Hugh Abbiss, Farm Manager at Totara Hills Station in Central Hawke’s Bay, values his relationship with PGG Wrightson and the assistance of Technical Field Representative, Joseph Watts and the assistance he provides when planning forage crops.

Totara Hills Station grows over 350 hectares (ha) of forage crops each year comprising of 150 ha of brassica crops and approximately 250 ha of new pasture ranging from annual ryegrasses to short rotation ryegrass and clover mixes. The crops are mainly used for finishing lambs and strategically feeding capital stock, with some beef finishing on the new pastures.

With the considerable input required to organise his cropping programme, Hugh appreciates Joseph and the wider PGG Wrightson team’s advice. “We put a lot of investment into feeding our animals so we want to be sure that we are investing in the right areas. The team at PGG Wrightson provides technical expertise, bringing information together from different sources, helping us create efficient feeding systems. The team is open to discussing innovative cropping solutions with us to meet the specific feed demands we have on our farm,” says Hugh.

When it comes to growing and utilising the crops, Hugh understands that Joseph has access to extensive technical resources within PGG Wrightson including a technical team comprising of agronomists and soil scientists located throughout New Zealand. As well, the company’s supplier network allows Joseph to access product information enabling him to answer any questions that may arise. With this technical knowledge and product advice only a phone call away, Hugh trusts Joseph to deliver the most effective cropping solution for his farming system.

As Hugh says, “it’s comforting to know that once the crop is in the ground the service doesn’t stop there. I like to monitor my crops closely, and at the first sign of an issue, I’ll have Joseph come to the farm to look at the crops and together we’ll come up with a solution. If Joseph wants to clarify some information before making a recommendation, he’ll give me a call a short time later. I know he’ll always provide me with quality advice.”

“The main thing we appreciate about our relationship with Joseph and rest of the PGG Wrightson team is their willingness to understand our business, what we are trying to achieve and what is important to us. The team understands our farm system and works hard to provide us with the services we need.”

For farmers, as with Hugh, knowing you'll consistently be provided with effective technical solutions from PGG Wrightson is reassuring when planning crops.

Find your ‘Joseph’ on the back page of this Rural Diary.