SWP Reports Lower Elevator Receipts

REGINA - Dec 14/04 - SNS -- The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (SWP) reported a decrease in primary elevator receipts during the opening quarter of its 2004-05 fiscal year.

Receipts declined 1% during the three months ending October 31 from 1,633,000 metric tons (MT) last year to 1,612,000 MT. By contrast, primary elevator shipments rose 7% from 1,421,000 MT to 1,515,000 MT.

In reporting the numbers, the SWP said roughly 69% of shipments were made on behalf of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB). Last year, during the first quarter approximately 61% of SWP's shipments were CWB grains. The year-over-year increase in Board grains primarily resulted from the Board fulfilling its commitments with the remainder of the previous year's crop because a large portion of this year's crop remained in the field due to cold, wet weather.

Producer deliveries into SWP's primary elevators were similar year-over-year at 1.6 million MT. The timing of volumes was consistent with harvest progress throughout Western Canada. Higher deliveries relative to the previous year's quarter came into Alberta locations first, where harvest completion was the highest. Deliveries into Saskatchewan and Manitoba facilities were down somewhat because of the harvest delays in those provinces.

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