The Country 05/05/25: Pita Alexander talks to Jamie Mackay

A Christchurch-based farm accountant comments on the varying primary sectors' profitability and why he still works seven days a week.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Peter Alexander is a christ Church based farm accountant and raconteur,
still actively involved on the speaking circuit. He writes, I
am working seven days a week because there is nothing
I would rather do. Trying to add value to a
farming couple's financial affairs is a very satisfying way of

(00:20):
making a living. Peter. I'm going to talk about your
lack of a lifestyle and just a tick, but I
want to talk you to talk about your clients. How
are your sheep farming clients in particular going this year,
and how do they compare to your dairy farming clients,
your arable farming clients, and your beef farmers.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
The dairy side of it is going extremely well right
up and down the country, no question about that. The
sheep and beef has certainly improved since the June twenty
four year. But you're coming off a very low based there,
very low. The arable people are quite a small group,
but most of them on the outskirts of towns. They've

(01:02):
got valuable land. A lot of this arable group, but
most of them are going well. I've just had a
discussion with several farmers who are thanking God that the
heavy rains down here and the Canterbury Plains have taken
place after harvest.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Flooding aside, and I know it's been a major issue
for some people, but the old subsoil or the soil
system in Canterbury has to be fully charged heading into
winter and that's not a bad thing when you come
out the other side in spring.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
No, quite right, it's a good thing. While on the subject,
what am I finding out in the mainstream, the questions
I'm getting in meetings and what have you. If we're
going to hold sheep numbers, we've got to get two
hundred dollars. I think for lamb we'll needs six dollars
a kilogram. For the strong wall that we are still

(01:55):
a long way from it. It's a great product, but
it's a long way from being economic. We must be
getting close to another works closure, Jamie. If we are
not going to hold the sheep comers. I think they've
reduced about ten percent this last year. We're down to
about twenty one point five million sheep. We've come down
from seventy two million to twenty one point five million.

(02:18):
It's been almost a million head per year over that
forty three years. Have dropped.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Do you think sheep farmers may end up getting rich
by default?

Speaker 2 (02:29):
I e.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
The last man standing theory, and I'm talking about for
land here, not for wool.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
It's a very interesting point that I find in the
two twenty four. In the twenty four year, a lot
of my very sound sheep and beef beef went well,
but sheep farmers made losses but still got job satisfaction.
That is a very interesting trait. Not too many industries
in New Zealand do you make a loss and you

(02:56):
still get job satisfaction. That's a plus agriculture. But it's
a long way from an answer.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Well, it's not a very good response really, or result
for someone like you in account that minds you. As
I said at the beginning of this chat, Peter, are
you working seven days a week because there's nothing you
would rather do? Have you not heard of golf or
bowls or walking or hunting? I don't know.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
I used to play a lot of tennis and table tennis,
but I've stopped all that. I'm sure I'd quite like golf,
but I don't want to because i'd quite like it,
it would distract me from work.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Hey, Peter, Alexander look. Thanks as always for your time.
You keep working seven days a week because there's nothing
you would rather do.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Correct, See you later, okay, Bye,