Kudos for the best wheat crop in the region have headed to Paraway Pastoral Company at Narromine with an impressive 6.6 tonne/ hectare yield.

Run by AgShows NSW (the peak body for 192 shows), the Suncorp Bank Championship Dryland Field Wheat Competition is judged across four regions ahead of the state final.

Paraway Pastoral's Company's Narromine crop led the northern region with a score of 204 points surpassing high scoring competitors in a region which encompasses a vast territory from North Star to Nyngan. Second place was awarded to Warialda’s Ray and Nikki Price with third going the way of Gilgandra’s Hassall & Co.

The Northern region, where Paraway Pastoral are situated includes Baradine, Barraba, Bellata, Bingara, Boggabri, Bourke, Burren Junction, Coonamble, Crooble, Croppa Creek, Delungra, Garah, Gilgandra, Gulargambone, Gurley, Inverell, Manilla, Moree, Mungindi, Narrabri, Narromine, North Star, Nyngan, Tottenham, Walgett, Warialda, Warren and Wee Waa.

Grenfell wheat growers, Rob and Mandy Taylor, took out the competition overall, impressively clinching the state title for the third consecutive year.

AgShows NSW President Jill Chapman welcomed guests to the Wheat Presentation dinner at Club Dubbo before Dugald Saunders MP officially opened the evening.

Judge Frank McRae of DLF Seeds Australia said the entries selected for the regional finals were of a high standard with excellent agronomic management.

“The regional finalist’s crops were a credit to growers, their advisors and agronomists. Most crops were on good rotations with an increasing trend towards double-break crops,” Mr McRae said.

Mr McRae said crops in the northern regions were affected by the extremely dry conditions throughout the year, with many crops failing and others not being sown. He added that late rains before harvest affected the final yield and also the grain quality of some central and southern crops.

“Many entries showed outstanding yield potential given the low in-crop rainfall recorded during the growing period, and yield potential varied across the state depending on seasonal conditions,” Mr McRae said.

Paraway Pastoral Company owns and operates large scale sheep and cattle operations across QLD, NSW and VIC. Since its inception in 2007, Paraway has become one of the largest property owner/operators in Australia, with a combined land holding of over 4.4 million hectares.