It’s official: CBH Group records third-biggest harvest on record at 20.3Mt

WA grain growers have defied challenging conditions to help CBH Group receive its third-biggest crop on record, with 20.3 million tonnes of grain tipped into its bins from Geraldton to Esperance. The total included a record 4.6 million tonnes of grain delivered in the Albany Port Zone, up on the prior record of 4.5Mt. CBH Group released the figure on February 3, calling time on the 2024-25 harvest after the first delivery in September. The official State total will be released by the Grain Industry Association of WA on February 6, with that figure including grain delivered outside the co-operative’s system and also including grain sold privately or retained on-farm. CBH chief operations officer Mick Daw said three of the four most recent harvests had been record-breakers, driven by the innovative practices of WA grain growers. “With the unusual seasonal conditions this season, growers have done an amazing job delivering a crop this size,” Mr Daw said. “This season was completely different from the record crop of 2022-23, where the season looked promising from as early as April, whereas 2024 started out very dry right across the State.” CBH’s Kwinana North Zone received the most grain, at 4.74Mt, followed by the Albany Port Zone (4.63Mt), Kwinana South (4.43Mt), Geraldton (3.47Mt), and the Esperance Port Zone (3.16Mt). After a dry start to the growing season, maturing grain showed signs of “turning around” after widespread rain in July. Mr Daw said from there, growing conditions were ideal in most areas with minimal water logging or frost events. “When harvest approached, decent yields surprised most in the WA grains industry,” he said. “It is a significant achievement for the industry and one that growers should be immensely proud of.” It was a stop-start harvest for grain growers across WA, with harvest bans and wet weather interrupting their efforts. But when conditions were good, farmers were able to “work quickly” to harvest their crops, Mr Daw said. “CBH supported this with extended opening hours, including extra sites opening some Sundays,” he said. It was a record-breaking harvest in more ways than one, with CBH smashing its new daily network receival record three times. The most grain delivered on a single day in the co-operative’s history was 630,565t on November 29. A total 29 sites set daily tonnage records and 20 sites exceeded their previous record for total tonnes delivered in one harvest.

It’s official: CBH Group records third-biggest harvest on record at 20.3Mt

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