Harvest Reports 2025/26

Harvest Report - 1 December

CBH surpassed 11 million tonnes in receivals last week, less than one million tonnes behind the tonnage delivered by the same time in 2024.

Harvest slowed or stopped early in the week due to widespread rainfall, with some areas recording up to 40mm, however receivals accelerated as the week progressed. 

Canola and barley continue to dominate deliveries, with wheat programs ramping up and oats and lupins being delivered in lower volumes. 

The harvest acceleration was so fast that on Friday 28 November, CBH set a new daily tonnage record for the network, with 632,001 tonnes coming in. 

The previous record was set last year on Friday 29 November, with 630,565 tonnes being delivered into the CBH network.

All zones also recorded their biggest days of the season last week, with multiple sites setting new highs for daily receivals.

CBH Chief Operations Officer Mick Daw said that forecast warm and dry conditions should help build harvest momentum.

“Warm weather will set growers up for a good run at harvesting, instead of the stop-start conditions they faced during November,” Mr Daw said. 

“We know that growers are reporting higher than expected yields, so as a result we have already seen two 600,000 tonne days, including a new daily recieval record for the CBH network. 

“CBH teams across the state are ready for the increased pace of harvest. Operational adjustments such as extended hours and double shifts continue to support growers as tonnages increase. 

“We’re looking forward to working with growers and transporters to get the crop off as quickly and safely as possible.” 

Growers are reminded to check CDF app notifications for all updates, including site services and opening hours. For further assistance, contact your Area Manager on the numbers provided in the Operations Harvest Guide, or the Grower Service Centre on 1800 199 083. 

Zone summary

Albany

• Deliveries were slowed following 10-30mm falling the previous weekend. 709,000 tonnes were delivered for the last seven days, with the total for the zone reaching just over 1.9 million tonnes.
• Jacup, Pingrup and Wellstead set new daily site receival records.
• All commodities are being received across the zone, with barley and canola dominating.
• All sites are open.

Esperance

• Widespread rainfall impacted harvest receivals at the start of the week. Windy conditions following the rain aided rapid drying off, with receivals ramping up to over 100,000 tonnes per day toward the back end of the week.
• All commodities are being received with some canola services now limited in the lakes due to storages filling. Most grades have services close by at neighbouring sites.
• All sites are open across the zone as many growers now switch to wheat. Favourable conditions over the coming week should see some records achieved within the zone again.
• Munglinup, Ravensthorpe, Shark Lake and West River set new daily site receival records. Shark Lake broke its record for the third time this year, exceeding 16,000 tonnes for the day.

Geraldton

• The Geraldton Zone has now received 2,253,000 tonnes.
• 28 November was the zone’s biggest day so far this year, receiving 118,714 tonnes.
• Carnamah, Mingenew, Mullewa, Narngulu and Perenjori set new daily site receival records with some sites breaking the record multiple times during the week:
  • Carnamah received 14,019 tonnes
  • Mullewa received 7,805 tonnes
  • Mingenew received 23,163 tonnes
  • Narngulu received 18,296 tonnes
  • Perenjori received 7,461 tonnes
• Wheat and canola are coming in fast, and the long-range forecast is looking good, with the only concern is that we could see some harvest bans due to the high temperatures and wind.
• All sites are open. 

Kwinana North Zone

• The Kwinana North Zone had 10-40mm last week, slowing down deliveries. 814,000 tonnes were delivered for the week, bringing the total to 2,541,000 tonnes.
• Regan’s Ford and Watheroo set new daily site receival records.
• All commodities are being received across the zone. Canola is slowing up and growers are now getting into their wheat.
• All sites are open. 

Kwinana South Zone

• Slow progress early last week, due to wet weather across most of the zone. Weather has now cleared, and volumes have started to pick up again, with 681,000 tonnes delivered over the past seven days.
• Wickepin set a new daily site receival record.
• Canola volumes were still the highest last week however growers are now starting to go onto their barley and wheat programs.
• Most sites and services are now open, with wheat segregations at most sites now fully opened. Some services were suspended in locations until rain cleared.

Harvest Report - 24 November

Harvest activity went back to a stop-start pace as inclement weather moved across the state, breaking the previous week’s momentum. 

Growers were held up in most parts of the State due to a variety of bad weather events that included rain, hail, lightning, and in some cases fire, with shires in several areas issuing harvest bans.

However, despite these interruptions, when growers were able to continue their programs, more daily site records were set.

New daily site receival records were set at Gairdner (Albany Zone), Shark Lake, Mount Madden and Munglinup (Esperance Zone) and Mukinbudin (Kwinana North Zone).  

The Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) updated their crop production estimates on Friday in their November report, lifting their prediction to 26.6 million tonnes in total for the state.

CBH Chief Operations Officer Mick Daw confirmed the co-op has the capacity to handle and store this years above average harvest, and receive large daily volumes of deliveries.

“GIWA recently increased its estimate to 26.6 million tonnes for the size of WA crop, and our internal estimates mirror this,” Mr Daw said.

“If we reach this figure, and this estimate becomes a reality, it will be the largest crop in WA history – and a huge achievement for WA growers and the grains industry as a whole.

“Of course, we are less than two months in to harvest and there is still plenty to go. As I mentioned prior to harvest, we have been planning for this large crop since earlier in the year and we are prepared and ready.

“When they were able to get back to harvesting, growers are getting the crop off quicker and getting more tonnes to site quicker. We are still seeing new site and zone records coming in – despite the rain and other weather events.

“Harvest shipping is also progressing well, and we have a healthy-looking stem at all four ports. We are continuing to get tonnes out and off to our customers around the world, while also freeing up storage space in the port precincts and key network sites.

“With an increase in trucks movements on roads, and more frequent trains carrying grain, please continue to think and act safely while driving during this busy harvest period.”

Zone Summary

Albany

• The zone has received 1.21 million tonnes to date, with 380,000 tonnes received in the last week. Wet weather on Thursday slowed receivals down for several days into the weekend.
• Barley and canola are the main commodities being received with small tonnes of wheat being delivered.
• All sites are now open across the zone, with average zone cycle time sitting around 31 minutes.
• Gairdner broke its daily receival record with 14,093 tonnes flowing into the site – with 9,997 tonnes of this canola.

Esperance

• Harvest has continued strongly, with approximately 349,000 tonnes received over the past week.
• Barley and canola deliveries are beginning to slow, while wheat receivals are steadily increasing across the zone. 
• Rainfall interrupted harvest and receivals in some areas last week, and conditions are forecast to remain similar through to early this week.
• Average cycle time is around 50 minutes, with some sites achieving times in the low 30s.Some services have closed, primarily for canola and barley, due to limited space, however alternative services are available at neighbouring sites.  
• Multiple site records have been broken at Shark Lake and Munglinup, with new individual records at Chadwick and Mount Madden. A new zone record was also set with 114,000 tonnes received in a single day.

Geraldton

• The Geraldton Zone has now received just over 1.6 million tonnes. 
• Various weather events – including lightning, fire, rain, and hail – had a major impact in various locations across the Zone last week.
• Due to these extreme weather events, a number of shires put in place harvest bans. In response, CBH continues to work with local growers and grower reps at bins to offer as much flexibility around opening and closing times to maximise delivery times.
• High volumes of canola are still coming in however feed barley tonnes have started to drop away. Wheat is expected to ramp up when the zone has dried out.

Kwinana North Zone 

• The Kwinana North Zone experienced rain and thunderstorms most of last week, slowing deliveries across the whole zone. 470,000 tonnes were received for the last seven days, bringing the total to 1.728 million tonnes.
• All commodities are now being received.
• All sites are now open across the zone, with zone cycle times averaging 39.9 minutes
• Mukinbudin broke its daily receival record on Monday, with 6,279 tonnes delivered.

Kwinana South Zone

• Harvest receivals ramped up at the start of the week, with daily receivals clicking over the 100,000 tonne mark for the first time.
• However, receivals slowed down Wednesday and Thursday due to rain events, with weather also challenging conditions over the weekend. 
• GM canola is still the largest commodity being delivered, accounting for more than 50% of daily receivals. Barley is also being delivered in reasonable volumes, followed by wheat, oats and canola. 
• Most sites are now opened with the exception of one wheat only site (Doodlakine), which will open next week. 
• All canola and barley services are open. Wheat services at some locations are not yet opened in full – please check your CDF app for availability at your local site.

Harvest Report - 17 November

Harvest momentum has been building across the Western Australian grainbelt over the past week, with a good run of warmer, drier weather.

Harvesting conditions meant that growers in all zones were able to get stuck into their programs, especially canola and barley, which remain the dominant commodities being delivered at present. Receivals across the network continue to climb, with strong activity in recent days. The Esperance, Geraldton and Kwinana North Zones all cracked the one million tonne mark over the course of the last seven days.

Several sites have achieved significant milestones, including new daily receival records at Chadwick in Esperance, and Narngulu, Mullewa and Mingenew in the Geraldton Zone. Record throughput has been registered at the Eradu community sample hut, with 5,848 tonnes recorded. 

Chief Operations Officer Mick Daw said it was good to see solid harvesting conditions present across most zones.

“Larger sites in the CBH network are now operating on extended hours to accommodate increased activity,” Mr Daw said.

“Pleasingly, the warmer weather has meant the majority of growers have been able to get into their harvesting programs.

“As harvest gathers pace, it’s important that we all continue working together, remain patient, and keep up the comms so that we can get the crop in as safely and efficiently as possible,” Mr Daw said. 

Growers are reminded to turn on notifications in the CDF app for local site updates, including opening and closing times, and service availability. 

Zone Summary

Albany 

• Received 616,000 tonnes in the bins over the last seven days after a slow start to harvest. A weather event last week delayed receivals for a few days but tonnes have been steadily increasing.
• Compared to the 2024/25 season, the Albany Zone is about 400,000 tonnes behind where the zone was this time last year. However this should change with some favourable weather, which would see more tonnes across the zone being delivered.
• Main commodities have been canola, barley and oats.
• Majority of the sites in the zone are open and receiving grain.

Esperance

• Rainfall over the past week has slowed the pace of harvest; however, the Esperance Zone still took in excess of 700,000 tonnes.
• Canola has been particularly heavy in the port precinct, creating a strong focus in that area. Road movements have continued to run smoothly, enabling strategic relocation of grain across the zone. 
• All major commodities are currently being received within the zone. These include canola, barley, wheat, field peas, and lupins, reflecting a broad and active intake across sites.
• Cycle times are currently averaging 52 minutes. Times are higher around the port precinct due to the influx of canola receivals, which has increased pressure on services. 
• All sites are currently open across the zone.
• Highlight for the week was Chadwick setting a new daily record, with 37,472 tonnes received in a single day. This is a significant achievement for the site and congratulations to all who worked tirelessly to make this happen.

Geraldton

• Total tonnage taken in the Geraldton Zone to date is 1,203,000 tonnes.
• All sites are now open for receivals.
• Storms across the zone on the 10 and 11 November impacted some growers and CBH closed several sites for short durations due to the lightning. However, this was short lived, and the Geraldton Zone had a better run for the remainder of the week.
• Wheat, canola, feed barley and lupins are been delivered.
• Narngulu, Mullewa and Mingenew all broke daily receival records this week and our community sample hut Eradu has remotely graded more tonnes in a day than ever before.

Kwinana North Zone

• The Kwinana North Zone has received 1,258,000 tonnes year to date, with 671,000 in the last seven days.
• All commodities are now being received; canola and barley being the main deliveries being received at present.
• All sites are open, with the larger sites all now on double shifts.

Kwinana South Zone

• Harvest ramped up last week in the Kwinana South zone, with volumes increasing day by day. Weather has been good for harvesting.
• Barley and canola are still the largest volumes being received, with small volumes of oats, lupins and wheat also delivered.
• All Kwinana South sites are now open, but wheat services not yet available at all sites. Cycle times are tracking at 38 minutes. 

Harvest Report - 10 November

Wet weather slowed down the pace of harvest last week with rain falling across most of the Western Australian grainbelt, with some areas even experiencing hail.

The return of warmer temperatures and sunny days at the end of the week meant many growers were able to get back on the header and return to harvesting.

Total deliveries to the CBH network are now over 2.6 million tonnes, with more than a million tonnes coming in over the last few days.

Acting CBH Chief Operations Officer Nelson Aylmore said it was good that many growers were able to resume their harvest programs quickly after the weather event.

“The week ahead will see warmer, drier weather stay around, providing good harvesting conditions and really build up momentum," Mr Aylmore said.

“Before the rain events last week, we had our first daily receival record broken for the season at McLevie, with over 10,000 tonnes taken on Friday 31 October. Several other sites reported coming close to setting new records before rain came in, so we expect to see more daily receivals broken at sites.

“With the ramp up of grower activity, CBH is preparing for a surge in deliveries.”

To stay up to date with local sites opening and closing times, and service offerings, growers are reminded to ensure they have notifications turned on for their sites in the CDF app.

The Harvest Overview page on the CBH website is another useful resource for growers and transporters, which includes a Harvest Preparation checklist.

In addition, CBH Area Managers and the Grower Service Centre (1800 199 083) are on hand to assist growers with any questions.

Zone summary

Albany Zone

• Albany Zone has received 117,800 tonnes, with the rain event dropping 2 – 10mm and slowing receivals across the zone.
• Canola, barley, and oats are the main commodities being received.
• The majority of the Albany Zone’s primary sites are open, with the remainder to open once harvest resumes post the recent rain event.

Esperance Zone

• Progress has been good over the past week, with approximately 292,500 tonnes delivered across the zone.
• Barley receivals are starting to increase, while canola has remained steady, with both commodities making up the bulk of the total zone commodity receivals for the week. Wheat deliveries have commenced, showing promising signs of reasonable quality. However, some growers have reported frost impacts in wheat crops yet to be harvested, with the severity varying across the region. Field peas have also been delivered at several sites last week.
• Rainfall slowed receivals during the week, however they are expected to ramp back up over the weekend.
• All sites across the zone are open.
• A vessel was loaded with canola destined for China this week, a notable export milestone for the Australian canola industry.

Geraldton Zone

• Geraldton has received 582,200 tonnes to date. Tuesday 4 November was the biggest day of the year so far for the Geraldton Zone with 84,000 tonnes flowing into the bins. This was also the second biggest day on record for the Geraldton Zone, which is an amazing effort from the team and growers.
• Canola deliveries have started increasing, resulting in the first train load carrying canola coming to port from Mingenew on Tuesday 5 November.
• Most sites across the zones are open, except for Latham, Coorow and Marchagee, which are still closed as the crops in the region are not quite ready.
• The Geraldton Zone received rain last Wednesday. Fortunately, the team proactively closed sites during the rain event, allowing key sites to open on Sunday when warm temperature and good harvesting conditions returned.

Kwinana North Zone

• The Kwinana North Zone has received 586,200 tonnes to date, with 310,000 tonnes received in last 7 days.
• A major weather event swept through the region on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing 15mm to 75mm or rain reported.
• Barley, canola, oats, lupins and a small amount of wheat have been delivered.
• All sites are open across the zone, with double shifts at our main sites starting on Monday.
• McLevie broke its daily receival record on Friday 31 October, with 10,241 tonnes taken in a day.

Kwinana South Zone

• Harvest receivals started to ramp up in the Kwinana South Zone prior to the weather event in the later part of last week.
• Northam and eastern parts of the Kwinana South Zone are ahead of the other areas in the Zone.
• Already some sites have been close to their daily records.
• Barley and canola are the largest commodities coming in. In the Kulin and Corrigin areas we are seeing some substantial volumes of oats start coming in as well. The first load of lentils was received at Metro Grain Centre as well.
• Most sites and services have opened, however, growers in and around the Brookton and Narrakine sites haven’t started yet.

Harvest report - 3 November

Harvest deliveries are now over 1.3 million tonnes, with more than 1.1 million tonnes coming in the past seven days.

Esperance again led the way with nearly half a million tonnes in the bin, followed by Geraldton and Kwinana North. Then Kwinana South and Albany Zones. 

Canola and barley are the main commodities being received, with small parcels of wheat, as well as the first delivery of lentils at CBH’s Metro Grain Centre. 

Anecdotally, yields are looking good and higher than many expected. 

Growers made the most of the good weather over the past week and maximised delivery windows, with most continuing their programs to get what they can to the CBH network prior to expected weather during the week. 

CBH Chief Operations Officer Mick Daw said growers and contractors must remember their hygiene obligations and transport requirements. 

“While the vast majority of people continue to do the right thing, we unfortunately received a load of contaminated grain last week," Mr Daw said.

“In addition, we received reports of grain being dumped in a car bay outside of Esperance last week."

As has always been the case, drivers are not permitted to dump or offload any grain on public land or road reserves. 

Incidents of grain dumping on main roads or in parking bays will be investigated, and Main Roads has the authority to issue fines. These will be issued to the transport operator, not the grower. 

Harvest Report - 27 October