Rains slow start to Western Australia grains harvest

Heavy rains restricted Western Australia state's 2009/10 grain receivals as of Monday to 1.8 million tonnes, 1 million tonnes below last year's comparable figure, grains handler CBH Group said on Monday. The harvest has faced a slow start since beginning on October 14 due to widespread rainfall that was now forecast to give way to dry conditions in most growing regions, said CBH, which handles most of the grain in Australia's top wheat exporting state.
"Clear skies and moderate to warm temperatures are forecast for all zones this week, which should give the Western Australia harvest the boost it needs," CBH said. This time last year, receivals totalled 2.8 million tonnes, according to a CBH spokeswoman. Last year's total state-wide harvest was 12.3 million tonnes, compared with CBH's 2009/10 estimate of 11.8 million tonnes, she said.