New Zealand Farmers Break World Record For Wheat Growing

Ashburton farmers Eric and Maxine Watson have broken the world record for wheat growing.

 

The couple produced 16.791 tonnes per hectare, beating the previous record of 16.519 tonnes held for two years by a United Kingdom farmer.

 

The record was accepted by the Guinness Book of Records, and now means New Zealand farmers own the title for the highest yielding crop of both wheat and barley. Two years ago Timaru's Warren Darling broke the world record for barley.

 

Watson, who has been farming on his near coastal property for the last 40 years, said it had been a mixed sheep/cropping property until 24 years ago when he got seriously into cropping.