On the Case for a healthy WA harvest

The harvest is in full swing in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, with Russell and Cate Inman reporting pleasing yields from their 5300ha cropping operation at Cadoux, near Wongan Hills.

The couple say they’re on track for a healthy result, despite a frost event impacting the property in early September.

“We’re in a part of the crop now that’s going 5.8 tonnes so it’s pretty good,” said Russell, adding that he was hopeful of a yield of around 3.5 tonnes from the wheat paddock, with the harvest wrapping up just before Christmas.

The mercury plummeted to -5 degrees C on September 2, damaging both the wheat crop and 400ha of barley. Despite this, the barley still yielded an average of 3.2 tonnes, with half of it going malt, which “was a pleasant surprise”, with 800ha of canola yielding 2.4 tonnes and 1100 lupins yielding 2.3 tonnes. With current high prices, the Inmans will soon be capping off a successful and profitable year.

The couple utilise a number of Case IH products to keep Woodside Farm, as it’s known, ticking over efficiently. The property was purchased by them 30 years ago, with parts of it originally belonging to Russell’s maternal grandparents. While the farm enjoys an average annual rainfall of 350mm, 2021 has seen falls pushing past 400mm.

A couple of Case IH headers, a 9240 and 8250, along with a new Case IH Magnum 310 and a Steiger Quadtrac, are key members of the Inman team, and Russell credits the technology of these machines as being a key part of his farm’s success. The Inmans also said they appreciate the excellent support they receive from their local Case IH dealership, Boekeman Machinery in Wongan Hills.

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“We farm a lot better than we used to, and I think that goes for everyone,” Russell said.

“We’re now minimum-till, so we’re a lot more efficient in how we do things, and when you factor in the technology, like guidance systems and yield mapping, it takes our current farming practices to another level.

“You get crops in faster and more efficiently, and there’s so much information now right at your fingertips. We’re certainly better farmers than we were 20 years ago.”

The evolution of the technology makes him excited for the future of the nations’ ag industry.

“I enjoy the everyday challenges of farming and the way the industry is moving forward is exciting, too,” he said.

“The progress we’ve made in the last 15 years is quite amazing; it’s changing all the time, and you’re always learning. I am excited to be farming in the future and look forward to seeing what happens in the next few years.”