Pāmu Braces for $30m Hit From Rising Farm Costs
State farmer Pāmu is bracing for a $30 million hit from soaring farm input costs this financial year.
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.
OPINION: There could hardly be a more appropriate theme for a conference than the one chosen by the red meat sector - Navigating Volatility.
When Northland leather worker Vernon Suckling started making horse saddles 50 years ago, quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles were unheard of.
Alliance Group has confirmed that eligible farmer-shareholders who supply and continue to back the business will receive up to $20 million later this year, following the strategic investment partnership with Dawn Meats.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
The red meat sector is in great heart.
Entries opened on Monday, 5 October 2026 for the 2027 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA), which organisers describe as the nation's biggest celebration of excellence in the dairy sector.

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