October 6, 2025 • 6 mins
Who is Bella? Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s chairwoman has the answers.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right, I've joined out of Mount Summers. Now, Kate Exland
from Beef and lamb in' Z to Kate.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:07):
I'm good, Homer show you, yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm you know this Jamie McKay has got me very busy,
taking off to watch the rugby and things like that.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So you know, but that's all good. Hey.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Now if I went to the Bella, the answer tool
on the Beef and lamb in Z's knowledge hub of
info powered by the old AI, would it tell me
how to sort of httle my ducks.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
In a row and deal with my busy life?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
But that as side joking aside it is, let's talk
about this Bella, this new well, it's an answer tool,
I guess is that is that the best way to
describe it.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
That's a great way to describe it. I mean, essentially,
what we've done is we've put an AI engine across
our knowledge hub where there's thousands and thousands of pages
of information in years and years with the research, and
we've enabled it to AI so you can just type
in any question in any language and it will give
you an answer, which is, you know, it's somedingly unlocked.
(01:07):
What was quite clumsy and hard to deal with. So
it's really great.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Millions and millions of textbooks just rolled into one. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, my husband likes to talk about it being the
old Lincoln Farm Technical Manual, but in your pocket on
your phone, which is a lot more user friendly.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, use a friend.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
But a lot of these sort of places we go
to source information resources, they sort of get your information,
don't they, But not answers.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
That's the critical thing here, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Well, if it was two parts of it. One is
that unlike you know, using chat GPT where you can
get some pretty wacky answers out of it. This is
just across the Beef and Land knowledge hubs.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
So there's been a.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Lot of ours gone into making sure that the information
that's in there is correct and accurate for New Zealand.
And it just prevents it in a way that makes sense.
So you ask it a question, gives you sort of
four bullet points at the top usually and then a
whole lot of detail underneath, and then all the references
if you want to dig a bit deeper. But I
don't know if you've ever used the Beef and Land website.
(02:09):
The traditional search you search something and it might give
you seventy two different pds to read, which is you know,
who's got time to do that.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
So we're really excited about this.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
We think it sort of unlocks millions of dollars worth
of research and actually puts it in farmer's hands.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, and the user's hands. The power is the power
is there to be utilized, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, And it's been really well received. I mean, I
think we said twenty seven hundred unique users since we
launched a few weeks ago, so that's really positive. But
we know there's about ten thousand commercial sheep and beef farmers,
so pretty keen to see that number push up a
bit more because you know, this is this is real
value for farmers.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Who else?
Speaker 4 (02:52):
You know?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I guess, I guess it's all right across the farming
team can benefit from chatting to Bella.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I was in the office the other day. We've got
a couple of GFF students like cadets on farm and
they were having to do a project on rapairium planting,
Like I don't even know what that is. So I
showed them Bala and how to use it, and they
were like Jesus this is going to be great for
all of our other projects. So you know, I think
it's going to be good for right across the step Trum,
(03:21):
I mean, David and I we use it all the
time already. But you know, from our shepherd's right.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Through, what's a good practical answer that Balor's come up
with for you as as a first hand example?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Okay, well the best one for me actually is we
were going into an audit, you know, as you has
to do, and trying to get the paperwork lined up
for some of the induction and health and safety stuff
for our staff, and I had forgotten that all of
that resource sits on the Beef of Man website. So
now you can ask it to create you checklists and
templates and Vala will do it for you. So it's
(03:54):
just it's making it all a whole lot easier, you know,
And I think it was more to come. There's more
data and and particularly farm statistics that hopefully future versions
of Bella will will have, so you could you know,
the vision is ultimately farmerful, be able to use Dalla
for benchmarking, and a whole lot more.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, yep, Well, the opportunity is just massive.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
One would think Kate and generally speaking out there farmer vibe.
I mean, prices are good, but some I think some
areas is pretty struggling with the old weather and grass
growth not so good.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Little prices are excellent and everyone seems to have a
smile on their face. But it has been a tough
spring in places. I mean, I know around us it
hasn't been too bad moisture and temperature wise, but the
Northwest just won't stop blying. It's been the windy spring
with that in years, you know, and I know other
parts of the South Island are struggling a bit. Was
the cold so but I guess at this time of
(04:49):
year you know that it's only going to get better.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Generally speaking, yeah, good.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Now we need the weather to get better for you
because you've got just a sort of a We all
talk about getting off farm and mental healthiness and physical
fitness and the value of that being Mental Health Awareness Week.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Iron Man, what's up? How's the training going? That's what
you're aiming for? What March Taupo? Is it? A? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So I was very lucky that Ensco has sponsored me
as part of a farmer team to do the iron
Man and I think what happened is i'd too much
time in the office and not not enough time on farm,
and I sort of felt like the old Jeanes were
getting a bit tight. So I thought I'd set a
really big challenge for myself. So the aim is to
(05:33):
finish it. Certainly, don't be expecting anything impressive, but it's
a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah, And so how is the training going and how
demanding is it? How much time are you putting into it?
And you know, having.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
To ask Bella about what to do next? I mean,
have you got a good coach?
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Well, I haven't got a coach at all. I don't
think Bella will help me with this cyber But look,
I'm just just getting into it, getting fit again. You know,
it feels good, but uh, trying to give it as
much time as I've got time as a challenge at
the moment, Yeah, I imagine.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So, But I guess I think your target is right,
isn't it. I mean I don't can't speak from experience,
but those of observe do it. Just take the time
and have that, you know, set that target of finishing.
But I think that's fantastic that you're doing that. So
I won't keep you any longer because I think you're
at the pool. You're about to do some lengths. Yes
I am, yep, right, okay, wonderful to chat. Thank you
(06:30):
very much, Go and do those lengths.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Thank you so much for you
Right, I've joined out of Mount Summers. Now, Kate Exland
from Beef and lamb in' Z to Kate.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:07):
I'm good, Homer show you, yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm you know this Jamie McKay has got me very busy,
taking off to watch the rugby and things like that.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So you know, but that's all good. Hey.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Now if I went to the Bella, the answer tool
on the Beef and lamb in Z's knowledge hub of
info powered by the old AI, would it tell me
how to sort of httle my ducks.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
In a row and deal with my busy life?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
But that as side joking aside it is, let's talk
about this Bella, this new well, it's an answer tool,
I guess is that is that the best way to
describe it.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
That's a great way to describe it. I mean, essentially,
what we've done is we've put an AI engine across
our knowledge hub where there's thousands and thousands of pages
of information in years and years with the research, and
we've enabled it to AI so you can just type
in any question in any language and it will give
you an answer, which is, you know, it's somedingly unlocked.
(01:07):
What was quite clumsy and hard to deal with. So
it's really great.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Millions and millions of textbooks just rolled into one. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, my husband likes to talk about it being the
old Lincoln Farm Technical Manual, but in your pocket on
your phone, which is a lot more user friendly.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, use a friend.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
But a lot of these sort of places we go
to source information resources, they sort of get your information,
don't they, But not answers.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
That's the critical thing here, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Well, if it was two parts of it. One is
that unlike you know, using chat GPT where you can
get some pretty wacky answers out of it. This is
just across the Beef and Land knowledge hubs.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
So there's been a.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Lot of ours gone into making sure that the information
that's in there is correct and accurate for New Zealand.
And it just prevents it in a way that makes sense.
So you ask it a question, gives you sort of
four bullet points at the top usually and then a
whole lot of detail underneath, and then all the references
if you want to dig a bit deeper. But I
don't know if you've ever used the Beef and Land website.
(02:09):
The traditional search you search something and it might give
you seventy two different pds to read, which is you know,
who's got time to do that.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
So we're really excited about this.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
We think it sort of unlocks millions of dollars worth
of research and actually puts it in farmer's hands.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, and the user's hands. The power is the power
is there to be utilized, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, And it's been really well received. I mean, I
think we said twenty seven hundred unique users since we
launched a few weeks ago, so that's really positive. But
we know there's about ten thousand commercial sheep and beef farmers,
so pretty keen to see that number push up a
bit more because you know, this is this is real
value for farmers.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Who else?
Speaker 4 (02:52):
You know?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I guess, I guess it's all right across the farming
team can benefit from chatting to Bella.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I was in the office the other day. We've got
a couple of GFF students like cadets on farm and
they were having to do a project on rapairium planting,
Like I don't even know what that is. So I
showed them Bala and how to use it, and they
were like Jesus this is going to be great for
all of our other projects. So you know, I think
it's going to be good for right across the step Trum,
(03:21):
I mean, David and I we use it all the
time already. But you know, from our shepherd's right.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Through, what's a good practical answer that Balor's come up
with for you as as a first hand example?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Okay, well the best one for me actually is we
were going into an audit, you know, as you has
to do, and trying to get the paperwork lined up
for some of the induction and health and safety stuff
for our staff, and I had forgotten that all of
that resource sits on the Beef of Man website. So
now you can ask it to create you checklists and
templates and Vala will do it for you. So it's
(03:54):
just it's making it all a whole lot easier, you know,
And I think it was more to come. There's more
data and and particularly farm statistics that hopefully future versions
of Bella will will have, so you could you know,
the vision is ultimately farmerful, be able to use Dalla
for benchmarking, and a whole lot more.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, yep, Well, the opportunity is just massive.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
One would think Kate and generally speaking out there farmer vibe.
I mean, prices are good, but some I think some
areas is pretty struggling with the old weather and grass
growth not so good.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Little prices are excellent and everyone seems to have a
smile on their face. But it has been a tough
spring in places. I mean, I know around us it
hasn't been too bad moisture and temperature wise, but the
Northwest just won't stop blying. It's been the windy spring
with that in years, you know, and I know other
parts of the South Island are struggling a bit. Was
the cold so but I guess at this time of
(04:49):
year you know that it's only going to get better.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Generally speaking, yeah, good.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Now we need the weather to get better for you
because you've got just a sort of a We all
talk about getting off farm and mental healthiness and physical
fitness and the value of that being Mental Health Awareness Week.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Iron Man, what's up? How's the training going? That's what
you're aiming for? What March Taupo? Is it? A? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So I was very lucky that Ensco has sponsored me
as part of a farmer team to do the iron
Man and I think what happened is i'd too much
time in the office and not not enough time on farm,
and I sort of felt like the old Jeanes were
getting a bit tight. So I thought I'd set a
really big challenge for myself. So the aim is to
(05:33):
finish it. Certainly, don't be expecting anything impressive, but it's
a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah, And so how is the training going and how
demanding is it? How much time are you putting into it?
And you know, having.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
To ask Bella about what to do next? I mean,
have you got a good coach?
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Well, I haven't got a coach at all. I don't
think Bella will help me with this cyber But look,
I'm just just getting into it, getting fit again. You know,
it feels good, but uh, trying to give it as
much time as I've got time as a challenge at
the moment, Yeah, I imagine.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So, But I guess I think your target is right,
isn't it. I mean I don't can't speak from experience,
but those of observe do it. Just take the time
and have that, you know, set that target of finishing.
But I think that's fantastic that you're doing that. So
I won't keep you any longer because I think you're
at the pool. You're about to do some lengths. Yes
I am, yep, right, okay, wonderful to chat. Thank you
(06:30):
very much, Go and do those lengths.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Thank you so much for you
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