First EP grain deliveries into Viterra silos

Viterra's Rudall site has since taken its first delivery as well with a load of barley on Tuesday.

Viterra western region operations manager Nick Pratt says the company has been working closely with its grower customers and is focused on providing an ongoing valuable and efficient service during harvest.

"All our sites on the EP are ready to go for when growers are ready to start delivering," he said.

"Following strong and consistent demand for grain from our system this year, most of the grain has been outturned. Remaining stock is at historically low levels which means our sites have maximum storage capacity and segregations available.

"We have seen grain move at a rapid pace and we continue to see this demand ready for new season grain to start coming in which is reflected in the strong shipping schedule from our EP export terminals for the upcoming months.

"We have around 40 buyers in our system providing growers with access to domestic and export markets when they choose to sell their grain."

Mr Pratt says one of the key priorities every harvest, is to ensure Viterra's services on the EP continue to meet growers' needs including opening hours, segregations and access to state-of-the-art infrastructure.

"I have been travelling around the Eyre Peninsula attending local grower meetings in the last couple of weeks to speak to growers and understand what their needs are over harvest," he said.

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"The season is looking promising with many growers feeling positive about their crops, and the recent rainfall which has been welcomed by growers throughout the region.

"Growers delivering into our sites this harvest, can enjoy the extra benefit of warehouse to cash which is a new service we released ahead of this harvest, which enables growers to instantly sell and transfer their warehoused grain to a cash price.

"We're continuing to provide wheat and barley dynamic binning and have been able to gain further efficiencies which are being passed on to our grower customers through Export Select rates which have reduced at all our sites and storage and handling fees."

Viterra's receival fees at all upcountry sites for all commodities and grades remain the same as last harvest, and for the second consecutive year, major wheat and other barley has not increased at upcountry sites.

Viterra's Gladstone site also received its first loads on Tuesday last week, peas from a farm at Baroota.

Viterra Central region operations manager Jack Tansley said the company had invested $4 million into the Gladstone site ready for the 2020 harvest.

Upgrades included a new state-of-the-art classification centre, automatic grain probes, fully automated 40 metre weighbridge and shed resealing.

Mr Tansley says despite being in the second week of harvest, receivals were slow due to wet weather.

"The grain is ready slightly earlier than usual this year, but the weather has slowed activity," he said.

"We received a few barley samples last week so we should see deliveries pick up soon, weather permitting."