The pace of Western Canada’s 2018-19 grain exports through the Port of Vancouver is off to a relatively slow start, according to data compiled by the Grain Monitoring Program.
Through Week 3 of the 2018-19 crop year, total export shipments through the Port of Vancouver were listed at 731,000 tonnes.
That’s down 31 percent from the same period last year.
During the first three weeks of 2017-18, total shipments through Vancouver were listed at 1.06 million tonnes.
The five-year average is 1.01 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, grain shipments through Prince Rupert, Canada’s other West Coast port, are off to a relatively strong start.
During the first three weeks of 2018-19, Prince Rupert shipments were listed at 262,000 tonnes, up from 89,000 during the same period last year.
The five-year average for Prince Rupert is 257,000 tonnes.
Total shipments of grain through all western Canadian ports — Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Thunder Bay — was listed at 1.35 million tonnes at the end of Week 3.
That’s 13 percent lower than 2017-18 and 25 percent lower than the five-year average.
Entering Week 4, vessel lineups at Vancouver stood at 24 ships.
Farmer deliveries to prairie elevator locations were listed at 823,000 tonnes in Week 3, including 401,000 tonnes in Saskatchewan, 273,000 tonnes in Manitoba and 149,000 tonnes in Alberta.
Contact brian.cross@producer.com
