WA’s $8b grain harvest steamrolls past the halfway point thanks to sunny skies and warm weather

WA’s bin-bursting grain harvest has officially reached the halfway point, with CBH Group reporting 12.6 million tonnes of grain in the bin this week as the bumper season causes both shipping and bin records to topple. Sunny skies and warm days have grain farmers steamrolling through their harvest programs after wet weather forced a tepid start. Many have now crossed the halfway point, and yields are exceeding expectations. Farmers in the Kwinana North Zone were leading the harvest charge by Monday morning, with 3.09m tonnes in the bin, followed by the Geraldton Port Zone at 2.93mt, and the Esperance Port Zone at 2.44mt. The Kwinana South Zone was next, at 2.27mt, followed by the Albany Port Zone at 1.93mt. CBH operations officer Mick Daw said daily receival records were toppling as growers experienced excellent harvesting conditions. He said during the past week, CBH had broken multiple grain receival records, as well as the previous State shipping record. “In the past week, we have received more than 500,000 tonnes per day for six days, bringing our total tonnes received to date to nearly 13mt,” he said. CBH had its biggest day on record on Friday, November 26, with 533,000 tonnes received and — for the first time — three consecutive days with more than 500,000 tonnes of grain received each day. But that record lasted just three days, toppling on Monday, November 29 when 569,000 tonnes was delivered, before being smashed two days later on December 1, when 586,000 tonnes was delivered across the CBH network. WA’s grain shipping record has also been broken, with the 1.17mt shipped in November up on the prior record of 1.1mt. The shipping record also included an all-time month record for Geraldton, where 422,000 tonnes was shipped in November. “It is really pleasing to note that a lot of tonnages have been received at sites seamlessly, which is testament to our front-line and maintenance teams, as well as the investments we have made into our assets and infrastructure,” Mr Daw said. More than 800,000 tonnes of grain was delivered across the Kwinana North Zone last week, 761, 000 in the Esperance Port Zone, 667,000 tonnes in the Kwinana South Zone, 526,000 tonnes in the Geraldton Port Zone, and 775,000 tonnes in the Albany Port Zone. CBH’s Morawa and Canna sites — in the Geraldton Port Zone — broke their all-time receival records. Mingenew farmer Geoff Cosgrove was delivering grain when Countryman visited the local bin, and said it had been a “solid harvest” across his 11,000ha property. “The crops are really good, and we are getting to the end of the season where we are running into issues keeping the grain away (from CBH sites)” he said. “There are a few bottlenecks starting to pop up in CBH because it is a big crop. “We had a little hail storm there somewhere which knocked a bit of shine off the canola, but it wasn’t too bad. “Just trying to keep moving without getting held up too much.” Mr Daw said the “unprecedented volume” had placed significant pressure on everyone involved in the harvest — including growers, their families, employees, transporters, and CBH staff. “CBH is actively working to ensure we can maintain services for growers. This may not be (at) your closest site, but we will ensure major sites can continue to take grain,” he said. “We ask that all CBH staff, growers and transporters be patient, respectful and work together to get through this record-breaking harvest. Any concerns regarding site operations should be discussed with the site or area manager, and not front-line staff.” It was all systems go when Countryman visited CBH’s Mingenew site recently, where CBH samplers Kristy Gardner and Diah Paramita Sari were busy with a flurry of trucks coming through. It is Ms Gardner’s fourth season working for CBH. “My boyfriend is on a family farm (in Mingenew)... and when I moved in with him I got the job here,” she said. “It was convenient, close, and I wanted to learn more about agriculture because I was going to be living out here. “This year I’m the most experienced, so I guess it’s just making sure everything runs smoothly.” WA is expected to deliver its first 20.5mt crop this year, well above the 15mt average, and worth at least a record $8 billion as high prices coincide with record tonnages. The State’s good harvest is in tune with new figures, showing the nation’s winter crop production is pegged to hit a national record this harvest, rising 5 per cent to a record 58.4mt. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences this month forecast the record, with executive director Jared Greenville saying it was driven by forecasts of record high production in WA and the second-highest record in NSW and Queensland.