Harvest season is approaching with a sense of optimism, and forecasts suggest Western Australia could post a record haul
Western Australia’s bumper haul is tipped to play a big role in a positive harvest season.
The state is forecast to produce 24.6 million tonnes of winter crop according to Rabobank, a figure which would be 10 per cent above last year and would mark its second highest figure ever.
The Grain Industry Association of Western Australia shares the optimism, with its October crop report saying the state “may even exceed” the record which was set in 2022.
GIWA notes that while little useful rain has fallen during the critical grain-fill period, “the good areas to the north, west and south of the state are very good and have a similar potential to 2022”.
Combined with an extra 500,000ha (about 6 per cent) of cropped land compared to the record year of 2022, the state’s output is tipped to be strong.
Barley crops were highlighted as they “have looked sensational all year” and a record of more than 7 million tonnes is expected to be harvested.
WA-based grain cooperative CBH Group says months of planning has taken place to prepare for the state’s harvest, which includes ongoing investment and new technology.
“Our internal modelling suggested an above average harvest was coming, so we activated our Peak Planning team months ago,” CBH chief operating officer Mick Daw says.
“They run scenarios and make sure the network can flex as needed for a crop of this size.
“As growers continue to innovate and push yields higher, we’re making sure our network can handle it now and in the future.”
CBH says an extra 500,000 tonnes of permanent storage has been added across the state for this season, along with upgrades elsewhere.
There has also been 1.25 million tonnes of low-spec storage added across 25 sites, plus 1 million tonnes of existing low-spec storage remediated and 250,000 tonnes reinstated.
CBH is also rolling out its visual analysis technology across more than half the network, which it says “delivers consistent, accurate grain grading with real-time results sent straight to the CDF app”.
Rabobank has tipped the national winter grain crop to reach 62.8 million tonnes this year, a figure which would be 6.4 per cent higher than last year.
RaboResearch senior grains and oilseeds analyst Vitor Pistoia says Western Australia – along with northern New South Wales – were tipped to be the big drivers of this increase.
“This year, the season in WA behaved similarly to last year with a late season break followed by good rainfall in most regions across the state during July and August,” he says.
“Temperatures were supportive to grain filling as well, with a mild first half of September and typical heat waves starting by the end of the month.”