Where the grain has been received in Victoria this harvest

Victoria’s harvest is ramping up, with some grain receival sites almost at capacity. Here’s where the grain has been received and how it compares to last year’s volumes.

Harvest is almost complete in some areas of Victoria. Picture: Zoe Phillips

GRAIN receival sites are recording big year-on-year increasing in grain deliveries, as harvest ramps up across much of Victoria.

In the Mallee and northern Wimmera sites are filling up quick, with many centres deep into harvest and just “bits and pieces to bring in”.

“Generally speaking growers in the Mallee have all but finished, but there might be a few at the tail end of harvest,” Pearson’s grain trader Reagan Stroud said.

Mr Stroud said after being on a knife-edge much of the season, some timely rain in August had saved many farmers’ crops.

“It’s certainly the best season we’ve experienced since 2016/17.

“Our volumes would be 30 per cent down on that year, but 200 per cent better than the last two,” he said.

Mr Stroud said they had seen a surprising amount of barley in comparison to wheat, which attributed to more wheat being kept on farm.

At Grainflow’s Victorian sites which includes Dimboola, Charlton and Sea Lake, approximately 60 per cent of harvest is completed.

“Victorian farmers are witnessing an excellent production year and we have seen an increase in receivals year-on-year into our network,” Cargill corporate affairs director Peter McBride said.

He said they had received mainly wheat, but had got some barley earlier than usual this year and good canola was coming in, with more expected.

In the Western District things were only just getting started, though deliveries of canola were mounting up.

“We’re seeing grains come in quite quickly this year, which I attribute to the warm weather we’ve had lately,” Riordan grain trader Adrian Murphy said.

However, he said the sites “around here are only 10 to 15 per cent full”.

He said the volume appeared to be up on last year, with 70 per cent of canola already received in the Western District and barley flowing in next.

“Barley yields are very good this year. We’re seeing 6 to 7 tonne per hectare,” he said.

While the Western District had a fair way to go, Victorian harvest would be over sooner than previous years, provided the weather stayed good, he said.

“The season seems to be a little bit earlier.”

“If the weather stays fine and hot there will be a lot of harvest wrapped up by New Year,” he said.

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