| 55 EVENT » Mackenzie Highland A&P Show Biggest celebration in the event’s history The Mackenzie Agricultural and Pastoral Show began in 1899. Karen Phelps Organisers of the 128th Mackenzie Highland A&P Show are determined to make Easter Monday 2026 the biggest celebration in the event’s long history. Held on 6 April at the Mackenzie A&P Showgrounds in Fairlie, the show is already recognised as the largest one-day A&P show in New Zealand, drawing between 12,000 and 15,000 people through the gates each year. Now the committee behind it is aiming even higher. “Every year we’re proud of what we deliver,” says Mackenzie A&P Society secretary Jodi Payne. “But for the 128th show we want it to feel bigger and better than ever. The goal is simple - to build on our history and make this the best one yet.” The Mackenzie Agricultural and Pastoral Show began in 1899 under the stewardship of the Mackenzie A&P Society. The first event was declared a great success, with competitors arriving by trap, wagon, horseback and train. There were 178 entries across livestock, produce, gardens and home industries. Since then it has grown into a cornerstone of the South Canterbury calendar. By the mid-20th century attendance had surged past 8,000. The 1998 Centennial Show attracted an estimated 16,000 people and more than 5,000 entries, with 331 trade sites. “The standard was set at that very first show,” explains Jodi. • to page 56 Wools of New Zealand launches Direct Discovery contract to connect growers directly with global customers Wools of New Zealand (WNZ) has launched a new trading model designed to link wool growers more directly with international customers, ensuring more value flows back to the farm gate. The Direct Discovery Contract provides growers with another pathway to market alongside the traditional auction system, connecting their wool directly with global buyers seeking quality, provenance and sustainability, and aligning supply more closely with confirmed customer demand. WNZ chief executive John McWhirter said the new approach represents a deliberate evolution in how New Zealand wool is taken to market. “Over the past 12 months, WNZ has strengthened its global market capability by forming more direct customer relationships, testing new export pathways and establishing a Shanghai oce to support in-market trading and brand development. “With those foundations in place, we are now ready to scale a model that captures more of the value we believe rightly belongs with growers.” Under the model, growers deliver wool to WNZ for testing and appraisal before signing a Direct Discovery contract authorising WNZ to market the clip within a 30-day window. Once WNZ secures an oer from a customer, the grower reviews and accepts the oer to confirm the sale. Fifty percent of the agreed price is paid 14 days after customer acceptance, with the remaining balance paid 90 days after acceptance. Mr McWhirter said the model complements existing trading mechanisms such as wool auctions by providing another pathway that aligns supply more closely with customer demand. “This model provides direct access to global customers, supports reinvestment in WNZ’s consumer-focused business, and is designed over time to improve price stability through longer-term supply relationships. “By joining the Direct Discovery Contract, growers become part of a system where value is discovered in the market and shared more directly through the chain. “It’s about backing our product and ensuring the benefits flow back to the farmers who grow it. “Our purpose is to make wool valuable for consumers, customers and growers - and that means building a model where value is pulled through the chain in response to market demand. “We are marketing wool to customers who value its origin and quality, and we are ensuring growers are part of that value story.”
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