Record wheat yields in north as Australia begins huge 62m tonne harvest
Eleven per cent of Australia’s winter crop is already harvested as farmers race toward a predicted 62.8-million-tonne haul despite challenging conditions in southern regions.
Eleven per cent of Australia’s winter crop is already in the bin with harvest in Queensland and northern NSW well underway, while lighter crops are expected in southern NSW and Victoria after a dry season.
Australia is on track for its third largest harvest, with the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences forecasting 62.8m tonnes for 2025‑26 - up 2 per cent on last year and 26 per cent above the 10‑year average.
It is turning out to be a bumper season in northern NSW, where farmers have reported bin‑busting wheat yields of seven tonnes a hectare.
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of wheat and canola has been harvested in Queensland, compared with around 15 per cent in NSW and less than 1 per cent in South Australia and Victoria, based on satellite imagery from Digital Agriculture Systems.
The data shows that wheat and barley dominate early harvest volumes nationally, with 10.7 per cent of wheat and 12.4 per cent of barley already cut, while lentils and field peas remained at less than 1 per cent. Nationally, 11 per cent of Australia’s winter crop has been harvested so far.
A GrainCorp spokesperson said harvest activity was winding down across Queensland after a smooth and efficient season.
Queensland’s season totals had reached 1,463,900 tonnes; New South Wales, 2,033,600 tonnes; and Victoria, 45,500 tonnes, bringing overall GrainCorp up-country receivals to 3,543,000 tonnes.
Harvest has gained momentum in South Australia, with farmers delivering 16,765 tonnes to bulk handler Bunge for the 2025 season so far.
In Western Australia, farmers delivered 208,700 tonnes to the CBH network, led by Esperance with 175,300 tonnes, followed by Kwinana North 20,900 tonnes, Geraldton 7900 tonnes, Kwinana South 2600 tonnes, and Albany 2000 tonnes, with canola the bulk of the tonnage, followed by barley and small amounts of wheat.
Moree, NSW, farmer Rebecca Reardon said yields for wheat had climbed to 5.5 to 6 tonnes a hectare in what was an exceptional result.
“We are seeing very good yields, but the crops are low in protein,” she said.
Mrs Reardon said harvest was about half way at her place and they had completed wheat and were now into chickpeas.
At Tamworth, NSW, Ian Coxhead was planning to harvest oats this week but there had been some delays due to intermittent storms.
“We have had a really mild winter and good rain during the growing season, so things should go well,” he said.
In addition to harvesting oats he had also been busy cutting lucerne for hay.
To the south in Victoria, Simon Wall of Gowangardie was planning to windrow canola this week, while overall harvest was still a few weeks off.
“The canola is looking all right for what it has been through. It was dry in September and October,” he said.
Mr Wall said the staggered germination of canola that occurred in autumn was likely to cause problems right through until harvest.
“For what the crops have been through they are looking surprisingly good, but more rain would have been beneficial,” he said.
In Western Australia a hefty crop forecast of 25.5m tonnes was being harvested by the state’s farmers with some leaders suggesting that it could be even bigger than official projections made by the Grain Industry of Western Australia crop report once the entire amount was stripped.
