News

Renowned Tāirawhiti stud celebrates 75 years of breeding with the top price for a bull at a New Zealand on farm sale. Before the weather intervened, the East Coast bull sales week at the end of June featured a big sale at Tangihau Angus. Celebrating 75 years of breeding Angus cattle at the station...

‘Straight up, hardworking guy’ Matt Crawford taking over as Paul Peterson ends a 40-year career, including as local livestock rep since 1991. This month marks the beginning of a new era in Hunterville. At the end of June, having recently celebrated 40 years with the company, Paul Peterson retired as...

Endorsement for Melior Venison, Fairlie, whose focus on genetics and how their hinds perform finds favour with a strong, wide and varied gallery. This year’s minimum price venison contracts, up on last year by around 40 cents, have confirmed stability in the deer market, as indicated by results at...

Prices increase due to limited winter stock – animals through saleyards generally in good condition considering the tough autumn. Once again, to those PGG Wrightson clients on the East Coast of the North Island who bore the brunt of yet another heavy weather event in late June, our thoughts and...

Now reaching 10,000 users and 400 livestock agents from 11 agencies across the country, bidr a finalist in Federated Farmers’ Primary Industries Awards. bidr continues to cement its role as New Zealand’s virtual saleyard, securing another success in early July as a finalist in the Primary Industries...

Clarence Valley, Kaikoura the showcase for 53rd edition of sale representing almost 90 years of pedigree breeding. A significant feature of the annual South Island bull sales season is the combined Woodbank Angus and Matariki Hereford sale in Clarence Valley, Kaikoura. At this year’s sale in late...

PGG Wrightson and Alliance offer reliable, regular, convenient and competitive bobby calf option for dairy farmers, including volume supply premium. With calving starting soon the successful relationship established over several years between PGG Wrightson and farmer co-operative Alliance continues...

Mainly focusing on cull cows, PGG Wrightson Livestock responsible for procurement of North Island cattle from King Country south. Between 500 and 550 cattle per week go through the Ample Meats plant in Stratford, Taranaki. Since 2022 PGG Wrightson Livestock has been solely responsible for Ample...

At PGG Wrightson Wool, we are proud to announce the launch of the "Musterer" jacket from Kaiwaka Clothing, a product that represents our commitment to sustainable and ethical wool production. This jacket, crafted from New Zealand wool produced under our Wool Integrity programme, represents quality...

After the final auctions of the year in late June, a review of the recently completed season shows this year’s wool market exhibited stability, with some wool types approaching three-year highs. However, significant scope for growth remains. Crossbred wools finished the season strongly, including...

During shearing season, Danielle Boyd doesn’t know how many hours she works in any given week. There’s a job to do, so she just heads out and gets it done - however long that may take. It’s part up-bringing (growing up on sheep and beef farms in Northland) and part grit. “I’ve always enjoyed being...

New and influential standards to measure product sustainability risk overlooking the benefits of natural fibres, though a concerted advocacy programme is under way to ensure the advantages of wool and other commodities are properly recognised. Emma Gittoes Bunting, Australian Wool Innovation Global...

Thank you to all participants in the 2024 LandMarks Photo Collection. With over 2,000 entries received, the 2024 competition has been the most popular LandMarks Collection of the past decade! Over the next two weeks, we’ll be taking a close look at each entry to check the images meet the competition...

Activity in the rural real estate market remains subdued, with around 30% less buyer activity than 12 months ago. That’s according to PGG Wrightson General Manager of Real Estate, Peter Newbold, who floated the figure in his monthly interview with The Country’s Jamie Mackay. Newbold identified...

Northland is experiencing a bit of a green drought despite recent rainfall, according to PGG Wrightson regional livestock manager, Bernie McGahan. For the uninitiated, a green drought is when there is just enough rain to keep the grass green, but not enough for it to grow. There had been 20-25mm of...

The Canterbury Shears’ national Corriedale shearing and woolhandling championships are confirmed to take place in November, despite the Canterbury A&P Society's decision to cancel the New Zealand Agricultural Show. Despite the decision not to host the show this year, shearing and other sections have...

After around 160 years, the Couper family calls it a day with one of the Tasman region’s largest clearing sales in decades. Spectacular weather and a sizeable crowd helped make the Raidale Farm clearing sale on 23 April the Tasman region’s largest event of its kind in decades. Owen and Lina Couper...

Heavier male lambs with shorter wool earning a premium – Mid and South Canterbury cropping farmers also weighing in. Store lamb sales in the North Island started in earnest in early May. Month on month, yardings through the Fielding saleyards and paddock to paddock sales are ahead of annual averages...