A record-breaking rail performance is helping CBH shift grain. Photo: CBH Group

THE Western Australian grain harvest continues to exceed expectations, with growers delivering 3.2 million tonnes (Mt) to CBH Group in the week to December 18, the co-operative said in its Harvest Report released today.

CBH receivals to date now total 16.7Mt.

The past week has brought cold weather and rain to central and southern parts of the state, and hot conditions and high winds with harvest bans and fires through the central and northern parts of the state.

CBH Group chief operations officer Mick Daw said while many growers are now finishing harvest for the season, there was still a lot more grain to be delivered.

“Due to the frustrating weather over the past few weeks, a lot of growers throughout the south of the state are still finishing canola deliveries but will start to move over to wheat and barley,”  Mr Daw said.

“Meanwhile, many growers in the Geraldton zone are finishing up just in time for Christmas.”

Despite the frustrating weather conditions, 18 CBH sites broke receival records over the past week.

Mr Daw said that in addition to the site records, the rail performance had also consistently improved over the past few months.

“It is really pleasing to see records broken on all fronts from site and zone receival records to road, rail and shipping.”

“In particular, I’d like to call out the improved rail performance which has seen our rail provider, Aurizon, continue to break monthly records consecutively from July to November.”

CBH’s calendar-year rail tonnage record of 8.5Mt was set in 2019.

“That has already been broken, with the current rail record sitting at 8.8Mt, with the rest of December still yet to come.”

Sites will be closing at lunchtime on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Sunday and Monday to observe the Christmas break.

Table 1: Deliveries to the CBH network as at 19 December 2022. Source: CBH Group

Albany Zone

The zone has had some good harvesting weather in all regions in the past week.

In the northern part of the zone, barley and wheat are the majority of grain being delivered, and in the southern areas, barley and canola with smaller tonnes of wheat are making up deliveries.

Grain quality has been good across the zone and yields continue to be above expectations.All sites in the zone are open and receiving grain, with average zone cycle time sitting at 38.9 minutes.

Esperance Zone

Receivals in the Esperance Zone have been impacted by inclement weather and moisture concern.

Wheat, barley, canola, field peas and lupins are all being received across the zone.

The Esperance Zone is being affected by unseasonably cool conditions for this time of the year.

All sites are open in the zone, with the average cycle time for the Esperance Terminal and Shark Lake sitting at 61.7 minutes, Area 19 at 51 minutes and Area 18 at 44.1 minutes.

Geraldton Zone

Deliveries to sites in the Geraldton Zone shrinking day by day, with wheat and lupins the main commodities being received.

Grain quality is good and yields are still above expectation.

Some sites will close over the next week with all major sites remaining open. Average site cycle time is 46.8 minutes.

Kwinana North Zone​

Harvesting conditions were good for the week, with only a small amount of rain on Tuesday that slowed deliveries.

All commodities are being received across the zone, but canola is largely complete and growers are now into their barley and wheat programs.

Grain quality has been good with yields higher than expected in some areas.

All sites are open throughout each area, with zone cycle time sitting at 40.4 minutes.

A few sites closed for the season in the past week, and more are to follow this week.

​Kwinana South Zone

Wheat has been the predominant commodity received to date, and some segregations are starting to close as services fill.

The zone has received 71.6pc of its estimated harvest to date.

Source: CBH Group