Woolnet And Fencepost.com Join Forces

Two of New Zealand's best known agricultural internet sites, Woolnet and Fencepost.com, have joined forces to develop web-based services for sheep farmers.

Initially, there will be a link between the two sites, while services and expert systems are developed for New Zealand sheep farmers.

Lance Wiggins, Managing Director of WoolPro, Woolnet's parent company, and Alison Andrew, Fencepost.com's Chief Operating Officer, say the strategic alliance could see a sharing of information and services between the sites.

"With our greater emphasis on activities that focus on the wider good of the sheep farming industry, we are looking at different ways of getting our information out as widely as possible," Wiggins says.

"We have a terrific amount of sheep farming expertise and information, and if Fencepost can help us get that to farmers, then we'll work with them."

Woolnet, the world's first internet-based wool trading system, is breaking down barriers in the wool marketing system.

It currently has over 1100 farmer clients and has done more than $5 million worth of business in the past nine months. Planned developments include real-time negotiation and international trading.

Fencepost.com, which has more than 40 per cent of the market share in agricultural websites, has become one of New Zealand's busiest community-based, commercial websites.

"We are an important communication and farm management tool for the rural sector and we're regularly adding new services to the site," says Andrew.

"We have recently added wool, livestock and horticulture communities to supplement the initial dairy community.

"This agreement with Woolnet will contribute to the industry-specific productivity tools currently available on Fencepost."

The proposed partnership is just one of many services to be introduced by Fencepost.com in its bid to become an integral part of life for rural New Zealanders.

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