Ryegrass seed stocks around the world are back to clear boards

Growers are favouring low-risk crops because seed production costs leave little room for failure.

CountryWide Media CountryWide Media|October 30, 2026

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Spring growth is running 10 to 14 days ahead of last year.

Carrfields lead pastoral agronomist Logan Tasker says the El Nino forecast prompted early planning on farms.

“People were putting a lot of risk mitigation into the practices and processes, and that’s really played a good part in where we are at the moment,” he says.

Carrfields Seed production manager Leanne Doherty says the world wants ryegrass seed again, which will help demand and lift the price.

“Ryegrass stocks around the world have been really high for the last few years, we’ve seen that now come back to almost clear boards.”

Growers want low-risk options after the last couple of seasons.

“Can’t afford failures anymore with our cost structures.”

Wet weather at harvest hits seed yield and quality.

To learn more, visit carrfields.co.nz

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