News

Buyer caution after paying high prices last year for yearling cattle they still hold affected the Matawhero spring sale in Gisborne on Tuesday 6 November. Prices at the sale matched the general market rather than setting the market as they do typically. More than 3,000 cattle, mainly yearlings but...

Lucerne is a brilliant legume crop that continues to provide a high protein dry matter source during periods of dry weather. The deep rooted plant has the ability to source water from the soil profile at times when perennial ryegrass pastures are struggling with lack of soil moisture. Before...

Weeds are a fact of life on farm, but it is important to remember that all cultivated crops originated from wild populations. So how do we deal with them? The best option is to prevent new weeds coming onto your property. In most cases, farms have a resident population of weeds but do keep an eye...

In this latest Livestock update on Country TV, Mark Leishman interviews PGW SI Livestock Manager, Shane Gerken. Shane talks about the current pricing levels being achieved at recent cattle and lamb sales around the country, and touches on some of the highlights from the Auctioneers competition held...

The Country's Rowena Duncum speaks with PGG Wrightson's GM for Wool Grant Edwards and highlights the success from the live auction system at the New Zealand Agricultural Shows, despite a dip in the market. "The current wool market is softening across all wool types in the last 3-4 weeks which raises...

Demand from sportswear and fashion companies is sending the price of a previously written-off type of wool to record levels. This has led the dual-purpose corriedale sheep breed to make a comeback, after many farmers chose to shift to more meat breeds. Corriedale wool is in the mid-micron range...

At the start of the ram sale season, farmers are being advised to fully inform themselves about any changes they are considering around flock genetics. This season, farmers will have more choice and greater value from the rams available than ever before, says PGG Wrightson Livestock National...

The name Waipopo Orchards is well-known in South Canterbury and wider afield, particularly for their delicious export Honeycrisp apples, which are so well suited to the cooler South Island conditions. New owners took over the established 80 ha operation in December 2017 from Waipopo founders Danny...

Maize is a C4, so it is designed to grow in warmer climates. Unfortunately, as the weather and soil temperatures rise, so do the number of bugs with vociferous appetites. This is bad news for crops like maize. If pests are not under control, the crop production has the potential to be severely...

Herbage testing is a useful tool in the yearly calendar to test for mineral nutrients or feed quality. Knowing plant nutrient levels helps to identify nutrient deficiency, or toxicity and to monitor the current fertiliser programme on the farm. The concentration of trace elements in the plant give a...

Jamie Mackay and PGG Wrightson's GM for wool Grant Edwards take a look at this month's wool market, which can be described as lagging. The growth from the cross-breed wool market in September has not kept is momentum, and uncertainty around pricing as exports to China are on the rise despite trade...

Pasture and crop silages are an incredible source of dry matter and nutrients for livestock when they need it most, but not all silage is created equally. The amount of dry matter, nutrients and feed energy lost in the silage stack is largely determined by the speed and quality of fermentation...

Spring is now with us and as we round off the yearling sales season across the country sheep are achieving exceptional prices in the North. Catch up on all the commentary below. North Island As we hit September a weather front hit the North Island and lingered over the East Coast and inland to the...

PGG Wrightson Real Estate's GM told The Country's Jamie Mackay, "What is encouraging is that volume is up on last year and there is a "strong feeling," that there will be "a lot of activity pushing through to Christmas." Farm sales volume have dropped, which is a surprise to Peter Newbold, who...

Weaning is a period of stress for calves, with scouring common during this time. But it is not always due to worms. To minimise the transition shock of weaning, a progressive process is recommended where milk intake is reduced and meal intake is increased over a period of up to six weeks. This...

Agricom (a trading division of PGG Wrightson Seeds Limited) researches, develops and markets a wide range of proprietary pasture and forage crop seeds to the agricultural industry. The proprietary seed company takes a team approach to research involving employees, customers and key industry...

A specialised team within Fruitfed was established in Hawke’s Bay in 1998 to provide crop monitoring services to horticulturists in the region. This well-respected business unit, led by Hawke’s Bay based Fruitfed Crop Monitoring Manager Jimmy Bowden, has grown to a team of eight who co-ordinate crop...

A key contributor to running a profitable sheep and beef farming operation is surety of water supply. This is especially important in drought-prone areas of New Zealand such as Central Otago. Adam and Juls Lindsay own Creekside Farms on the Maniototo Plains near Ranfurly. They undertook a...