THE irony of one of WA's lowest rainfall years in history was that most Wheatbelt farmers were only 15mm away from an excellent result.
That would have meant achieving an average to above average harvest around the 12 million tonne mark.
While estimates put the official 2010 receivals at less than half that figure, farmers are cleaning down and shedding their headers happy to have got a result.
Sadly, some farmers didn't even bother to put the header into the paddock but the big picture reveals a mostly positive result.
The two big reasons are unexpected wheat quality and firm grain prices.
The only negative has come from traditionally noodle-growing areas where a lot of farmers discarded noodle varieties on the back of poor price forecasts last year.
Now with prices between $330 and $400 a tonne, there is a degree of frustration among farmers who switched to APW varieties.
But while wheat tonnages are down, quality is outstanding and this has been the big surprise, not only for farmers but for CBH.
At the start of harvest, CBH announced 10 extra grades to capture value for growers but expected grain volumes to fill these grades has not materialised.
Instead, the majority of farmers have been busy grading and blending to deliver loads that are making milling grades.
While there have been quality issues, they are in the lower percentile of overall deliveries.
CBH Kwinana port zone manager Brett Jeffrey said farmers he had talked with were "gob-smacked" by wheat quality.
"We did expect a lot more off-grades and we catered for this but volumes haven't been there," he said.
"There has been a lot of grading and cleaning to make milling grades and that has been a big bonus for farmers.
"Harvest in this zone is edging up to 70 per cent completed and we're on target to receive our estimated 1.7 million tonnes.
"With the run of hot weather this week, I expect a lot more grain will come in very quickly because of the higher productivity of the modern headers."
Esperance port zone manager Mick Daw also expected an increase in harvesting activity this week following a weather-delayed week.
"Most of the barley and canola has come off so guys will now move into wheat," he said. "Quality so far has been variable but barley is holding up well with a swing to Malt grades.
"We're 50pc through but with this spate of fine weather, receivals will crank up and we're still holding to our 1.5mt estimate."
The northern Wheatbelt harvest is done and dusted with most finishing last week.
Balla farmer Brad Burns was happy to get a result with wheat yields ranging between 1t/ha and 2.2t/ha and lupins averaging around 1.2t/ha.
"The quality was variable and we got higher screenings on our wheat-on-wheat paddocks and lower screenings on our chemical fallowed paddocks.
"But as long as prices hold up we'll finish okay.
"It's amazing what we got on 171mm of rain for the year."
At Binnu, Damian Harris also was pleased with crops that only received 169mm of rain.
"Wheat was around 1.2t/ha to 1.3t/ha and screenings were between five and eight per cent," he said. "But it was amazing we could produce grain from the rain we got."
Tenindewa farmer Glen Thomas also noted a big difference in wheat crop yields comparing chemical fallowed paddocks to non-fallow.
"There was anything up to 1t/ha difference with lower screenings," he said. "In a year like this one that stored moisture was worth dollars."
According to Glen about 80pc of his wheat crop went APW.
"We did a lot of blending and we'll probably finish about 10pc down on our budgeted tonnages but prices will help make the bottom line look better."
Further south at Ballidu, Glen Freestone will finish his program next week averaging 1.4t/ha. Speaking while operating his header, Glen said quality was holding up with screenings around four per cent.
"I'm in a Carnamah wheat crop at the moment going 1.7t/ha but it will be less in other parts of the paddock," he said. "Prices will help us finish a bit below budget."
In the eastern Wheatbelt, most farmers will finish down on initial budget estimates.
North Merredin farmer Mick Caughey reported yielding "1t/ha or less" in a year he recorded only 130mm of rain.
"Quality is good and prices will help but we'll finish under budget," he said. "But we're happy to get a result."
Westonia farmer Ross Della Bosca was circumspect about the year.
"2002 was worse but I'm amazed we got anything at all because we only got 117mm of rain.
"Some crops are only six inches high (15cm) and we're getting 50 to 60kg/ha off but generally it's between two (0.4t/ha) and four bags (0.8t/ha).
"We put our whole 7000ha program in this year and didn't get the rain.
"But that's farming."
Bencubbin farmer Nick Gillett also was amazed at crops he was taking off.
With 50pc of harvest completed, he is averaging 0.3t/ha.
"We only got 95mm of rain and yet the potential was outstanding," he said. "It was all there waiting for a finish it didn't get.
"We're grading to get most of the grain into the AUW stack with screenings up to 35pc."
At Mt Walker, 80km east of Narembeen, an upbeat Joe Wilson was taking off Wyalkatchem wheat making the Hard stack.
"The quality is outstanding," he said. "We only got 140mm for the growing season to add to 30mm before seeding but we're averaging between four and five bags (0.8-1t/ha) and we're very happy.
"Hectolitre weight is up to 85, screenings are up to three per cent maximum with the lowest 0.1pc and protein is around 10.8pc with a high of 15pc.
"Where prices are at the moment it will mean we'll finish below our budget but we've got a result."
