SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — The quality of wheat in Australia is improving from last year, raising the ratio of milling to feed wheat over the last few months, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Aug. 17 in its Stocks of Grain Held by Bulk Handling Companies and Grain Traders report.
In July 2012, the ratio of milling to feed grade wheat grain was 2.5:1 while July 2011 ratio was 1.1:1. Stocks of wheat grain for milling in July 2012 were 8.2 million tonnes which was 72% of all grain stored. This represents a decline of 1.7 million tonnes (or 17%) since June 2012 and an increase of 2.1 million tonnes (35%) compared to July 2011.
At the end of July 2012, feed grade wheat grain stocks were 3.3 million tonnes (28% of all grain stored) which was a decrease of 940,000 tonnes (22%) from June 2012. Compared to July 2011 feed grade wheat grain stocks were down by 2.1 million tonnes (39%).
Australia's bulk storage of wheat grain in July 2012 decreased by 2.6 million tonnes (18%) to 11.5 million tonnes since June 2012. This was 17,000 tonnes (less than 1%) higher than in July 2011.
The continuous decrease of Australia's bulk storage of wheat grain closely follows the expected pattern of decline post-harvest in combination with increasing wheat grain exports over the last few months.
All states recorded a decrease in stocks of wheat grain stored in July 2012. With a decrease of 1 million tonnes (17%) from June 2012 Western Australia registered the biggest fall of wheat grain stocks.
The largest quantity of wheat grain was held in Western Australia with 4.8 million tonnes that accounted for 42% of the Australian total. New South Wales (including ACT) was next largest with 3.1 million tonnes contributing 27% of national stocks.