We offer the entire range of seed and cultivars for pastoral and cereal farmers. Seed is sourced from all seed suppliers in New Zealand and when necessary, imported from overseas. Wherever possible, product is purchased directly from CRT shareholders. We operate four mixing sites throughout the South Island with the company also operating a gaucho seed treatment plant at Christchurch.
Retail seed continues to be a complex and very technical field, covering forage ryegrasses and their different flowering dates, persistence, endophytes, ploidy and dry matter production; types of clovers, herbs, brassica/fodder beet types and animal nutritional requirements, and also forage cereal and silage options including maize.
CRT grain and seed division staff pride themselves on their ability to be independent, impartial grain and seed suppliers, with access to all commercial seed varieties. CRT staff can recommend the right seed for each situation for its shareholder customers. The retail seed industry now involves a lot more than just the selling of seed, encompassing forward planning relating to specific paddocks and the on-farm management of the resultant crop, from the seed sown as a result of consulted planning with regard to farmers’ animal feed needs at a particular time.
Specialist advice
CRT has a team of technical field officers (TFOs) who are able to advise you on the cultivars most suited to your individual property – adding long-term value to your operation. The TFOs receive constant education and development to ensure they have the latest information and technical advice when recommending pastoral solutions.
CRT staff are able to offer full technical assistance with regard to sowing rates, establishment, fertiliser and chemical requirements, grazing and on- going paddock management. We work closely with our feed division’s nutritionalists and salesmen, in order to offer an all round package to complement animal supplementary feeding and dietary requirements.
CRT is fortunate to have, the services and years of experience of our seed site managers Don McCaw, Kevin Lott, Roy Nimmo and Dave Cleaver. They bring a wealth of knowledge to each of their specialised mixing sites and have a strong customer focus, working in with their local TFOs and FarmCentres. Their regional seed knowledge is beneficial to clients and quite often it is commented that they know more about what is sown where on the farm, than the farmer who owns the property. Custom mixing and dispatching your requirements as quickly as possible is their priority.
Contact us
So visit your local CRT FarmCentre, our online store or call one of our TFOs on 0800 278 583, to find out more about what we can offer you or alternatively contact the Retail Seed Manager.
CRT is fortunate to have, the services and years of experience of our seed site managers Don McCaw, Kevin Lott, Roy Nimmo and Dave Cleaver. They bring a wealth of knowledge to each of their specialised mixing sites and have a strong customer focus, working in with their local TFOs and FarmCentres. Their regional seed knowledge is beneficial to clients and quite often it is commented that they know more about what is sown where on the farm, than the farmer who owns the property. Custom mixing and dispatching your requirements as quickly as possible is their priority.
Grain trading
We also operate a grain procurement and trading business, to provide a seamless service for our customers. This involves the trading of wheat, barley, oats and peas. We can source and supply all feed grains to customers including dairy, pig and poultry, producers and major feed manufacturers.