HANDLING, storage and technical investment in Western Australia by CBH Group is coming to fruition in readiness for harvest 2018 as it faces greater than usual segregation demands and logistics challenges from an above average, though varied winter crop harvest due to begin in a few days.

As part of CBH’s Network Strategy, and also responding to harvest pressure expected to occur particularly in the Kwinana zone this year, new construction includes 650,000 tonnes of permanent storage and provision of 900,000t of emergency storage, faster grain unloading capability from truck to storage, and temporary installations to accommodate high volumes of grain.

CBH general manager operations David Capper said the projects had added more than 1.5 million tonnes of storage capacity to the CBH network and a further 200,000t could be built if required for this harvest depending on the weather.

CBH is completing more than 20 other projects designed to reduce waiting times for Western Australian growers.

“We’ve installed or upgraded conveyor systems with capacity to receive grain faster and potentially reduce delivery times for growers and drivers,” he said.

Mr Capper said CBH had purchased 19 additional Drive Over Grids, which is a mobile device that could quickly and conveniently increase a receival site’s grain unloading capacity.

“Putting these preparations in place means we can quickly deploy these pieces of equipment to receival sites that may be experiencing high volumes, enabling trucks to unload quicker and provide faster turnaround times for growers and transporters.”

The mobile CDF app released state-wide for the 2018 harvest is a technology innovation CBH expects will make for greater efficiency of harvest deliveries.

Increased permanent storage and unloading capacity is listed by zone as below;