Bulk shipments of Canadian grain through the port of Vancouver were up more than 20 percent in 2014, according to grain export statistics published last week by the port authority.
Data compiled by Port Metro Vancouver lists bulk grain, oilseed, feed and specialty crop shipments at 19.6 million tonnes in 2014, up from 16.1 million tonnes a year earlier.
Wheat and canola shipments accounted for the lion’s share of the increase.
Bulk wheat shipments were listed at 8.9 million tonnes, up from 7.6 million tonnes a year earlier. That’s an increase of 18 percent.
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Total canola shipments jumped 31 percent to 6.1 million tonnes, up from 4.6 million tonnes a year earlier.
Shipments of non-feed barley were just a hair shy of 700,000 tonnes, up from 400,000 in 2013.
Shipments of specialty crops were down one percent at 2.95 million tonnes.
Containerized grain shipments were also up.
Outbound shipments of containerized specialty crops were listed at 2.67 million tonnes last year, up six percent from 2013.
Outbound shipments of containerized cereal grains were up 25 percent at 393,000 tonnes.
Japan was easily the most popular destination for Canadian wheat shipped through the port.
Nearly 1.4 million tonnes (15 percent) of wheat shipped through Vancouver was destined for Japan.
Peru was the second most popular destination, followed by Colombia, Italy and Bangladesh.
China was easily the most common destination for outbound canola.
Canola shipments through Vancouver to China were listed at nearly three million tonnes in 2014. That was almost 50 percent of the port’s total canola traffic last year.
Contact brian.cross@producer.com
