March 8, 2026 • 6 mins
We welcome the chairman of the Upper Clutha A&P Society back onto the show. The last time we chatted was in his capacity as the chief executive of Silver Fern Farms.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Haven't chatted to this bloke on the Country four ages.
His name is Keith Cooper. Some of his friends used
to call him King Keith Cooper because back in the
day he was the chief executive of Silverfern Farms. These
days he's on the show in his capacity as chair
of the Upper kloother A and P Society. He wanted
a show on Friday and Saturday, rarely looking forward to that, Keith.
(00:22):
Before we talk about that and the Lincoln fundraising dinner
on Thursday night at Wanaka, do you miss the meat industry?
Do you wish you were running Silverfern Farms now? With
these record red meat prices?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good afternoon, Jamie. I was going to be back on
air again and having a chat about these things. You
could obviously trace back these record prices to all the
foundation work that was done in my period in charge.
So we've put in place of strategy, the strategies and
now delivery and the farmer should be happy with it
and thankful.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Do you like the structure of the red meat industry
at the moment? Obviously Silverfern Farms got in bed with
Shanghai ma Ling that was under your watch, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It? Was post me, that was post you. It was
post me, and obviously you're all to Alliance.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Of Alliance and Dawn meets yes.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, And that was always going to happen. In the industry,
it's been under capitalized for years, needed new capital. There's
been newcomers who brought fresh capital, and there's been new partners.
So it's just the evolution of the industry and it's needed.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
You're a keen observer of the industry. Are these current
prices sustainable? We live in a troubled world.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Keith, Well, if you go back to the structure of
the industry, it hasn't changed over the years. People have
been doing different things with branding, but ultimately we're still
in the commodity markets. We will be impacted by commodity
price cycles and currency price cycles, which are impacted by
the global economic conditions and turmoils, so we are subject
(01:56):
to the markets. Markets change and are volatile. So history
would say these high prices will settle, let's not decrease,
and then they'll probably bounce back at some point. But
I would be hesitant to say this is the new norm.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
What is Keith Cooper doing with themselves himself? Should I
say of these days, are you retired and Wanaka living
off all the money you made when you were a
highly paid chief executive.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well as the last hour, I've been loading bike racks
for the AMP show onto the grounds for those who
bike around town. Who would have thought that? And I've
been cheering the A and P Society and for my sins,
I've actually been pulling Kaylin around the show grounds for
the last three months to present a lovely green patch
(02:42):
for the people that come to the wanting to show
this weekend. So I'm member the time in my life
you could say.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Well, good on you, Keith, You've earned your retirement. I
know you worked hard when you had the top job.
Are you going to the Lincoln University backing sport dinner
at Alan Dippy's vintage tractor garage or it's more than
a garage on Thursday night? Are you an old boy
of Lincoln?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Ah, if you get the tie, you'll under way an No,
I'm not an old boy, but I actually know a
lot of the old boys and be privileged to be
invited along by some of the old skellywags that were
illumini of Lincoln who I came across in my time
at Silver Third Farm, So it'll be good catch up
with a whole lot of people that I've spent a
(03:24):
lot of time with.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Wanaka show Friday and Saturday. Are you most famous for
the Jack Russell Race.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Oh, we've sort of become a bit that way. People
have tried to impersonate it. People have tried to have
a peg race, but I think we're ferly the home
of the Jack Russell Race. Yes.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Now you've got some national competitions going on Friday and Saturday.
Obviously in Wanaka, Central Otago it's heartland Fine Wall country.
You've got the New Zealand Supreme Marino Show and the
New Zealand Fine Wall Supreme Flesh Show.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, we are becoming the home of some of these
national competitions, principally because you know, wantak an amp show
next to a lake in the high country as a
top spot to showcases national events. So yeah, we've got
the Fine Will Obviously the Marinos is the right place
to have it. X Men, Strong Men, Strong Women this
(04:20):
year yep. So it's the home of many national events.
Now we're buying to pick up a few more in
the coming years.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I haven't been to the Wanaka Show for ages because
over the years I've been involved on this very weekend
and it's going on this weekend in Palmerston North and
it'll be great the New Zealand Rural Games. So this
is a chance for me to have a look at
Wanaka for people like me who haven't been there for
a number of years. What are the must dos?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Keith, Oh, we've got a bit of a catchphrase. It's same,
bit different and what we mean by that we're saying
it's an a MP show always will be. So it's
the same opinion as last year, but it's what we
have as the add ons this year. We've got all
Reads Beef Group around up which is focusing on young
people and beef. Every great show needs a great bar.
(05:06):
We've got a Scapegrass bar this year. One of how
Sports are doing a motorbike demo force. And then on
top of that we've got the traditional things of the
Blacksmith and Ferry competitions, Life and Leisure, local lard that
was new last year hugely popular. We've got the agri
Exchange back for the second time and this is our
(05:26):
focus on all things technically if you like or agritech
things on farm to assist farmers and how they increase
increase their productivity. Then got Jack lass away. So part
of what we're doing here is trying to focus on
things and encourage industry participants that work with farmers to
(05:47):
come along. And then there's the entertainment side of it
as well, and then the courses, the exhibitors, and then
there's the trade store. So there's something for everybody.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Looking forward to it. Friday and Saturday, the Wanaka Show,
the Lincoln. I don't know if there's any seats left
for that. Just google that one see if you can
get a seat for the Lincoln University backing Sport Dinner.
Guest speakers for that one, Andy Dalton, Gary Stead and
Rachel Stead. Keith Cooper. When I'm finished by mc duties
on Thursday night, we'll have a beer. It'll be good
to catch up again.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Great stuff and it's always good to chat on the
Farming show.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well it's the country, Keith. Move with the times. This
is not like twenty fifteen when you were a highly
paid chief executive of silver Fern Farms. We've all moved on, Keith. Hey,
you'll see yesterday's man. So am I in a lot
of people's mind. I'll see you not yesterday, but on Thursday.
Thanks for your time, great Thanks Jemmy,
Haven't chatted to this bloke on the Country four ages.
His name is Keith Cooper. Some of his friends used
to call him King Keith Cooper because back in the
day he was the chief executive of Silverfern Farms. These
days he's on the show in his capacity as chair
of the Upper kloother A and P Society. He wanted
a show on Friday and Saturday, rarely looking forward to that, Keith.
(00:22):
Before we talk about that and the Lincoln fundraising dinner
on Thursday night at Wanaka, do you miss the meat industry?
Do you wish you were running Silverfern Farms now? With
these record red meat prices?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good afternoon, Jamie. I was going to be back on
air again and having a chat about these things. You
could obviously trace back these record prices to all the
foundation work that was done in my period in charge.
So we've put in place of strategy, the strategies and
now delivery and the farmer should be happy with it
and thankful.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Do you like the structure of the red meat industry
at the moment? Obviously Silverfern Farms got in bed with
Shanghai ma Ling that was under your watch, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It? Was post me, that was post you. It was
post me, and obviously you're all to Alliance.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Of Alliance and Dawn meets yes.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, And that was always going to happen. In the industry,
it's been under capitalized for years, needed new capital. There's
been newcomers who brought fresh capital, and there's been new partners.
So it's just the evolution of the industry and it's needed.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
You're a keen observer of the industry. Are these current
prices sustainable? We live in a troubled world.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Keith, Well, if you go back to the structure of
the industry, it hasn't changed over the years. People have
been doing different things with branding, but ultimately we're still
in the commodity markets. We will be impacted by commodity
price cycles and currency price cycles, which are impacted by
the global economic conditions and turmoils, so we are subject
(01:56):
to the markets. Markets change and are volatile. So history
would say these high prices will settle, let's not decrease,
and then they'll probably bounce back at some point. But
I would be hesitant to say this is the new norm.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
What is Keith Cooper doing with themselves himself? Should I
say of these days, are you retired and Wanaka living
off all the money you made when you were a
highly paid chief executive.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well as the last hour, I've been loading bike racks
for the AMP show onto the grounds for those who
bike around town. Who would have thought that? And I've
been cheering the A and P Society and for my sins,
I've actually been pulling Kaylin around the show grounds for
the last three months to present a lovely green patch
(02:42):
for the people that come to the wanting to show
this weekend. So I'm member the time in my life
you could say.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Well, good on you, Keith, You've earned your retirement. I
know you worked hard when you had the top job.
Are you going to the Lincoln University backing sport dinner
at Alan Dippy's vintage tractor garage or it's more than
a garage on Thursday night? Are you an old boy
of Lincoln?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Ah, if you get the tie, you'll under way an No,
I'm not an old boy, but I actually know a
lot of the old boys and be privileged to be
invited along by some of the old skellywags that were
illumini of Lincoln who I came across in my time
at Silver Third Farm, So it'll be good catch up
with a whole lot of people that I've spent a
(03:24):
lot of time with.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Wanaka show Friday and Saturday. Are you most famous for
the Jack Russell Race.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Oh, we've sort of become a bit that way. People
have tried to impersonate it. People have tried to have
a peg race, but I think we're ferly the home
of the Jack Russell Race. Yes.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Now you've got some national competitions going on Friday and Saturday.
Obviously in Wanaka, Central Otago it's heartland Fine Wall country.
You've got the New Zealand Supreme Marino Show and the
New Zealand Fine Wall Supreme Flesh Show.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, we are becoming the home of some of these
national competitions, principally because you know, wantak an amp show
next to a lake in the high country as a
top spot to showcases national events. So yeah, we've got
the Fine Will Obviously the Marinos is the right place
to have it. X Men, Strong Men, Strong Women this
(04:20):
year yep. So it's the home of many national events.
Now we're buying to pick up a few more in
the coming years.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I haven't been to the Wanaka Show for ages because
over the years I've been involved on this very weekend
and it's going on this weekend in Palmerston North and
it'll be great the New Zealand Rural Games. So this
is a chance for me to have a look at
Wanaka for people like me who haven't been there for
a number of years. What are the must dos?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Keith, Oh, we've got a bit of a catchphrase. It's same,
bit different and what we mean by that we're saying
it's an a MP show always will be. So it's
the same opinion as last year, but it's what we
have as the add ons this year. We've got all
Reads Beef Group around up which is focusing on young
people and beef. Every great show needs a great bar.
(05:06):
We've got a Scapegrass bar this year. One of how
Sports are doing a motorbike demo force. And then on
top of that we've got the traditional things of the
Blacksmith and Ferry competitions, Life and Leisure, local lard that
was new last year hugely popular. We've got the agri
Exchange back for the second time and this is our
(05:26):
focus on all things technically if you like or agritech
things on farm to assist farmers and how they increase
increase their productivity. Then got Jack lass away. So part
of what we're doing here is trying to focus on
things and encourage industry participants that work with farmers to
(05:47):
come along. And then there's the entertainment side of it
as well, and then the courses, the exhibitors, and then
there's the trade store. So there's something for everybody.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Looking forward to it. Friday and Saturday, the Wanaka Show,
the Lincoln. I don't know if there's any seats left
for that. Just google that one see if you can
get a seat for the Lincoln University backing Sport Dinner.
Guest speakers for that one, Andy Dalton, Gary Stead and
Rachel Stead. Keith Cooper. When I'm finished by mc duties
on Thursday night, we'll have a beer. It'll be good
to catch up again.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Great stuff and it's always good to chat on the
Farming show.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well it's the country, Keith. Move with the times. This
is not like twenty fifteen when you were a highly
paid chief executive of silver Fern Farms. We've all moved on, Keith. Hey,
you'll see yesterday's man. So am I in a lot
of people's mind. I'll see you not yesterday, but on Thursday.
Thanks for your time, great Thanks Jemmy,
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