Grain pours into GrainCorp sites as harvest progresses

GrainCorp are expected to top their daily receival record achieved last week as harvest ramps up.

On the rise: Activity at GrainCorp sites has ramped up as this year’s big harvest arrives.

GRAINCORP workers are moving south to help with this season’s bumper harvest, with receivals expected to top records again.

GrainCorp general manager of operations Nigel Lotz said the company was busy with harvest, and excitement was surrounding the season.

“Everything is looking really good and we are happy with how everything is tracking,” Mr Lotz said.

A record daily receival of 362,000 tonnes was achieved for the company last week.

“We are expecting to top that bumper record to about 400,000 tonnes,” Mr Lotz said. “We will get big tonnes through the gate.”

The company’s worker numbers have increased this season, reaching about 3500 casuals, compared with 1000 last year.

But some of those who signed up had fallen through, Mr Lotz said.

“So not having the number we were expecting is an ongoing challenge,” he said.

However, with coronavirus restrictions easing in time for harvest, teams in the north of the country are able to move down to the south with ease.

“The beauty is that now we are in the swing of it Queensland is easing and northern NSW is easing, so we expect casuals to some to the south,” Mr Lotz said.

“Harvest has kicked into gear in northwest Victoria and areas further south will start mid to late December.”

He said the recent rain in Victoria and NSW gave some growers a breather and delayed some receival activity, particularly in southern-most sites, however, the weather should warm up at the end of the week.

The quality of grain was strong overall, Mr Lotz said, with crops having a good spring finish.

“A challenge with a wet spring is harvest rain, but if it dries up it will be OK,” he said.

As of Monday, total GrainCorp site receivals were at 7,274,500 tonnes.

Meanwhile, in Western Australia, CBH total receivals for the 2020-21 season are at 4,862,000 tonnes as of ­November 20.

CBH said after an interrupted start to the harvest delivery period, warm and dry weather conditions allowed for “consistent harvesting days”, pushing total grain receivals towards the five million tonne mark.

CBH Group chief operations officer Ben Macnamara said he expected daily tonnages to continue to increase.

For Viterra, at the week ending November 15, the company had recorded a total of 705,334 tonnes in western region receivals, 495,706 tonnes at central region receivals and 163,677 tonnes at eastern region receivals.

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