The amount of wheat committed by Australia to foreign buyers has risen by more than 10% in a month, in a sign of the country's recovery as a grain exporter, official figures have revealed.

Australian cereal traders had committed 3,670m tonnes of wheat for export by the end of February, compared with 3,320m tonnes at the end of January, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed.

The increase represents a return to form for Australian growers who, while historically the world's third biggest wheat exporter, struggled with severe drought in 2006 and 2007. The wheat harvest just completed was, at an estimated 21.4m tonnes, the best for four seasons.

Export commitments were, at nearly 1,990m tonnes, particularly strong in Western Australia, which had its third best crop on record, and whose ports have been struggling to cope with grain volumes. Ships have had to wait up to five weeks to load cargoes.

A US attaché, in a report last month noting "pressure" on Western Australia port facilities, said the "logistical issues" reflected last year's liberalisation of grain exports, which ended the Australian Wheat Board's monopoly.

South Australia was the second-ranked exporting state, with 518m tonnes committed.