AN ESTIMATED 1.6 million tonnes of grain remains stored on the nation's farms, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
In its Australian Wheat Supply and Exports Monthly report, the bureau said about 1.6 million tonnes of wheat was stored by growers and 620,000 tonnes was held by end users at the beginning of last month.
It is the first estimate of the amount of grain held by farmers since the harvest was completed in January.
ABARE has estimated stocks held by bulk handlers at 12.7 million tonnes, about 1.3 million tonnes lower than April.
Australian growers produced a 21.7-million-tonne wheat crop last season.
The bureau said wheat exports in April topped 1.1 million tonnes, slightly lower than the 1.4 million tonnes recorded in March but typical of volume expected at this time of the year.
Bulk shipments accounted for 856,700 tonnes in April, while 208,700 tonnes of wheat were shipped in bags and containers.
The largest markets for bulk shipments in April were Indonesia and Yemen, while Vietnam and Taiwan were the biggest buyers of wheat in bags and containers.
