February 11, 2004

Australian Wheat Harvest At Record High

Australia's wheat harvest reached a record high, delivering 25 million tonnes into silos and bulk storages across the country.

The harvest is double last year's drought-affected result and just above the previous record of 24.8 million tonnes in 1999-2000.

It also offers a much-needed fillip to the economies of country towns.

Jenny Bunce from the town of Beacon, on the edge of Western Australia's wheatbelt, says it was a challenge to find storage space for so much wheat.

"Nearly every wheat bin in the district was full," she said.

"In a lot of other towns around the district they were actually putting grain on trotting tracks, drive-ins, anywhere they could find, because there was so much grain right throughout the district.

"To have a turnaround this year and go to average to above-average crops, I think it will go a long way to helping get people back on their feet again."

Western Australian growers harvested nearly half of the record wheat crop - 10.2 million tonnes.