Narromine wheat growers Billy and Jodi Browning have been confirmed as regional champions in a prestigious annual wheat competition.
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The Browning family from Narromine topped the northern NSW section in the Suncorp Bank Championship Dryland Field Wheat Competition, ahead of Simon and Rachel Cant of Warren in second place, and Clinton and Di Uebergang of Warialda.
Run by AgShows NSW the competition is judged across four regions ahead of the state final, which was held in Dubbo on Friday night.
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Grenfell wheat growers Rob and Mandy Taylor topped the central region with an enormous point score of 246 for their 8.7t/ha, before taking out the durum wheat competition state champion title.
In the southern region, the Mickan Bros' 8.3t/ha scored 236 ahead of S Zweck and J Ellis of Henty (8.5t/ha 234pts) and Stockinbingal Pastoral Co in Wallendbeen (8.2t/ha 233pts).
Garry Mickan entered the competition this year as a tribute to his late brother who had also won a coveted state wheat competition.
In western NSW, Hillston's Sheldon and Rebecca Dalton's crop scored the highest, followed closely by Redwin Farming in Barmedman and Karen and Paul Kaveney of Bribbaree who placed third in the region.
In the durum yield competition, Simon Thompson of Namoi Pty Ltd in Quirindi scored highest for his 7.4t/ha achieving 213 points, ahead of Durham Pastoral Co. in Gunnedah (7.1t/ha 211pts) and Wheatacres Partnership in Tamworth (6.6t/ha 190pts).
AgShows NSW president Tim Capp said the central and southern regions were hard to beat in 2021 due to favourable seasonal conditions and the skill of producers to make the most of their conditions.
"While the wheat competition is typically a yield-based competition, if a grower has made the best of the local season, spraying and feeding the crop to grow an optimal plant base it should perform well in the competition," he said.
Past state dryland wheat state champions include Yarrabah Pastoral Company in 2020 from central NSW, Scott and Julia McLeod in 2019 from the south and Illinois Farms in 2018.
This year's competition was sponsored by Suncorp Bank, The Land, Lowes Petroleum and Stoller Australia.