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

Enhancing Biodiversity on Canterbury Dairy Farms to Improve Our Social License to Operate

This report by Nick Vernon, examines how biodiversity actions, community expectations, and stakeholder involvement intersect to build trust, improve environmental results, and support long-term sustainability.
Read More →
2025

Dairy Farmers Love Sharing Data… But There is a ‘But’

This report explores how NZ dairy farmers approach on-farm data sharing amid regulatory pressures. Farmers are rational—sharing data when trust, control, and value are assured. ...
Read More →
How do we fund the next phase? 2024

How do we fund the next phase?

Access to capital is constraining the sector's sustainability, productivity, and transition to the next generation of farmers.
Read More →