Agrarian Toby Parker received two awards for grain yield

Toby Parker won the national Paul Baker Yield Cup, which is awarded to growers who achieve the highest yield of Pioneer commercial hybrids in commercial field trials. Evaluation is conducted across five growing regions. Additionally, he received the Gisborne Hawke’s Bay Full Maturity Grain Segment and Yield Cup awards for first places in the regions.

A record yield of 22.98 tonnes per hectare was achieved using the hybrid P1185 at Broadlands Farm near Tolaga Bay, owned by the grower's parents. Parker himself manages Parker and Sons (formerly Broadlands Contracting) and owns the machinery, while his parents' enterprise and his business operate in parallel. His 10-month-old son Thomas, who will represent the fourth generation of the family with landholdings, is growing up on this same farm.

Parker considers this result to be the third highest in history. The current New Zealand record stands at 24.5 t/ha and belongs to last year's competition winners Donald and Craig Stobie from Waikato, while the previous achievement of 23.41 t/ha was set in 2022 by Todd Newman from Gisborne.

A former engineer who ran his own business, Parker moved into agricultural contracting. According to him, the sector is facing difficulties, and recent years have been tough, especially after Cyclone Gabrielle. The enterprise continues to operate, but this required taking on additional debt, and the consequences of the disaster are felt daily, despite clearing the fields of timber.

Nevertheless, the grower notes improved communication between producers thanks to social media and Pioneer Maize conferences, which allow specialists to communicate, share information and experience with colleagues from around the world. Parker emphasizes the importance of independent machinery repair and believes that with a competent and professional approach in agribusiness, one can make a decent living.