Wagin load marks start of harvest

Harvest for 2015 has started throughout the Great Southern region, with Wagin receiving its first load of grain last Monday.

CBH Albany port zone manager Greg Thornton said a load of canola was delivered into Wagin, Newdegate and Borden, with deliveries arriving in Dumbleyung and Nyabing later in the week.

"Obviously the potential has come off in the last few months due to a dryer finish and very little rain, and that will have an impact on both the yield and the quality. But it is keeping in line with recent years, with first grain being received around a similar date last year," he said.

With about 120,000kg delivered to Wagin during last year's harvest period, CBH receival point operator-in-charge Robert Ward said the early season put pressure on the staff and the site.

"We are still outloading, and will be well into this week which will make things hard," he said.

"Plus a lot of our staff are younger students, and they are all still sitting their exams, so it puts pressure on our staffing numbers."

The first load of canola was received from about 10km south of Wagin and Mr Ward said they were expecting some barley to arrive this week.

Mr Thornton said smaller sites including Badjibup would not be open this season, but other major sites, as well as remote sample sites, would still operate.

"We will make changes as we go, monitor quality as the early grains are received with a view to add additional segregations as required," he said.