Third biggest crop on record for the west

Western Australian crops have defied the odds and yielded higher than earlier forecasts tipped.

The powerhouse cropping area of Western Australia has brought home the goods to celebrate what is being labelled as the third-largest harvest on record.

The latest forecasts from the Grains Industry Association of Western Australia, December crop report show yields revised upwards to 19.88 million tonnes. The figure is an increase on the November data of 18.61m tonnes.

In 2022 farmers in the west harvested a record 26,147,000 tonne crop.

Bruce Talbot farms at Corrigin in Western Australia and said he wasn’t surprised the yields were revised upwards.

He finished harvesting last week and was still calculating overall averages but said early indications for wheat showed yields of 3.5 tonnes/ha to 4 tonnes/ha.

“We are happy with that,” he said.

Farmers wrap up harvest. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Mr Talbot attributed the conservation of soil moisture for the result.

The average annual rainfall on his property is 300mm and he said up until the end of November 280mm had fallen.

The GIWA report stated that no single factor had influenced the yields or quality of grain.

“Pre-harvest estimates of grain yields for wheat, barley and canola have ended up being well below actual yields,” the report stated.

The December projections for wheat settled at 10,825,000 tonnes, barley at 5,087,000 tonnes, canola at 2,830,000 tonnes, oats at 590,000 tonnes, lupins at 480,000 tonnes and pulses at 68,000 tonnes.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development senior research scientist Ian Foster said the Bureau of Meteorology’s seasonal outlook for January to March 2025 showed above average seasonal rainfall for much of the state.