The Rugby World Cup and other major sporting events here and in Australia have boosted demand for grasses that are specially bred for sports fields.
PGG Wrightson Turf, the major supplier of seed for those grasses, says the economic downturn in the past few years has slowed large-scale property developments, trimming sales in those areas.
But market development manager Mark Shaw says demand from sports stadiums and championship golf courses has shot up instead.
As well as breeding grasses for domestic conditions, Mr Shaw says PGG Wrightson Turf also exports grasses for golf courses and sports fields in Europe, the Middle East and the United States.
