2021 GROW FOR GOLD LAUNCHES

Following on the success of the first Grow for Gold National Yield Competition hosted by Grain SA last year, the organisation is excited to announce the launch of the 2021 competition.

Formal yield contests provide an estimate of yield potential under similar conditions, for a specific region, motivating producers to achieve outstanding results, receive recognition for new and ground-breaking farming practices and reward innovation.

In Grain SA’s constant endeavours to promote sustainable and profitable grain production, the 2021 Grow for Gold National Yield Competition will further highlight the actual potential growth that innovative production practices can achieve. Crop yield is an important metric to understand as it assist with understanding food security and can explain why a crop’s cost can fluctuate year-on-year. In addition, there is still a massive gap between the genetic potential of crops and what is actually realised in the field.

Together with all seed companies, the competition protocol has been further refined to ensure the assessment of all participating producers, from small-scale to commercial, under the same stringent criteria. Grain producers compete in 16 categories, including dry and irrigated land, both regionally and nationally aiming to achieve the highest yields per hectare, regardless of the cultivar planted. Pioneering production practices and inventive farming are vital in achieving record-breaking yields.

The importance of food security, food price trends and possible production expansions are closely linked to future average crop yields in the major agricultural regions of the world. Research has further highlighted the possibility of maximum possible average crops yields levelling out and yield competitions assist in reducing the gap between average and potential yields.

The 2021 Grow for Gold National Yield Competition invite all South African grain producers, that plant maize, soybeans and sunflower, to participate in this second annual yield contest. The success stories of the 2020 Grow for Gold winners has not been all about high plant populations or inputs, but focussed on producers who identified and mitigated yield-limiting factors specific to their individual fields. Coming from various regions planting a variety of seeds, these successful grain producers pinpointed specific management tips that any grain producer can take home and apply to their own farming operations and improve their agronomic knowledge.

Grain SA is looking forward to once again partner with seed companies who in turn, engage, encourage and assist their farmers to achieve outstanding yields with what they have, compared to the rest of the world. From unsubsidised commercial farmers to small-scale farmers with limited resources – South African grain producers still produce outstanding good yields.

Grain SA will utilise the Grow for Gold platform to give producers the opportunity for continuous learning and improvement in order to establish what can be achieved. More importantly this platform provide SA’s top producers with the opportunity to share their success stories, to teach others in order to duplicate these outstanding yields across South Africa where possible. “The economy of grain production and optimal level of profitability still remain one of the most important factors for the organisation, and this platform will delve somewhat deeper into statistics concerning the record-yielding crops to further promote the efficiency and sustainability of grain producers” Dr Dirk Strydom, Grain SA’s Manager: Grain Economics & Marketing said.

Producers can obtain information about the Grow for Gold National Yield Competition from the website at www.groeivirgoud.co.za or from their seed company.

Wheat farmers will have something to look forward to and will have the opportunity during this 2021 season to compete in the 2022 Grow for Gold National Yield Competition. More information will be available as  as the wheat planting season nears.  

The 2020 Grow for Gold competition’s records and success stories can be accessed in the Grow for Gold Mini Focus in the SA Graan/Grain magazine on the following link: https://sagrainmag.co.za/magazine/

Ends

Issued by: 
Grain SA Communications

Further enquiries:
Corné Louw, Snr Economist, Grain SA
086 004 7246 | corne@grainsa.co.za