Two headers make short work of the thick crop, leaving a trail of stubble as brittle as GrainCorp, the Australian grain handler bruised after a failed takeover attempt.

Before it was corporatised, GrainCorp's storage and handling rail siding at Harden opened from 9 to 5 much like any other office or shop. Now it's open for business well into the night.

The siding and wheat bunker dictate to the district's broadacre farms the time they can switch off their huge headers, chaser bins and B-double trucks and go home.

Speculation is rife across wheatbelt towns that GrainCorp will continue rationalising facilities following the Australian government's rejection of multinational Archer Daniels Midland's takeover attempt.

GrainCorp runs between 210 and 300 sites, depending on the size of the crop, and wants to strengthen the sites that receive most of the grain, according to a spokesman.

''To free up capitalisation to enable that investment,'' the spokesman said, ''that will mean the rationalisation of some of the smaller, less used sites.''

Mr O'Connor's main delivery point is Cunningar on the main southern railway line east of Harden. He believes it won't close, because it's more logical as a hub for delivery in the district.

As with many farmers, the O'Connor family's enterprise, built over two generations of acquiring neighbouring land, has been adding storage capacity to relieve dependence on companies like GrainCorp. The O'Connors have capacity for 3500 tonnes on the farm.

Consequently, grain handlers have had to become more flexible to be competitive, and it's this competition which gives Mr O'Connor some assurance in a volatile industry.

''I could see that GrainCorp may rationalise other nearby delivery silos but if they rationalise too much, other players will come into the area to compete.

''A lot of grain in our area already bypasses the GrainCorp system and they will be keen to keep their share of the market. The problem for GrainCorp now is finding the capital to develop their main delivery sites.''

The government's rejection of ADM's bid surprised Mr O'Connor. ''Australia is built on overseas investment,'' he said.

As the sun sets on this harvest, one of the earliest in recent times because of late frosts and a dry, windy spring, he continues selling the crop through grain brokers.

Having negotiated 25 per cent so far, and now trading for $280 a tonne thanks to demand from domestic millers, he considers this a strong return given world market prices.

''I don't want the millers to get their fill and suddenly disappear.''

That would leave him negotiating with stock feed companies or the Asian market, and with a more uncertain return.

Long wheat trains and scores of semi-trailers and B-double trucks are criss-crossing the countryside to bring in the harvest.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences says farm production is forecast to increase by 6.3 per cent to $50.9 billion in 2013-14, compared with a small decline of 0.3 per cent in 2012-13.