Latest News
Tangihau Angus bull sale breaks records
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...
Staff Profile - Matt Crawford - Hunterville handover
‘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...
Improved venison contracts support strong on-farm sale of red deer hinds
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...
Processor schedules helping lift livestock market
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...
Award recognition for New Zealand’s virtual saleyard
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...
Woodbank and Matariki put bull quality on show
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...
Proven partnership again provides bobby calf solution
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...
Taranaki processor offers ‘Ample’ opportunity for cattle farmers
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...
End of an era in Rai Valley, Marlborough
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...
North Island store lambs meeting positive market
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...
Buyers’ market as quality to the fore at bull sales
Bull sales season starts as predicted with an excellent standard of stock offered to a cautious gallery of buyers. With 130 studs nationwide competing for attention, buyers at this year’s bull sales are taking advantage. Callum Stewart, PGG Wrightson Livestock National Genetics Manager says the...
Store lambs coming off South Island farms
A dry autumn putting feed under pressure in many South Island districts prompted steady de-stocking, with stock generally finding buyers elsewhere. Widespread dry conditions dominate the winter plans of South Island farmers. Store lambs came off farms at a steady rate during May, generally finding...
Hybrid bidr option gaining traction with bull sales
Online access to on-farm auctions paying off in convenience and cost for buyers and sellers as New Zealand’s virtual saleyard surpasses 10,000 users. After three weeks of this year’s bull sales, bidr continues to consolidate its role as an increasingly important part of the livestock marketing mix...
Focused on showing her own worth
At age 16 Hayley MacDonald left school and decided to learn agriculture the practical way – now she has her dream job. Hayley MacDonald is one of PGG Wrightson’s newest staff members, coming into the company as a livestock trainee in early May. Growing up on a lifestyle property in Ohoka, North...
SkyCount debuts at Fieldays: transforming livestock audits with AI
Exclusive to PGG Wrightson Livestock, SkyCount integrates aerial imagery and AI software to conduct livestock audits at a new level of speed, accuracy and efficiency. A revolutionary new way to tally livestock is on display this week at Mystery Creek Fieldays. SkyCount, PGG Wrightson’s innovative...
Staff Profile - Russell Moloney - From news to ewes
Russell Moloney’s career took a dramatic shift a few years ago, though he reckons it was a logical one, and he hasn’t looked back. From standing in front of a camera with a microphone, to standing in a pen with a mob of hoggets might seem an unusual career shift, though it’s a path that has worked...
Ensuring a genetics programme maximises revenue from stud purchases
Long term relationship to identify appropriate bloodstock guiding bull and ram selections for large King Country sheep and beef enterprise. Farmers increasingly recognise the need for a sound and factually based genetics programme to underpin their stud purchases and maximise revenue. Callum Stewart...
Momentous deer career coming to an end
After 50 years in livestock, including 41 with PGG Wrightson, and recognition in 2022 for his contribution to the industry, Ron Schroeder calls it a day. Ron Schroeder loves deer. He farms them, sells them, purchases them, hunts them, dreams them, eats them. “Ron looks like a deer, and even roars...