9.5 tonnes of winter wheat per hectare – this is now the official yield record to be included in the Lithuanian Book of Records. The record was achieved in the fields of the agricultural company ‘Žvirbloniai’, part of ‘Agrokoncernas ‘Group, located in the Pakruojis district.
Over the course of four hours, a total of 101.62 tonnes of the French wheat variety ‘LG Keramik’ was harvested from a certified and officially measured area of 10.7 hectares. The entire process – from field to laboratory – was closely monitored by representatives of the ‘Records Academy’.
The final yield weight was determined after deducting impurities and moisture content. In a professional laboratory, the grain quality parameters were assessed, including protein content, gluten, hectolitre weight, falling number, and other indicators.
Arnas Radzevičius, Commercial Director at ‘Agrokoncernas’, shared that the idea to set an official yield record came to him in the spring after attending a field day event in Pasvalys. After inspecting a farmer’s field, he noticed that the yield potential was exceptionally high and could even qualify as a national record. Upon further investigation, he discovered that no official figure had ever been recorded.
‘This sparked the idea to take the initiative and establish the first official winter wheat yield record in Lithuania. There is so much talent in the sector – outstanding farms, agronomists, knowledge, varieties, and agronomic solutions. I believe we need a benchmark, a reference point from which we can continue striving for better results and fully harness the sector’s enormous potential,’ said Radzevičius.
Fields belonging to two agricultural companies under Agrokoncernas Group were selected for the record attempt, turning the event into a friendly competition between ‘Žvirbloniai’ and ‘Draugas’. However, on the eve of the record-setting event, an unexpected but familiar situation for many farmers this year occurred: after a night of heavy rain, the wheat in the designated field was flattened, and another field had to be chosen.
Simonas Žakevičius, Head of the agricultural company ‘Draugas’, said the season was extremely challenging. Tasks that would normally take a week had to be completed in just a few days due to unpredictable weather.
‘There wasn’t a single trip where we didn’t have to pull out stuck machinery. All our combines are wheeled, so it was tough—especially in the rapeseed fields after the major downpours. We’ve learned a lot of lessons and now know that tracked machinery is the best, no question about it,’ shared the farm manager.
Pulling stuck machinery from the fields was a daily reality this season for Svajūnas Stelmokas, Head of the agricultural company ‘Žvirbloniai’. Pointing to the combine harvester working in the record-setting field, he shared that he had personally operated it and hadn’t noticed the rear wheels sinking into the soil. Fortunately, the fields have since dried out, and spirits are higher. It was in his field that the official winter wheat yield record was set. Meanwhile, in the field of the agricultural company ‘Draugas’, the yield reached 8.67 tonnes per hectare.
Arnas Radzevičius, Commercial Director at ‘Agrokoncernas’, admitted he had hoped for even better figures but is confident that the record will be surpassed many times in the future.
“A good yield is not the result of isolated decisions, but of a consistently managed system – from soil testing, use of organic fertilisers, crop rotation, to timely operations, quality products, and well-maintained, properly calibrated machinery. Most importantly, it’s the continuous drive to improve the fundamentals of crop production,” he emphasised.
Gintaras Pocius, Head of the ‘Records Academy’ agency, who observed the harvesting process up close for the first time, noted that every record begins with the first officially measured benchmark.
‘This yield record is a beautiful beginning – a challenge that could inspire other Lithuanian farms to embrace innovation, science, and strive for even greater results,’ he said.
