Sorghum receivals up 300pc at GrainCorp Capella

The depot clocked over 40,000 tonnes of sorghum on July 26 - 30,000t more than the same time in 2020.

GrainCorp Queensland regional operations manager Brad Foster said the dry spring had this year's forecast sitting at 2020 levels, but a wet January to March period improved the crop's fortunes.

"We were only forecasting around that 10,000-tonne mark with the dry spring that we had, but then the rains came along and certainly boosted the yields for the crops that were there, so the timing of the rain was really good," Mr Foster said.

"In a good year at Capella we just about fill the site - it's about 80,000 tonnes - so we're still half of a good year, but a lot better than the couple of drought years."

Read more: Sorghum season delivers windfall

One of GrainCorp's largest sites, the Mt McLaren depot, about 75 kilometres north of Clermont, has also been performing well this season.

"The further north you went with the sorghum crop this year, the better it got," Mr Foster said.

"We're out loading all that sorghum at the moment - loading a train per night. They roll in at midnight to head across to the Mackay terminal where we're loading a boat this week.

"It's good to see that supply chain up and running again and Mackay pumping out a 40,000 tonne vessel, which is a good size vessel for up there."

Mr Foster said once the sorghum had been dispersed they would move onto wheat and chickpeas.

"In September we'll start to see the early winter crop come in. The bulk of that will come in towards the end of September and October. There's certainly a lot of chickpea around, which is looking good at the moment.

He said while there was some barley in the Central Highlands, it was typically marketed ex-farm to feedlots.

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