The Country 25/07/25: Rachel Shearer talks to Jamie Mackay

The GM of PGG Wrightson Wool. The market continued to ease at yesterday’s North Island wool sale, though the rate of decline has slowed - SWI down 5 cents.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rachel Sharer is the GM of PGG Rights and Wall
time to have a monthly look at the state of
the wall market, and Rachel, You've got a bit of
a tough gig going running the wall department at the
moment because almost every other commodity is on a high
apart from you.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
That's absolutely right. It's a bit disappointing given the wondrous
nature of our favor, but the new season's just recently
got underway and I've got to say BIA sentiment is
pretty cautious at the moment, so there's not a lot
of urgency coming through from buyers who are selling their
orders into the international markets across most types of wool.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
At the stage you need more brand champions like Tim
Dean from Norsewere, who's had some wonderful publicity in the
past week over the all Blacks beanies kicking up a
fuss quite rightly that there are not wool, they're acrylic
or synthetic.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
I know how good is Tim Dean and also the
whole team there at Norsewere. I was up in Northwood
last week meeting with them all really passionate group of
people and Tim bringing to the forefront for our industry
just how important it is and what a good role
New Zealand wall can play in high profile products. I mean,

(01:10):
hopefully those All Blacks are soon thereing to be wrapping
those couliflowers and wall growing by at the moment all
South Island PGW rights and wall growers. So good on
him for championing there. I think it's an excellent thing
and I'm looking forward to what the All Blacks respond.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well. It's interesting that the chair of the All Blacks
is none other than David Kirk and his wife Bridget,
who's from a well known sheep farming family, breeding stud family.
She caused a bit of a ferrari. I think by
burning one of the synthetic cats might have gotten a
wee bit of trouble at home.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
I do believe there was a bit of a ruckus caused,
but at the end of the day, getting the right
messages on the table for parties to come together to
talk to do whatever we can and the better interests
for our wonderful sheep growers.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
You know, yeah, I so good. I say it good
on your Bridget Kirk. Radio paddle ball Now, this is
a sport. It's sort of a cross between tennis and squash.
Not to be confused with picketball, because I think they
use a plastic ball, but paddle paddle uses like tennis
balls and it's so popular around the world now that

(02:19):
they can't keep up with demand. Are we using strong
wall for the felt on a tennis ball.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
We're using New Zealand will does go through into all
the tennis ball and tennis balls, and what we're hearing
from our export team and who put the wall through
into the UK manufacturers is they just can't get enough
staff to make enough tennis ball felt at this stage,
and that really is a result of this growing demand

(02:45):
for paddle I remember playing it back in Argentina when
I was over there in the nineties. It's a really
cool game sort of squash tennis combination, really fast game.
And the amount of tennis balls that uses, and that
the interest in the sport is growing can only be
a good thing for New Zealand wool.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
So at this time of the year we're getting into
what we are into the pre lamb sharing. Obviously, especially
some of the fine wall growers are doing it. I
know cross bread walls strong cross breads, not flesh. Let's
not try and sugarcoat this, what about the finest stuff?

Speaker 2 (03:21):
Look. Actually, the early season marino wolves that were presented,
we actually really strong buyer demand, particularly and also for
the mid microns at the christ Church options. Some of
those mid micron wolves they were going for prices that
haven't been seen for the last five years. So really
good indications for the marino and mid micron and fine

(03:43):
wall growers for the upcoming season. Lands wall prices or
unfortunately continuing to be mixed. As always, quality and style
are the key drivers of demand, but we're seeing really
good signs for the early season marinos coming through. Looking
forward to that market picking.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Up Rachel share a GM of PGG rights and we'll
always good to catch up. You enjoy a beautifully fine
Canterbury day.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
I will you have a good Weekendes