News

New opportunity to access quality cattle genetics. In co-operation with bidr®, PGG Wrightson takes the first step in a new genetics initiative on 7 September, with a fully online bull semen sale. Various beef studs around New Zealand, incorporating all breeds, are putting up packages from some of...

Promising winter conditions and steady meat company schedules persuade sheep and beef farmers to maximise stock numbers. Recent South Island store cattle sales have gone well with prices lifting as farmers position themselves to secure plenty of stock before the start of spring. Steady meat company...

After an outstanding response to their elder brothers, younger bulls go live nationwide in September and October. Record numbers attended this year’s two-year-old bull sales. Studs put up the genetics that breeders and commercial farmers responded to with plenty of enthusiasm. Quality animals with...

Fierce competition for quality stock, coupled with generosity of local farmers results in excellent fund-raiser for Cancer Society. On 11 August the annual Marton Hogget Fair took place at Feilding Saleyards. As well as providing local farmers with quality stock pre-spring, the fair serves as a...

With strong ties to New Zealand’s rural communities, PGG Wrightson wanted to support a charity that assists New Zealanders based both rurally and in urban areas. In response, the company has committed to sponsoring New Zealand Land Search & Rescue Incorporated (LandSAR) for the next three years...

Listen now as The Country’s Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson’s Taranaki Livestock Manager and auctioneer, Andrew Gibson, to talk about New Zealand’s livestock market. Calf sales have kicked off with the Taranaki Cattle Fair, with cattle trading going reasonably well. Gibson says that they...

Markets for various classes of dairy livestock will be busy through the rest of winter as farmers look to take advantage of positive prospects for milk production. Jamie Cunninghame, PGG Wrightson National Dairy Livestock Manager, said this season’s feeder calf sales are proceeding free of the...

Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the severe weather event in the Buller, Tasman, and Marlborough regions. We continue to monitor the situation closely to establish what support our customers and communities need, and how we can assist and respond to any challenges that may...

The Country’s Rowena Duncum is joined by PGG Wrightson’s General Manager for Rural Real Estate Peter Newbold to take a look at the rural property market this month. The 2020-21 rural real estate season has come to an end. Newbold notes that it has been the best year recently, especially with all...

Cystic Fibrosis NZ benefits from efforts of Waikato couple and Jersey community. An online charity auction with a strong Jersey theme raised more than $20,000 for Cystic Fibrosis NZ recently. Initiated by Josh and Kareena Sneddon of Tahau Jerseys, the auction ran on bidr® on 21 June. Featuring 46...

Born and raised on a Southland sheep and beef farm, Callum McDonald is Livestock Genetics Representative for PGG Wrightson in Otago and Southland. After leaving school, Callum spent a few years in Dunedin, gaining a Bachelor of Science from Otago University. However, he always knew what lay ahead....

Uncertainty around dairy beef recedes as M bovis risk becomes better understood. This year’s feeder calf sale season starts shortly, beginning in Waikato, where significant quantities of calves are likely to go through the sales over the next two months. With risks associated with M bovis now better...

Two-year-old bull sale marks 60 years of breeding and business association spanning the generations. Atahua Angus held its two-year-old bull sale in mid-June, marking 60 years of breeding for the Kiwitea, Manawatu stud. After a presentation from Angus NZ board member Andrew Stewart commemorating the...

A couple of weeks after a reasonable drop of rain in most districts, winter hit the North Island in late June with a strong polar blast dropping temperatures to low single digits. Underfoot conditions became sloppy and the weather caused several road closures. Moisture was particularly welcome in...

More relaxed sale with larger gallery than under Covid last year. Limehills Polled Herefords in Roxburgh, Central Otago hosted one of the first events of this year’s two year old bull sales season on 1 June. After presenting the sale last year towards the end of the Level Two Covid period, Limehills...

Listen now as The Country’s Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson’s Mid-South Canterbury Livestock Manager, Joe Higgins, to talk about New Zealand’s livestock market. It has been a month since the Canterbury floods and the recovery has been progressing slowly. Higgins says that some areas...

Watch as Callum Stewart joins Mark Leishman on Country TV discussing the winding up of a successful Bull Sales season. Including bidr® Hybrid Livestream sales.

Coarse wool growers have faced a stark fact in recent times: revenue from wool does not cover the cost of growing, harvesting, packaging, transporting, and selling their clip. Recent price improvements have lifted some growers to either “break-even” or slightly “in the black” levels. This hard truth...