Best poppy growers honoured at Extractas Bioscience awards

In only his second year of growing poppies Will Gibson at Native Point, Perth, has hit the jackpot with a quality paddock of the Eve variety that has produced the second highest reading of Oripavine in the midlands and south (zone 2), coming in less than a kilo per hectare behind a winning crop from Nick Mills at Panshanger Estate, Cressy.

These two farmers were among the top growers and contractors for Extractas Bioscience who were recognised at the annual awards luncheon held at the Westbury Community Centre on Friday.

Extractas Bioscience field operations manager Noel Beven welcomed 100 guests and paid tribute to the dedication and ability of growers who endured a difficult growing season, remembered for the excessive winds combined with both dry and wet periods and low temperatures. 

However for farm manager Will it was a far better season than last year when his first attempt at growing poppies failed miserably due to a storm flattening his crop.

It’s been more than a decade since poppies have been grown alongside the renowned beef and lamb finishing operation and owner Sandy Gibson was one of the successful growers through the boom times.

“After last year’s disaster dad said to give it away but really, that just made me want to prove him wrong,” Will laughed.

“We planted late and luckily the season was kind to us when  some of the early growers had battled wind, cold and being washed out and having to replant.

“Really I just did everything the field officer told me to do and I can only put the great result down to the fact that there had been no poppies in the paddock for so long, it was just pasture plus there was low weed pressure.”

Will sowed 37ha all up and it was a 25ha paddock that tested the best.

“Basically dad had to eat his hat - it’s proved extremely profitable, especially over such a short growing season from October to February,” Will said.

“We were able to follow up with a ryegrass feed crop and on top of the good lamb and cattle prices this year has been exceptional on the farm.”

Prizes awarded for winning crops were made to:

Zone 1 Also perfroming well in zone 2 (Midlands and South) with the top two results for thebaine was Pisa Estate and Curringa Farm, and with noscapine it was Burbury Pastural that performed the best.

In zone 1(North, North-East and North-West) the Greenhill Brothers was top performer with thebaine ahead of Cliston Family Trust, Boisdale Agriculture and Blackwood Grove Trust were the top producers of oripavine and A. R. Smart with Noscapine. 

Mr Beven said that sowing has already commenced on the 7500Ha crop for next season and everyone is expecting a much more normal season with excellent recent rainfall.