PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA — The CBH Group is prepping its operations for the 2021-22 harvest with additional emergency temporary storage to accommodate an expected larger harvest.
Ben Macnamara, acting chief executive officer of CBH, said emergency storage provides greater flexibility in a cost-effective way should there be an above-average harvest and will support frontline teams in continuing to provide efficient services for growers. He noted that CBH is currently forecasting this year’s harvest to be above CBH’s five-year receival average of 14.2 million tonnes.
“At this point in the season, we plan to build at least an additional one million tonnes across the network,” Macnamara said. “We are currently working with local governments on development applications for where we would like to build storage this year.
“Additionally, we are seeking to acquire more equipment, particularly drive over grids, tarpaulins, and testing equipment, which will support frontline teams in receiving the harvest safely and efficiently.”
CBH also is ramping up efforts to supplement continued labor shortages that are impacting its supply chain, with truck and train drivers in short supply and high demand across the state, Macnamara said.
“We have also commenced recruitment for our harvest casuals earlier this year and are working on a number of opportunities to source labor in an ongoing tight labor market,” Macnamara said. “We encourage anyone from across Western Australia who would like to experience a grain harvest to apply.”
Some roles CBH is looking to fill include:
- Receival point operators at country sites
- Plant operators at regional ports in Albany, Esperance and Geraldton
- Grain technicians at Metro Grain Centre in Forrestfield.
