Western Australian grain-handling co-op CBH is predicting a 23 million tonne (mt) harvest, backed by “a mix of ongoing investment, new technology, and a long-term strategy that’s all about keeping pace with growers”.
The farmer-owned co-op says its upgrades mean there is less grain left over from last season – just 2mt – which will reduce as October harvest shipping continues. This is an improvement on 2023, the last time growers delivered a comparable crop, when carryover was 5mt – prompting the co-op to embark on an investment programme to increase capacity.
“Our internal modelling suggested an above average harvest was coming, so we activated our peak planning team months ago,” said COO Mick Daw. “They run scenarios and make sure the network can flex as needed for a crop of this size,
“As growers continue to innovate and push yields higher, we’re making sure our network can handle it now and in the future.”
Since 2020, the co-op has added 7mt of storage across the network, with a mix of permanent and low-spec options. This season alone, growers will see new permanent storage totalling 500,000 tonnes at places like Newdegate and Corrigin, plus upgrades at Avon, Chadwick, Hyden, Wagin, Cunderdin and Quairading.
CBH also points to ”a major push on low-spec storage”, with 1.25mt added across 25 sites, 250,000 tonnes reinstated and 1mt of existing low-spec storage remediated.
In an effort to keep grain moving efficiently, CBH has bought 10 new drive-over grids, and made throughput upgrades at sites including Perenjori, Beaumont, West River, Shark Lake, Brazier St sites and Esperance Port.
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When it comes to moving the grain out, CBH is planning to ship 20mt for the coming year and aims to increase that as the season progresses. In addition to the shipping task, up to another 2mt will be outturned from the CBH network to domestic customers and via containers.
The rail fleet is getting a major boost, the co-op adds, with 500 of the 650 new wagons already delivered and more on the way. New narrow-gauge and standard-gauge locomotives will start arriving early next year, effectively doubling the fleet and giving CBH serious outloading firepower.
Rapid rail outloading projects are also making a big difference, says CBH. At Broomehill, for example, a 60-wagon train now loads in four hours whereas previously it took 11 hours to load 30 wagons. Similar projects at Moora and Cranbrook will come online during the year, making it easier to get grain to port when required. Upgrades to shiploaders at the Kwinana Terminal, storage annexes at Geraldton Terminal and grid upgrades at Esperance also help keep up with demand.
Technology is also playing a bigger role, says the co-op, which will this year roll out its Visual Analysis technology across more than half the network.
“It delivers consistent, accurate grain grading,” says the co-op, “with real-time results sent straight to the CDF app, helping growers make faster decisions.”
Daw added: “With ongoing investment across the supply chain, we’re keeping pace with bigger crops, faster turnarounds and shorter harvest windows.
“For growers, that means a network built to handle whatever the season delivers, and a co-op focused not just on this harvest, but on the ones to come.”
