CBH: Grain harvest receivals top 20 million tonnes

West Australian grain company CBH sets a major record for grain receivals, with more deliveries still to come.

The grain harvest in Western Australia has already seen CBH Group reach the receival milestone of 20 million tonnes.

West Australian bulk handler CBH Group has topped the 20 million tonne mark for grain receivals for the first time.

In its latest weekly harvest report, CBH said it reached the milestone last Wednesday but deliveries could reach 22 million tonnes before harvest was completed.

CBH acting chief operations officer Mick Daw said there was plenty of grain yet to be delivered, especially from the Albany zone in the southwest of the state.

“There could be another couple of million tonnes to be delivered, based on the industry forecast,” Mr Daw said.

“We need to stay focused on getting the remaining crop in safely and efficiently for our growers, clean up sites and transition to outloading.”

The Grain Industry Association of Western Australia forecasted the state’s crop at 22.1 million tonnes in December.

More than 20.4 million tonnes had been delivered to CBH by this morning.

WA’s previous biggest crop was in 2016-17, when more than 17.7 million tonnes of grain were harvested.

According to Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences statistics, the state’s grain growers planted 8.53 million hectares of crop in 2026-17 — a record area sown until this season.

ABARES has estimated this season’s crop area at 8.82 million hectares, or 3.4 per cent higher than 2016-17.

But if GIWA’s tonnage forecast eventuates, this season’s crop would be 24.9 per cent larger than the previous record.

Mr Daw said the Albany zone — where much of the remaining grain is expected to come from — had already surpassed its previous receival record.

More than four million tonnes had been delivered to date in that zone.

Most growers had finished harvesting in the Geraldton and Esperance zones, and only major receival sites would remain open in the Kwinana North and Kwinana South zones.