WA growers to reap $6 billion payday as harvest defies dry conditions and China trade spat

West Australian grain growers are set to reap more than $6 billion from this year’s harvest, defying dry conditions and the spectre of a trade war with China to post one of the most lucrative paydays on record.

With harvesting just about wrapped up, industry experts say more than 16.5 million tonnes of grain have been collected in WA — up from an expected take of barely 14 million tonnes.

WA’s biggest grain harvest was 18.2 million tonnes in 2016, while it’s most valuable was in 2019 when growers yielded almost $7 billion.

By comparison, the 10-year average is about $4.5 billion.

Michael Lamond from the Grains Industry Association of WA said, given international grain prices were trading near historic highs, the value of the harvest would be more than $6 billion.

Mr Lamond said it was an “extraordinary” result given the relative lack of rain in many places in WA last year and the disruptions to the grain trade caused by COVID-19 and the trade war with China.

“It’s a pretty incredible result, really, when you look back a couple of months and what we were faced with.”

Haul ‘unprecedented’ in face of dry

According to Mr Lamond, the amount of grain that was grown after accounting for the amount of rain that fell was “unheard of”.

He suggested it was partly down to luck, saying that although relatively little rain fell it tended to be “just-in-time rain” while noting that most growers escaped damage from frost or heatwaves.

However, he also pointed out that advances in cropping techniques and technology had allowed farmers to maximise their output despite the drier season.

“You could not have predicted we were going to get those water use efficiencies across the state,” he said.

“It wasn’t just in little pockets — it was generally right across the state.

“That’s unprecedented and it’s a nice surprise to have.”

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Tags: Australian grain, WA, Grains Industry Association