The record of 14.7 million tonnes was set in 2003-4, and with this harvest, despite prolonged dry and wet spells, frosts and storms, the state is set to canter past the second-biggest harvest on record, the 12.5mt of 2005-06.

It won't be the best quality crop, but most farmers will walk away with a result, glad to shut the gate on '08 with the hope that things will be fine in '09.

Preliminary estimates put this year's harvest receivals at close to 12.8mt, but it could go higher because a lot of grain has been stored on-farm as farmers consider selling strategies in the new deregulated market.

The bright spot this year has been the northern Wheatbelt where most farmers took off the quinella with high-yielding crops making high-paying grades.

Elsewhere, it was a mixed bag, but given the season it raises the question of what could have been achieved in even an average season.

Esperance farmers, particularly, can only wonder what might have been as they wound up one of their latest harvests on record last week to resume or start summer spraying programs.

This time last year, they were on a well-earned holiday break after delivering more than 1.5mt of quality grain.

This harvest, the receivals figures haven't changed much, but constant rain in November and December drowned a second successive year of "killing the pig".

Stained barley, sprouted wheat and contamination consigned a large percentage of grain to feed stacks and the next big issue maybe obtaining enough quality seed for 2009 seeding programs.

Read full story in this week's Farm Weekly.