Australia: Rain-related downgrading sinks values

Values for feed wheat and barley have fallen in the past week as domestic consumers see little to no export competition for downgraded cereals. Reluctance from southern growers to sell rain-affected cereals has tempered the fall, while in the north, some time pressure is upon growers ahead of the sorghum harvest which will start in earnest around New Year. Cereals are also having trouble muscling into nearby shipping stems for eastern Australian ports, where pulses and canola have blocked out most nearby slots. Table 1: Indicative prices in Australian dollars per tonne. Wheat and barley bids from the stockfeed market have fallen in the past week to reflect the growing proportion of unharvested grain which is weather damaged, and thin export interest in either grade. In the Brisbane port zone, that is tied to the focus on bulk cargoes rolling straight from chickpeas into a big sorghum program in February, with little room for wheat. One trader said consumers were already well ...