Bid to create new wool farmers' co-operative

Banks Peninsula farmer Mark Shadbolt and Christchurch businessman George Gould inspect a Bendigo...
Banks Peninsula farmer Mark Shadbolt and Christchurch businessman George Gould inspect a Bendigo Station fine merino fleece at the Upper Clutha A and P Show in Wanaka on Friday. Photo by Marjorie Cook.
PGG Wrightson will support wool growers in putting together another capital-raising bid to form a new marketing co-operative, George Gould said in an interview with the ODT at the Upper Clutha A and P Show on Friday.

Wool Partners Co-operative (WPC) recently failed in a capital-raising bid, which aimed to have growers commit to supplying 65 million tonnes of wool.

It achieved a commitment for 40 million tonnes, but the venture never launched.

PGG Wrightson owns 49% of Wool Partners International (WPI), a sales and marketing company, and is keen for a strong, unified wool industry.

Insiders say uniting the fractured industry could take several years.

PGG Wrightson had backed WPC through WPI and another PGG Wrightson-owned company, Wools New Zealand.

PGG Wrightson and WPI meet today to discuss the potential of putting together another commercial grower hybrid company.

"In the aftermath of WPC not quite getting there, but still doing extremely well and raising more capital than any other grower co-op' has ever been able to ... it now reverts back to 100% PGG Wrightson. That is only an interim arrangement. We are supportive of growers making another attempt to take ownership. We are very pleased to be in wool and fully supportive of growers being in the industry, so we will play our part in that. If they commit to a volume of wool, we won't stand in their way," Mr Gould said.

The level of commitment would be 110,000 tonnes of wool.

PGG Wrightson was committed to 38,000 tonnes, Mr Gould said.

WPI director Mark Shadbolt, deputy chairman of WPC, told the ODT on Friday he preferred not to comment about what might happen at today's meeting, but said a media release would be issued.

His goals were to protect Wool New Zealand's key function as a commercial marketing model and ensure that it continued for the benefit of all growers.

That needed a strong relationship with growers and long-term contracts, Mr Shadbolt said.

 

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