The Country 24/04/26: Rachel Shearer talks to Jamie Mackay

The GM of PGG Wrightson Wool comments on why the Middle East War could be good for New Zealand wool growers.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rachel Sharer is the GM of Wall for PGG rights,
and believe it or not, the war in the Middle East,
which is causing us all sorts of grief, could be
good news for New Zealand war growers. We'll come back
to that one, but Rachel, interesting news in the wall department.
Chanell buying into Lammamore Station And I know John and

(00:21):
Susie Elliott through our connections, I guess with the Lamba
Moore Distillery. They're very entrepreneurial people and this is a
good deal. This is a great deal for New Zealand wall.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
It certainly is, Jamie. You know, we've got a long
standing relationship with the Elliots and in fact we handle
the vast majority of organic walls across New Zealand. So
it's really encouraging to see the value that's being placed
on these organic walls. And ultimately I think this is
going to benefit other organic wall producers in the cross
breed space too. So no, it's really great news for

(00:52):
New Zealander and for the industry.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Do you realize you could buy a Chanelle jacket, a
wall and jacket for the very reasonable price Rachel of
eleven four hundred dollars with matching pants from six thy
two hundred on your salary. That shouldn't be a problem.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
You seem to forget that I worked for a wall business, Jamie,
So no, we won't be going there that. But our
beautiful quality, beautiful quality that comes off off the Elliotts farm,
that's for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Yeap, good on them, good on them. Okay, we mind you.
The wall price is improving. Last Silette Napier strong wool
indicator up thirty two cents.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
It was it was a bit of sweet option. It
was actually our final open cry auction up there in Napier,
so it was pretty bittersweet, but it got it ended
up on a high. So yeah, thirty two cents up,
so around that four thirty four forty greasy at the
moment for the strong waol indicators. So we were pleased
with that result. We've got the new national auction starting

(01:49):
here on the thirtieth of April, so pretty confident that
we're sat by a bench being boosted up. We will
hopefully get an even greater competition for our for our growers.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Every thing's going to christ Church, the rugby, the war auctions,
everything you guys are taking over Rachel, let's go to
my comment about the war in the Middle East, as
bad as it is being good for war growers. And
this is off the back of synthetic prices skyrocketing. Obviously
you need oil to produce synthetic products, so this is
a real opportunity for New Zealand wool.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
It certainly is. You know, for the last twenty or
thirty years, synthetics have always been seen to be cheap
and reliable, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to
realize it. Right now they're neither cheap nor reliable, so
that market is moving quickly. It's very unpredictable. And even
before the conflict, our manufacturers up in Europe were saying
the best quality nylon was already thirty five percent more

(02:44):
than New Zealand wolves for some of them, so their
inputs are continuing to rise for synthetics. I was talking
to Tim Dean from Norseba yesterday. You know, he uses
one hundred percent pgw well in all his products, but
he does obviously need some nylon for his socks and
the like, and he was very grateful he got a
big supply through. Before that these markets went through the roofs,

(03:05):
so synthetics will never disappear. But wall's streets are becoming
more and more valuable for the manufacturers, so it's really
it is good to see. So alongside that sustainability story
and consumers changing their demand, the unpredictability of synthetics is
hoping as playing back into the New Zealand wool game.

(03:28):
So yet another reason to fall in love with New
Zealand wall.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Well, I can't wait for the day you and I
are talking about the strong wall indicator being at ten
bucks clean. That is, I know it'll happen. It will happen.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Hold you to it.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
I may not be here, vegetable matter, just a quick
plug from you. You're just urging farmers to be very
careful because, like I know, you guys used to go
on about wool handling in that, but when walls two
bucks are kilo, you can't blame the farmers for just
booting it into the press. It's a it's a mathematical equation.
Now you're well paid to prepare your wall.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Well, yeah, absolutely, and we've seen with a strong growing season,
you know we're hearing a greater VM coming through in
the prelam walls so you know, farmers can't control the
market demands, they can't control fashion cycle or currency, but
they can control what leads their sheds, and you know,
really more simple things keeping seed heavy bellies out of
the fleece loans, keeping hayer off the board, skirting properly,

(04:26):
if you can request an extra wall handler. All of
those decisions end up making a difference to the wall
check because buyers are selective and they'll walk past wall
that brings higher risk like VM, because they need to
focus on lines that are going to process cleanly and predictably. So, yeah,
if there's one thing in these the up and coming season,

(04:47):
give extra focus on getting that VM out of out
of your clip. That would be great.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
You will be well rewarded for it. Okay, Rachel Share,
thank you very much for your time. Congratulations to John
and Susie Lammamoor Station pulling off a really good deal
with Chanelle. And you know you could treat yourself to
that jacket and pan matching combo there, Rachel Alchatti. Next month,
I'll send you the invoice.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Thanks Jamie,