News

The Southland Charity Hospital Trust was established in 2019 following Blair’s highly-publicised battle with terminal bowel cancer. After his diagnosis in 2018, Blair was told he had weeks to live, but chronic under-resourcing of the health service in Southland meant he was unlikely to see a...

Bull selling season is underway. What were the results like in Northland? Bernie points out that the season is almost at its end, with a good result so far. There's still a Hereford sale and an Angus sale to come toward the end of July. They've seen about an 80% clearance - from Angus through to...

Second annual online semen sale will showcase elite beef genetics Trans-Tasman. PGG Wrightson’s second annual online bull semen sale is scheduled for 24 August 2022. This is an excellent opportunity for the country’s premier stud businesses to showcase their elite genetics to the Trans-Tasman market...

Right at home in Waikato North Waikato is home for Stephen Hickey. Not only did he grow up on his parents’ 250 hectare, 650 cow Te Kauwhata dairy farm, he sharemilked the property for them for 25 years. Then he became a livestock representative for PGG Wrightson in 2017, initially for two and a half...

Taking off your business hat and becoming a friend Before he went into livestock, Paul Anthony spent 25 years bringing machinery and cars to New Zealand from all around the world, which taught him a few lessons, and left him with a public health warning attached. “Dealing with different people in...

High demand from motivated gallery results in excellent competition and notable prices This year’s Temuka in-lamb ewe fair, on 6 July, attracted plenty of interest, with high demand from a motivated buying gallery. As a result the better ewes in each class sold well. Compared to the 2021 sale...

Good demand for both store and finished stock As the availability of processing space for cattle became easier to obtain, the South Island market for store cattle has lifted. Finishers are paying premiums for cattle that can be finished in the spring. Due to raising schedules premiums are being paid...

Store markets, bull sales season and dairy calf prospects all solid through the winter Variable North Island weather in June reinforced that winter is here, accompanied by a rapid decline in grass and a battle against the mud. Inevitably, stock flowing to market through June was inconsistent, though...

Good year to sell bulls, even better for buyers This year’s two year old bull sales season started in May Overall it has been a good year to sell bulls, though an even better season for buyers. PGG Wrightson Livestock conducted 110 bull sales in 2022, and the quality of this year’s offering...

Vendors and purchasers urged to plan now, or miss out later Early July signals the first in-milk cows coming to the market. Based on projections for the dairy payout, demand for quality cows is trending to the positive. However, farmers looking to increase herd size in the spring need to realise...

Rearers need on-sell commitment now on probable margins before taking calves to carry through to 100 kilograms Northern feeder calf sales started relatively well in early July, and will progress through the rest of the country to reach Southland by mid-August. While the early well-bred calves will...

Recently we were on-farm at Orari Gorge Station in the beautiful province of Geraldine to film the 58 th annual Orari Gorge Herefords sale. Orari Gorge Station is a 4000-hectare farm in the South Canterbury foothills. Managed by fifth-generation owner Robert Peacock, in June Orari Gorge Station ran...

Callum Stewart is National Genetics Manager for PGG Wrightson and Jamie Mackay caught up with him in Feilding on Friday - sale day - a big day for the local community. Callum reckons sale day brings a lot of money into the township, with farmers supporting local and having a big spend-up!! The...

The finalists in the 2022 Ahuwhenua Trophy competition for the top Māori sheep and beef farm have been announced.

Jamie Mackay from The Country had a quick chat with Andrew Gibson, Taranaki Livestock Manager for PGG Wrightson. All the talk has been about the dry in the Waikato. Jamie wonders whether Taranaki has fared any better. Andrew confirmed it has been dry. A couple of big dumpings of rain caused some...

Jamie Mackay from The Country had a quick catch-up with Barry Fox, PGW Livestock Manager - Dairy, live from the Oamaru sale yards. The main topic covered - apart from golf - was the livestock selling season. Barry emphasised that it's a busy time of year for traditional beef calf sales, pointing out...

The closest job to farming Ever since he was a young lad Shaun Rowe has been a farmer. “At the age of six I started my own flock of half a dozen ewes, taking the lambs to the Stratford saleyards,” he says. Shaun’s parents have a 10 hectare Stratford lifestyle block where they graze dairy heifers. “I...

Setting your own style and being confident in yourself Ben McKerchar grew up on a Winton sheep and beef farm, while his father Ross was a well-known Southland livestock agent. From as far back as he can remember, Ben was constantly in and around the saleyards, developing a strong interest in the...