THE NATION'S grain harvest is drawing to a close and while many farmers in drought-stricken eastern Australia knew their fate months ago for those harvesting crops it has been an up and down season.
Western Australia is particularly variable.
"There is no other way to describe it than a real mixed bag," said WAFarmers grains section president Duncan Young.
"A lot of people are saying it is worse than they thought it would be, but equally there are plenty who are pleasantly surprised," Mr Young said.
"Esperance and the south coast have not been too bad, there were some areas touched up by frost and the heat but generally it was OK.
"As you head north and east it tapers off pretty badly, Geraldton zone growers had to contend with some really hot temperatures really early."
Mr Young said there was no clear pattern as to what crops exceeded expectations.
"Some have said their barley was much better than visual assessments and their wheat was worse but that is far from an overall picture."
In the east Grain Producers Australia chairman Andrew Weidemann said western Victorian growers were generally pleased.
"Certainly there have been some yields knocked around from what they looked like at the start of spring, but farmers expected that with the lack of rain," Mr Weidemann said.
"We were just very lucky that even though we didn't get ran we had cold temperatures through the spring or we could have had quality issues, such as high screenings."
Mr Weidemann said cereal yields and quality were generally good, although in eastern Victoria, where it was drier, it dropped off a little.
He said pulses and canola were also reasonable, if not exceptional, although wind damage knocked off yield on later harvested crops.
In South Australia, Viterra reported a big week last week, with almost 400,000 tonnes delivered into its network.
The bulk handler said the pace of harvest was easing in the central and western regions, while the eastern region's south east areas are building towards their peak providing strong receivals.