JUDGES were again impressed by the quality of entries in this year’s South Suffolk Crop Competition, despite a second consecutive year of extreme weather.

Challenging conditions this year ranged from an early Spring drought to the wettest June on record, with harvest being both late and interrupted by rain.

However, the judges said the crops entered had been “outstanding” in their quality, with little to choose between them in terms of farm size or geographical area.

The competition is run by the South Suffolk Agricultural Association and is open those who farm within a 15-mile radius of Cavendish. A total of 51 farmers entered this year’s contest, between them responsible for farming more than 40,000 acres of land.

The Crosse & Blackwell Cup, for those farming less than 350 acres, was won by Ken Chamberlin of KJ Chamberlin, while the Pan Anglia Cup, for those farming 350 to 500 acres, went to Fred Branwhite of Branwhite Farms Ltd,

The South Suffolk Agricultural Association Cup, for farms of between 500 and 900 acres, was won by John Powell of JL Powell & Co, and the The Streetly Award for the farms above 900 acres was claimed by Alan Covey.

Association chairman John Wayman and competition secretary Giles Allen thanked to the competition stewards and the judges who came from across East Anglia to inspect the crops.

The awards will be presented at the association’s dinner and prizegiving, to be held at Stoke-by-Nayland Golf, Hotel and Spa on November 9, when the guest speaker will be grain trader and blogger David Norris.

This year’s competition and dinner has been supported by sponsors including Anglian Grain Services, Clydesdale Bank, Birkett Long Solicitors, Ensors Chartered Accountants, Nidera, Agrii and Strutt & Parker LLP.

The top three places in the individual classes were as follows:

Sugar beet, five to 25 acres: 1 Robert Rush, Newington Farms; 2 Fred Branwhite, Brainwhite Farms; 3 Rupert Brown, John Brown & Sons.

Sugar beet, over 25 acres: 1 Rupert Brown, John Brown & Sons; 2 Robert Rush, Hills Farm; 3 Peter Maddever, PH Maddever Farms.

Oats, five acres and over: 1 James Nott, HWW Teverson; 2 Andrew Wade. SG Wade Ltd; 3 David Walker, Poslingford Farms.

Dried Peas: 1 Richard Edgeley, R & H Edgeley.

Biscuit and feed wheat, five to 20 acres: 1 Charles Ryder, Great Bradley Farms Co; 2 Alan Covey, Alan Covey; 3 Richard Cornell, LA Cornell & Son.

Biscuit and feed wheat, 20 to 40 acres: 1Charles Ryder, Great Bradley Farms Co; 2 John Powell, JL Powell & Co; 3 David Claydon, T Sills.

Biscuit and feed wheat, over 40 acres: 1 John Powell, JL Powell & Son; 2 Rupert Brown, John Brown & Sons; 3 Alan Covey, Alan Covey.

Bread and milling wheat, five to 20 acres: 1 Roger Dennis, Dennis Home Farm Partnership; 2 Colin Clifton-Brown, RL Clifton-Brown & Son; 3 Fred Branwhite, Branwhite Farms.

Bread and milling wheat, 20 to 40 acres: 1 Robert Rush, K & R Rush Farms; 2 Colin Clifton-Brown, RL Clifton-Brown & Son; 3 Roger Dennis, Dennis Home Farm Partnership.

Bread and milling what, over 40 acres: 1 Richard Edgeley, R & H Edgeley; 2 Charles Ryder, Great Bradley Farms Co; 3 Colin Clifton-Brown, RL Clifton-Brown & Son.

Spring barley, five to 25 acres: 1 David Simpson, EW Simpson & Partners; 2 James Nott, JW Shand; 3 Tim Farrow, C & A Farrow & Son.

Spring barley, over 25 acres: 1 Robert Rush, Wishsight Ltd; 2 Robert Rush, K & R Rush Farms; 3 Tim Harris, TG Harris & Son.

Malting winter barley, five to 25 acres: 1 George Harris, TG Harris & Son; 2 Fred Branwhite, Branwhite Farms; 3 Charles Partridge, R Partridge & Co.

Malting winter barley, over 25 acres: 1 Alan Covey, Alan Covey; 2 Charles Partridge, R Partridge & Co; 3 Tim Farrow, C & A Farrow & Son.

Feeding winter barley, five acres and over: 1 Swithin Waterer, Waterers Farms; 2 John Powell, JL Powell & Co; 3 Swithin Waterer, Waterers Farms.

Winter beans, five acres and over: 1 Carl Driver, Driver Farms; 2 John Powell, JL Powell & Co.

Spring beans, five acres and over: 1 Carl Driver, Driver Farms.

Winter rape, five to 25 acres: 1 Ken Chamberlin, KJ Chamberlin; 2 Peter Philp, SJ Philp & Son; 3 Tony Hogsbjerg, Hogsbjerg Farms.

Winter rape, over 25 acres: 1 Peter Maddever, PH Maddever Farms; 2 Alan Covey, Alan Covey; 3 Charles Course, Heathpatch Ltd.

In addition to the top three places, points towards the main trophies were also awarded for nearly 60 entries which were Reserve, Highly Commended or Commended in their respective classes.