WA grain harvest delivering high tonnage as CBH receival bins extend opening hours

WA growers are kicking harvest up a notch, delivering more than 3.2 million tonnes of grain to CBH receival bins across the State in the past seven days — almost a 1.4Mt boost from the previous week’s total. The figure, revealed in CBH Group’s weekly harvest report on Monday, brings the 2024-25 season total to just over 7.2Mt. CBH chief operations officer Mick Daw said the co-operative had taken recent wet weather into account and extended opening hours for receival sites to make sure all growers could get as much grain delivered as possible. He said the move, along with growers taking advantage of the ideal harvest conditions ahead of forecast wet weather, had contributed to the jump in deliveries. “Rain is forecast across most of the Wheatbelt this week, which will slow or stop harvest should it eventuate,” Mr Daw said. “CBH wanted to give growers the chance to get as much grain harvested and delivered ahead of this rain. “Growers in the Albany and Esperance zones in particular took advantage of this, each zone recording their biggest day of receivals for this harvest on Sunday, November 17. “Receivals in the other zones were also steady. “We have had good feedback from growers about the extended opening hours. “Having more grain out of the paddock and in the bin is always better for growers.” Mr Daw said the CBH team was also working with tarping contractors to protect as many stacks as possible from the forecast rain. “This may result in some services being restricted, although in most cases these services will re-open once the weather has passed,” he said. From November 11-18, growers in the Kwinana North Zone delivered 767,800t, followed by Albany (748,900t), Kwinana South (673,400t), Geraldton (564,900t), and Esperance (463,200). As of November 18, CBH had received 40 per cent of the 2024-25 crop production forecast by the Grain Industry Association of WA. In the Albany zone, where deliveries more than doubled from the previous week, all commodities are being received. Hyden broke its daily receival record on November 14, when the bin received more than 9000t, overtaking the previous record of 8557t. Barley yields have been strong in the Esperance zone, accounting for more than 60 per cent of its forecast delivery. “Canola is slightly higher at around 70 per cent,” the report read. “Both wheat and pulses are in the very early stages of delivery.” Mt Madden has also broken its daily receival record, with 8130t received on November 13. Mornings have been “slow” for the Geraldton zone. However, according to the report, extended hours at several receival bins have helped get more grain into the system. In the Kwinana North zone, all receival sites are now open, and all commodities are being received. Canola and barley deliveries are starting to slow down, and wheat has now become the major commodity. Rain caused a slow start to the week for the Kwinana South zone, but receivals picked up to more than 100,000t per day for the rest of the week.