SOME are calling it the best ever harvest.
Ideal Winter growing conditions, above-average Spring rain and subsequent additional growth has given grain growers hope of an exceptional yield this Summer.
Early harvest data confirms that yields are significantly up across both the eastern Mallee area of the Shire of Gannawarra and across neighbouring Loddon.
The canola harvest is well progressed, while large areas of barley have been harvested and some have started on wheat.
Massive yields, lodged crops and queues at receivals mean slow progress, but the weather has been reasonably kind. Rain on Sunday night is likely to provide only a minimal delay for many farmers with fine and warm weather forecast for the remainder of this week.
Long queues of trucks are off-loading grain at major district receival centres at Boort, Quambatook and Mitiamo.
Some growers are also still baling hay, dividing their time between the baler and the harvester.
The Boort Grain Co-operative had already received 20,000 tonnes of grain last Wednesday, only about a week into harvest.
“We’ve only done one week of about eight, and we’ve already taken 15,000 tonnes of barley and about 5000 tonnes of canola,” site manager Garry Wilson said.
Mr Wilson said new bunkers had been constructed at the site in recent weeks to expand capacity to about 110,000 tonnes, and he expected receivals to reach that staggering figure – more than 20,000 tonnes above the site’s previous record of 88,000 tonnes in 2012.
“The yield reports are unbelievable; I’ve heard a lot of people say it’s the best they’ve seen in their time farming,” he said.
Of the barley received, only 10 per cent has made malting, with the rest classified as F1.
“A lot of barley has been downgraded from malt because it’s weather stained,” Mr Wilson said.
While queues hadn’t been a major problem at the site to date, Mr Wilson said the commencement of wheat deliveries from late last week would make delays inevitable.
Graincorp receivals information for district centres is not currently available.
