WEST PERTH, AUSTRALIA — The CBH Group said on Nov. 18 that it is set to export the largest ever barley shipment out of Western Australia with the vessel proposed to take more than 77,000 tonnes out of Esperance.

CBH Group General Manager Marketing and Trading Jason Craig, said this is a fantastic milestone for the CBH Group and further strengthens our position as the number one exporter of Australian grain.

“The vessel, Minoan Falcon is expected to commence loading on Thursday at the Esperance port. The feed barley cargo is destined for our customers in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Saudi Arabia is the largest feed barley importer in the world, requiring 7.5 to 8 million tonnes per year.  Those imports are set to rise with the countries growing population and increasing living standards.

“In addition to this Saudi is developing as an important market for wheat also, as domestic grain production is due to cease in 2016 due to a Government mandate on water usage. In the 2012-13 shipping period CBH shipped 39% of our total grain exports to the Middle East and Africa.”

CBH Group Esperance Zone Manager Mick Daw said the company is using a post-panamax vessel that will require 13.2 m draft and is roughly 5-6 meters wider than the normal vessels we load out of Esperance. 

“It’s great to have the flexibility in managing larger ships and offers us more options in handling our large export task,” Daw said. “To be able to load this amount of grain during a bumper harvest is also very beneficial.  It frees up room for further receivals to come in. The ship is set to leave Esperance port this week and will take approximately 15 or 16 days to reach Saudi Arabia.”