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Craig Carr.
Rural agribusiness company the Carr Group has further expanded its footprint in the sector in New Zealand.
Canterbury Seed, a subsidiary of Carr Group, has been appointed New Zealand distributor for Pacific Seeds, part of the Australian-owned Advanta Seeds group.
Carr Group and Canterbury Seed managing director Craig Carr says this will allow the company to gain market share for Pacific Seeds in the South Island.
Pacific Seeds says it chose Ashburton-based Canterbury Seed after many years of cooperative business dealings in other parts of the seed industry.
“We know Canterbury Seed well; they are leading edge in the local New Zealand seed business, are passionate about quality and are customer centred in their approach,” says Pacific Seeds managing director Nick Gardner.
Carr says Canterbury Seed has spent a lot on R&D and the development of a proprietary range of grain and seed products over the last six years.
“The Pacific Seeds opportunity gives us a further edge in being able to offer customers superior seed products and services. I am extremely enthusiastic about the addition of its seed range to our business.”
Carr told Rural News that Canterbury Seed will distribute seed under the Pacific Seeds brand via existing rural supply stores and networks, while the maize division will be supported by key personnel within the Canterbury Seed business from a sales and marketing perspective.
Meanwhile, Scott Shaw, Pacific Seeds product development manager, will join the Canterbury Seed business in June.
Pacific Seeds has until now been based in the North Island, selling mostly maize and corn. Canterbury Seed has a strong presence in the South Island in the arable and cereal seed market.
“This move adds real diversity to our business,” Carr says. “With the growth of dairy and dairy support in the South Island, the growth in the maize and maize silage market has been huge.”
He says the new arrangement will mean better support in the field for farmers and merchants. “It means a New Zealand-based company with 100% focus on the domestic seed market.”
Growing footprint
Canterbury Seed is one of the largest marketers of cereal grains in New Zealand, supplying milling wheat, biscuit wheat, feed wheat, feed barley, feed oats and triticale.
It is the New Zealand agent for UK based cereal breeder KWS and is also experienced in pea, forage and vegetable seed. The company’s seed products are marketed domestically and in 40 other countries.
Canterbury Seed is owned by Winslow Ltd which is 100% owned by the Carr Group. The Carr Group is a family owned company which last year bought the New Zealand arm of rural services company Elders.
Other Carr Group businesses include CLAAS Harvest Centre Canterbury, Winslow Contracting Ltd, Smallbone Holden Ashburton and Lely Centre Ashburton.
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