MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — The quality of wheat in the 2011-12 harvest year is improving, lifting the ratio of milling to feed wheat grain in storage, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) stated in its April 24 Stocks of Grain Held by Bulk Handling Companies and Grain Traders report.

Stocks of wheat grain for milling were 13.9 million tonnes, which was 66% of all grain stored in March 2012. Feed grade wheat grain stocks were 7.3 million tonnes (34% of all grain stored), which was a decrease of 60,000 tonnes from February 2012.

Compared to March 2011, feed grade wheat grain stocks were down 1.1 million tonnes or 13% in March 2012.

Australia’s bulk storage of wheat grain in March decreased by 2 million tonnes, or 9%, to 21.3 million tonnes, when compared to February. However, the total was 2.5 million tonnes, or 13%, higher than March 2011.

All states recorded a decrease in stocks of wheat grain stored in February 2012. The largest fall in stocks of wheat grain stored occurred in Western Australia where a decrease of 9% or 749,000 tonnes from the end of February 2012 was recorded.

Western Australia had the largest amount of wheat grain stored with 8 million tonnes, which was 38% of national stocks. New South Wales (including ACT) was next largest with 5.9 million tonnes, which accounted for 28% of national stocks.