News

An upgrade and rebuild of the Number One core machine in the PGG Wrightson Christchurch wool store is complete, with the next stage of the capital programme set to roll out in the Mosgiel store shortly. This nationwide upgrade will improve efficiency and reliability while incorporating health and...

Testing the tenacity, skill and versatility of New Zealand’s top shearing talent, the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit 2022/23 has started. Rounds one and two, in Alexandra and Waimate respectively, were completed in October, round three is hosted by the NZ Agricultural Show in...

Rowena asked about a recent North Island wool auction in Napier. Rob says it was an interesting day with about seven thousand bales offered, mainly second shear wool as seen in the North Island, all good colour wool, drawn from right across the Island apart from the far north. The Market could be...

With the first wool sales under our belt into the new wool season, good premiums are on offer for well grown and better prepared pre-lamb fleece of good colour, sound and low VM (less than 0.3 per cent) crossbred wool. Please contact your local wool representative to discuss best practice...

Jared Manihera is never far from wool. “I grew up in Masterton where my parents were shearing contractors for 25 years. I left school at 15, though Dad banned me from going into the sheds until I turned 16, so I stacked shelves at Woolworths for six months,” he says. He worked as a shearer for the...

In 2018 Blair Vining, from Winton, Southland was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer that had spread to his liver and lungs. He believed that better healthcare could have saved his life. Before he died, Blair campaigned for a national cancer agency, starting a petition that was backed by 140,000...

Kaiwaka Clothing was established in 1975 by Ross Stewart. Ross was a fifth generation local farmer in the small Northland settlement, so he understood what it means to work outdoors, which is reflected in the clothing the company produces. Nearly five decades later Ross’s sons and grandsons have a...

When North Canterbury farming couple Greg and Lois Newell were planning to build their new house they were determined to use as much wool as possible. Greg and Lois have leased a 300 hectare North Loburn property since 1992, and purchased 80 hectares of it in 2009, partly with a mind to build. They...

Wool in Schools is a PGG Wrightson sponsored initiative to educate and inspire kiwi children about the wonders of wool. Established in 2015 and comprising converted shipping containers that travel the country visiting schools and sharing knowledge about our fibre, Wool in Schools will shortly pass...

Although Kurt Houghton started building around 20 years ago, he and his wife Alisa also farm the 427 hectare Aria, Waitomo property that has been in the Houghton family since 1905. As a sheep farmer, and a builder, Kurt is strongly motivated to put as much wool as possible in the local houses he...

Based on initial results from the first few auctions of the 2022/23 wool sale season, demand and confidence has lifted. When better style pre-lamb crossbred wools have come forward to the auction room, the market has responded with enthusiasm, resulting in prices appreciably above comparable levels...

The big question is how much of a premium can you get if you go organic? Palle says PGG Wrightson is probably the only organic wool exporter in the country. They've been working on organics for probably ten years and have a good customer in the US manufacturing bedding. They're currently offering $5...

While the war in Ukraine has potential to impact the market, the bigger issue is lock-downs in China. Grant is particularly concerned about the lock-down of Shanghai, arguably the major port in the world. Stopping the movement of goods through China has a significant effect as a lot of New Zealand...

From mid-April, the market for crossbred wools increased appreciably in both the North and South Islands. Foreign exchange has been the main factor driving this, with the New Zealand dollar at one point dropping below US$0.63. Demand for better quality wools, with good colour and sound preparation...

An interactive educational opportunity for students might be the way to help New Zealand with its growing wool crisis. The Wool In Schools programme works with primary, intermediate, and secondary schools. Schools can register for The Wool Shed, filled with interactive tools to educate kids on wool...

Bale contamination is an ongoing issue that can cause significant downstream processing problems. We wish to provide growers, shearing contractors, and wool handlers with a timely reminder to be vigilant in the woolshed. The photo attached to this article has been supplied by WoolWorks New Zealand...

As many wool growers should now be fully aware, the wool sector is a member of the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP) , which has recently refreshed its logo. For PGG Wrightson to market your wool as NZFAP assured, it is essential for growers to know their Assurance Code (e.g. 1000XYZ) /...

PGG Wrightson Wool Otago representative Graeme Bell recently attended the New Zealand Wool Classers Association’s AGM in Mosgiel, which doubled as a Classer Professional Development Day. Included in the association’s annual Classer Awards, PGG Wrightson Wool is the sponsor of the Owner Classer...