Farmers embrace online bidding
When the door slammed shut on New Zealand in March 2020 it also closed the gate to one of the viability fundamentals of the country’s livestock industry – stock auctions.
A record number of farmers took part in the largest service bull sale in New Zealand – many from the comfort of their own homes.
This year’s Huntly bull sale marked 14 years since friends Dave MacKenzie and Greg Straker combined forces to provide farmers with access to quality grade beef and dairy bulls.
MacKenzie recalls that the sale quickly became renowned for bulls which were well grown and provided the breed diversity dairy farmers were after.
“Until this year the NZ Farmers Livestock auction has meant that bidders needed to be ringside – but this year farmers were able to register to bid online via our hybrid auction platform which enables ring-side and online bidding.”
NZ Farmers Livestock general manager Bill Sweeney said the sale was very successful “with return buyers and around 100 registered buyers. Around 440 2yr bulls in outstanding condition and with excellent temperament went under the hammer”.
“The top Herefords realised up to $2,800 with an average of $2,400 while the average for Angus and Jersey was $2,300 and $1,950 respectively – up slightly on the prices achieved last year. Buyers were from as far away as Otago and Whangarei,” Bill Sweeney said.
On the eve of his departure from Federated Farmers board, Richard McIntyre is thanking farmers for their support and words of encouragement during his stint as a farmer advocate.
A project reducing strains and sprains on farm has won the Innovation category in the New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards 2025.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other sector organisations, has launched a national survey to understand better the impact of facial eczema (FE) on farmers.
One of New Zealand's latest and largest agrivoltaics farm Te Herenga o Te Rā is delivering clean renewable energy while preserving the land's agricultural value for sheep grazing under the modules.
Global food company Nestle’s chair Paul Bulcke will step down at its next annual meeting in April 2026.
Brendan Attrill of Caiseal Trust in Taranaki has been announced as the 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing and recipient of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the National Sustainability Showcase at in Wellington this evening.
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