Editorial: United strategy for wool
OPINION: Wool farmers believe the future of strong wool still holds promise.
PGG Wrightson chief executive Stephen Guerin says the company has experienced significant highs in the past six months.
PGG Wrightson (PGW) chief executive Stephen Guerin says that while there are positive signals within the market, there are also challenges.
Last month, the rural retailer released its half-year results, revealing that the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 13% and net profit after tax (NPAT) jumped up 25%.
The result improves upon the 2024 full-year result released in July which saw NPAT drop to $3.1 million and EBIDTA drop by 17%.
Guerin says that there have been some significant highs for the company in the past six months.
“For us, it’s playing out in a couple of ways,” he told Rural News. He says that in the past six months, PGW’s real estate arm has sold several farm properties valued at over $10 million.
This, Guerin says, shows that farmers are seeing different opportunities available to them. “We’re working our way through some changes in our livestock saleyard footprint. We’ve sold two saleyards in that regard so that’s contributed to our cash.”
Guerin says that the current higher commodity prices – like with the rising farmgate milk price – are improving optimism across the sector.
Global trade has been thrown into another bout of uncertainty following the overnight ruling by US Supreme Court, striking down President Donald Trump's decision to impose additional tariffs on trading partners.
Controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill have been lifted.
Fonterra farmer shareholders and unit holders are in line for another payment in April.
Farmers are being encouraged to take a closer look at the refrigerants running inside their on-farm systems, as international and domestic pressure continues to build on high global warming potential (GWP) 400-series refrigerants.
As expected, Fonterra has lifted its 2025-26 forecast farmgate milk price mid-point to $9.50/kgMS.
Bovonic says a return on investment study has found its automated mastitis detection technology, QuadSense, is delivering financial, labour, and animal-health benefits on New Zealand dairy farms worth an estimated $29,547 per season.

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