Bumper barley harvest from former Tinwald saleyards site

Harvesting barley on the Mid Canterbury Vintage Machinery site of the former Tinwald sale yards, south of Ashburton. Photo / Struan Christie

Mid Canterbury Vintage Machinery Club has harvested another bumper crop from its 8ha holding paddock at the former Tinwald saleyards.

It was a good barley harvest of seven tonnes per hectare, one of the highest yields harvested since the club started farming it in 2017.

Last year, club members got 7.6 tonnes per hectare of dryland yield, well up on their 6.5 tonnes the year before.

The 2018 yield was double the volume of the first season's crop.

The crop is no longer harvested by club members, due to a shortage of available combines and many members being involved in fulltime farming or with less time available.

It was carried out by staff from Claas Harvest Centre, with many individuals and businesses who had had a hand in ensuring another successful season for the members, among them landowner Greg Donaldson.

Photo / Struan Christie

The crop was presold before growing, for stock food.

The saleyards closed in December 2016 after 138 years of operation.