News

In August we emailed growers to seek expressions of interest to supply through our lambswool contract. It was a successful campaign and we thank all growers who took the opportunity to take up the contract offer. Forward wool contracts are a good option to remove the guesswork and volatility...

In order to maintain the purity of our national wool clip wool growers must be aware of the problems caused by the use of non-scourable raddle on their sheep. Non-scourable raddle cannot be washed out. It will therefore cause processing problems that can result in financial implications to wool...

Wool has been Chris Payne’s entire working life. After leaving school he went into the Hawke’s Bay scours, moving to Gisborne in 1991 where he has been a wool rep ever since, initially with Williams and Kettle, and for the last six years under the PGG Wrightson brand. His initiation to the role in...

PGG Wrightson has a new supply of cardboard rubbish boxes. Placed strategically around the shed, these will help ensure general rubbish such as paper, plastic, tinfoil, cigarette butts, string and wire does not contaminate your wool. Prior to shearing, contact your local PGG Wrightson Wool rep, so...

Primary ITO, the training provider for the agriculture sector, recently introduced a set of new wool harvesting micro-credentials aiming to give newcomers the basic skills necessary to make a quick and easy start in the industry. Covering the woolshed, shearing and woolhandling, each of the three...

All manner of different objects slip into wool bales. When they go undetected as the greasy wool feeds into the scour train, these contaminants can cause expensive problems. Metal press bars, items of clothing and towels are the items most commonly found. One extreme find was a complete grinder...

This pre-lamb shearing season, in both North and South Islands, vegetable matter (VM) contamination has noticeably increased. Several tests are performed on wool prior to sale. These use the core sample taken from each bale within a specific line or lot. They include measuring micron, yield, colour...

what can be achieved when swedes receive a bit of T.L.C. is impressive. Treating a crop of swedes with a similar precision to that of fodder beet has been delivering some good results in Southland and more recently in other traditional winter crop areas across the country. What started as a trend...

Juicy red tomatoes plucked straight from your vege patch are hard to beat. Store bought tomatoes never taste quite as good as those fully ripened and grown with love in the sun at home. Once the cold weather has passed and the soils have warmed up its time to plant tomatoes. Depending on what region...

Scouring can be a common problem around weaning in calves, but it is not always due to worms. The weaning process needs to be managed well to reduce potential problems as the calf transitions from a milk fed diet onto a forage based one involving the rapid development of the rumen. If this...

Over time, established perennial pastures can become overrun with weeds and reduce pasture production if left unchecked. Dry summers, wet winters, insect attacks, poor fertility and over-grazing can cause the death of desirable pasture plants, thus creating gaps for weeds to colonise. These weeds...

This is the second article of a three-part series that takes a closer look at New Zealand soils. Soil underpins all agricultural activity, so understanding the soil you farm is important. This month, I will focus on four distinct soils that are well known to farmers, and explain how they are...

Learn how one Real Estate manager achieved a successful result for a South Canterbury family. In 2008 Barry and Heather Gray, their son Richard, and his wife Juliet, bought Hakataramea Station near Kurow in South Canterbury. It was a big change for the Gray family as they had been farming in...

Learn how the technical expertise from our Technical Field Representatives adds value to farming operations. Under the gaze of Mount Ruapehu in the Waimarino area in the central North Island lies the Ātihau Whanganui Incorporation (known as ‘Awhi’) farming operation. Awhi is an extensive operation...

Learn how the Martinborough-based Livestock team has a successful, long-lasting relationship with Birch Hill Station. The Wairarapa is a region of contrasts, featuring rugged coastlines, fertile plains and hard hill country. The region is well known for producing quality sheep and beef stock that...

PGG Wrightson Livestock General Manager Peter Moore joins Mark Leishman on the daily report to discuss the livestock market, Defer-A-Bull and bidr®.

This week The Country's Jamie Mackay is joined by PGG Wrightson GM for Wool Grant Edwards to talk about the current wool market, including a recent bounce back in wool prices locally as well as in Australia.

Sheep & Beef Shane Gerken - South Island Livestock Manager The start of the lambing season has gone pretty smoothly for most. There are good survival rates being reported and lambs look like they are doing well. Traditional cattle remain popular while buyers remain selective with the longer-term or...