Local farmers have beaten the odds in a regional wheat competition, fighting against the ongoing drought to produce some prize-winning crops.
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The Gunnedah Show Society ran the ASC/Suncorp Bank Championship Dryland Field Wheat Competition this year after a break, with no crops available to enter in 2018.
Growers this year who entered had only 15-20mm of in-crop rainfall and often this total was made up of smaller falls.
There were six entries in the bread wheat competition and three in the durum wheat, with entries from the Emerald Hill, Mullaley, Tambar Springs, Spring Ridge, and Wandobah areas.
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Rob Davidson, from the Wandobah area, had a winning crop of lancer wheat, and Ben Hubbard, from Spring Ridge, won with his crop of lillaroi durum wheat.
North West Local Land Services' Bill Manning judged the crops, and said they were exceptional given the limited moisture, periods of hot temperatures, and periods of frost.
"The range in crop maturity made judging quite difficult as some crops were only days away from harvest with a yield more easily determined whilst others still had to fill and could be weeks away from harvest," Mr Manning said.
"Although a larger area of crop was planted this year compared to last year a big majority of crop has been cut for hay as growers feared that with little in-crop rain, crops would be unlikely to make it through to maturity.
"Another factor enticing growers to make the decision to cut for hay was that the price for hay was very similar to or better than that of grain and the current dry hot conditions were perfect for making hay. In addition, dry matter production when cut for hay is at least double that of grain."
Gunnedah Show Society president Rob Witts was pleased they were able to run the competition this year.
He said to produce anything in a year like this one was outstanding and thanked the growers for entering the competition.