Western Australia’s 2024 crop is expected to come in at more than 20 million tonnes, well above predictions made mid-year due to a lack of rain.
Western Australia’s 2024 crop is expected to come in at more than 20 million tonnes, well above muted predictions made mid-year due to a lack of rain.
The Grain Industry Association of Western Australia’s December crop report has estimated 19.9 million tonnes of grain has been delivered so far this harvest, with about two weeks of harvesting still to go.
That figure will make 2024 the third-largest harvest on record and comes despite much of the agricultural region experiencing below average rainfall this year.
GIWA described the outcome as a defining moment for state grain production.
“Whilst there seems to be no one factor fuelling the very high grain yields, the timing and intensity of rainfall, little waterlogging, few cold temperatures in winter, low disease and low weed competition levels have meant less stress on the crops during the growing season in areas away from the Geraldton port zone, which did experience some significant waterlogging,” GIWA said.
“Other factors such as more subsoil moisture reserves than first thought in some areas, the large area of crop in the low rainfall regions on fallow, and crops not producing high biomass effectively saving the moisture in the ground for later in the season have helped as well.
“The season effectively managed the crop canopy, restricting biomass and converting more rain than is usually the case into grain.
“The new varieties keep getting better with more top end yield potential and improved water and nitrogen use efficiency. This is more obvious in years like the one we have just had.”
GIWA said while tonnage was high, grain size was an issue in most regions and quality had been hampered by rain during harvest in several areas.
Low wheat grain protein levels and receding barley malt deliveries were also factors this season.
The 20-million-tonne crop is a far cry from early estimates; GIWA in July predicted a 16.3-million-tonne crop.
All grains have ended up above those mid-year estimates.
The harvest has seen several receival records at CBH sites across the agricultural region eclipsed.
That includes the co-operative’s biggest day of deliveries on record on November 20, when more than 620,000 tonnes of grain was received across the network.
Eight site receival records were broken on that day, and CBH said there were enough trucks coming into its sites to stretch from Perth to Albany.
Regional breakdown
GIWA’s crop report noted sowing time was a deciding factor for the haves and have-nots this year in the Geraldton zone.
Crops sown early finished well, while those who waited until June recorded lower yields.
Coastal areas of the region also performed poorly.
GIWA expects good subsoil moisture to remain for much of the zone into next year’s growing season which could insulate the area from low rainfall.
In the southern reaches of the Kwinana zone many farmers will still be harvesting in the week prior to Christmas. All of the region’s canola, however, has already come off and has yielded above expectations.
GIWA reported mixed results elsewhere in the Kwinana zone.
Many Albany region farmers are still at it due to rain delays and harvest bans in the past few weeks.
Those near the coast experienced very high yields, while north of the Stirling Ranges a later start and low rainfall resulted in lower yield.
In Hyden GIWA noted farmers were reporting their best year ever due to a large rain event in March and a warm winter.
The Esperance zone was mostly productive aside from the easternmost reaches.
