TODAY, CBH Group today celebrates 100 years of trading grain by its Marketing and Trading division.
On March 21, 1922 the first formal meeting of the inaugural trustees of the then Voluntary Co-operative Wheat Pool of Western Australia, or The Wheat Pool, was held in Perth.
Less than six months later, almost 85 per cent of Western Australian growers had pledged all of their grain to The Wheat Pool - a further 10pc pledged more than half.
In 1961, The Wheat Pool was renamed to The Grain Pool of Western Australia, to reflect its increasingly diverse portfolio of wheat, barley, oats, and later, lupins and canola.
In what marked a historic moment, The Grain Pool merged with Co-operative Bulk Handling (CBH) in 2002 - a move that integrated marketing, storage and handling to return greater value from the grain value chain to the growers of Western Australia.
CBH chairman Simon Stead said the co-operative is proud to have been marketing Western Australian grain for 100 years.
"It is an honour to be celebrating this significant milestone and the rich history of Western Australian growers' ongoing involvement with their grain marketing," Mr Stead said.
"We must acknowledge and credit the pioneering men and women of 100 years ago who sought to address an imbalance in the market.
"The Wheat Pool was established to create marketing opportunities for WA grain and ultimately, increase grower returns - and a hundred years on, that purpose remains the same."
- See this week's Farm Weekly for a double page spread on the anniversary, including interviews with members and employees from the time of the merger.
