Rural services giant PGG Wrightson has announced a renewed bid to unite the country’s strong wool growers, as well as taking a 100% share in wool partners international.

PGG Wrightson already holds a 49% stake in the company, which late last year launched a bid to form a grower owned wool co-operative, following the Fonterra style model.

The bid failed to reach the required $65 million commitment, prompting a battle of words between growers, exporters and marketers within the sector.

PGG Wrightson announced on Tuesday it intends to take over the remaining 51% ownership of WPI, which is the security interest held over brokers Wool Grower Holdings.

PGG Managing director George Gould will become the new chairman of Wool Partners’ International.

PGG spokesman Brent Melville says despite the failed bid to unite growers earlier in the year, the support received from more than 30% of New Zealand farmers shows there is potential for another proposal.

"Our strategy is to put at least part of the industry back into growers hands, whether that is in the form of a co-operative or a kind of hybrid model with commercial interest still remains to be seen but that is our intention."

Brent Melville says Jeff Grant and Mark Shadbolt, who headed up the Wool Partners’ Co-op bid, will stay on as directors of WPI and Wools of New Zealand respectively.

"Mark and Jeff have great credibility within the industry, and very committed to it and it made absolute sense to keep them on board."

Theresa Gattung, Keith Sutton and Craig Norgate have all stepped down from the board.