October 5, 2025 • 5 mins
This Otago sheep and beef farmer is also the Minister for Rural Communities, the Associate Minister for Agriculture and the Associate Minister for Regional Development. He’s back from China, where he was exploring opportunities for New Zealand wool. Plus, what he’s learned about farmer mental (and physical) health from his rural roadshows.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We talked about that, all that Aussie wall going into
China last week, the big spike about a thirty five
percent hiken demand prices in a very short period of time.
We're going to talk around that now. And a man
who's been to China recently on rule duties will impact
China the Nanjing, New Zealand First Minister for Rural Communities
(00:24):
Associate Minister for AG Mark Patterson. Today, Mark, how are
you good?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Harmus good? Thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Good good good? Right, So how did we go up
in China? What did you see? What impact did we
make and what can we glean from it going forward?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, it must have been one of my better speeches
because we've seen the price surge off the back of it.
But the supply, the message of constrained supply coming out
of New Zealand for strong or sent me has obviously
got through. We are the Saudi Arabia of strong wall.
We are the major supply of the premium strong so
(01:01):
that's good. But also you know demanders is return to
natural fibers. There's some regulation out of the EU that's
also helping. So yeah, on balance, very very positive.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Indeed, where are we at with strong wall compeede to
say a year ago in terms of return to farmers
and when you know, when they were thinking about, you know,
like how on earth am I going to pay the
sharers to knock this stuff off? It's not even worth it.
Where are we at now, Well.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You're certainly seeing you know, probably a twenty percent surge
over the last couple of weeks, so where it sits
as opposed to last year, I'll be pulling pulling that
out of my backside, but probably about a dollar a
kilo more, which is which is good. Now you'll be
getting a check rather than a bill for your sharing.
But we do know there's quite a long way to
(01:50):
go and we're just starting to get back. But at
least the signs are very very positive.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Okay, well that is good. I mean I'm happy with
that twenty percent now, twenty percent down the track, another
twenty minute. All helps it all rolls on the Domino effect.
Because he's the Aussies Chris Rascally, Osi corresponder was telling
us last week was about thirty thirty five percent. He
reckons a bit to do with the Chinese Army having
a bit of a getting sort of new coats shirts
bar to bullets. Is that something that you heard that
(02:15):
they're getting that there'll be a bit of demand there
given how many of them there are about four million
of them, I think yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Well, I think it's a uniform of full Stop is
a big market for their fine wall, and of course
we've seen that the New Zealand fine wall, which is
a smaller part of our clip of course, but that's
really responded in tandem with the Aussie price. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I think the main thing with our strong wall isn't
it that there's been a lot of many a talk
fest to many. But when you start getting an impact
like twenty percent, and as I say, that domino effect
or at least and you're getting paid, you can actually
pay the sharers and not sort of pull your hair
out at I suppose they're almost at all Black level,
aren't they with the current all black team. You know,
(02:57):
it's the strong wall. The signs are the signs are positive.
Now other stuff going on here you of course, you
Minister for Rural Communities. This is Mental Health Awareness Week,
Mark Patterson, New Zealand First, a very important week on
our calendar.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, absolutely it is. We know that farmers particularly success
susceptible to mental health issues given the isolation that often
comes with the farming lifestyle and rural lifestyle. So you
know it's a good opportunity to just but you check
in on putting the shine a light on that. And
(03:36):
Matt DC myself actually have been going around as Associate
Minister of Health, go around doing these rural road shows
and just it's been quite apparent to me that actually
rural health in general, not just the mental health side
of things, has been under enormous pressure and just trying to,
I guess listen to what's happening on the ground, what
(03:57):
we're the real pressure points as where they want to intervene.
So we've got some incredibly valuable feedback out of I
think we've done about twelve of those around the country
over the last two or three months. But you know
the other side of that is the real support trust
the Farmstrongs that we've got on behind with our Royal
(04:18):
Health package that was announced at the Field Goes and
just trying to I guess elevate the work that they're
doing because they do some incredible work for us in
our farming community. So you know, we're very grateful for.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That never enough though, never enough, we need everything we can.
What are the pressure points that you'd refer to?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Well, I guess the thing is every every area is different,
you know, summits like maternity services, others it's pharmacy, but
the consistent ones of workforce clearly. Travel allowances is another one,
and a real desire to deliver more services close to
home so that ural communities and people I think in
(05:00):
royal communities don't have to travel through the base hospitals
for sometimes some relatively basic procedures. So it's just access services,
I guess in general.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, I think that's critical, isn't it, Because we've seen
some horror stories of a lack of a lack of
those that sort of well access and also slight from
the other end, a lack of understanding and putting things off.
So we must we must hammer away there. Okay, Mark,
thank you very much for joining us. That does Mark Patterson,
(05:29):
New Zealand, First Minister for Rural Communities, Associate Minister for
agresson good news on our strong wall here. I was
a bit dumb founder that we're only around about four
hundred and forty six million dollars of war exported one
hundred and seventy six million of that went into China.
But come on, strong wool, come on back, come on,
and the water is fine.
We talked about that, all that Aussie wall going into
China last week, the big spike about a thirty five
percent hiken demand prices in a very short period of time.
We're going to talk around that now. And a man
who's been to China recently on rule duties will impact
China the Nanjing, New Zealand First Minister for Rural Communities
(00:24):
Associate Minister for AG Mark Patterson. Today, Mark, how are
you good?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Harmus good? Thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Good good good? Right, So how did we go up
in China? What did you see? What impact did we
make and what can we glean from it going forward?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, it must have been one of my better speeches
because we've seen the price surge off the back of it.
But the supply, the message of constrained supply coming out
of New Zealand for strong or sent me has obviously
got through. We are the Saudi Arabia of strong wall.
We are the major supply of the premium strong so
(01:01):
that's good. But also you know demanders is return to
natural fibers. There's some regulation out of the EU that's
also helping. So yeah, on balance, very very positive.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Indeed, where are we at with strong wall compeede to
say a year ago in terms of return to farmers
and when you know, when they were thinking about, you know,
like how on earth am I going to pay the
sharers to knock this stuff off? It's not even worth it.
Where are we at now, Well.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You're certainly seeing you know, probably a twenty percent surge
over the last couple of weeks, so where it sits
as opposed to last year, I'll be pulling pulling that
out of my backside, but probably about a dollar a
kilo more, which is which is good. Now you'll be
getting a check rather than a bill for your sharing.
But we do know there's quite a long way to
(01:50):
go and we're just starting to get back. But at
least the signs are very very positive.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Okay, well that is good. I mean I'm happy with
that twenty percent now, twenty percent down the track, another
twenty minute. All helps it all rolls on the Domino effect.
Because he's the Aussies Chris Rascally, Osi corresponder was telling
us last week was about thirty thirty five percent. He
reckons a bit to do with the Chinese Army having
a bit of a getting sort of new coats shirts
bar to bullets. Is that something that you heard that
(02:15):
they're getting that there'll be a bit of demand there
given how many of them there are about four million
of them, I think yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Well, I think it's a uniform of full Stop is
a big market for their fine wall, and of course
we've seen that the New Zealand fine wall, which is
a smaller part of our clip of course, but that's
really responded in tandem with the Aussie price. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I think the main thing with our strong wall isn't
it that there's been a lot of many a talk
fest to many. But when you start getting an impact
like twenty percent, and as I say, that domino effect
or at least and you're getting paid, you can actually
pay the sharers and not sort of pull your hair
out at I suppose they're almost at all Black level,
aren't they with the current all black team. You know,
(02:57):
it's the strong wall. The signs are the signs are positive.
Now other stuff going on here you of course, you
Minister for Rural Communities. This is Mental Health Awareness Week,
Mark Patterson, New Zealand First, a very important week on
our calendar.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, absolutely it is. We know that farmers particularly success
susceptible to mental health issues given the isolation that often
comes with the farming lifestyle and rural lifestyle. So you
know it's a good opportunity to just but you check
in on putting the shine a light on that. And
(03:36):
Matt DC myself actually have been going around as Associate
Minister of Health, go around doing these rural road shows
and just it's been quite apparent to me that actually
rural health in general, not just the mental health side
of things, has been under enormous pressure and just trying to,
I guess listen to what's happening on the ground, what
(03:57):
we're the real pressure points as where they want to intervene.
So we've got some incredibly valuable feedback out of I
think we've done about twelve of those around the country
over the last two or three months. But you know
the other side of that is the real support trust
the Farmstrongs that we've got on behind with our Royal
(04:18):
Health package that was announced at the Field Goes and
just trying to I guess elevate the work that they're
doing because they do some incredible work for us in
our farming community. So you know, we're very grateful for.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That never enough though, never enough, we need everything we can.
What are the pressure points that you'd refer to?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Well, I guess the thing is every every area is different,
you know, summits like maternity services, others it's pharmacy, but
the consistent ones of workforce clearly. Travel allowances is another one,
and a real desire to deliver more services close to
home so that ural communities and people I think in
(05:00):
royal communities don't have to travel through the base hospitals
for sometimes some relatively basic procedures. So it's just access services,
I guess in general.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, I think that's critical, isn't it, Because we've seen
some horror stories of a lack of a lack of
those that sort of well access and also slight from
the other end, a lack of understanding and putting things off.
So we must we must hammer away there. Okay, Mark,
thank you very much for joining us. That does Mark Patterson,
(05:29):
New Zealand, First Minister for Rural Communities, Associate Minister for
agresson good news on our strong wall here. I was
a bit dumb founder that we're only around about four
hundred and forty six million dollars of war exported one
hundred and seventy six million of that went into China.
But come on, strong wool, come on back, come on,
and the water is fine.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.