CBH looks from record harvest towards exports

WA GRAIN cooperative CBH is working to turn a record grain harvest into record exports through the ports of Geraldton, Kwinana, Albany and Esperance.

In an opinion piece by CBH Group chair Simon Stead on the group’s website he said the job was now to convert this record crop into sustained value for growers and regional WA.

“The 2026 shipping program is progressing strongly, with marketers securing record export capacity and strong early season performance across all four ports,” Mr Stead said.

“Since 1 October 2025, the supply chain has already outturned about seven million tonnes, demonstrating the pace, coordination and capability of the network growers own.”

Reporting a record harvest, growers delivered more than 24.1 million tonnes (mt) into the CBH network.

Mr Stead said in a single generation of farming, WA has more than doubled its productive capacity.

“Few sectors, anywhere in Australia, can claim that level of consistent performance,” he said.

“Over the past five years alone, growers have delivered over 100mt, around 30mt more than the previous five years. Where a 14mt harvest was once considered ‘big’, 20mt has now become the norm.

“The scale and pace of this harvest were remarkable. All zones set new total records; over the 112 sites opened, 45 sites broke daily receival records, and 44 posted their biggest season ever.

“Across the network, there were 18 days with daily deliveries above 500,000 tonnes, nine days above 600,000 tonnes, and a single-day record of over 680,000 tonnes – momentum that was once rare statewide.

“From the 3rd to the 5th of December, we received a total of 2mt. What once took a week to deliver can now be achieved in three days.”

To support the growth of the harvest Mr Stead said that in FY25, CBH invested $590 million in the network, delivering almost 2mt of new storage, commissioning more than 500 new rail wagons, expanding rapid rail outloading facilities and completing critical port upgrades.

“These investments matter: last year, more than 16mt of grain were stored under tarp alone, highlighting both the opportunity (and the pressure) created by bigger crops,” Mr Stead said.

“The work now underway across Kwinana, Geraldton, Albany and Esperance zones is establishing the capacity required for WA’s future.”

Mr Stead said during the past five financial years, the co-op had invested more than $2 billion in the network to keep pace with growers’ rising productivity.

“These are big statistics but the message behind them is straightforward: WA growers are becoming more productive than ever, and your cooperative is keeping pace and putting its strategy into action," he said.

“Our focus remains constant: to safely receive your grain, preserve its quality, and connect WA growers with customers from around the world.”

In the opinion piece Mr Stead said in the face of the co-op’s success public discussion at times had been diverted towards corporatisation.

“It is disappointing that, at a time when the industry should be recognising the strength of the co-op system that generations of growers have built, the conversation has instead turned to selling out the very supply chain that underpins WA’s productivity and global reputation.

“As Australia’s largest co-operative, CBH is proud of its long history of creating value for WA growers and remains firmly committed to protecting and strengthening that model.

“This debate risks distracting from the real story: what growers have achieved, and what the system they own makes possible.”