News

New Zealand’s hard-working farm dogs are one of the biggest assets to a sheep and beef farmer, provide them with the right nutrients to help them perform. Working dog’s muster thousands of sheep and cattle across hill and high country, a tough job that cannot be done any other way. These ‘rural...

Whilst it may seem not that long ago that irrigation was turned off, winter is an ideal time to check, replace and repair your equipment before you need it again soon. By now all irrigators should be “winter ready”. Pumps and irrigators should be drained, all cords and other moveable parts should be...

Agriculture has known a constant evolution, from the early domestication of plants and animals to the use of crop rotation, cultivation and fertiliser and the green revolution of the 1960s. Agriculture has now entered a new phase, the ‘digital age’. Digital technologies including the internet...

Most farms still experience a few metabolic downer cow cases each spring. This is where cows are unable to regulate the complexities of mineral and energy metabolism, resulting in low blood mineral or energy levels and an inability to stand. The sooner these affected cows are treated, the greater...

Milk from the vat is an important source of nutrients, meeting most of the energy, protein, calcium and phosphorous requirements to support calf growth. Why then do we add extra vitamins, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics and coccidiostats to milk? To cover any deficiencies from the cow Phosphorous...

Successful calf rearing is informed by several feeding objectives: healthy calves, optimal growth, transition to becoming a functional ruminant and successful weaning. In this article, following on from the ‘Liquid feeding in calves’ article in Rural Diary June, the focus is around step two of the...

Read some of the reviews from a range of auctions held on bidr.co.nz – an innovative rural trading channel developed by PGG Wrightson. Panorama Polled Hereford Dispersal Sale A dispersal sale for Feilding-based Panorama Polled Herefords was held on 14 May. Comprising 51 lots, it is the largest scale...

bidr.co.nz, an innovative rural trading channel, recently launched in the New Zealand market has been embraced by the rural community. Initially focused on livestock, bidr.co.nz (bidr) will extend its product offering in the future to enable farmers and agents to bid, buy and sell all things rural...

South Island sheep and beef update South Island livestock focus is the annual bull sales, which are in full swing. Bulls on average are up on last year’s sale price, as farmers invest in their genetics, for on farm gain. The last of the store lambs are being sold before winter sets in. Lamb...

Lice can be a frustrating challenge for sheep farmer as they reduce fleece weights and severely damage the quality of the fleece, reducing the value of the wool clip¹. Off-shear treatment is the best time to manage lice burden. Signs The signs of a lice infestation include: rubbing against fences...

Mark Leishman talks to Bidr General Manager, Tania Smith this week. This interview focuses on what Bidr is and how it works and the official launch of the platform at Fieldays. What is Bidr and how does it work? Bidr is an innovative rural trading platform, different to the likes of TradeMe in that...

Ian Hopkirk’s time with PGG Wrightson, and prior to that Williams and Kettle, started in 2003. Before then he farmed in the King Country, while also contracting as a shearer, both overseas and around New Zealand. In addition, his varied career includes gaining a teaching degree, then working as a...

The NZWCA is a proactive organisation involved in the training and education of Wool Classers and Wool Handlers across New Zealand. Membership is primarily made up of Wool Classers however a great opportunity exists for associate members to share in information, field days, refresher courses...

One bright spot on the otherwise lacklustre crossbred wool market has been lambswool, particularly at the finer end. Tim Poulton farms 4500 breeding ewes plus replacements at Kumeroa, east of Woodville, and was pleasantly surprised at the price his lambswool earned at sale in mid March. “We received...

Many growers use recycled wool packs. Although this will save on the cost of purchasing new packs, bales frequently arrive in stores pressed into sub-standard packs, which may be torn or dirty, or carry several different markings, making clear identification difficult. This creates unnecessary delay...

High humidity throughout the country has degraded wool colour, which will impact on grower returns. Chief Executive of the New Zealand Wool Testing Authority (NZWTA) Duane Knowles says humidity has been elevated over the past two seasons. “Because wool is a biological product, it will degrade with...

Daryl Paskell’s whole career has been in wool, first for Wrightson NMA, then, with mergers, for PGG Wrightson. Initially in the wool store, he become a wool rep in 1993. His territory now extends across most of Northern and Central Southland, plus some of Eastern Southland, which produces around 15...

April’s three-day International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) congress, the 88th such annual event the body has convened, was held in Venice. More than 320 delegates attended from throughout the global wool textile pipeline. Global fashion brand Benetton hosted one day of the congress, at its...