MACHINERY

WA harvester forums to help reduce grain losses

GRAIN losses during harvest can have a significant impact on income for grain growers across Australia every year.

Staff writer
 A series of forums will be held this month to help manage grain loss at harvest. Image Ben White.

A series of forums will be held this month to help manage grain loss at harvest. Image Ben White.

To support growers in the efforts to reduce harvest losses and improve operations at harvest time, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is hosting a number of free-of-charge harvest forums.

The half-day forums will focus on harvest loss reduction, harvest weed seed control (HWSC) and prevention of harvester fires.

The harvester forums will be facilitated events and will also feature presentations by industry experts to assist growers in ensuring more grain goes in the bin.

GRDC grower relations manager - west, Lizzie von Perger, said the practical, interactive forums would include information about how harvest losses could be accurately measured and how to identify where losses were occurring.

"Farm survey data from Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) shows that average Australian farm grain losses at harvest are $96,000 each year," von Perger said.

Co-ordinated by Primary Sales Australia, the forums are being held across the southern, northern and western grain growing regions.
In Western Australia, forums are being held at the following locations:

- West River on Wednesday, 23 September, 10am-2pm. Grower property - details provided upon registration.
- Kojonup on Thursday, 24 September, 8am-12pm. Grower property - details provided upon registration.
- Cuballing on Thursday, 24 September, 1:30-5:30pm. Grower property - details provided upon registration.

The WA forums will feature experts Peter Newman (Planfarm), Ben White (Kondinin Group) and Peter Broley (Primary Sales Australia).

Topics include understanding the impact of harvest loss, how to measure it and how to change your harvester to reduce losses, the latest HWSC information, how to set up for effective HWSC using mill systems, chaff decks and chaff lines, and reducing the risk of harvester fires.

For details regarding the WA forums visit: https://grdc.com.au/events/list
For registration enquiries, contact Sarah Hyde, Facey Group, at eo@faceygroup.org.au or on 0428 882 828.

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