September 4, 2026 • 38 mins
Hamish McKay talks to Dr Elizabeth Heeg, Emma Poole and Tim Dangen, Michael Harvey, Megan Whitehead, and Alec Astle.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Good morning. Welcome to The Best of the Country, bringing
you the pick of the week's rural interviews, proudly brought
to you by the great team at Rabobank. I'm Havish
Mackay in for Jamie Mackay while he recovers from that
nasty flu that's been doing the rounds, and ain't that
the understatement? We'll hopefully have him back fighting fit for
you very soon. Right, on today's show, Forest Owners Association
(00:39):
Chief Executive Dr Elizabeth Heig joins us, along with Tim
Dangen and Emma Paul, and a cricketer, a teacher, author,
Alec Astell is on the show in the Hawk Cup.
That's all ahead on the best of the country, brought
to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
The best of the country with Robobank.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Grow with Robobank.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Well, joining us is Dr Elizabeth Heath, CEO of the
Forestry Owners Association. Good afternoon.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Great, thank you. Look, as an industry, do you feel
you're copping a fair bit? Is that unfair?
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Oh, look, we are really keen to tell the good
story that we have to tell about the great fiber
that we grow here in New Zealand and all the
great things that you can do with it. And I
think we're looking for opportunities like this to be able
to talk more about what we're growing here in New Zealand.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
Absolutely.
Speaker 7 (01:48):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So what are some of these positive stories that need
to be out there?
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Well, first and foremost, we are one of the most
efficient producers of fiber in the world and really high
quality wood fiber. And, you know, what we're able to
do with that is only surpassed by the fact that
we can grow it in a way that, you know,
we've got kiwi and our native falcons and all kinds
(02:14):
of biodiversity that are living in it while we're growing it.
And we're able to then manage the harvest and do
all that sustainably, often in tandem to great farming systems
as well. So it's, you know, we're an efficient producer
of food. high quality building products and a whole range
of pulp and paper. And the way that we do
(02:35):
that is often in conjunction with some great farming systems
as well.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Elizabeth, the problem is, I guess, if I'm from the
East Coast, I'm not seeing those positive stories in terms
of good practices and everything we're seeing around the slash
and the harvesting. I mean, how are you going to
overcome that imagery?
Speaker 5 (02:55):
So part of what we are going to have to
work on is responding to these really bad storm events
and how we disentangle what is a result of forestry
practice and what's a result of these traumatic storm events.
The tough thing in Tide Offity is we got hammered
(03:15):
with a really terrible cyclone up there. And then I
think everybody looked at all the wood that had come
down and assumed that that was a result of poor practice.
And actually, a lot of the trees that came down
in that were standing trees that got blown over or
there was landslide events. Climate change is really throwing us
some curveballs, especially with these big storms. You know, we've
(03:38):
subsequently had a couple of places in the country where
we've had big blowovers and what we call wind throw
events in the last few years. I think in Tide Offity,
particularly the soil type up there makes it extra tricky
for how we're going to work through that. And we're
really focused on getting it right. So we're putting research
and development and we're putting a lot of time into
engineering and into trying to figure out how we manage
(04:00):
those systems under this increased pressure so that it's not
a compliance problem, that we're doing everything we can to
to try and manage in those systems effectively, even given
the fact that we're dealing with increased pressure.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Do you think you can genuinely offer hope to the
people of those regions that we're not going to see
the same impact? I mean, we've got to accept climate
change is happening, weather events are happening, trees will come down,
as you have said, in a natural kind of way.
But are you confident that there's enough being done that
we won't see the huge impact that we've seen?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
I think that depends on the nature of the storm events,
and anybody that tells you we're going to be able
to 100% manage it, I think, isn't really looking at
the reality of some of what we're seeing. Some of
the briefings I've been to from Earth Sciences lately about
the weather we're in store for in the next couple
of years with this El Nino and then going into
(05:01):
a La Nina, we're getting less of a break of
good weather in between these events. That being said, I
back New Zealand ingenuity on this. We've got some great engineers,
some really smart people that are out there thinking about
how we work through this from a forestry engineering and
from a management perspective. And I think we're going to
(05:22):
do everything we can to meet the challenge. But part
of what we've got to do is keep working the
systems in order to do that. So if we stand still,
the risk doesn't go away. It actually just gets realized
in different ways. We've got to keep working through and
keep managing these systems in order to try to mitigate
the risks that we're dealing with.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
What do you make of the fact that it would appear,
and many believe this, that New Zealand rely too heavily
on forestry offsets rather than reducing gross emissions? Is that fair?
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Well, I think we need to do more to reduce
gross emissions. But right now, the forestry that we've got
in the emissions trading scheme and otherwise is the climate
mitigation that's actually working, like it's pulling CO2 out of
the atmosphere. And so we don't want to stop doing
what's working because we need to do more. We actually
(06:18):
need to keep doing what's working and then talk about
how we do the more on top of that. And
to be fair, there's some awesome systems out there. People
are electrifying both their forestry and their farming systems, and
we're finding all kinds of ways to reduce emissions. I
think that's where, again, we just need to bring that
intellect into how we're going to do it. But don't
(06:40):
throw the baby out with the bathwater. Don't stop doing
the thing that's working in order to go after the
gross emissions reductions, which we absolutely need.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
You talk of this wonderful fibre timber. What percentage of
trees is actually for timber production versus... this offset planting?
Speaker 5 (06:59):
Well, at the national level, I think what makes it
tough for people to understand, I get a lot of
people send me pictures of what they think is a
carbon forest. And I'm like, well, I know the people
who planted that, that's a timber forest, but they are
thinking about entering into the emissions trading scheme. In a
lot of cases, you'll have folks that basically have maintained
(07:19):
their optionality. So they may be growing a timber crop,
but their intentions may change over the course of growing
that crop. So right now we know from some of
the surveys MPI does that about 80% of people that
have a forest in the AETS are anticipating that they're
going to harvest that forest, right? And I think at
(07:43):
the national level, that means the majority of forests you
see are for timber, even if they're in the emissions
trading scheme. But it's all going to depend, when you
get that 30 years down the track, it's going to
depend on what the price of carbon is and the
price of timber is. And because we represent timber growers,
one of the things we're really keen to make sure
(08:05):
of is that, you know, that timber is going to
be high value and it's going to mean that we've
got this continued wood flow and the fibre flow going
through our manufacturing system. We can still have great onshore
wood processing.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Is it fair to have sort of a dollar each
way like that?
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Oh, you know, my grandfather was a farmer. I'm not
a farmer. But I think for people that are working
on the land and have a long-term asset, I think
having the potential to make an income on that asset
as it's growing, like you do with the emissions trading scheme,
is pretty important when you look at how tight cost
(08:45):
margins are right now. And then I think when you
get to the point where you could harvest timber and
you potentially are going to have to pay some of
that back, depending on how you're doing your accounting, I
think all of that is part of the system. So
I absolutely think carbon income can be a great way
for farmers and foresters to diversify their risks, especially in
(09:07):
what we have right now, which is a very risky environment.
And I think that's going to be an important part
of managing rural systems going forward. There's also the potential,
like Minister Hoggard talked about, these nature credit markets. There's
going to be a lot of potential for us to
diversify financial instruments in the rural landscape. And I think
we need to embrace that and find ways to work
(09:29):
with it because the costs aren't going away. And we're
growing stuff on our land that has a lot of
value in different kinds of markets, different kinds of financial systems.
We should take advantage of that rather than be scared
of it. But I think we've got to absolutely manage
it in a responsible way.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Dr. Elizabeth Heeg, CEO of the Forestry Owners Association, thank
you for your time today.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
The best of the country with Robobank. Choose the bank
with 120 years global agribus.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
Experience.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
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Speaker 3 (10:02):
Well, one of my favourite times on the country when
I get to sit in the chair for my cousin Jamie,
as we say, Bo and Luke Duke is doing a
bit of recovering at the moment. He'll be back soon, though,
is when I get to chat to these two fine
young people of the agricultural establishment, the 2023 Young Farmer
of the Year, Emma Poole. and a brother, Tim Dangen, 22,
(10:23):
young farmer of the year. G'day team, how's things first
of all with you, Tim? You've finally got some sun
after a bit of a rough old tail of winter.
Speaker 7 (10:32):
Yeah, g'day Hamish. We've been coughing it in the deep
south over the last sort of five days, but thankfully
the sun's out today, so a bit of recovery and
a chance to come up for a bit of air.
But no, it's been a big week really, right in
the peak of calving for most southern dairy farmers. So yeah,
it's just been a matter of getting through really day
by day and making sure that everyone gets home safe
(10:54):
at the end of the day has been the real goal.
So yeah, but it's nice to see the sun, Hamish.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, absolutely. It would be Emma further north in the Waikato,
how things are with you?
Speaker 8 (11:03):
Yeah, we've had a fair bit of wind here as well, Hamish,
but it's sunny today and it's been actually all in
all not a bad spring. We've been very, very lucky
with the amount of rain and sunshine that we've had.
It's made for easy carving here, so pretty lucky.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Yeah, that is good to hear. Tim, to start with
you on El Nino, I mean, you've just come out
of the back of the weather that you've got right now,
but you've got this fandangled thing. We know it's coming.
How much are you preparing for the effects of?
Speaker 7 (11:35):
Yeah, I'll take some of it at the moment, but no,
it's interesting to see and talking to farmers around the
district how it plays out in the south and it's
quite different to how or what I'm used to when
we get a big El Nino up home in Meriwai
north of Auckland there. So, yeah, we're just mindful, I guess,
(11:56):
of where our costs are at, as always, and how
much supplement that we're prepared to put into the system
if need be. Grass is always the cheapest form of feed, though. So, yeah,
we're just trying to make sure that we stick to
basics here, try and grow and harvest as much high-quality
grass as we can.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Emma, how much is it on your radar?
Speaker 8 (12:15):
Definitely on the radar. I remember a few years ago
when they predicted this, we sort of got prepared with
a whole lot of chicory and turnips and whatnot and
nothing really came of it. So you've sort of got
to take it with a grain of salt, don't you?
But it'll change our cropping plan a bit. We'll allow
for a bit of extra summer crops to make sure
that we've got something to feed the cows. We're pretty
(12:36):
fortunate we autumn carve a lot of our herds, so
they'll be dry during that period, which is a real
asset when that heat comes on. So Probably more and
more Waikato farmers looking at that sort of thing as
well because our Nino's almost becoming the norm here in
the Waikato. It gets very hot and very dry February, March,
even April. So it's the farming that we're doing now.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, certainly is. Ag and secondary schools, the curriculum looks
like it's going to have its place that it deserves
and damn well should have sort of from next year.
But I was thinking, you know, I hope a lot
of the learning is around the opportunity that exists in
the entire primary ag sector. That's something we really need
to push, don't we?
Speaker 8 (13:20):
Absolutely, and the people teaching those curriculums, it really hinges
on them, doesn't it Hamish? They have to be aware
of what's out there and they have to be ready
to motivate those students and entice them into that subject
because they're competing against other subjects which are very appetising
when you're a young kid at school, being sports and
art and the like, so they just have to make
(13:42):
sure that they've got the right people in those roles
to package that up and draw them in, but And
it's good to hear that it will be on the
forefront of some people's mind, at least, because we need
more people in this sector. And the young people are
awesome that are coming through so far.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yeah. And so it's not just about owning a farm. Sure,
that's a great goal and, you know, very admirable. But
it's not the only thing that can sustain somebody in
a great career and a great lifestyle and earning opportunity.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Oh, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
I went to vet school, didn't I? And then came
back and went farming after being a vet. So that's,
you know, being a vet on farms is awesome. And
it's another job that's connected to agriculture. And Tim had
his fair share of doing things off farm.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
As well, too.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Tim, it's coming up 100 years this year, isn't it,
for the Young Farmer of the Year? That'll be a
pretty big shindig, won't it?
Speaker 7 (14:39):
Yeah, it's an amazing achievement, Hamish, isn't it? It's for
the club itself, or the organisation rather, that is going
to clock up the century. So I suppose it's just
a neat time to reflect on all the amazing volunteers
that have come through in that time, Hamish, that have
run clubs and events within the rural communities, as well
as obviously the Young Farm of the Year contest, which
(15:02):
I suppose is the pinnacle of the club. in the
flagship event, but it wouldn't happen without all the amazing
volunteer work that happens throughout. And I think it just
highlights really how important young farmers clubs are within our
rural communities, Hamish, and it's just a fantastic way to
get young people connected. It can sometimes be a bit
(15:23):
of a barrier, I think, for young people that they
think they might be heading off to an isolated region
or something like that, but as soon as you hook
in with your local young farmers club, you're instantly connected
with like-minded people. And, yeah, it's a great opportunity to
catch up down at the pub and do other social
events as well as competing in the contest. So, yeah,
it's awesome to see, mate.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Yeah, and so it's really important that you do have
these social events, and this will be a big party.
I don't want you to dob your sister in, but
who's the party animal? Which one of you is more
likely to cut loose at this 100-year celebration?
Speaker 7 (15:55):
Emma's got a lot more party yarns than I do, mate. So,
you know, there's been some good ones over the years.
She might be able to lose them when she ended
up in some rose bushes at Massey University one time,
I think.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, I was going to say.
Speaker 7 (16:10):
No, it'll be good.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yeah, vet school, Emma, you wouldn't have got up to
any hijinks. No, not at all.
Speaker 8 (16:15):
Nothing. No, it's a very tame place.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah. Hey, has the Prime Minister delivered on his promise,
I think, to you, Emma, that the Young Farmer of
the Year is going to be back on Kelly? I'm
not quite sure if that has happened.
Speaker 8 (16:26):
Well, I haven't seen it either, Hamish. And out of
good faith, I let him hold my baby that day
when he said that he made that election promise. Was
it four years ago? So I've got a photo of
proof of him holding wee blow-up in the air and
saying that it would be back on the TV. So
we bring it up every year. I think it's going
to have to resurface in election year and hold him
(16:47):
to it.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, well, it's got till November the 7th, hasn't it?
I see we spoke to him earlier, he's shooting off to...
what was it, Palau, I think the Cook Islands, and
with the big blue continent, isn't it, the meeting of
all the leaders there. So I will, when I speak
to him next, remind him of that. Tim, thank you
very much for joining us. Tim, go and soak up
some of that sun. Emma, enjoy not having a bit
(17:09):
of wind. Great to have you on the show, Emma
Paul and Tim Dangen. Cheers, Amish.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Cheers, Amish.
Speaker 7 (17:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Joining us on the country now is Rabobank senior analyst
in dairy and consumer foods out of Melbourne, Michael Harvey.
Good afternoon, Michael.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
How are you going?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Thanks for having me. Great to have you on here.
Global top 20 report. Who's leading the way?
Speaker 9 (17:40):
Yeah, look, it's that time of year we do a
bit of an update on the largest dairy companies in
the world based on dairy revenue. So that's an important point.
And it's always worthwhile sort of looking at the bigger
picture and looking at some of the key trends that
you're seeing happening in the large dairy company in the world.
And certainly there's a couple of notable trends that we
sort of picked up in the report that we did.
And the first one really, you know, the growth of Lactalis,
(18:03):
who are the world's largest dairy company. They've been quite
active in this part of the world, clearly with the
acquisition of the Fonterra Assets Group. in this part of
the world, but they've also continued to grow through acquisition
in other regions and other geographies. So that's a clear
trend that you do see. There's a few other things
as well. You look at what's happening in Europe at
the moment, and there's been some very large acquisitions of cooperatives,
(18:26):
and that's certainly something that we're keeping an eye on
in terms of what happens with that industry moving forward
as they start to consolidate potentially amongst themselves. So that's
a key trend. The other one is Saputo, who are
active in this part of the world, particularly here in Australia,
they've been divesting some of their assets They're exiting Argentina
and exiting the UK as well. So there's a few
(18:47):
sort of key trends that are happening at.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
The big end of town.
Speaker 9 (18:50):
But ultimately, it's really about these large dairy companies continuing
to evolve their footprints around the world.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
OK, so we've seen the big move by Lactalis here.
With Ontario, what does that say for the future?
Speaker 9 (19:03):
Yeah, well, I mean, clearly Fonterra, the exit out of
Australia is sort of full stop and reset of their business.
And they're still a very large dairy company and one
of the big players in the global market. But, you know,
going back to being focused on a high quality producer
of commodity servicing, food service and ingredient market. So that's
the sort of full stop on that business. But, you know,
(19:23):
Fonterra obviously moved down the rank table because of that,
but still very much one of the large dairy companies.
So that's one of the notable trends as well.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, Fonterra very much shifting towards that ingredients and food service.
Speaker 9 (19:38):
Right, and that is another trend that you do see.
I mean, there are global dairy companies that are on
the hunt for access to whey because of the you know,
the booming demand for high protein products in consumer markets
around the world. So that's certainly something. And, you know,
there's some assets and acquisitions around actually tapping into brands.
And we saw that here in Australia, you know, Danone
(19:59):
have made an acquisition of a company that's got a
high protein dairy beverage platform called the May Group and
the Rockabee Farms. So there's certainly a global push to
try and find high-quality protein products and weight pools and
ingredients to service those markets, which is strong, right? I mean,
food service markets are a growth platform for all dairy companies,
and that's certainly something Fonterra are focusing on. But there's
(20:20):
no doubt that high-protein platforms are certainly a key strategy
as well.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
How much have we seen that sort of, I guess,
the key drivers change over the last 10 years, say?
Speaker 9 (20:34):
Yeah, it's constantly evolving. There's no doubt about that. And,
you know, corporate activity is ongoing. I mean, even since
we sort of did the cutoff, you know, we talk about,
you know, Lactala have made further acquisitions and Saputo have
made further divestments. So it's constantly moving. And, you know,
you see big trends like, you know, non-dairy players sort
of coming in and out of dairy platforms. You've seen
(20:55):
that with, you know, some global FMCGs at times over
the decade or so. You've seen the emergence of China
being a bigger player in the global scene. They've done
that through acquisition and offshore investments as well. So there's
constant change and there are key trends that come and go.
But ultimately, it's about these large dairy companies just looking
(21:15):
for the next opportunity at the moment. It is high
protein products, it's whey protein, it's ingredients, it's food service channels.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Is the possibility too big is too big?
Speaker 9 (21:28):
Oh, that's a good point. I mean, that'll be something
to watch with, you know, just given the size of
La Cala. I mean, they've done their business enormously over
a long period of time, largely through acquisition, and they
continue to do it. So that's why they are the
world's largest dairy company. So, you know, there's clearly, you know,
there's benefits that come with scale and global capacity like that.
So it's something to watch out for.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
There was obviously a huge amount of media and public
interest in what happened between Lactalis and Fonterra, but that
seems to have sort of died away and just everybody
getting on with business.
Speaker 9 (22:03):
Yeah, I mean, it's obviously now complete. I mean, I'm
sitting here in Australia. I mean, that was a transformational
sort of acquisition here in Australia because it does change
the corporate landscape. You know, Fonterra have obviously had a
big business in Australia over a long period of time
and sort of exited the market now. So you've got Lactalis,
who are the way we would look at it, the
largest dairy company here in Australia. So they've got a
(22:24):
lot more scale. They've got a lot more market power
with the retailers. So there's some, you know, there's some
things there that are happening. So yeah, that was a
significant transaction.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Great stuff. Michael Harvey, Senior Analyst in Dairy and Consumer
Foods out of Rabobank with that Global Top 20 report.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 9 (22:41):
My pleasure.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 10 (22:55):
You're listening to the best of the country, proudly brought
to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Now a reminder that Rabobank is the principal sponsor of
this month's Red Meat Sector Conference in Wellington. The conference
brings together farmers, processors, exporters and industry leaders to share ideas,
challenge thinking and discuss practical solutions to the opportunities and
challenges facing New Zealand's red meat sector. It's certainly an
(23:20):
important event on the rural calendar, a chance to help
shape the future direction. of the industry, such an important
industry too. To find out more, visit redmeatsector.co.nz. Now let's
get back to the best interviews from the week, from
the country.
Speaker 11 (23:37):
Take me where the air grows, I'm gonna dream it.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
The best of the country with Robobank.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Grow with Robobank.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Looking to make a comeback and, of course, somebody who's
already made a huge splash in the world of shearing
is Megan Whitehead. Gore Shearer joins us now. G'day, Megan.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Hi, how are you going?
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah, very good, thank you. So you've got your sort
of back right into it and you've got some pretty
big goals because you've achieved before but you want to
achieve more.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
Yeah, yeah, I'm planning on attempting the nine-hour stronghold lamb
record again at Robert Grant's Oda Perry Gorge on the
18th of December.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Okay, so between now and there, what's the preparation look like?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
I've been training since the start of May. I've been
doing CrossFit for four months, and then I met Luxton
last night to put another training regime in place for
the next, four months till the record.
Speaker 10 (24:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
So what's the target now? What do you have to beat?
Speaker 4 (24:50):
I have to beat 720, which Sasha Bond holds currently.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, Sasha, that's your North Island shearer, 720 in nine hours.
How confident are you feeling?
Speaker 4 (25:05):
I've done it before.
Speaker 8 (25:06):
So.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Yeah, I'm no stranger to the records. Yeah, just concentrating
on my training and my passion. And, yeah, I'll try
my very best.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
So you're 30 years of age now. Do you think
you're sort of starting to hit your peak powers?
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Yeah, I've been told before, apparently you don't hit your
peak until 10 years of sharing. I'm at that now.
So you're always learning with sharing. Yeah, that's... whether it's
the nutrition side of things and training and gear and
your pattern, you're always learning. So I am confident in
(25:49):
my pattern and I've got a lot more experience up
my sleeve.
Speaker 8 (25:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
So it's always sort of like minuscule improvements that add up,
don't they, which must add up over the course of
a nine-hour day to sort of to get to 700 plus.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
Yeah, yeah, we're talking, yeah, seconds, every little second counts.
You're concentrating on your cutter changes, your entry into the pen,
and each blow needs to be perfect.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
How close do you think it's going to be for
you to get this record? I mean, we saw with
Simon Goss back in January, what was that? It came
down to about one sheep, didn't it, one lamb?
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Yeah, yeah, that's very tough on the mind. That's a...
fighting down to the seconds to be in his position.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
How do you get that kind of mental strength? I mean,
you've got to have intestinal fortitude to keep going for
nine hours. And as I mentioned, and what is without
a doubt the toughest job in the world, but how
do you sort of, I don't know, stay so focused
but zoned out at the same time, I guess?
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Yeah, I guess I'm very stubborn and very pig-headed, and
I think that's a good thing, going for a record.
I'm pretty good at staying on track and blocking everything
out and staying focused.
Speaker 11 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Because you can't let anything get to you. If things
don't go wrong, you've got to stay focused and stay
in the moment. Yeah, if you've got to move forward,
you can't let anything get to you.
Speaker 10 (27:24):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
And that attention to detail too. I mean, I know
that you can't let anything get into you because with
Simon was the situation, I think, where the air conditioning
unit went down and nobody could kind of quite pick
out what was going on and he sort of, he
fell off the pace for a little bit. So you
do have to be incredibly focused. Who's the team that.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Yeah, that's why... Sorry.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
No, no, sorry, Karen. Yep.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
That's why you need a good team behind you. They
make your day fall into place. And if you don't
have a good team, things will fall apart and that's when...
the pressure will come on to you and you don't
want to be thinking about any of that. Your team
should have you set up for the day. You should
be just focused on shearing the sheep.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
So tell us about your team. Who are the integral
members of it?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Well, Dad, Quinton Whitehead, he's been my second and he's
the heart and soul of every record I've done. Clint
Bellamy has one of his good friends who he used
to share around the world with. He's from the North
Island Taranaki. He's been at every single one of my records,
and then plus I've got Ben Fox, who's a farmer
(28:29):
from Down Portification. He's been on my team, and my
brother Rambo. I've been there since day one, and they
know how everything runs, and so, yeah, I'm pretty lucky
to have them every year, well, every record attempt, sorry.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
The old man could share a bit too, couldn't he?
Speaker 4 (28:47):
Yeah, definitely. He's a perfectionist in everything he does. Whether
it's farming or dog trails, nothing goes past him.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
And for the team, everybody has pretty clearly defined roles
that they know they have to take care of?
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Yeah, they all work that out within themselves. I'm just
concentrated on sharing my sheep, really. I don't really know
what goes on behind the scenes.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah. So between now and, what are we talking, December,
obviously a fair bit of shed work to do. How
do you strike the balance?
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Yeah, well, the shed's got to be rearranged. So boulders
come in and the porthole's got to be a certain size.
And you're only allowed to build it at 22 sheep
in the pen. All fours have got to be on
the ground. You've got to re-carpet the whole pen and
the reinforcing pen. The pen's got to be a certain
(29:50):
size and you want it as efficient as possible so
I'm not walking to the back of the pen.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Yeah, thank you. Yeah, fantastic.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
There's a lot to do with the farmer as well
and looking after my lambs. And we also wash them
the day before the weaned, washed, and then I shear them.
So the farmer's got a big responsibility in taking care
of those lambs and getting them up to standard for
me to go ahead with the record as well, which
(30:20):
I'm very grateful for Cameron and Robert Grant. They've been
there for the past three of my records.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Yeah, fantastic. Well, I guess you can't wait for it
to come around, but you've got a few months to
fill in in between.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
Yeah, yeah. Exciting, but nerve-wracking.
Speaker 8 (30:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Hey, all the best, and we'll follow it a bit
closer to the time and check in with how you're going,
but Megan Whitehead, all the very best for the months
ahead as you build up to that big record attempt
in December. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
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Speaker 3 (30:59):
We're going to talk something that is part of the
social and sporting fabric of, well, rural New Zealand. You know,
I sort of say Danny Virk to Dunsandal, you know,
the Hawke Cup of cricket. Joining us to look at
this is, look, he's probably got a number of titles,
but he used to be a teacher and a senior
(31:19):
master at the school that I attended, the mighty PNBHS.
Alec Astle, good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (31:25):
That's a very good introduction.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
How are you, sir? I can't help but not call
you sir.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
And it's a good upbringing that you had at Farmers
North Boys.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
Very good, thank you.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yeah, good, good, good.
Speaker 11 (31:38):
Right.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Author, historian, educator, cricketer, all those things. This history of
the Hawke Cup, what's the magic there? What's behind this?
Speaker 6 (31:49):
Well, Murray Brown, who I played cricket with for many
years in the Manama 2, we wrote a history of
Manama 2 cricket, which we published in 2021. And then
in 2022, a friend of mine suggested that we might
like to have a crack at the Hawke Cup because
nobody had really written too much about the Hawke Cup,
(32:11):
which is sort of the equivalent of the Renfrewley Shield
amongst what were called the minor provinces of New Zealand
or minor associations. So it got kicked off in 1910-11.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
There would be a few stories to tell. How much
sort of enjoyment have you gleaned from this exercise?
Speaker 6 (32:34):
Oh, a great amount. I played for about 20 years
for Manama 2, as did Murray, and because of my
association playing cricket, I can go back to some of
the fellows that even played in the late 1920s and
then all the way through to the current day. So
it's been a great memory. And with the book that
(32:54):
we've written... As it's sold, we've actually had a number
of people contact us and have great conversations about their grandfathers,
their fathers, and even themselves in terms of playing in
this competition.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Are there one or two individual stories that stand out?
Speaker 6 (33:14):
There's a lot of stories that stand out, actually.
Speaker 7 (33:16):
But, yeah, there are.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
I mean, obviously, when Bulla beat Canterbury Country to win
the Hawke Cup, That was a David and Goliath moment.
And you've got the tiniest cricket association in New Zealand
winning off one of the significant associations in terms of size.
That was a marvellous story. And also in the late
(33:41):
1940s when Manama 2 had the cup and they went
and played in Hawke's Bay, they lost by concession. Man
number two were not happy with the umpiring decisions, all
the LBW decisions that were made, so they suggested to
change the umpire, which didn't happen. So they decided, right,
that's it, we're packing our bags and going home. And
(34:03):
New Zealand Cricket Council at that stage were left with
no other option but to award the trophy to Hawke's Bay.
And I think that, if I remember rightly, that was
the first time that Hawke's Bay had actually won the
Hawke Cup.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
It makes the hair stand up on the back of
my neck, Alec Astle, when I hear the name Buller
beating Canterbury Country. That's just the riveting old yarns. Fantastic.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Yeah, it was fantastic. And then, of course, they had
to defend it and they didn't have a pitch, a
grass pitch. So they had to get permission to play
on an artificial, which has not been done before. And
they were playing North Otago, the second smallest association in
New Zealand, and they'd never played each other. And so.
As it turned out, Port Otago won it. They took
(34:48):
it back to Oamaru and they didn't have a pitch
because Centennial Park was being renovated. And so they had
to play at Waitaki Boys. And they used sheep trucks
with large white covers over them as a sight screen
for that particular game.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
You and Murray obviously had a lot of fun putting
this together. How do we get a hold of it? Bookstores?
Speaker 7 (35:08):
Online? Online.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
No, because it's a limited sort of publication and we've
done it as a labour of love, you can get
it from emailing either myself or Murray to get the book.
It's a pretty substantial publication. It's 485 pages. It's a
great doorstop. It weighs two kgs. And so, yeah, it's
(35:33):
going to cost $ 75. And if you want our emails,
I can give those to you because that's how we
can be contacted.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Right. I'll get those off air from you, Alec, and
then we'll make sure that people can get a hold
of those for that. The history of the Hawk Cup,
what are we talking, 1910 right through to basically now?
Speaker 6 (35:50):
Yeah, till 2025.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Fantastic. Alec Astle, thank you very much for joining us.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
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Speaker 2 (35:58):
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Speaker 1 (36:02):
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Speaker 10 (36:06):
Well, that's all we've got time for on the best
of the country, brought to you by Rabobank. Before we go,
a reminder, the latest Rabobank Agribusiness Monthly Report is now available.
The report provides a valuable snapshot of the key trends
and developments shaping the agricultural sector here in New Zealand
and around the world. You can access it on the
Rabobank website under the Knowledge and Networks tab.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
I want to say thank you to my old school teacher,
Alec Astle. Palmerston North Boys High School was on the
show today. That was great. This has been the best
of the country brought to you by Rabobank. I'm Hamish Mackay.
Thanks for listening. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. And
we go out listening to the late, great Dave McCartney
and Virginia.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (36:57):
All right, all right, Virginia. I'm standing, not quite looking around.
Just look at your plumb and all of the payload.
It's water up a duck's back. All right, all right, Virginia.
You got me loving every.
Speaker 10 (37:17):
Inch within you.
Speaker 11 (37:19):
All right, all right, Virginia. It's just a dream on
a blind man's corner. Snow white in a picture book.
She got everything. Look, look, look to the moon. All right. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia,
(38:04):
I must explain You're all deep on love itself V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A
That's why you ain't got a lot to say
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Speaker 3 (00:16):
Good morning. Welcome to The Best of the Country, bringing
you the pick of the week's rural interviews, proudly brought
to you by the great team at Rabobank. I'm Havish
Mackay in for Jamie Mackay while he recovers from that
nasty flu that's been doing the rounds, and ain't that
the understatement? We'll hopefully have him back fighting fit for
you very soon. Right, on today's show, Forest Owners Association
(00:39):
Chief Executive Dr Elizabeth Heig joins us, along with Tim
Dangen and Emma Paul, and a cricketer, a teacher, author,
Alec Astell is on the show in the Hawk Cup.
That's all ahead on the best of the country, brought
to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
The best of the country with Robobank.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
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Speaker 1 (01:11):
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Speaker 3 (01:13):
Well, joining us is Dr Elizabeth Heath, CEO of the
Forestry Owners Association. Good afternoon.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Great, thank you. Look, as an industry, do you feel
you're copping a fair bit? Is that unfair?
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Oh, look, we are really keen to tell the good
story that we have to tell about the great fiber
that we grow here in New Zealand and all the
great things that you can do with it. And I
think we're looking for opportunities like this to be able
to talk more about what we're growing here in New Zealand.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
Absolutely.
Speaker 7 (01:48):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So what are some of these positive stories that need
to be out there?
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Well, first and foremost, we are one of the most
efficient producers of fiber in the world and really high
quality wood fiber. And, you know, what we're able to
do with that is only surpassed by the fact that
we can grow it in a way that, you know,
we've got kiwi and our native falcons and all kinds
(02:14):
of biodiversity that are living in it while we're growing it.
And we're able to then manage the harvest and do
all that sustainably, often in tandem to great farming systems
as well. So it's, you know, we're an efficient producer
of food. high quality building products and a whole range
of pulp and paper. And the way that we do
(02:35):
that is often in conjunction with some great farming systems
as well.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Elizabeth, the problem is, I guess, if I'm from the
East Coast, I'm not seeing those positive stories in terms
of good practices and everything we're seeing around the slash
and the harvesting. I mean, how are you going to
overcome that imagery?
Speaker 5 (02:55):
So part of what we are going to have to
work on is responding to these really bad storm events
and how we disentangle what is a result of forestry
practice and what's a result of these traumatic storm events.
The tough thing in Tide Offity is we got hammered
(03:15):
with a really terrible cyclone up there. And then I
think everybody looked at all the wood that had come
down and assumed that that was a result of poor practice.
And actually, a lot of the trees that came down
in that were standing trees that got blown over or
there was landslide events. Climate change is really throwing us
some curveballs, especially with these big storms. You know, we've
(03:38):
subsequently had a couple of places in the country where
we've had big blowovers and what we call wind throw
events in the last few years. I think in Tide Offity,
particularly the soil type up there makes it extra tricky
for how we're going to work through that. And we're
really focused on getting it right. So we're putting research
and development and we're putting a lot of time into
engineering and into trying to figure out how we manage
(04:00):
those systems under this increased pressure so that it's not
a compliance problem, that we're doing everything we can to
to try and manage in those systems effectively, even given
the fact that we're dealing with increased pressure.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Do you think you can genuinely offer hope to the
people of those regions that we're not going to see
the same impact? I mean, we've got to accept climate
change is happening, weather events are happening, trees will come down,
as you have said, in a natural kind of way.
But are you confident that there's enough being done that
we won't see the huge impact that we've seen?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
I think that depends on the nature of the storm events,
and anybody that tells you we're going to be able
to 100% manage it, I think, isn't really looking at
the reality of some of what we're seeing. Some of
the briefings I've been to from Earth Sciences lately about
the weather we're in store for in the next couple
of years with this El Nino and then going into
(05:01):
a La Nina, we're getting less of a break of
good weather in between these events. That being said, I
back New Zealand ingenuity on this. We've got some great engineers,
some really smart people that are out there thinking about
how we work through this from a forestry engineering and
from a management perspective. And I think we're going to
(05:22):
do everything we can to meet the challenge. But part
of what we've got to do is keep working the
systems in order to do that. So if we stand still,
the risk doesn't go away. It actually just gets realized
in different ways. We've got to keep working through and
keep managing these systems in order to try to mitigate
the risks that we're dealing with.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
What do you make of the fact that it would appear,
and many believe this, that New Zealand rely too heavily
on forestry offsets rather than reducing gross emissions? Is that fair?
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Well, I think we need to do more to reduce
gross emissions. But right now, the forestry that we've got
in the emissions trading scheme and otherwise is the climate
mitigation that's actually working, like it's pulling CO2 out of
the atmosphere. And so we don't want to stop doing
what's working because we need to do more. We actually
(06:18):
need to keep doing what's working and then talk about
how we do the more on top of that. And
to be fair, there's some awesome systems out there. People
are electrifying both their forestry and their farming systems, and
we're finding all kinds of ways to reduce emissions. I
think that's where, again, we just need to bring that
intellect into how we're going to do it. But don't
(06:40):
throw the baby out with the bathwater. Don't stop doing
the thing that's working in order to go after the
gross emissions reductions, which we absolutely need.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
You talk of this wonderful fibre timber. What percentage of
trees is actually for timber production versus... this offset planting?
Speaker 5 (06:59):
Well, at the national level, I think what makes it
tough for people to understand, I get a lot of
people send me pictures of what they think is a
carbon forest. And I'm like, well, I know the people
who planted that, that's a timber forest, but they are
thinking about entering into the emissions trading scheme. In a
lot of cases, you'll have folks that basically have maintained
(07:19):
their optionality. So they may be growing a timber crop,
but their intentions may change over the course of growing
that crop. So right now we know from some of
the surveys MPI does that about 80% of people that
have a forest in the AETS are anticipating that they're
going to harvest that forest, right? And I think at
(07:43):
the national level, that means the majority of forests you
see are for timber, even if they're in the emissions
trading scheme. But it's all going to depend, when you
get that 30 years down the track, it's going to
depend on what the price of carbon is and the
price of timber is. And because we represent timber growers,
one of the things we're really keen to make sure
(08:05):
of is that, you know, that timber is going to
be high value and it's going to mean that we've
got this continued wood flow and the fibre flow going
through our manufacturing system. We can still have great onshore
wood processing.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Is it fair to have sort of a dollar each
way like that?
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Oh, you know, my grandfather was a farmer. I'm not
a farmer. But I think for people that are working
on the land and have a long-term asset, I think
having the potential to make an income on that asset
as it's growing, like you do with the emissions trading scheme,
is pretty important when you look at how tight cost
(08:45):
margins are right now. And then I think when you
get to the point where you could harvest timber and
you potentially are going to have to pay some of
that back, depending on how you're doing your accounting, I
think all of that is part of the system. So
I absolutely think carbon income can be a great way
for farmers and foresters to diversify their risks, especially in
(09:07):
what we have right now, which is a very risky environment.
And I think that's going to be an important part
of managing rural systems going forward. There's also the potential,
like Minister Hoggard talked about, these nature credit markets. There's
going to be a lot of potential for us to
diversify financial instruments in the rural landscape. And I think
we need to embrace that and find ways to work
(09:29):
with it because the costs aren't going away. And we're
growing stuff on our land that has a lot of
value in different kinds of markets, different kinds of financial systems.
We should take advantage of that rather than be scared
of it. But I think we've got to absolutely manage
it in a responsible way.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Dr. Elizabeth Heeg, CEO of the Forestry Owners Association, thank
you for your time today.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
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Speaker 3 (10:02):
Well, one of my favourite times on the country when
I get to sit in the chair for my cousin Jamie,
as we say, Bo and Luke Duke is doing a
bit of recovering at the moment. He'll be back soon, though,
is when I get to chat to these two fine
young people of the agricultural establishment, the 2023 Young Farmer
of the Year, Emma Poole. and a brother, Tim Dangen, 22,
(10:23):
young farmer of the year. G'day team, how's things first
of all with you, Tim? You've finally got some sun
after a bit of a rough old tail of winter.
Speaker 7 (10:32):
Yeah, g'day Hamish. We've been coughing it in the deep
south over the last sort of five days, but thankfully
the sun's out today, so a bit of recovery and
a chance to come up for a bit of air.
But no, it's been a big week really, right in
the peak of calving for most southern dairy farmers. So yeah,
it's just been a matter of getting through really day
by day and making sure that everyone gets home safe
(10:54):
at the end of the day has been the real goal.
So yeah, but it's nice to see the sun, Hamish.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, absolutely. It would be Emma further north in the Waikato,
how things are with you?
Speaker 8 (11:03):
Yeah, we've had a fair bit of wind here as well, Hamish,
but it's sunny today and it's been actually all in
all not a bad spring. We've been very, very lucky
with the amount of rain and sunshine that we've had.
It's made for easy carving here, so pretty lucky.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Yeah, that is good to hear. Tim, to start with
you on El Nino, I mean, you've just come out
of the back of the weather that you've got right now,
but you've got this fandangled thing. We know it's coming.
How much are you preparing for the effects of?
Speaker 7 (11:35):
Yeah, I'll take some of it at the moment, but no,
it's interesting to see and talking to farmers around the
district how it plays out in the south and it's
quite different to how or what I'm used to when
we get a big El Nino up home in Meriwai
north of Auckland there. So, yeah, we're just mindful, I guess,
(11:56):
of where our costs are at, as always, and how
much supplement that we're prepared to put into the system
if need be. Grass is always the cheapest form of feed, though. So, yeah,
we're just trying to make sure that we stick to
basics here, try and grow and harvest as much high-quality
grass as we can.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Emma, how much is it on your radar?
Speaker 8 (12:15):
Definitely on the radar. I remember a few years ago
when they predicted this, we sort of got prepared with
a whole lot of chicory and turnips and whatnot and
nothing really came of it. So you've sort of got
to take it with a grain of salt, don't you?
But it'll change our cropping plan a bit. We'll allow
for a bit of extra summer crops to make sure
that we've got something to feed the cows. We're pretty
(12:36):
fortunate we autumn carve a lot of our herds, so
they'll be dry during that period, which is a real
asset when that heat comes on. So Probably more and
more Waikato farmers looking at that sort of thing as
well because our Nino's almost becoming the norm here in
the Waikato. It gets very hot and very dry February, March,
even April. So it's the farming that we're doing now.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, certainly is. Ag and secondary schools, the curriculum looks
like it's going to have its place that it deserves
and damn well should have sort of from next year.
But I was thinking, you know, I hope a lot
of the learning is around the opportunity that exists in
the entire primary ag sector. That's something we really need
to push, don't we?
Speaker 8 (13:20):
Absolutely, and the people teaching those curriculums, it really hinges
on them, doesn't it Hamish? They have to be aware
of what's out there and they have to be ready
to motivate those students and entice them into that subject
because they're competing against other subjects which are very appetising
when you're a young kid at school, being sports and
art and the like, so they just have to make
(13:42):
sure that they've got the right people in those roles
to package that up and draw them in, but And
it's good to hear that it will be on the
forefront of some people's mind, at least, because we need
more people in this sector. And the young people are
awesome that are coming through so far.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yeah. And so it's not just about owning a farm. Sure,
that's a great goal and, you know, very admirable. But
it's not the only thing that can sustain somebody in
a great career and a great lifestyle and earning opportunity.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Oh, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
I went to vet school, didn't I? And then came
back and went farming after being a vet. So that's,
you know, being a vet on farms is awesome. And
it's another job that's connected to agriculture. And Tim had
his fair share of doing things off farm.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
As well, too.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Tim, it's coming up 100 years this year, isn't it,
for the Young Farmer of the Year? That'll be a
pretty big shindig, won't it?
Speaker 7 (14:39):
Yeah, it's an amazing achievement, Hamish, isn't it? It's for
the club itself, or the organisation rather, that is going
to clock up the century. So I suppose it's just
a neat time to reflect on all the amazing volunteers
that have come through in that time, Hamish, that have
run clubs and events within the rural communities, as well
as obviously the Young Farm of the Year contest, which
(15:02):
I suppose is the pinnacle of the club. in the
flagship event, but it wouldn't happen without all the amazing
volunteer work that happens throughout. And I think it just
highlights really how important young farmers clubs are within our
rural communities, Hamish, and it's just a fantastic way to
get young people connected. It can sometimes be a bit
(15:23):
of a barrier, I think, for young people that they
think they might be heading off to an isolated region
or something like that, but as soon as you hook
in with your local young farmers club, you're instantly connected
with like-minded people. And, yeah, it's a great opportunity to
catch up down at the pub and do other social
events as well as competing in the contest. So, yeah,
it's awesome to see, mate.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Yeah, and so it's really important that you do have
these social events, and this will be a big party.
I don't want you to dob your sister in, but
who's the party animal? Which one of you is more
likely to cut loose at this 100-year celebration?
Speaker 7 (15:55):
Emma's got a lot more party yarns than I do, mate. So,
you know, there's been some good ones over the years.
She might be able to lose them when she ended
up in some rose bushes at Massey University one time,
I think.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, I was going to say.
Speaker 7 (16:10):
No, it'll be good.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yeah, vet school, Emma, you wouldn't have got up to
any hijinks. No, not at all.
Speaker 8 (16:15):
Nothing. No, it's a very tame place.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah. Hey, has the Prime Minister delivered on his promise,
I think, to you, Emma, that the Young Farmer of
the Year is going to be back on Kelly? I'm
not quite sure if that has happened.
Speaker 8 (16:26):
Well, I haven't seen it either, Hamish. And out of
good faith, I let him hold my baby that day
when he said that he made that election promise. Was
it four years ago? So I've got a photo of
proof of him holding wee blow-up in the air and
saying that it would be back on the TV. So
we bring it up every year. I think it's going
to have to resurface in election year and hold him
(16:47):
to it.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, well, it's got till November the 7th, hasn't it?
I see we spoke to him earlier, he's shooting off to...
what was it, Palau, I think the Cook Islands, and
with the big blue continent, isn't it, the meeting of
all the leaders there. So I will, when I speak
to him next, remind him of that. Tim, thank you
very much for joining us. Tim, go and soak up
some of that sun. Emma, enjoy not having a bit
(17:09):
of wind. Great to have you on the show, Emma
Paul and Tim Dangen. Cheers, Amish.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Cheers, Amish.
Speaker 7 (17:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Joining us on the country now is Rabobank senior analyst
in dairy and consumer foods out of Melbourne, Michael Harvey.
Good afternoon, Michael.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
How are you going?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Thanks for having me. Great to have you on here.
Global top 20 report. Who's leading the way?
Speaker 9 (17:40):
Yeah, look, it's that time of year we do a
bit of an update on the largest dairy companies in
the world based on dairy revenue. So that's an important point.
And it's always worthwhile sort of looking at the bigger
picture and looking at some of the key trends that
you're seeing happening in the large dairy company in the world.
And certainly there's a couple of notable trends that we
sort of picked up in the report that we did.
And the first one really, you know, the growth of Lactalis,
(18:03):
who are the world's largest dairy company. They've been quite
active in this part of the world, clearly with the
acquisition of the Fonterra Assets Group. in this part of
the world, but they've also continued to grow through acquisition
in other regions and other geographies. So that's a clear
trend that you do see. There's a few other things
as well. You look at what's happening in Europe at
the moment, and there's been some very large acquisitions of cooperatives,
(18:26):
and that's certainly something that we're keeping an eye on
in terms of what happens with that industry moving forward
as they start to consolidate potentially amongst themselves. So that's
a key trend. The other one is Saputo, who are
active in this part of the world, particularly here in Australia,
they've been divesting some of their assets They're exiting Argentina
and exiting the UK as well. So there's a few
(18:47):
sort of key trends that are happening at.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
The big end of town.
Speaker 9 (18:50):
But ultimately, it's really about these large dairy companies continuing
to evolve their footprints around the world.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
OK, so we've seen the big move by Lactalis here.
With Ontario, what does that say for the future?
Speaker 9 (19:03):
Yeah, well, I mean, clearly Fonterra, the exit out of
Australia is sort of full stop and reset of their business.
And they're still a very large dairy company and one
of the big players in the global market. But, you know,
going back to being focused on a high quality producer
of commodity servicing, food service and ingredient market. So that's
the sort of full stop on that business. But, you know,
(19:23):
Fonterra obviously moved down the rank table because of that,
but still very much one of the large dairy companies.
So that's one of the notable trends as well.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, Fonterra very much shifting towards that ingredients and food service.
Speaker 9 (19:38):
Right, and that is another trend that you do see.
I mean, there are global dairy companies that are on
the hunt for access to whey because of the you know,
the booming demand for high protein products in consumer markets
around the world. So that's certainly something. And, you know,
there's some assets and acquisitions around actually tapping into brands.
And we saw that here in Australia, you know, Danone
(19:59):
have made an acquisition of a company that's got a
high protein dairy beverage platform called the May Group and
the Rockabee Farms. So there's certainly a global push to
try and find high-quality protein products and weight pools and
ingredients to service those markets, which is strong, right? I mean,
food service markets are a growth platform for all dairy companies,
and that's certainly something Fonterra are focusing on. But there's
(20:20):
no doubt that high-protein platforms are certainly a key strategy
as well.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
How much have we seen that sort of, I guess,
the key drivers change over the last 10 years, say?
Speaker 9 (20:34):
Yeah, it's constantly evolving. There's no doubt about that. And,
you know, corporate activity is ongoing. I mean, even since
we sort of did the cutoff, you know, we talk about,
you know, Lactala have made further acquisitions and Saputo have
made further divestments. So it's constantly moving. And, you know,
you see big trends like, you know, non-dairy players sort
of coming in and out of dairy platforms. You've seen
(20:55):
that with, you know, some global FMCGs at times over
the decade or so. You've seen the emergence of China
being a bigger player in the global scene. They've done
that through acquisition and offshore investments as well. So there's
constant change and there are key trends that come and go.
But ultimately, it's about these large dairy companies just looking
(21:15):
for the next opportunity at the moment. It is high
protein products, it's whey protein, it's ingredients, it's food service channels.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Is the possibility too big is too big?
Speaker 9 (21:28):
Oh, that's a good point. I mean, that'll be something
to watch with, you know, just given the size of
La Cala. I mean, they've done their business enormously over
a long period of time, largely through acquisition, and they
continue to do it. So that's why they are the
world's largest dairy company. So, you know, there's clearly, you know,
there's benefits that come with scale and global capacity like that.
So it's something to watch out for.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
There was obviously a huge amount of media and public
interest in what happened between Lactalis and Fonterra, but that
seems to have sort of died away and just everybody
getting on with business.
Speaker 9 (22:03):
Yeah, I mean, it's obviously now complete. I mean, I'm
sitting here in Australia. I mean, that was a transformational
sort of acquisition here in Australia because it does change
the corporate landscape. You know, Fonterra have obviously had a
big business in Australia over a long period of time
and sort of exited the market now. So you've got Lactalis,
who are the way we would look at it, the
largest dairy company here in Australia. So they've got a
(22:24):
lot more scale. They've got a lot more market power
with the retailers. So there's some, you know, there's some
things there that are happening. So yeah, that was a
significant transaction.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Great stuff. Michael Harvey, Senior Analyst in Dairy and Consumer
Foods out of Rabobank with that Global Top 20 report.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 9 (22:41):
My pleasure.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 10 (22:55):
You're listening to the best of the country, proudly brought
to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Now a reminder that Rabobank is the principal sponsor of
this month's Red Meat Sector Conference in Wellington. The conference
brings together farmers, processors, exporters and industry leaders to share ideas,
challenge thinking and discuss practical solutions to the opportunities and
challenges facing New Zealand's red meat sector. It's certainly an
(23:20):
important event on the rural calendar, a chance to help
shape the future direction. of the industry, such an important
industry too. To find out more, visit redmeatsector.co.nz. Now let's
get back to the best interviews from the week, from
the country.
Speaker 11 (23:37):
Take me where the air grows, I'm gonna dream it.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
The best of the country with Robobank.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Grow with Robobank.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Looking to make a comeback and, of course, somebody who's
already made a huge splash in the world of shearing
is Megan Whitehead. Gore Shearer joins us now. G'day, Megan.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Hi, how are you going?
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah, very good, thank you. So you've got your sort
of back right into it and you've got some pretty
big goals because you've achieved before but you want to
achieve more.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
Yeah, yeah, I'm planning on attempting the nine-hour stronghold lamb
record again at Robert Grant's Oda Perry Gorge on the
18th of December.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Okay, so between now and there, what's the preparation look like?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
I've been training since the start of May. I've been
doing CrossFit for four months, and then I met Luxton
last night to put another training regime in place for
the next, four months till the record.
Speaker 10 (24:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
So what's the target now? What do you have to beat?
Speaker 4 (24:50):
I have to beat 720, which Sasha Bond holds currently.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, Sasha, that's your North Island shearer, 720 in nine hours.
How confident are you feeling?
Speaker 4 (25:05):
I've done it before.
Speaker 8 (25:06):
So.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Yeah, I'm no stranger to the records. Yeah, just concentrating
on my training and my passion. And, yeah, I'll try
my very best.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
So you're 30 years of age now. Do you think
you're sort of starting to hit your peak powers?
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Yeah, I've been told before, apparently you don't hit your
peak until 10 years of sharing. I'm at that now.
So you're always learning with sharing. Yeah, that's... whether it's
the nutrition side of things and training and gear and
your pattern, you're always learning. So I am confident in
(25:49):
my pattern and I've got a lot more experience up
my sleeve.
Speaker 8 (25:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
So it's always sort of like minuscule improvements that add up,
don't they, which must add up over the course of
a nine-hour day to sort of to get to 700 plus.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
Yeah, yeah, we're talking, yeah, seconds, every little second counts.
You're concentrating on your cutter changes, your entry into the pen,
and each blow needs to be perfect.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
How close do you think it's going to be for
you to get this record? I mean, we saw with
Simon Goss back in January, what was that? It came
down to about one sheep, didn't it, one lamb?
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Yeah, yeah, that's very tough on the mind. That's a...
fighting down to the seconds to be in his position.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
How do you get that kind of mental strength? I mean,
you've got to have intestinal fortitude to keep going for
nine hours. And as I mentioned, and what is without
a doubt the toughest job in the world, but how
do you sort of, I don't know, stay so focused
but zoned out at the same time, I guess?
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Yeah, I guess I'm very stubborn and very pig-headed, and
I think that's a good thing, going for a record.
I'm pretty good at staying on track and blocking everything
out and staying focused.
Speaker 11 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Because you can't let anything get to you. If things
don't go wrong, you've got to stay focused and stay
in the moment. Yeah, if you've got to move forward,
you can't let anything get to you.
Speaker 10 (27:24):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
And that attention to detail too. I mean, I know
that you can't let anything get into you because with
Simon was the situation, I think, where the air conditioning
unit went down and nobody could kind of quite pick
out what was going on and he sort of, he
fell off the pace for a little bit. So you
do have to be incredibly focused. Who's the team that.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Yeah, that's why... Sorry.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
No, no, sorry, Karen. Yep.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
That's why you need a good team behind you. They
make your day fall into place. And if you don't
have a good team, things will fall apart and that's when...
the pressure will come on to you and you don't
want to be thinking about any of that. Your team
should have you set up for the day. You should
be just focused on shearing the sheep.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
So tell us about your team. Who are the integral
members of it?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Well, Dad, Quinton Whitehead, he's been my second and he's
the heart and soul of every record I've done. Clint
Bellamy has one of his good friends who he used
to share around the world with. He's from the North
Island Taranaki. He's been at every single one of my records,
and then plus I've got Ben Fox, who's a farmer
(28:29):
from Down Portification. He's been on my team, and my
brother Rambo. I've been there since day one, and they
know how everything runs, and so, yeah, I'm pretty lucky
to have them every year, well, every record attempt, sorry.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
The old man could share a bit too, couldn't he?
Speaker 4 (28:47):
Yeah, definitely. He's a perfectionist in everything he does. Whether
it's farming or dog trails, nothing goes past him.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
And for the team, everybody has pretty clearly defined roles
that they know they have to take care of?
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Yeah, they all work that out within themselves. I'm just
concentrated on sharing my sheep, really. I don't really know
what goes on behind the scenes.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah. So between now and, what are we talking, December,
obviously a fair bit of shed work to do. How
do you strike the balance?
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Yeah, well, the shed's got to be rearranged. So boulders
come in and the porthole's got to be a certain size.
And you're only allowed to build it at 22 sheep
in the pen. All fours have got to be on
the ground. You've got to re-carpet the whole pen and
the reinforcing pen. The pen's got to be a certain
(29:50):
size and you want it as efficient as possible so
I'm not walking to the back of the pen.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Yeah, thank you. Yeah, fantastic.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
There's a lot to do with the farmer as well
and looking after my lambs. And we also wash them
the day before the weaned, washed, and then I shear them.
So the farmer's got a big responsibility in taking care
of those lambs and getting them up to standard for
me to go ahead with the record as well, which
(30:20):
I'm very grateful for Cameron and Robert Grant. They've been
there for the past three of my records.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Yeah, fantastic. Well, I guess you can't wait for it
to come around, but you've got a few months to
fill in in between.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
Yeah, yeah. Exciting, but nerve-wracking.
Speaker 8 (30:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Hey, all the best, and we'll follow it a bit
closer to the time and check in with how you're going,
but Megan Whitehead, all the very best for the months
ahead as you build up to that big record attempt
in December. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
The best of the country with Robobank.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Grow with Robobank.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
We're going to talk something that is part of the
social and sporting fabric of, well, rural New Zealand. You know,
I sort of say Danny Virk to Dunsandal, you know,
the Hawke Cup of cricket. Joining us to look at
this is, look, he's probably got a number of titles,
but he used to be a teacher and a senior
(31:19):
master at the school that I attended, the mighty PNBHS.
Alec Astle, good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (31:25):
That's a very good introduction.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
How are you, sir? I can't help but not call
you sir.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
And it's a good upbringing that you had at Farmers
North Boys.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
Very good, thank you.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yeah, good, good, good.
Speaker 11 (31:38):
Right.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Author, historian, educator, cricketer, all those things. This history of
the Hawke Cup, what's the magic there? What's behind this?
Speaker 6 (31:49):
Well, Murray Brown, who I played cricket with for many
years in the Manama 2, we wrote a history of
Manama 2 cricket, which we published in 2021. And then
in 2022, a friend of mine suggested that we might
like to have a crack at the Hawke Cup because
nobody had really written too much about the Hawke Cup,
(32:11):
which is sort of the equivalent of the Renfrewley Shield
amongst what were called the minor provinces of New Zealand
or minor associations. So it got kicked off in 1910-11.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
There would be a few stories to tell. How much
sort of enjoyment have you gleaned from this exercise?
Speaker 6 (32:34):
Oh, a great amount. I played for about 20 years
for Manama 2, as did Murray, and because of my
association playing cricket, I can go back to some of
the fellows that even played in the late 1920s and
then all the way through to the current day. So
it's been a great memory. And with the book that
(32:54):
we've written... As it's sold, we've actually had a number
of people contact us and have great conversations about their grandfathers,
their fathers, and even themselves in terms of playing in
this competition.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Are there one or two individual stories that stand out?
Speaker 6 (33:14):
There's a lot of stories that stand out, actually.
Speaker 7 (33:16):
But, yeah, there are.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
I mean, obviously, when Bulla beat Canterbury Country to win
the Hawke Cup, That was a David and Goliath moment.
And you've got the tiniest cricket association in New Zealand
winning off one of the significant associations in terms of size.
That was a marvellous story. And also in the late
(33:41):
1940s when Manama 2 had the cup and they went
and played in Hawke's Bay, they lost by concession. Man
number two were not happy with the umpiring decisions, all
the LBW decisions that were made, so they suggested to
change the umpire, which didn't happen. So they decided, right,
that's it, we're packing our bags and going home. And
(34:03):
New Zealand Cricket Council at that stage were left with
no other option but to award the trophy to Hawke's Bay.
And I think that, if I remember rightly, that was
the first time that Hawke's Bay had actually won the
Hawke Cup.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
It makes the hair stand up on the back of
my neck, Alec Astle, when I hear the name Buller
beating Canterbury Country. That's just the riveting old yarns. Fantastic.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Yeah, it was fantastic. And then, of course, they had
to defend it and they didn't have a pitch, a
grass pitch. So they had to get permission to play
on an artificial, which has not been done before. And
they were playing North Otago, the second smallest association in
New Zealand, and they'd never played each other. And so.
As it turned out, Port Otago won it. They took
(34:48):
it back to Oamaru and they didn't have a pitch
because Centennial Park was being renovated. And so they had
to play at Waitaki Boys. And they used sheep trucks
with large white covers over them as a sight screen
for that particular game.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
You and Murray obviously had a lot of fun putting
this together. How do we get a hold of it? Bookstores?
Speaker 7 (35:08):
Online? Online.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
No, because it's a limited sort of publication and we've
done it as a labour of love, you can get
it from emailing either myself or Murray to get the book.
It's a pretty substantial publication. It's 485 pages. It's a
great doorstop. It weighs two kgs. And so, yeah, it's
(35:33):
going to cost $ 75. And if you want our emails,
I can give those to you because that's how we
can be contacted.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Right. I'll get those off air from you, Alec, and
then we'll make sure that people can get a hold
of those for that. The history of the Hawk Cup,
what are we talking, 1910 right through to basically now?
Speaker 6 (35:50):
Yeah, till 2025.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Fantastic. Alec Astle, thank you very much for joining us.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
The best of the country with Robobank.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Choose the bank with 120 years global agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Grow with Robobank.
Speaker 10 (36:06):
Well, that's all we've got time for on the best
of the country, brought to you by Rabobank. Before we go,
a reminder, the latest Rabobank Agribusiness Monthly Report is now available.
The report provides a valuable snapshot of the key trends
and developments shaping the agricultural sector here in New Zealand
and around the world. You can access it on the
Rabobank website under the Knowledge and Networks tab.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
I want to say thank you to my old school teacher,
Alec Astle. Palmerston North Boys High School was on the
show today. That was great. This has been the best
of the country brought to you by Rabobank. I'm Hamish Mackay.
Thanks for listening. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. And
we go out listening to the late, great Dave McCartney
and Virginia.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (36:57):
All right, all right, Virginia. I'm standing, not quite looking around.
Just look at your plumb and all of the payload.
It's water up a duck's back. All right, all right, Virginia.
You got me loving every.
Speaker 10 (37:17):
Inch within you.
Speaker 11 (37:19):
All right, all right, Virginia. It's just a dream on
a blind man's corner. Snow white in a picture book.
She got everything. Look, look, look to the moon. All right. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia. Virginia,
(38:04):
I must explain You're all deep on love itself V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A
That's why you ain't got a lot to say
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