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How port grain prices work

What the weekly ABARES port prices mean and how to work back to your farmgate price.

The grain prices on AgIndex are port prices: what buyers are paying for grain delivered to an export port. They're a useful benchmark, but they aren't what you'll be paid at the farm gate.

Where the numbers come from

ABARES publishes a weekly commodity price update every Thursday with Australian port prices for wheat (APW and ASW grades), feed barley, canola and sorghum in Aussie dollars per tonne, alongside world indicator prices (ABARES). AgIndex shows the latest week and the change from the week before.

Port price vs farmgate price

To get from a port price back to your farm, take off the costs of getting the grain there: road or rail freight to port, receival and storage charges, and any handling or levies. What's left is often called the netback or farmgate price. Those costs differ a lot by region and by how far you are from port, so two growers can see the same port price and very different cheques.

Grades matter

  • APW (Australian Prime White) and ASW (Australian Standard White) are milling wheat grades with different protein and quality specs. Higher grades usually earn a premium.
  • Feed barley is priced below malting barley. Canola prices can be adjusted for oil content.

Why port prices move

  • World prices, especially for wheat and canola, set the tone.
  • The Aussie dollar: a lower dollar generally lifts local prices for exported grain.
  • Local supply and demand, such as harvest size and shipping capacity.

Using them well

  • Watch the trend, not one week. A single weekly number can bounce around.
  • Compare a buyer's bid at your local site to the port price minus your usual freight and charges. That tells you whether the bid is fair.
  • Port prices are a weekly average. On any given day, buyers' bids can be higher or lower.

Related: this week's port grain prices. General information only. Talk to your marketer or adviser before you sell.

Sources

General information only, not financial, legal or agronomic advice. Check details with the manufacturer, your dealer and product labels. Last reviewed 16 October 2026. Spot an error? Tell us.