How much is a Holstein dairy cow worth in Taranaki?

PGG Wrightson’s Taranaki livestock manager, Andrew Gibson, knows a thing or two about Holstein Friesians. Photo / PGG Wrightson

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“What do I need to pay for a big Holstein dairy cow in Taranaki at the moment?”

That’s the burning question Jamie Mackay put to PGG Wrightson’s Taranaki livestock manager, Andrew Gibson, on The Country today.

Gibson’s the right man to ask, as he was gearing up for the Makuri Holstein Dispersal on-farm auction, which he predicted would be a success.

“It should go pretty strong, the cows are presented so well.”

But, back to Mackay’s question.

“Normal commercial cows are going to be making between 2500 and 3500 bucks I’d imagine at auction for a decent cow, just with this shortage around,” Gibson said.

Mackay was impressed, saying prices had improved “quite a bit”.

Gibson said prices were impressive for cull dairy cows, too.

“The prices have been through the roof, and it’s really pushing demand to go to the sale yards.”

He said this had resulted in a lot of competition at the yards.

“All works seem to be there trying to compete for the same cattle until the chain’s up.”

The prime market was also strong, but the cattle numbers would soon “fall away really quickly”.

So for now, it was a case of “trying to clean up the last of those culled cows,” he said.

Gibson noted that farmers dealing with dry conditions had “moved them pretty quickly” and were “making big money”.

Listen below:

Speaking of the dry, Gibson was pleased to report that Taranaki had rain last week.

He said it was good timing.

“The south and the north [of the region] really needed it, so at least they’ve had some, so it should change pretty quick and green up.”

Gibson’s upbeat attitude extended to global matters as well - he wasn’t even phased by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“Everything’s positive, it’s looking really good … the lamb and the ewe kills look strong going forward, the dairy market’s strong, the beef looks strong.

“Trump will do what he does, I think we’ve just got to carry on with what we do best and let the world just happen around us.

“There’s some real positive talk around, which is awesome.”

If you found Andrew’s insights valuable, there’s plenty more where that came from.

From on-farm auctions like the Makuri Holstein Dispersal to expert perspectives on managing through dry conditions and understanding current beef and cull cow pricing, our Livestock team is here to support you with the latest updates and opportunities.

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