Stockpiles of agricultural produce could mount up as an amalgamation of factors continue to plague the global shipping freight industry – refer HERE
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Freight and Trade Alliance director Paul Zalai said the number one challenge facing the shipping industry was a lack of containerised shipping space to ports in the Indian subcontinent, the Middle Eastern gulf, and African ports.
"The congestion and difficulties we are facing don't discriminate," Mr Zalai said.
"Probably the biggest issue is that of target markets. We've got a situation where international vessels and equipment are in huge demand, and getting clogged up. To do trade to some of these other regions is less attractive to some shipping lines. "Some of the feedback I'm now getting is farmers with bumper crops of grain and other products, they're going to have to stockpile goods."
Mr Zalai said much of the agricultural supply chain was reliant on container freight.
"That's being caught up on this bigger mess of shipping congestion globally," Mr Zalai said. "In the Australian context, we've got our own complexity because of industrial relations, and Covid-19 as well. Melbourne and Sydney are opening up, we're learning to live with Covid-19. But we haven't been told how to work with it."
"Something has got to give in that space."