Fresh support drives growth in iconic competition
Times may have been tough for arable growers lately, but that wasn’t enough to stop dozens of them entering what’s thought to be the longest running crop contest of its kind last summer.
The iconic Mid Canterbury A&P Associations Wheat Competition began 30 years ago in Methven, and has run every year since.
Co-initiated and supported from the outset by Bayer, it’s not only survived but expanded to include Mayfield and Ashburton, with Cochranes coming on board as a sponsor two years ago, and Corteva Agriscience joining last year.
More than 50 growers put up 64 paddocks of milling and feed wheat for the 2025/26 awards, continuing what those involved in the contest say is a history of strong support for a unique community event.
With a total prize pool from sponsors now in excess of $40,000, they say the competition is well-placed for a strong future, and growers in the newest region to join (Ashburton) were so keen to get on board they were phoning on the initial day of judging last year to see if they could still enter.
The three best milling wheat crops across all three districts were entered by Craig and Sarah Clucas, Mayfield; Andrew and Jo Innes, Ashburton and Jeremy and Kate Simpson, Ashburton, all of whom grew Aston wheat.
The three best feed wheat crops were all grown in Methven by Ian and Matt Marr; Richard, Fiona and George Maw and Murray and Gemma Redmond, with the first two growing Skybolt and the Redmonds growing Kinetic.
Judging is a very thorough, two-step process, starting with a physical paddock inspection of all entries in December then followed by a second visit in January to cut samples for scientific yield analysis.
Local industry agronomists and reps from Bayer, Ravensdown, Yarra, Carrfields, Luisetti Seeds, PGGW Grain and Seeds, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Molloy Agriculture, Lincoln University, Corteva, Ruralco, BASF and Syngenta all take part in the judging.
Corteva territory manager Ash Pace was among them for 2025/26, and says as always, the crop visits were a big drawcard for growers.
“At times we’ve had more farmer utes come along for the paddock walks than we have paddocks to judge – they love it,” Ash Pace says.
“It’s really well supported.”
Ruralco senior agronomist Nicola Pace has helped run the competition for more than a decade, and says one of the best things about it is that it offers growers a chance to get off their own properties, catch up with their peers, and see a wide range of different cultivars in commercial conditions.
It has also built a strong following among those who supply and service the arable industry in mid Canterbury.
“It’s a lot of work, especially when it comes to the yield analysis, but it’s also a lot of fun, and we’re very grateful for the support of our sponsors which has helped it continue to grow in recent years.”
Corteva marketing manager Nicole Morris says the company is glad to be involved as a new backer, and is quick to acknowledge Bayer’s long legacy as founding supporter, along with Cochranes’ more recent involvement.
“From our perspective, we welcome the opportunity to join them in backing the arable industry in mid Canterbury. All those involved have created a great community event that many agronomists follow, and many growers participate in.”