Rowena Duncum from The Country touched base with Steve Wilkinson, the Lower North Island Regional Manager for PGG Wrightson Livestock, based in Wairarapa.

With spring finally here, has there been any  change in livestock pricing coming through?  Steven agrees - the covers are coming off, weather's improving, days are longer and it's all leading to really strong pricing, particularly in the cattle side of things.  There's not a lot of sheep left to handle but there are excellent returns for wintering cattle with two-year steers the real flavour of the month.  Heavy cattle are making up to three dollars fifty, three dollars sixty a kilo.  Light weight cattle up to three dollars seventy, three dollars eighty.  Some really good lines are getting up to four dollars. 

Rowena asked whether yearling bull sales have started yet.  Steven confirms they're just starting now but over the next month there'll be a number each week, targeting heifer mating in the beef industry or dairy mating type bulls.

Rowena suggests it might be a bit of a quiet time for livestock sales - but are some of the old seasons lambs still coming through?  Yes - but it is very much the last of the last with pretty small yardings. They're meeting good demand with a lot of the tidier lambs making in excess of five dollars a kilo through the sale yards.  It means good returns for farmers holding on to lambs through the winter.  

Rowena asks whether there's been any early indication as to how new season lambs coming through in October and November are shaping up.

Steven says not too much yet.  A lot of farmers are still lambing now.  Fingers are crossed for continuing good weather for good survival rates.

On a final note, Rowena asks whether there's a sense of farmers being buoyed by current higher returns.  Steven agrees this is the case.  Everyone knows what on-farm costs have done so returns need to be good.  It's been a long, wet winter.  There's a bit of sun on everyone's back now, the mud's drying out, grass is starting to grow.  And that's lifting everybody's mood.