News

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...

Scheme has put 1.9 million lambs and 270,000 cattle onto New Zealand farms since 2016 Inverness is a 1600 hectare extensive sheep and beef property on the rolling Cheviot hills. Carrying 9300 stock units, Inverness uses Go-Stock, an innovative solution for the on-farm cash flow challenges that can...

Purchasers react favourably after Covid-related capacity shortfalls overcome North Island livestock sales through April remained at exceptional levels. Earlier concern around stocking rates potentially under pressure due to a backlog of prime stock still on farm, delayed with processors beset by...

Potential $9 schedule keeps buyer interest steady, though stags more popular than hinds April’s weaner deer sales showed renewed confidence in venison after two challenging years brought low returns for breeders and finishers. At the only North Island weaner sale, the Taihape Weaner Fair in Waiouru...

Waikato breeder’s dispersal sale attracts huge interest to break 50 year record An April dairy herd dispersal sale for a Waikato breeder toppled a record that has stood for 50 years when a rising three-year-old in-calf Jersey sold for $55,000 to become New Zealand’s highest priced single dairy cow...

Demand strong throughout the island, though Southland dry mutes enthusiasm Through April calf sales took place somewhere in the South Island approximately every second day. While the region’s drought hampered enthusiasm in the Southland market, elsewhere plenty of feed provided strong motivation for...

Breeders raising the bar on data, expression and integrity of this year’s bull offering This year’s bull sale season starts in mid-May in the North Island, running throughout the country to the end of June, including a wide selection offered on bidr. Bulls this year are of exceptional quality. Most...

Sixty five year legacy of Glengarry Poll Dorset, New Zealand’s number one Poll Dorset stud, to be offered A major dispersal this winter will make available a legacy of the country’s foremost sheep genetics at a scale rarely offered. Held by the Pratt family, which has been farming at Apiti, Manawatu...

Venison is good news for deer farmers this year with the schedule sitting around $8 per kilogram. Following better than expected demand during the chilled venison season confidence is returning to the sector, demand is gradually building in existing and new developing markets, and prices are 50 per...

On 28 March, on behalf of Merchiston Angus, we conducted a major on-farm reduction sale. We offered the entire Merchiston-based cow herd: all the stud’s cows that calved during 2021 and were subsequently in-calf again, plus the herd’s in-calf heifers. Merchiston Angus is a stud business northeast of...

Jamie Mackay from The Country had a quick catch-up with Barry Fox from PGG Wrightson, 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 that he had...

One of New Zealand’s most enduring charitable relationships – 40 years, $40 million and still going strong This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the IHC Calf and Rural Scheme, which has raised some $40 million in that time. PGG Wrightson Livestock has been a principal sponsor since the...