For 57 years the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has held the National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC) for corn farmers around the nation. NCGA recently announced the winners of this year’s NCYC. NCGA reported incredible numbers and credited the hard work and resilience of all the corn farmers who participated to achieve these results through the many challenges they faced.
A total of 27 farmers took a national win, and although there was not an overall winner, David Hula of Charles City, Virginia, produced the highest yield of the contest with 602.1694 bushels per acre. Along with national winners, NCGA also announced the winners for each state. The results for Texas, including Texas farmers in New Mexico and Oklahoma, are as follows:
| Rank | Entrant Name | City | Seed Variety | Yield | |
| Conventional Non- Irrigated | |||||
| 1 | Justin N. Hansen | Lorena | Dyna-Gro | 237.9638 | |
| 2 | Keith Kresta | Wharton | Pioneer | 236.0780 | |
| 3 | Aaron N. Martinka | Buckholts | Dekalb | 210.7477 | |
| No-Till Non-Irrigated | |||||
| 1 | Justin N. Hansen | Lorena | Dyna-Gro | 233.2581 | |
| Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated | |||||
| 1 | Brian Fink | Cost | Pioneer | 197.4779 | |
| 2 | Brian Fink | Cost | Pioneer | 178.1959 | |
| 1(NM) | Jared Gordon | Dalhart | Pioneer | 276.7248 | |
| No-Till Irrigated | |||||
| 1 | Andy Cover | Dalhart | Pioneer | 338.2694 | |
| 2 | Jarret Weinheimer | Groom | Pioneer | 284.5089 | |
| Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Irrigated | |||||
| 1 | Todd Reinart | Amarillo | Pioneer | 318.5766 | |
| 2 | Jody Bezner | Texline | Pioneer | 317.0115 | |
| 3 | Brett Britten | Groom | Pioneer | 287.8742 | |
| 2(OK.) | Austin Sage | Texline | Pioneer | 313.1147 | |
| Conventional Irrigated | |||||
| 1 | Tommy & Valerie Cartrite | Sunray | Pioneer | 331.9006 | |
| 2 | Tommy & Valerie Cartrite | Sunray | Pioneer | 326.1073 | |
| 1(OK.) | Austin Sage | Texline | Pioneer | 311.5208 | |
Lowell Neitzel, the chair of NCGA’s Member and Consumer Engagement Action Team, said this contest is a way for farmers to compete against one another and improve their production techniques, while also getting involved in NCGA.
“This contest offers farmers a chance to come together both for good-natured competition and to help innovate the future of our industry,” Neitzel said, “These contestants grow to be leaders in many other ways. For many, the contest may be their first interaction with NCGA. As they learn more, the true value of work that we do to build a better tomorrow inspires greater achievement.”
To learn more about the other 2021 state and national winners in the NCYC, click here.
