Cereal contest includes barley

Press, 20 March 1987, Page 14

Cereal contest includes barley

Barley growers as well as wheat producers now have a chance to win the country’s top cereal award, the 1.C.1. prize. The format of this year’s 1.C.1. cereal competition, to be held at Lincoln College, has been changed to make barley returns as well as wheat eligible for the top prize. The organising committee made the change because it saw the choice of growing either barley or wheat was one that arable farmers were currently facing and it felt that this choice should be incorporated in the competition. The change also coincides with deregulation in the wheat market which means that the two crops can now be judged on a comparable price basis at the end of the competition. Previously a meaningful comparison was not possible. In effect the competition could be something of a market-indicator of preferences, said the chairman of the organising committee, Mr Don Crabb, of Lincoln College. The competition is for the highest net return of barley or wheat and a competitor may now elect to grow either a malting or a feed barley for which there is market acceptance, qf grow any wheat which is marketable. The competition plots may be either autumn or spring grown and field days will be held in mid-November when full information on progress to that time will be given. Twelve plots of o.sha each are available for the competition and a ballot for competitors will be held if there are more than 12 applicants under the new conditions. The competition site was in peas last harvest and the plots will be available to growers in mid-April. Entry forms are available from the Education Unit, Lincoln College, Canterbury, and applications close on April 6.