Australia: Sorghum moves to port, south booking fert

The article provides an overview of the agricultural market in Australia, focusing on the pricing and supply of feed wheat, barley, and sorghum. Despite dry subsoil moisture, farmers in South Australia and Victoria are planning to plant the usual crop sizes, hoping for rain. The sorghum harvest is progressing well in north-west New South Wales and Queensland, with some areas finishing and others still waiting. The domestic market is seeing varied demand for feedgrain, with poultry consumers considering sorghum as a replacement for wheat due to its lower cost. Feedmills are covering March-June demand, with some export demand for wheat and barley. The article also mentions a forthcoming conference in Kyiv to discuss the development of the grain sector in the Black Sea and Danube region.

Price moves for feed wheat and barley have been mixed and moderate in the past week as the supply chain for export sorghum gears up ahead of the season’s first cargo. In southern markets, growers are selling a load here and there, and are expected to start selling more delivered to port in March and April once backloads of fertiliser are sought ahead of winter-crop planting. Most of South Australia’s and Victoria’s grain-growing areas have very little subsoil moisture, but growers are nonetheless preparing to plant their usual area as they cross their fingers for a break in autumn, which officially starts on Saturday. Table 1: Indicative prices in Australian dollars per tonne. Rapid progress is being made in the sorghum harvest, with many growers in north-west New South Wales and on the Western and Central Downs of Queensland finished amid mostly favourable weather. Trade sources report loads not being stored on farm are making their way to port in readiness for bulk ...