Farmers hopeful of strong grain harvest after September rains

A month of mild weather was the perfect ending for the grain-growing season in the Mid West with grain growers feeling confident of a strong yield as they begin to harvest their crops. The first loads of canola have been harvested and sent to Geraldton port’s grain terminal, with more harvesting to begin in the upcoming weeks and months. While the Mid West was expected to see an above-average season, it was expected to be worse than other regions in WA because of a dry spell earlier in the year, according to a report from the Grain Industry Association of WA, but a wetter-than-expected August and September has helped improved prospects. Geraldton saw 33.9mm of rain last month compared with 15.8 last year. Arrino farmer Geoff Cosgrove said its been a strong season in general, but good rains had boosted his confidence for the harvest, which he expects to begin later this month. “Thanks to the weather, it should be a pretty comfortable harvest,” Mr Cosgrove said. Yves Beagley, professional services manager at Nutrien Ag Solutions, said rain in September had given the crops a chance to catch up after the drier patches which came before. “The mild spring has delayed the ripening of most plants, which is fortuitous, because it allows more grain weight to develop in the crops and therefore more yield,” Mr Beagley said. Last year saw a record-breaking season for grain growers in the Mid West and WA as a whole, with a record 3.9 million tonnes of product reaching the Geraldton Port Zone and 24 million tonnes of grain produced across the State. While 2022 is not expected to reach those levels, most grain growers will likely be very happy with this years harvest, according to Mr Beagley. “We’re expecting yields to probably not be as strong as 2021 as a whole, but certainly it will be a well of above-average season for most growers,” he said.