PERTH, AUSTRALIA — After a slow start with deliveries trickling in over the last four weeks, harvest is underway now as CBH received more than 600,000 tonnes of deliveries from across its network in the week ended Nov. 1.  

All zones have received grain with the majority of sites across the network due to be open by the end of next week.

Ben Macnamara, general manager of operations at CBH, said CBH is expecting a slightly below average crop this year.

“A late start to the season coupled with a hot and dry spring has meant a hard finish for growers across the state,” he said. “There is variability in yields with some areas seeing yields better than expected in spite of the lack of rain and the impact of frost in the southern regions. Others are reporting below expected yields, it’s a mixed bag at the moment.”

More than half of the tonnes delivered to the system have been barley, followed by wheat and canola.

“Due to the seasonal conditions we are seeing some early signs of variability in crop quality and have proactively sought to make available a range of off-grades for barley, oats and canola,” Macnamara said. “These off-grades will be offered at sites where it makes sense to do so, with various factors taken into consideration by the team. Growers can search the availability of segregations online through LoadNet Paddock Planner or by contacting their local Area or Zone manager for more information.”

CBH has enhanced the way it manages chemical residues. As with prior years, CBH is requiring growers to declare chemical usage in the CDF app upon delivery.

“We manage chemical residues in order to protect access to international grain markets and maintain the excellent reputation and integrity of the Western Australian grain supply chain,” Macnamara said.

CBH said it is using technology to improve site performance and its grower’s delivery experience. Improvements have been made to the CDF app to provide users with more options for how they receive notifications, how they communicate with farm employees and transporters and access more details of each load in real time.

CBH encourages growers to download the CBH Notifier app to receive real-time notifications to their phone about site opening times and segregations.