NZ HARNESS NEWS
A high-ranking official at agriculture company PGG Wrightson has doused cold water on strong industry rumours regarding the future of the national yearling sales.
For a number of weeks, the drums have been beating that PGG Wrightson, through their standardbred division, would be withdrawing from holding the long-standing sales held in Auckland and Christchurch every February.
But the company’s General Manager of Livestock, Peter Moore, dispelled those rumours on Tuesday.
“We are fully committed to the yearling sales,” he said.
“I’ve had a couple of calls about that rumour and I’m not quite sure where it has come from, but there is absolutely no truth to it.”
Falling sales turnover and discontent from vendors and preparers have plagued the sales in recent years, especially in Canterbury.
But Moore says that the company is more than likely looking to go the other way heading forward.
“Yes, we made a few changes to the way we operate the sales this year and I think some of our clients have wondered are we really committed to it all.
“If anything, we are probably looking at enhancing it going forward.
“We’ve got a pretty big investment in the game through sponsorships and all sorts of things.”
Moore wouldn’t rule out further changes aimed at futureproofing the sales.
“We want to make it better and more efficient for the future, that’s our number one aim – to continue to support it and make it better.”
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