Trojan & Shogun exceed expectation in New Zealand

Top quality products and careful market preparation have resulted in sell-out success for two new ryegrasses from Agriseeds in New Zealand over the past two seasons.

In a market where first year seed sales of 100 tonnes are regarded as very successful, Trojan perennial ryegrass achieved 500 tonnes when it was launched to New Zealand farmers in 2011/12. This was followed by first year sales of 650 tonnes for Shogun hybrid ryegrass in 2012/13.

Agriseeds CEO Murray Willocks says this result is even more pleasing considering both cultivars are priced in the top tier of the highly competitive New Zealand pasture seed market.

 

He attributes the success of Trojan and Shogun to the company's long-standing goal of developing the best pastures a farmer can grow.

 

"It all starts with breeding good products that give farmers what they need to maximise the performance of their pastures. We follow that up with a strong testing programme which gives our whole team confidence in the ability of these products to perform in New Zealand conditions."

 

The next step is to prepare the market before full commercial launch, he says. "We always take new cultivars like Trojan and Shogun to our customers a year or two before they are released for sale to farmers.

 

"This gives our customers trust in the products, and creates a great deal of interest and awareness. When the time comes to start selling seed to farmers, they are also confident and well-informed about the new cultivars, and can pass that confidence and knowledge on to the end user."