Good though that various grains handled by GNC "flowed" in FY 21...

Good though that various grains handled by GNC "flowed" in FY 21 and should, God willing, do so in FY 22.

As I write the southernmost Pacific National grain train for GNC is a broad gauge one from Victoria's Quambatook to the North Geelong Grain Loop that's shipside, and is about to tackle the heavy grade from Ballarat East to the summit at Warrenheip. 'Quamby' is on one of the two branch lines that ought have been converted from broad to standard gauge under the botched, over budget Murray Basin Rail project. Another failure by the Vic state government, sadly.

In NSW there are an amazing four PN standard gauge grain trains between Harden (on the main Sydney - Melbourne line) and Griffith via Temora and Ardlethan (Griffith can be reached two ways by rail).

The northernmost grain train in NSW for GNC appears to be at the Bellata site (between Narrabri and Moree), probably loading during the day. I thought the whole of the lines north from Narrabri to Moree (and beyond to North Star/Weemelah) were closed until 1 November 2021 for Australian Rail Track Corporation Inland Rail works, but it may have reopened this southern section without fanfare.

This list (as usual) isn't exhaustive but in the two southern states it's a microcosm of the grain transport scene. Mind blowing to consider that in August and September, grain from the winter 2021 bumper season will still be on its way in mammoth ships, one reason for GNC recently upgrading its profit forecast.

At Portland (Vic), the MV Gramos should be moving to the wharf at 1530 this afternoon (departing on 21 August) to load up to 27500 tonnes of grain for San Fernando on the main Filipino island of Luzon with its population of 50 million (including 12 million plus in Metro Manila) double that of Australia's. Tomorrow morning, a larger ship, the MV Graecia Aeterna is due to pull in and load, by 24 August, up to 65000 tonnes of wheat that may be bound for Busan in South Korea.

On my travels to these localities, Filipinos in particular love what they call 'French bread' - we'd just call it 'bread', but it differs from their local immensely sugary bread that is not to my liking. Great to know South Korea (population above 50m) and Philippines (above 110m) use GNC's golden grains.

GNC has been successful at diversifying away from sales to mainland communist China and while it never releases a list, it sells to more than 50 nations.