News

Esk Valley farmers with their own take on innovative Australian breed A recently developed Australian shedding sheep is making its first impact in New Zealand, with an on-farm sale scheduled for 16 November at a property that is pioneering the breed. Dean and Antoinette Martin farm 244 hectare...

Taihape farming family fully sold on shedding sheep On behalf of his parents Greg and Jocelyn, Charles Bennett manages his family’s property Waitui, on 343 hectares of hill country at Tiriraukawa, 26 kilometres southwest of Taihape. Faced with the ongoing challenge of minimising costs and maximising...

Record yearling bull sale achieved online bidr® continues to build on its reputation as a powerful force in the livestock market, recognised by buyers for the ease and convenience of procuring stock without leaving home, and providing sellers with a nationwide selling platform broader than...

Purchasers taking a functional approach to their bulls this year This year’s yearling bull sales have delivered good clearances, albeit the values of the bulls offered is down by $300 to $500 per head compared to last year. Dairy farmers have not been prepared to exceed the $3,000 mark with their...

Limited supply of cows means quality lines are selling fast Across the country dairy livestock market activity is heavily focused on quality in milk and close to profit cows. With limited numbers available over the past few weeks, cows that have come forward through the North Island auction system...

Livestock markets moving out of winter mode Overall the livestock market has been in winter mode, with relatively low numbers of sheep and cattle through the saleyards. Looking ahead, there are a number of cattle sales rostered during October. Good early spring rainfall through most of the South...

On the path he always wanted to take Alex Stuart started with PGG Wrightson Livestock as a trainee in August 2022, moving into the company’s academy programme at the start of this year, and taking up a permanent role as a Waikato based livestock representative in April. Growing up on farms managed...

Knowing how to look at a cow Bernie Cox became a PGG Wrightson Livestock representative in June this year, working with dairy farmers between the Rakaia and Rangitata rivers. Although he is a newbie at this, Bernie brings 15 years in dairy farming to the role, plus high level experience as a...

Quality genetics continue to reap rewards This year’s two-year-old bull sale season finished recently as 130 studs nationwide put their best bulls forward at auction, private sales and paddock selections. Callum Stewart, PGG Wrightson Livestock National Genetics Manager, said the campaign exceeded...

Cautious optimism justified among deer farmers While for much of the year the venison price has held stable at around $9, a positive forecast indicates it will exceed $10 per kilogram before the end of 2023, a prospect that has slowed reduction of the hind herd. Demand from the growing United States...

Easy access to some of the country’s best beef genetics AI is becoming more widely accepted as a simple, efficient, and effective way to introduce quality genetics into a commercial herd. PGG Wrightson’s annual online bull semen sale is growing in popularity, providing direct and easy access to some...

Less positive economic factors offset good weather conditions Mild South Island weather coupled with plenty of rain has provided good soil moisture levels, setting farmers up for a promising spring. During July and August, the quietest time of the year in the saleyards, small yardings of both sheep...

Softening lamb market and dairy payout influencing market sentiment During the calving and lambing seasons trade in livestock generally enters a hiatus period. Factors facing farmers and the sector as a whole include a softening lamb market, largely due to China’s market forces, with a similar story...

Co-operation stands to benefit both sectors Several largely unrelated factors could work well together to meet the different needs of two separate farming sectors as the service bull season approaches. Land use change from farming to forestry has reduced the national beef herd in recent years...

Quality is still in demand, though sale catalogues trimmed We are now well into this year’s bull sale season as 130 studs nationwide put their best two-year-old bulls forward at auction, private sales and paddock selections. Based on the number of sheep and beef farms going to forestry recently...

Feed rich conditions support solid values Good quality, well-bred sheep and cattle are selling at solid values across all North Island regions where, despite some colder snaps and higher than average rainfall through some regions, feed rich conditions predominate. Indicators for sheep and beef...

Favourable conditions lift demand for cattle and sheep An exceptional autumn across the South Island has the country looking superb and farmers seeking to make the most of generous feed reserves. Such favourable conditions have resulted in a big lift in demand for cattle and sheep, both on paddock...

Options available with potential dairy sector cashflow restriction A sizeable proportion of those in the dairy sector go through immense upheaval on Moving Day, and this year was no different with large numbers of workers, farmers and sharemilkers having to plan, shift and settle in before, on and...