2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship. Apply by 17 August 2025. Read More...

Apply for 2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship by 17 August 2025. More details...

Operating mechanics of New Zealand’s four main rural retail businesses.

Wayne Langford

Executive Summary

New Zealand has four prominent rural retailers, Ashburton Trading Society (ATS), Farmlands, RD1 and PGG Wrightson (PGW). Each of these businesses core, is providing farmers with goods and services. Over recent years we have seen numerous mergers and amalgamations, leading to the marketplace we have today.

Each business is having success in different areas, contributing to their ability to provide goods and services on farm at a sharp price. There seems to be little attraction for each business to compete head to head with each other, instead providing a healthy market place of “Low margins, low overhead costs, and input costs.” (Jason Minkhorst RD1)

The future looks bright for each of these businesses, with numerous opportunities and growth strategies available to them all. Of course, this does not come without threats and game changing market place revolutions. The will see constant battling and drive a to see who can claim that number one spot.

Wayne Langford

Grow. Advance. Lead.

Do the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.

More Kellogg reports:

2025

27 and Ewe: Evaluating the Case and Appetite for Genotyping the NZ Commercial Sheep Flock

This report by Anna Vaughan evaluates if genotyping NZ ewes delivers enough genetic, market, and sustainability benefits to justify cost and adoption challenges.
Read More →
2025

Smart Nutrition, Stronger Herds: A Holistic Approach to Dairy Excellence

This report highlights the underutilised role of nutrition in New Zealand’s dairy sector. It identifies gaps in training, technology use, and knowledge integration. Key recommendations ...
Read More →
Harry Wilding 2024

How can sheep and beef farmers navigate climatic extremes in times of reduced cashflow?

This report aims to analyse how high performing farm businesses reach and sustain the levels of performance, resilience and wellbeing they do.
Read More →