The Country: June Wool Report with PGG Wrightson's Rachel Shearer

The Country's Jamie Mackay talks to PGG Wrightson's GM for Wool, Rachel Shearer, about the state of the market.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It was good to catch up with our next guest
in person at the Primary Industry New Zealand Awards on
Tuesday evening in christ Church, her hometown. I think Rachel Sharer,
GM of Wall for PGG Wrights and Rachel before we
talk about the end of season rap, did you enjoy
the Pinn's Conference and the awards.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I most definitely did and was very grateful to be
hosted by yourself and Rowena on what I believe was
her swan song. So thank you so much for the
opportunity to attend. It was a great night out. Always
really awesome to see those amazing people across our industry
who were doing such good, great things.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Something that sticks in my mind and we spoke to
her on was it Wednesday show? The emerging leader, that
bride of the Bigus, the dairy farmer from the Bay
are plenty. They're talking about her as being a potential
leader of Federated farmers in a decade or so and
I'm thinking her And then the closing note address for
the conference came from Emma Paul and Tim Danjin no

(01:00):
strangers to listeners to this show, but I'm thinking g
agricultures and good heart. With people like that leading the
charge the next generation coming through, isn't it wonderful?

Speaker 2 (01:10):
I was just sitting with one of our new reps
who came on board, and you'll be the same. But
it's quite horrifying to know what year these ones coming
through were born in. But like the future generation, the passion,
the dedication and just the technical expertise coming through through
our sector and through our business, it's just so encouraging

(01:32):
to see. I absolutely love it, so highlight of my
highlight of my job good watching these passionate young ones
coming through.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Well, I also think and it works for me here
like working with younger people, I think helps keep you
away bit younger, you don't get too stuck in your ways.
Although a lot of people would say I am anyhow,
let's get off me and on to wall. Now. It's
been stuck in it's ways unfortunately for several decades now.
But I'm going to be I'm going to be a
Pollyanna here. Glass half full. We close out the season

(02:00):
at yesterday's auction and compared to the same time last year,
we finished the season twenty four percent up, which is good.
But Rachel, as you and I both know, off a
very low base.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, it is off a really low base and what
we're starting to see coming through. I was sitting on
the bench yesterday actually helping out because it was a
dual option on both islands, and it's really interesting to
see those buyers. You know, they physically inspect that wall
and the wall that's been really well prepared, they really
see something in it and you know they spark up
in the competition that they have for that wall is

(02:35):
really evident because they've viewed it and they've seen it
and they spark up. But it's also coming off the
back of a really low base. But what you say
is coming off the back of low supply. So it's
really important to have that as well prepared wall as
people can because the buyers are seeing are seeing a
price difference in that. But as I always say, we've

(02:56):
got a really long way to go, Jamie, we've got
to get those prices up slightly.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Look Australian walls different than as we're mainly strong crossbred
wall here in this country. We do have some fine wall.
Obviously they're mainly fine wall, are there. Clip is now
the smallest it's been for one hundred years.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
I know, isn't that. You know, you contemplate the value
of the fine wall that comes out of Australia and
to have the smallest clip they have for one hundred years.
It really is a concern across the world, this dropping
demand in supply also the reduction in quality. You know,
the British wall clip has now been seen to be
of the lowest quality it's been for a very long time.

(03:35):
So you know, as a bit of a Pollyanna, I
see that as an opportunity for the New Zealand wall clip.
We are known as being a superior cli clip across
the across the globe, so hopefully we can start blending
in a bit more New Zealand wall now that the
British quality is declining as much as it is.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
So we had our final action of the season yesterday.
First sale of the News season is July six seventeen.
You know what my challenge to you is, Rachel, between
now and then you need to go away, put your
thinking cap on and come up with a really good
use for strong cross spread wall other than carpets.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah. Absolutely, And there's a lot of good people out
there doing good things. But look, the word coming in
from the sheds across the country. Is that this lam
pre lamb wall that's coming off or what's about to
come off, is actually going to be really high quality.
Across most regions, it's been good quality conditions for growing
wool and we're just looking forward to seeing those trucks
starting to roll them into our into our wall stores.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Okay, Rachel Scherer, thanks for your time. Good to catch
up in person and christ Church during the week.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Thank you. And just actually I've just noticed our first
sale of the new season is actually the tenth of July,
and Napier I got better. The seventeenth of July is
the first one down here in the South Island.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Oh you gave me fake news. I did.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
I'm sorry for that.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
See you later.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Thank Jamie.