SA 2014–15 grain crop on track

Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) has released this month’s Crop and Pasture Report forecasting that the grain crop will produce 7.5 million tonnes from 4 million hectares after grain handling and storage company Viterra reported a record breaking start in November.

According to the news release by Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister Leon Bignell, the crop estimate represents a farm gate value of about $1.8 billion, and an export value of $2.2 billion.

“Even though we have had a warm and dry spring, the stored soil moisture from the above average rainfall earlier in the season has really benefited this year’s crop. Farmers have used the conditions earlier in the season to their advantage with timely seeding, and we’re now beginning to see the fruits of their labour. Despite the difficult conditions, this year’s crop production level is nearly one million tonnes above the 10-year average of 6.6 million tonnes,” the Minister said.

“Wednesday was Viterra’s biggest day so far, with more than 250,000 tonnes of grain received in more than 8,500 truckloads for the day. That many trucks lined up bumper to bumper would stretch for 160 kilometres. On average across Viterra’s system yesterday, a truck was being unloaded every five seconds. At Viterra’s Wallaroo site, more than 25,000 tonnes of grain was received in a day – the equivalent of one truck unloading every 41 seconds.  Six Viterra sites – Crystal Brook, Lock, Nunjikompita (east of Ceduna), Wudinna, Two Wells and Thevenard – have set new daily receival records since the start of November.”

Viterra is a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore with extensive operations across Australia. The company has a storage and handling network that spans across key growing regions in SA. Viterra’s operations also include container packing and processing facilities located in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

To read PIRSA’s November Crop and Pasture Report, visit www.pir.sa.gov.au/cropreport