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Ont. ports handling larger grain shipments

Ont. ports handling larger grain shipments

Ag cargo accounts for over 20 percent of total shipments at the Port of Hamilton

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Some ports have experienced an uptick in grain shipments thanks to increased yields from Ontario growers.

So far this year, the Port of Hamilton, for example, has handled almost double the volume of grain compared to last year.

“Grain is up 93 per cent on a year-to-date basis,” Lisa Fenn, director of public affairs with the Hamilton Port Authority, told CBC Wednesday. “Close to one million metric tons have transited the port so far this year, including 600,000 metric tonnes of Ontario-grown corn.”

Ag products accounted for 23 per cent of the port’s total tonnage in 2017. That number was only 9 per cent in 2008.

Trade relationships and international weather concerns have also contributed to increased grain shipments.

A drought in Europe, for example, means livestock producers are looking elsewhere for feed.

“Europe is always a large importer of corn,” Fenn said. “This year, a heat wave has meant European livestock producers have been relying on more imported corn as feed.”

And Canada’s good standing with trade partners means international buyers revisit turn to Canada for their grain.

Customers “just seem to be kind of coming back and hitting the market again just because they know that there was extra tonnage sitting there in Ontario and the quality is good, the price is good and they didn’t have to worry about any trade disputes ongoing,” James Tetreault, a grain merchandiser, told CBC.

Another Ontario port has also experienced increased grain shipment volumes.

More than 800,000 metric tonnes of grain left the Port of Thunder Bay in July. It’s only the second time in two decades that the port has shipped that much grain.

“The Canadian grain industry needs an outlet that can efficiently handle (demand) surges, and Thunder Bay delivers,” Tim Heney, CEO of the Port of Thunder Bay, said in an Aug. 3 release, Northern Ontario Business reported.


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