June 9, 2026 • 8 mins
The Country catches up with the Prime Minister by phone and the Minister of Agriculture in person at Fieldays. McClay talks about the “Minister of Agriculture Future Leaders Scholarship”, backing three emerging primary sector leaders.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good afternoon in New Zealand, and good afternoon, day one
of field days here at Mystery Creek. I'm Jamie McKay,
host of the Country, broadcasting from the Farmland site. Got
a cast of thousands today, let's get into it. Todd McClay,
Minister of Agricultures with us, and I think we've got
the Prime Minister, Christopher luxon on the phone. We'll just
get him on and get him off, Prime Minister. Good afternoon.
(00:21):
I'm looking forward to your company tonight at the big
fundraiser for the Rural Support Trust, and I can tell
you I've worked really hard on a gag for you.
I hope you've got something in return.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Oh well, Jamie at a mutually assured destruction, my friend,
if you launched one at me, I'll launch one back
at you as we did last year. But hey, listen,
great to be talking with you, and again thank you
for all of your support of the sector and what
you're doing with the Royal Support Trust as well. You've
been awesome.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well. I think six hundred and thirteen people are going
along to the Claudlands Events Center tonight. The Minister of
Agriculture will be there as well. We're going to win.
I say we Mike Green and his team are going
to raise three, four or five hundred thousand dollars who
knows how much for the Rural Support Trust. It's magnificent.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, it's all good stuff. And I just think you know,
we've obviously put some more investments in their last year
as you were aware. And there's a number of great
organizations doing some great work, and Royal Support Trust as
one of them for sure. Just making sure that farmers
know that. Ye, they're getting over the stigma of talking
about how things are for themselves and actually it's about
getting them access to those health and well being services.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Now, your Minister of Agriculture, Todd McLay, who's sitting right
beside me here. He was good enough to turn up
in person. You told me you were too big of
a celebrity to walk down the aisles here at field
days because everyone wanted to stop and shake your hand.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Of it. I will see you at some point, I
didn't we were talking now, but it's good to be
with you. But isn't he doing a great job that
Tom McLay. You've got to be happy, don't you, As
a farmer. He's opening up new markets all around the world.
He's getting rid of Wellington, out of farming, he's backing
rural New Zealand, he's getting the conditions right for growth.
And you know, just already in a few hours I've
been here just walking around. I mean, you know, Dairy's
(02:00):
on fire, Red Meats are doing well. Will's doing fantastic.
We've got Kiwi fre It going great, and there's really good,
really good feel here, which is great.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We're going to hear from Todd and just Key's made
a couple of announcements this morning. I think you're making
a big one this afternoon. You're going to let us
in on the secret.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I won't yet. I'm about got to go announce it,
I think at twelve thirty or twelve forty five today.
But yeah, again, we just want to we want the
SECT to know where a government that's actually working with them,
not doing things to them. And actually we've got to
do our job, which is making sure we create the
conditions for further success, ambition, aspiration and growth, which is important.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Well, Prime Minister, I know you've got a busy dance
card this afternoon. I'll leave you. Thank you very much
for your time, and we will see you tonight at
the big Rural Industry Leaders debate and event. It's going
to be great.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
It'll be lovely, Damie. And thanks again for your support. Mate.
We appreciate it what you do the sector.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Thank you very much. Well here's a man who's doing
a lot more than me for the sector. He's never
at home. He is the Minister of Agriculture, Todd McLay.
I wouldn't mind your air points and.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Have them if you want, no problem at all. Hey, Jamie.
Thanks having on the sun shining of the white head
of the grass is growing and I've seen at least
one farmer that's smiling.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So it's a good start of the day. The Prime
Minister has a big announcement coming up. He's got his
luncheon and outold charteris is out there somewhere. He's got
to go to the luncheon. Lawrence Meredith, the EU ambassadors
coming on the show. He's got to get to the luncheon,
as do you. You've made a couple of announcements this morning,
one of them around the Minister of Agriculture's Future Leaders
(03:29):
Scholarship three being presented annually.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Yeah, that's right. So we've been thinking a lot about
it the last sort of four or five months, and
how do we how do we identify the farm leaders
of the future, and how do we mentor them and
bring them on. And so we're doing is creating a scholarship.
We'll announce it at the Field Days. Every year, three
young New Zealanders are going to mentor they're bet to
go and do some study in New Zealand overseas, you know,
(03:52):
look at best practice. How do we start reinvesting in
the young farmers of today and grow those leaders of
the future. And so it's it's a little step in
the right direction. I'll tell you what's really pleasing. After
we made the announcement at another event and the Field
Days organized themselves come out and said they thought it
was a greater year. They want to join it and
chuck some money. And so at the moment it will
(04:13):
be three scholarships year at ten thousand dollars each. I'm
going to go and bend their arm a little bit,
will grow that because I think we could do four
or five people a year.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I was choking to the Prime Minister about him being
a big time celebrity not being able to walk down
the aisles and the streets here at field days. It's
actually true. He's gets stopped all the time. As to you,
what's the feedback you're getting from the punters at the
coal face, I e. The farmers.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Look, I think there's two things going on. You know,
the sector rightly is feeling good about itself. You know,
you've produced the highest quality, safest food and fiber of
any country in the world, and consumers overseas are wanting
it and they're paying more for it. You think about America,
and I was asked the other day, am I frustrated
by what's happening in the States. It's hard to be
(04:57):
frustrated when it happens again and again and again. Feels
like every time, you know, we get inflation down, a
cost down, production up. America does something else. But even
with those tariffs, actually we're selling them about four percent
more by value than we were a year ago. It's
the primary sector. You think about that European Union free
trade agreement which we came to government. We got in
(05:17):
six months before we were told we could in the
first two years three billion dollars worth of extra exports
the EU. It's the primary sector leading that so across
the board, farmers have a right to feel good, and
I Reckon, New Zealanders are backing you now. They're recognizing
the importance of what you're doing. The second thing that
I think that I'm noticing is I wander around as
(05:41):
you know, people are happy, but I just want to
get back on the farms and farm some more. We've
worked hard as a coalition government to simplify rules and
get rid of them, get rid of the costs, get
rid of those stupid bloody taxes that Chris Hipkins was
always trying to put on farmers everywhere and back you
and you should be proud of what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Good a government. It's going to work hard. That's fortuitous.
Was the timing around the Indian FTO.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Well, we worked very hard of it. Do you know
April of this year, sixteen years ago was the first
negotiation New Zealand had with India and successive governments have had.
As an ambition, Chris Luxon said before the election, we
do a deal. In her first term he backed me
to get on a plane and Jamie, I've been there
eight or nine times in the two years. So we
start to finish it took us nine months. I was
(06:25):
just up in Europe last week and I saw the
European Commissioner for Trade and he was a little bit
grumpy with me because I've just done a trade deal.
And this question was todd, you're only five million people,
you're a little economy. Your deal in many places is
better than how how do you do it? And it
comes to relationship, right. We built a strong relationship with India,
(06:47):
the government and actually I know farmers to do well
with it. So in an uncertain world we're not sure
what America's doing and everywhere else, we've got one point
four billion consumers that want what we produced and are
willing to pay for it. I think that's going to
be very important for Royal New Zealand. And you've done
a great job. I'm going if you give you one more,
or the government one more pat on the back, or
maybe even the National Party at the risk of sounding
(07:08):
like a bit of a National Party Lackey, but you've
proposed the policy this week doubling funding for the Q
two National Trust. That is the best bang for Bucky
you can get for conservation. It really really is. When
I go overseas agricultural Minister, I've got the easiest job
in the world because our farmers the best at what
they do and everybody wants to be like you. When
(07:29):
I'm there as Trade Minister, it's a bloming hard job
because you're too good at what you do and they
want to block you from being there. And what it
gets raised occasionally is what is New Zealand doing about environment?
So the doubling of the QIWI Trust Fund means much
more to do and this is just helping farmers to
do what they do so very well themselves, which is
to care about the land. We're got some other announcements
this week as well in that space that are going
(07:51):
to help. The PM wouldn't tease for you what he's
about to announce, but let me put it this way.
We've spent three years simplifying rules, making it easier for
you to meet your obligations. You know. The only way
we get to maximize all these trade deals. We're going
to produce more because we now there's more demand for
what we're allowed to produce. How about this, If you
(08:12):
can show the same or an improved environment of climate
foot print, why shouldn't you be able to do whatever
you want on your own land, you know, choosing a
land use to increase productivity except plant pine trees because
I banned that.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Good on you. Okay, it's getting a rousing reception here
for the anti carbon farming rhetoric. Okay. We are waiting
for that announcement. It might come through it about twelve thirty.
If it does before the end of the end of
the hour, we'll let you know. Todd Maclay, I know
you've got to go to a dinner
Good afternoon in New Zealand, and good afternoon, day one
of field days here at Mystery Creek. I'm Jamie McKay,
host of the Country, broadcasting from the Farmland site. Got
a cast of thousands today, let's get into it. Todd McClay,
Minister of Agricultures with us, and I think we've got
the Prime Minister, Christopher luxon on the phone. We'll just
get him on and get him off, Prime Minister. Good afternoon.
(00:21):
I'm looking forward to your company tonight at the big
fundraiser for the Rural Support Trust, and I can tell
you I've worked really hard on a gag for you.
I hope you've got something in return.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Oh well, Jamie at a mutually assured destruction, my friend,
if you launched one at me, I'll launch one back
at you as we did last year. But hey, listen,
great to be talking with you, and again thank you
for all of your support of the sector and what
you're doing with the Royal Support Trust as well. You've
been awesome.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well. I think six hundred and thirteen people are going
along to the Claudlands Events Center tonight. The Minister of
Agriculture will be there as well. We're going to win.
I say we Mike Green and his team are going
to raise three, four or five hundred thousand dollars who
knows how much for the Rural Support Trust. It's magnificent.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, it's all good stuff. And I just think you know,
we've obviously put some more investments in their last year
as you were aware. And there's a number of great
organizations doing some great work, and Royal Support Trust as
one of them for sure. Just making sure that farmers
know that. Ye, they're getting over the stigma of talking
about how things are for themselves and actually it's about
getting them access to those health and well being services.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Now, your Minister of Agriculture, Todd McLay, who's sitting right
beside me here. He was good enough to turn up
in person. You told me you were too big of
a celebrity to walk down the aisles here at field
days because everyone wanted to stop and shake your hand.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Of it. I will see you at some point, I
didn't we were talking now, but it's good to be
with you. But isn't he doing a great job that
Tom McLay. You've got to be happy, don't you, As
a farmer. He's opening up new markets all around the world.
He's getting rid of Wellington, out of farming, he's backing
rural New Zealand, he's getting the conditions right for growth.
And you know, just already in a few hours I've
been here just walking around. I mean, you know, Dairy's
(02:00):
on fire, Red Meats are doing well. Will's doing fantastic.
We've got Kiwi fre It going great, and there's really good,
really good feel here, which is great.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We're going to hear from Todd and just Key's made
a couple of announcements this morning. I think you're making
a big one this afternoon. You're going to let us
in on the secret.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I won't yet. I'm about got to go announce it,
I think at twelve thirty or twelve forty five today.
But yeah, again, we just want to we want the
SECT to know where a government that's actually working with them,
not doing things to them. And actually we've got to
do our job, which is making sure we create the
conditions for further success, ambition, aspiration and growth, which is important.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Well, Prime Minister, I know you've got a busy dance
card this afternoon. I'll leave you. Thank you very much
for your time, and we will see you tonight at
the big Rural Industry Leaders debate and event. It's going
to be great.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
It'll be lovely, Damie. And thanks again for your support. Mate.
We appreciate it what you do the sector.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Thank you very much. Well here's a man who's doing
a lot more than me for the sector. He's never
at home. He is the Minister of Agriculture, Todd McLay.
I wouldn't mind your air points and.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Have them if you want, no problem at all. Hey, Jamie.
Thanks having on the sun shining of the white head
of the grass is growing and I've seen at least
one farmer that's smiling.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So it's a good start of the day. The Prime
Minister has a big announcement coming up. He's got his
luncheon and outold charteris is out there somewhere. He's got
to go to the luncheon. Lawrence Meredith, the EU ambassadors
coming on the show. He's got to get to the luncheon,
as do you. You've made a couple of announcements this morning,
one of them around the Minister of Agriculture's Future Leaders
(03:29):
Scholarship three being presented annually.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Yeah, that's right. So we've been thinking a lot about
it the last sort of four or five months, and
how do we how do we identify the farm leaders
of the future, and how do we mentor them and
bring them on. And so we're doing is creating a scholarship.
We'll announce it at the Field Days. Every year, three
young New Zealanders are going to mentor they're bet to
go and do some study in New Zealand overseas, you know,
(03:52):
look at best practice. How do we start reinvesting in
the young farmers of today and grow those leaders of
the future. And so it's it's a little step in
the right direction. I'll tell you what's really pleasing. After
we made the announcement at another event and the Field
Days organized themselves come out and said they thought it
was a greater year. They want to join it and
chuck some money. And so at the moment it will
(04:13):
be three scholarships year at ten thousand dollars each. I'm
going to go and bend their arm a little bit,
will grow that because I think we could do four
or five people a year.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I was choking to the Prime Minister about him being
a big time celebrity not being able to walk down
the aisles and the streets here at field days. It's
actually true. He's gets stopped all the time. As to you,
what's the feedback you're getting from the punters at the
coal face, I e. The farmers.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Look, I think there's two things going on. You know,
the sector rightly is feeling good about itself. You know,
you've produced the highest quality, safest food and fiber of
any country in the world, and consumers overseas are wanting
it and they're paying more for it. You think about America,
and I was asked the other day, am I frustrated
by what's happening in the States. It's hard to be
(04:57):
frustrated when it happens again and again and again. Feels
like every time, you know, we get inflation down, a
cost down, production up. America does something else. But even
with those tariffs, actually we're selling them about four percent
more by value than we were a year ago. It's
the primary sector. You think about that European Union free
trade agreement which we came to government. We got in
(05:17):
six months before we were told we could in the
first two years three billion dollars worth of extra exports
the EU. It's the primary sector leading that so across
the board, farmers have a right to feel good, and
I Reckon, New Zealanders are backing you now. They're recognizing
the importance of what you're doing. The second thing that
I think that I'm noticing is I wander around as
(05:41):
you know, people are happy, but I just want to
get back on the farms and farm some more. We've
worked hard as a coalition government to simplify rules and
get rid of them, get rid of the costs, get
rid of those stupid bloody taxes that Chris Hipkins was
always trying to put on farmers everywhere and back you
and you should be proud of what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Good a government. It's going to work hard. That's fortuitous.
Was the timing around the Indian FTO.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Well, we worked very hard of it. Do you know
April of this year, sixteen years ago was the first
negotiation New Zealand had with India and successive governments have had.
As an ambition, Chris Luxon said before the election, we
do a deal. In her first term he backed me
to get on a plane and Jamie, I've been there
eight or nine times in the two years. So we
start to finish it took us nine months. I was
(06:25):
just up in Europe last week and I saw the
European Commissioner for Trade and he was a little bit
grumpy with me because I've just done a trade deal.
And this question was todd, you're only five million people,
you're a little economy. Your deal in many places is
better than how how do you do it? And it
comes to relationship, right. We built a strong relationship with India,
(06:47):
the government and actually I know farmers to do well
with it. So in an uncertain world we're not sure
what America's doing and everywhere else, we've got one point
four billion consumers that want what we produced and are
willing to pay for it. I think that's going to
be very important for Royal New Zealand. And you've done
a great job. I'm going if you give you one more,
or the government one more pat on the back, or
maybe even the National Party at the risk of sounding
(07:08):
like a bit of a National Party Lackey, but you've
proposed the policy this week doubling funding for the Q
two National Trust. That is the best bang for Bucky
you can get for conservation. It really really is. When
I go overseas agricultural Minister, I've got the easiest job
in the world because our farmers the best at what
they do and everybody wants to be like you. When
(07:29):
I'm there as Trade Minister, it's a bloming hard job
because you're too good at what you do and they
want to block you from being there. And what it
gets raised occasionally is what is New Zealand doing about environment?
So the doubling of the QIWI Trust Fund means much
more to do and this is just helping farmers to
do what they do so very well themselves, which is
to care about the land. We're got some other announcements
this week as well in that space that are going
(07:51):
to help. The PM wouldn't tease for you what he's
about to announce, but let me put it this way.
We've spent three years simplifying rules, making it easier for
you to meet your obligations. You know. The only way
we get to maximize all these trade deals. We're going
to produce more because we now there's more demand for
what we're allowed to produce. How about this, If you
(08:12):
can show the same or an improved environment of climate
foot print, why shouldn't you be able to do whatever
you want on your own land, you know, choosing a
land use to increase productivity except plant pine trees because
I banned that.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Good on you. Okay, it's getting a rousing reception here
for the anti carbon farming rhetoric. Okay. We are waiting
for that announcement. It might come through it about twelve thirty.
If it does before the end of the end of
the hour, we'll let you know. Todd Maclay, I know
you've got to go to a dinner
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