Poor seasonal harvest conditions continue to contribute to a lower quality yield of wheat grain, ABS said. ABS reported that of the total wheat grain stored by bulk grain handlers, 53% (or 6.1 million tonnes) was milling grade and 47% (or 5.4 million tonnes) was feed grade. This compares to 89% (7 million tonne) for milling and 11% (875,000 tonnes) for feed in July 2010.
All states reported decreases in stocks of wheat grain compared to June 2011. New South Wales and South Australia had the most significant falls with 480,000 tonnes and 513,000 tonnes, respectively, but had the largest amounts of wheat grain stored in the month. New South Wales had 4.5 million tonnes and South Australia had 2.7 million tonnes.
Compared to July 2010, there were significant increases in July 2011, with New South Wales (up by 3 million tonnes) and Victoria (up by 1.5 million tonnes) being the major contributors. Western Australia and Queensland had the only downturns in stocks held, with falls of 1.5 million tonnes and 37,000 tonnes respectively.
