A FARMING family from Peterhead have been crowned winners of this year’s Royal Northern Agricultural Society growing cereals competition.

Brothers David and James Murphy, and David’s son Andrew, who farm 475 acres at Mains of Kinmundy, Longside, won the annual contest with a 25-acre block of SY Kingston winter barley.

They had been up against a broad field of competition – entries were up by 20 on the year, with a total of 87 entries from 39 competitors across the north and north-east taking part.

This year’s competition was judged by Scott Campbell, of Kirkton Farm, Kinellar, who was the runner-up in last year’s RNAS good farming practice awards.

Mr Campbell said he was honoured to be asked to judge such a high level and well-known competition.

“It was great to see so many entries for what has been an extremely challenging year in many ways,” he said. “All entrants should be very proud of their standard of farming. It was an extremely close competition.”

The Murphy's winning crop was sown on September 16 and grown alongside winter barley, oilseed rape and spring barley.

David said: “Our winter barley has continued to look well since it came through the ground and has only suffered with a bit of early drought in the spring."

The family also runs a new and second hand machinery firm from home, Murphy Agricultural Machinery.

Standing reserve overall in the competition was a 24-acre block of Laureate spring barley, sown on March 27, from father and son duo Fraser and Scott Middleton, of Balbegno, Fettercairn.

The Middletons farm 580 acres and grow winter and spring barley for seed, as well as spring barley for malting, and are regular participants in the competition.

Fraser said: “The crop is looking well just now and we are just waiting on the weather to pick up so we can get harvesting our winter barley.”