Stock agency rivals settle saleyards dispute out of court

The nation's biggest stock and station agency Wrightson and major North Island rival Williams and Kettle say they have cut a deal over their two-year dispute involving access to the Rangiuru saleyards.

The two companies have agreed on a revised licence, which provides Williams and Kettle with "appropriate access" to the saleyards.

Wrightson sought sole use of the saleyards at Rangiuru, near Te Puke, and last year moved to push out rival stock agents Elders Livestock and Williams and Kettle Ltd, which had held sales there since 1997 and 2000 respectively.

Federated Farmers said farmers in the Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty, who sell their stock in Rangiuru, will be penalised financially if Wrightson had no competition.

Wrightson, which owned two-thirds of the yards and leased the other, third said it was not obliged to share the yards.

At Rangiuru there are 60 to 70 stock sales a year at Rangiruru, involving about 30,000 head of cattle and slightly larger numbers of sheep.

Today Wrightson and Williams and Kettle announced they had reached an agreement which would avoid a lengthy and costly court hearing.

- NZPA