Editorial: United strategy for wool
OPINION: Wool farmers believe the future of strong wool still holds promise.
LIvestock firms PGG Wrightson, Elders New Zealand (Carrfields) and Rural Livestock are facing claims of price fixing by Commerce Commission.
The commission is the country’s competition regulatory agency. On its website it describes its purpose as, “…enforcing legislation that promotes competition in NZ markets and prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct by traders”.
It claims that the three livestock firms fixed fees charged during the implementation of the NAIT national livestock tagging scheme. Its consumer protection authority is investigating fees charged during the adoption of the scheme.
A spokesman for the commission says it will file proceedings against the three companies and five undisclosed individuals before the end of July.
In a statement to Rural News the commission said: “The commission can confirm that its investigation into alleged price fixing by NZ livestock companies is in its final stages. The commission expects to file proceedings against PGG Wrightson, Elders New Zealand and Rural Livestock Ltd and five individuals by the end of July. We cannot comment further at this time.”
Last week PGG Wrightson advised that the commission believed it had breached the Commerce Act over how it charged fees during the scheme’s implementation.
The effects of the big windstorm of late October will be felt in lost production in coming weeks as repair crews work through the backlog of toppled irrigation pivots, says Culverden dairy farmer Fran Gunn.
The dairy sector is hopeful of being part of a free trade deal being hammered out between New Zealand and India.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) has launched the first in-market activation of the refreshed Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand with an exclusive pop-up restaurant experience in Shanghai.
Jayna Wadsworth, daughter of the late New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, has launched an auction of cricket memorabilia to raise funds for I Am Hope's youth mental health work.
As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.

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