Jamie Mackay from The Country recently touched base with Grant Nordstrom, Canterbury-West Coast Livestock Manager for PGG Wrightson.

First topic for discussion was the calf selling season with North Island sales going well.  Grant confirmed that as the season's gone on, the market has got stronger as cattle are the flavour of the month.  There's been good demand overall and good local demand.  Jamie wondered whether this positivity is a result of good prospects for beef prices or due to a bumper season for grass growth.  Grant reckons it's a bit of both with good premiums being paid throughout the season.  The big question has to be: are farmers transitioning from sheep to beef?  In some places.  The returns from running wool on productive land are making it prohibitive in some cases.

With bull sales coming up in June, Angus still seems to be the go-to breed and that's reflected in the calf sales - although Hereford calves sold pretty much on a par in some cases.  Grant reckons this years bull sales will see good demand and good money paid for the right genetics.