites that received their first new-season deliveries were seven in Viterra’s Eastern region, to signal the official start of harvest in South Australia’s east.

Taplan grower Neville Nitschke made the first delivery for the region, a load of peas into Loxton on November 7, and said he was optimistic about the season ahead.

“It’s been a fantastic season so far,” Mr Nitschke said.

“I was surprised to be the first load for the region.”

Mr Nitschke said the peas came from a paddock sowed early, and the crop looked good all season.

“We did lose a percentage from the recent hail, but the yield ended up at 1.3 tonne (per hectare), which is great for us.

“We’ll also be harvesting barley and wheat and the early indications are that it could be record yields for us in all varieties.”

Table 1: Receivals into Viterra’s South Australian network for the 2022-23 harvest. Source: Viterra

Deliveries into the Eastern region continued with Monarto South, Werrimull, Tailem Bend and Pinnaroo receiving their first new-season deliveries last Monday.

Apamurra and Lameroo in the region also took loads later in the week.

In Viterra’s Central region, Ardrossan, Balaklava, Bowmans, Crystal Brook, Port Giles and Snowtown received their first new-season deliveries, as well as Cungena, Elliston, Port Neill, Nunjikompita, Penong, Tumby Bay, Warramboo, Witera and Wirrulla in the Western region.

On Thursday, Viterra’s Thevenard site broke its daily receival record with 14,627t delivered.

Viterra Western region operations manager Nick Pratt said achieving the record so early in harvest was a great effort by growers, carriers and Viterra employees.

“The team at site did a fantastic job safely and efficiently receiving growers’ grain that broke the previous record set in the 2016-17 harvest,” Mr Pratt said.

“We have been working hard to ensure we are turning deliveries around as quickly as possible so growers can get their crop off when the weather permits.

“We thank growers for their continued support as we work to receive the large crop on the Eyre Peninsula, and are looking forward to hopefully breaking many more records this harvest.”

Viterra also loaded its first new-season grain train at Bowmans during the week, 3000t of barley destined for Outer Harbor which will go into Viterra’s first bulk shipment of SA grain for the 2022-23 season.

“It’s great to see growers’ grain already moving to port ready for shipping to international markets,” Viterra Central region operations manager Jack Tansley said.

“We have also started moving grain by truck for shipping and overflow to ensure growers have enough storage capacity, which is important in a busy harvest.”

Viterra has a bumper shipping program this season, with a record 18 exporters who forward booked a record-breaking 7 million tonnes’ shipping capacity.

Source: Viterra