The Country 11/11/25: Joe Higgins talks to Jamie Mackay

PGG Wrightson Livestock Manager based out of Timaru.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Monthly. Here on the Country, we catch up with the
team from PGG Wrights and take a look at the
state of the live stock market today. Up to the
batter's box. It is Joe Higgins. He's mid South Canterbury
livestock manager. Where you're based in Tamaroo. You dodged a
bit of a bullet, didn't you, Joe. The South got hammered.
North Canterbury got hammered. You got off really in the

(00:21):
middle there with the wind I'm talking about.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, yeah, I think most of our first as you
could say, much began to church on a regular basis
here because we missed most of that, Jamie. We certainly
got wind that week along with most of the South Island.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Tuesday was probably the biggest start of the week.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
For us, just from memory. But on the Thursday, which
was a big day that both North Canterbury and also
South Ottaga and definitely South and got hammered pretty bad.
We actually had quite a strong wind, but no one
near as bad as what they did, and didn't do
anyone near the damage.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Heeds quite short, but prices are quite hot at the moment.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Unbelievable. You could say, I haven't been doing this job
for fear while, and I think the last twelve months
is probably the best I can recall any here for
stock prices and farming, et cetera.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
We're just sitting a bit of a tougher.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Patches at the moment with the weather, but certainly the
prices are as good as they've ever been, if not better,
and a lot of clients to rip them the wards
of that, which is quite nice.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
But the good news is it looks like beef prices
are going to be pretty stable at these elevated levels.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
It looked just in the near future the next few
months out think a lot too farther ahead, but both
lam in be for that matter, look quite positive for
the next three or four months, probably even as six months,
you know, from overseas demand et cetera. Year And we've
just had a big run of spring sales here for
cattle sales last month or so, and we've had a

(01:46):
lot of demand and big numbers for the sales. I
think a lot of farmers have taken the opportunity to
sell them on the prices they are and sort of
reap the rewards and get their margin, and so we've
had good numbers of good prices and demand from all
over the South Old and even we now have got
bid hour too by the way at Tamuka and that
certainly strengthen now buying arm as well with a number

(02:08):
of lines and turches to go to the North Island,
which is quite pleasing as well.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
So the wind carve sails, when are they on?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Funny enough, I've just been righting up eds for them
as we speak.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
They start.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Next week nineteenth and twentieth. We're having two day sails.
Just through the year, numbers have been read this year.
So nineteenth, which is a Wednesday, we're having sort of
freezing balls and Crossford bulls, and then on the Thursday,
the next day we're having all the beef calves, and
then two weeks later we're having another.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Go actually with the ix calves and that.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
So the first two sails we've got approximately four thousand
booked them there over the.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
Two days, and already for the two weeks later for
the IICCA carves Thur and fourth of December, we have
got a thousand roughly on each sale at the moment
as well, so certainly big numbers coming out. There's been
a lot of them read this.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Year well, Joe Higgins from PGG Rights and you guys,
you and your team do a great job for the
IHC with those calf sales. And I know Tamuka is
a major selling center. Good luck for that big calf
sale on what is it, December the fourth?

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Did you say third? And end fourth?

Speaker 2 (03:18):
You have the freezings will be on the third and
the cross or the beefy should I say? I'll be
on the four?

Speaker 1 (03:23):
So if you're a farmer, going along but up it's
for a great cause. And if you're a farmer and
you haven't donated a car for a lamb or anything
to the IHC calf scheme, get off your backside and
do so. It's a magnificent cause. Joe Higgins, thanks for
your time.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
Good thank you, Jamie