It was created in 2005 through the merger of Pyne Gould Guinness Ltd and Wrightson Limited and has its roots in a number of stock and station agencies dating back to 1861.

It is one of the major suppliers to the agricultural sector in New Zealand providing products such as seeds, grains, livestock, irrigation, farm equipment, insurance and financing.

PGG Wrightson Seeds Holdings has operations in New Zealand, Australia, and South America.

[7] In late 2018, the majority shareholder of PGW, the Chinese-owned Agria Corporation, was found guilty of fraudulent accounting by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Agria was subsequently ordered by the Overseas Investment Office to sell down its majority shareholding in PGW to 46.5%.