DESPITE a long and drawn out 2011/12 harvest it will still go down as the second largest on record.
With last year's harvest well and truly over by Christmas in most areas thanks to one of the driest seasons on record in WA this year, there are still a number of frustrated farmers on headers trying to get the last of the grain off.
Although the season was marred by unexpected rains, squally storms and subsequent crop damage, growers undoubtedly produced a better yield result than in previous years.
The 2011/12 harvest cemented its position as the second largest on record in WA after grain deliveries pushed the statewide total to 13.2 million tonnes as of late last week.
This surpassed the previous record for the second largest harvest set in 2005/06 of 12.5mt although the 2003/04 harvest still holds CBH's record for the highest grain intake for WA with 14.7mt delivered.
About 95 per cent of WA's estimated tonnage for the 2011/12 harvest has been received and only a fraction more is set to be delivered before CBH achieves its estimated 13.5mt for the season despite a large number of bin closures throughout the State.
Last month the Geraldton zone easily broke its previous harvest record of 2.6mt set in 2003/04 and its receivals now sit at 3.4mt with about 98pc of the estimated crop in the bin.
Meanwhile, across the State, nearly 50 sites broke daily receival records during the harvest period.
CBH general manager of operations Colin Tutt said this season's harvest may have been one of the largest on record but it also continued to be one of the most challenging.
"We have seen significant weather delays, quality issues requiring extensive use of falling numbers machines, bins filling and closing and a reduction in the performance of rail moving grain to port," he said.
"Although the harvest has been pleasing from a yield perspective, with low grain prices and deteriorating grain quality due to inclement weather events, there will be growers in some districts struggling to make a profit which is the disappointing part of such a high production year.
"As we enter the final stages of harvest we continue to urge growers to be patient as many sites will be reaching capacity and we will need to maximise our available storage space to ensure we can get all grain in the bin."
Within the last few weeks the Geraldton zone delivered more than 350,000 tonnes of grain in the lead-up to the end of harvest.
CBH's Geraldton zone manager Duncan Gray said on Thursday, December 15, Geraldton broke the 3mt mark and looked to be moving towards an even higher delivery figure than its initial 3.2mt estimate.
"I would like to thank all the growers and contractors for their patience, support and understanding over this period, it's a credit to them as well for working with our teams to get to this figure," Mr Gray said.
He said there was still a way to go before finish and while it would be tough due to country sites closing, CBH continued to ask for patience and plenty of communication to make it happen.
It was a very disappointing last few weeks in the Kwinana zone with minimal deliveries made due to significant rainfall events experienced in December and the subsequent major disruption to harvest programs throughout the zone.
But CBH's Kwinana zone manager Brett Jeffrey said recent clear and warm weather helped growers to get their remaining tonnes off and into the bins.
It was also another very slow week for receivals in the Albany zone following more substantial rainfall, especially in the Kent shire.
CBH's Albany zone manager Greg Thornton said although deliveries were still being received, much of it had come from storage.
"Overall the zone has received about 2mt which isn't as much as CBH's initial 2.5mt estimate however total receivals are now expected to reduce due to losses in both yields and quality," he said.
"General Purpose and Feed wheat segregations are now being introduced at a number of sites to accommodate the receivals of downgraded grain once conditions improve and harvest can recommence."
And just like the Albany port zone, Esperance also continued to be hampered by poor weather, with the zone receiving rainfall throughout much of December.
"We have had to make some adjustments to our segregations at sites to cater for changes in the quality and as a result we have had to close some segregations," CBH's Esperance zone manager Mick Daw said.
But despite CBH's difficulty in handling the big, slow and relatively poor quality harvest growers remained upbeat about the season and their cropping prospects in the 2012/13 season.
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