Yarnel Pastoral Co. had a convincing win in the annual Condobolin PAH&I Association’s Crop of the Year Competition, which was announced last night at the Don Brown Memorial Ewe Competition Dinner. 

Wal, Brett and Olivia Dawson of ‘Yarnel,’ Condobolin stripped a paddock of Sceptor wheat in 2022 that yielded a whopping 6.2t per hectare with a gross margin of $1,143 per hectare. Their wheat was graded APW1.

It was a tough act to follow, but Paul Sinderberry of Carawatha Farming claimed second prize with a crop of Illabo wheat that yielded 4.5t per hectare with a gross margin of $1,179.79 per hectare, including grazing income. His crop graded ASW1.

HW Colless Partnership produced a 2.4t per hectare crop of Bonito canola that had an oil score of 46 per cent. Their gross margin came in at $1,214.98, placing them third in the competition. 

PICTURE: Will Colless (3rd) with Condobolin’s Young Woman of the Year, Allessandra Chamen.

Fourth place was claimed by last year’s winners, Jock and Trini Coupland who this year grew a crop of Bonito canola that yielded 2.1t per hectare, with an impressive 48 per cent oil score. Their gross margin was $959.44 per hectare. 

PICTURE: Jock Coupland (4th) with Condobolin’s Young Woman of the Year, Allessandra Chamen.

Finally, the McDonald Brothers scored a spot in the top 5 with a crop of Lancer wheat that yielded 3.2t per hectare, with a gross margin of $797.71 per hectare.

PICTURE: Condobolin’s Young Woman of the Year, Allessandra Chamen, with James McDonald (5th) and Crop Competition judge, Olivia Dawson.

All costs in the competition were standardized, and grain prices were the Graincorp cash price on Monday 19th December. Livestock prices were courtesy of Kevin Miller Whitty Lennon and Co (KMWL) and insurance from AVS insurance. 

“Running the competition in 2022 due to the nature of the season was actually a really interesting representation of what we as Agronomists and also you as Growers were seeing in the paddocks,” said competition judge and local Ag N Vet Agronomist, Olivia Dawson. 

“The high canola price meant that canola was once again a really profitable crop to grow, and due to rain and disease issues in the spring, many cereal crops did not perform as well as they were expected, with the high cost of inputs really taking away from some of the lower yielding crops,” she added.

PICTURE: Paul Sinderberry (2nd) with Condobolin’s 2022 Young Woman of the Year, Allessandra Chamen

In 2022, judges Ms Dawson and Lisa McFadyen judged each crop visually before taking into account gross margins. 

“The visual aspect made up 80 marks of the score while the end gross margin made up the other 50 marks,” said Ms Dawson. 

“We felt that this worked really well this season because some of the crops which didn’t end up yielding as well as they perhaps should have, still performed well in the competition.”

The Crop of the Year Competition was supported by major sponsor of many years, Maurie ANZ, along with another major sponsor, GrainCorp. Other sponsors included Ag’n’Vet Services, Lachlan Agencies, Equipment & Service and Owens Rural Supplies. 

The competition was well supported this year with ten entrants submitting their best crops for inspection, however due to the flood event a tour did not go ahead. 

Ms Dawson and Ms McFadyen say they are looking forward to running the competition once again in 2023. 

“Thank you again for your support of the competition and Congratulations to the winners. We welcome your feedback and look forward to running the Competition again in 2023,” they said.