THE majority of northern Wheatbelt farmers are feeling like escape artist Harry Houdini as they roll headers into variable quality crops.
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With the official 2010 harvest three weeks old, "I've got out of jail" is the main metaphor being used by farmers to describe a year that didn't deliver the hoped-for growing season rainfall.
Another 15mm of rain in September would have been a game changer for WA farmers.
The domino-effect opening of CBH receival bins has seen farmers delivering grain in buckets to gauge quality before delivering truck loads. And early receivals reveal a mixed bag scenario relating to quality.
Canola yields are average but oil is firmly in the low 40 percentile, lupin yields are variable but of good quality, barley is yielding well with screenings issues and wheat, generally, is making grades, albeit from lower yields.
According to CBH Geraldton port zone manager Duncan Gray, "mixed bag" is the right terminology to use for early receivals.
"Half of what we've received is good and half is mixed quality," he said.
But farmers are doing their best by blending to get quality right.
"A lot of farmers have taken samples into our bins to assess the quality before they make any bulk delivery decisions and a lot are making whole of farm assessments on quality to gain an overall picture.
"As the harvest moves south we are starting to see an improvement in quality but it is fair to say we'll have quality issues because of seasonal conditions.
"We were hoping to get at least 1.4 million tonnes this year but I think that will probably drop to between 1.1mt and 1.2mt."
CBH already has downgraded its projected total from 5.9mt to 5.4mt and has introduced 10 new grades to assist growers, reflecting the extent of quality issues, which at this stage mainly relate to barley.
The grades allow for higher screenings in wheat, barley and oats.
The CBH Group has advised growers of the new grades and any updates to its receival standards will be regularly communicated via email and on the CBH website www.cbh.com.au
Growers can register for email alerts when grain receival standards change by contacting the CBH Grower Service Centre on 1800 199 083.
Quality has been the issue for Binnu farmer Damian Harris.
"It has been a bit of a mixed bag for us," he said.
"We're about half way through and we're averaging around 1-3t/ha for wheat and lupins.
"We've had some screenings issues up to 13 per cent but at least we've got a crop.
"The 2007 season, which was a disaster for us, is still a very vivid memory."
Fellow Binnu farmer Tom Powell was a happier man after sampling his genetically modified Scorpion GT canola crop at the local CBH bin last Friday.
"I wasn't quite sure of the quality so I got a bit sampled," he said.
"It's yielding quite well and I'm happy with the oil at 43 per cent and the admixture, which is between 0.7 and 1.3pc.
"The early wheat has been disappointing yielding between 1t/ha and 1.1t/ha and we're hoping it will improve on the lighter country."
