May 13, 2026 • 9 mins
The President of Federated Farmers is back on the tools today in Greymouth, after his Italian “that’s amore” sojourn with Mrs YOLO. It’s AGM season for the Feds, with several women stepping up to the presidential plate in the provinces. Plus, we preview the PINZ Conference and Awards.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dairy Week on the country thanks to Meridian and Farmland's
making moving day easier for farmers.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Wold the moon.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
It's you like a bigger bed Surpi. That's some more
Ah the sounds of Italy music to the ears of
our next guest, President of Federated Farmers, Wayne Langford, has
just come back from Italy. A bit of a family holiday.
You've got a boy over there, young healthy on student exchange.
(00:34):
What a great trip you and missus Yolo.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Had, Yeah, Jamie had good to be here. It was
was a fantastic trip. Slightly warmer than one it is
back home at the mast, but but yeah, no, what
a beautiful country. What's There's a heck of a lot
of history over there, isn't there? So it was good
to get around and have a look.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Did your queue up to go to what's the fountain? Called?
Help me out here?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Oh they are Trivi fountains. We've got to step in
front that. We actually took limescreoters one morning to go
to the Colosseum, which we thought was kind of the
irony of two thousand years later rolling up to the
Colisseum on a couple of limes because we thought it
was quite funny as well. So Rome's a beautiful city. Yeah,
we had a lot of fun there for a couple
of days, and the rest of Italy as well.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
From the beauty of Rome to the majesty of Greymouth,
and Greymouth is quite an attractive little town, more attractive
than it used to be. I reckon. I was there
for Old Andy Thompson's egg Fest a couple of years
ago and I thought, what a nice little waterfront area
that I've got on that town.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, it's a good little spot. We stopped on Reefton,
which is again a town on the rise, and stopped
there the bakery to get a pie on the way,
and now we're just rolling in the Greymouth as we
speak to here to attend the agem. The first time
I'm going to get to see Kenny Milner as a
West Coast Tasman candidate. So well, let's see what she's
got to say today as well.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Hey, she took your job because you were all lined
up to stand for West Coast Tasman for someone or other.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Well, speaking of standing, I hear you were just speaking
to Winston. Is he your new bosses? That is what's
going on? You You were talking about superannuation. I see
you just you just wanted to stand in your dealing
first to get out of your super romishes.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Oh shots fired. No, Winston was illegally using my image
for his propaganda videos. I'm going to have to have
a word with him. Well I did have a word
with them. He said he's going to get rid of them.
But that's that is fair enough. Katie Milne and all
seriousness will be And I think she'll get elected once
she she's certainly well on the West coast. What about
up in your neck of the woods, Nelson, Golden Bay.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, it should be. It should be a good race.
So news elms thrust of your party without putting someone
up as well on the case here, I think Ga
mclin so, former mayor on the on the coast, So
that'll that'll track a few votes or spread the votes
out on the right hand side of the Ledger. So
but you know, Katie's Katie's done a heck of a job.
And as I've mentioned before on the show, I think
(02:57):
you know of a job not only you know, in
rural leadership, but or some conservation and that sort of
thing as well. So you know that should be seen
well amongst the constituents of this area, because we've got
a lot of that in this space for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Talking about women politicians, a lot of women are stepping
up to the presidential plate for Federated Farmers this year
because you're in the AGM season.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, that's right. There is a few stepping up, which
is great to see Kerry Harmer there and mid Canterbury
and Rosemarcosta out there in the Auckland province as well,
So all around the country are joining joining in. It'll
be great to have them involved with our National Council,
the National councils who make all of our policy decisions
and so I'm good to have some new thinking around
(03:38):
the table. That'll be fantastic. Good to see them stepping.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Up and talking about New Zealand first. Of course, I'm
not a member of New Zealand First. Don't think I
ever will be like Winston. I don't know if i'd
ever vote for him. But anyhow, Jason Herrick, your Southland president,
has stood down to stand for New Zealand First, and
that's going to be an interesting electorate that one, because
you've got Jason Herrick for New Zealand First, you've got
(04:04):
the sitting MP, Joseph Mooney, and then you've got Peter McDonald,
who's a Dipton farmer bill English Country. He's standing for labor.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah. It's going to make some things interesting, isn't it. Yeah,
I think he's on first. I've had a bit of
a look through the feeds ranks to see who they
can grab, and I understand they grabbed a future across
the country, so they know where we're to go looking
for some quality talent. And yeah, when they were typing
Confederate and farmers, they must have typed in the country
at the same time, and I found someone there the.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Way I normally cracked the jokes on the show at Yolo,
so hey, you.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Talk to me. I'm just getting some revenge bag for
the Labor Party candidacy jokes as well a few few
weeks back.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
But I wasn't joking. I was deadly serious. That was
the oil I got at the National Lambday barbecue. Obviously,
when Katie put her hand up for National you thought, nah,
I don't want to go against her.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I shouldn't believe everything here over a barbecue. That's all
this hadn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Exactly Pinn's Summit and obviously the Primary Industry Awards as
well coming up and what twenty third and twenty fourth
of June. It's great and you've secured doctor Vaughan Holder
as a speaker this year. This is the guy behind
Well Without Cows the movie Well does it a movie
or a doco? It's a doco?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Well a bit of the one on most Netflix. Things
that were all across in between, isn't it. I think?
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah? Good, try a good gray lineup of speakers. There
some challenging ones last year that keep the crowd entertained
and made the tickets well worth their money. So anyone
that is wanting a bit of a winter break away
and a very good conference to go to up and
have an Auckland twenty third and twenty fourth. It is
a good, solid conference. We'll pull together now. So I'd
(05:47):
encourage you to jump on to the Primary Industry Summit
website and check out the agenda and certainly get get
tickets and get involved if if you can.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I must say, you've got a great array of speakers
and it is action year, so naturally there's plenty of politicians.
There's all then that's Shane I don't know if Winstance there,
Shane's definitely there, Chris Hipkins is there. I'm sure Joe
Luxon Luxton will be there, and Damien will probably turn up.
But there's no sign that I can see of a
(06:16):
speaker from the Greens or to party. Maray uh no,
shall we finish that conversation as that?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
No, I don't. I don't have an answer, so I'll
just I'll just say no. Then that's what they teach
you media training is if you don't have an answer
to say no, yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
You can just be like once that I'm just happy
to be the MP for Twronga.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
That's right, that's right, but no, it should be good.
And in between that, of course, we've got the Fans
Awards that night, which is which is a standout event
now and really starting to build. Great to see we've
got the the No Real Royal Woman of the Year award,
which would be great. I see that they're bringing in
the media the media awards as well. There Agricultural Communicator
(07:01):
of the Year award have and I think you've got
your name and for that one as well, well.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I didn't put my own name and someone else did.
Andy Thompson was the only one who put his own
name in, but he missed the cut.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, well, you'll have to brush off your brush off
your sick that you may get lucky and just just
get an award there.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Well, I think it's really good because those Agricultural Communicator
of the Year awards have been going for an age
and they used to be a formal dinner. It was
really good, and it's kind of dissipated over the years
and it's become a sausage roll affair and just named
the Communicator of the Year. So I'm really glad they're
doing it at a really high profile event like that.
(07:37):
And ditto, there's a really strong field out there Wayne,
for the journalism award. I looked at all the finalists,
including our own Riley Kennedy from Business Desk, and they're
all great egg journals.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, you're right. The team that were organized in the
order to have kind of fantastic job, and we're certainly
trying to make them kind of the premium agricultural awards
that they are the non specific to certain sectors that
kind of broad brush. What I also love about them
and what's been the history of them as well, is
includes some of our scientists and others involved in those
(08:10):
in those spaces that we don't often get to hear about.
It don't often get to see. But have you know
a massive impact on the on the pastoral sector, on
what we do with our animals and everything else, and
so to highlight them every now and then and every
now and then as well as as a fantastic.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And we honored doctor Robin Dines last year, didn't we.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who gets the big
award this year. You know, they are outstanding contribution to
their crops sector and it's it's always the highlight for
the end of the night. Another, Yeah, it'll be interesting
to see who that is.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, you get your victory speech ready then.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yolo, easy on part from done yet?
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Oh you've got a political career to come yet thanks
for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Now I'll go and enjoy Graymouth as the wife.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well you've enjoyed Rome with a lovely tyler anyhow. That's
Swayne Langford, president of Federated Farmers, back on the tools
and Graymouth after a stint in Rome.
Dairy Week on the country thanks to Meridian and Farmland's
making moving day easier for farmers.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Wold the moon.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
It's you like a bigger bed Surpi. That's some more
Ah the sounds of Italy music to the ears of
our next guest, President of Federated Farmers, Wayne Langford, has
just come back from Italy. A bit of a family holiday.
You've got a boy over there, young healthy on student exchange.
(00:34):
What a great trip you and missus Yolo.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Had, Yeah, Jamie had good to be here. It was
was a fantastic trip. Slightly warmer than one it is
back home at the mast, but but yeah, no, what
a beautiful country. What's There's a heck of a lot
of history over there, isn't there? So it was good
to get around and have a look.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Did your queue up to go to what's the fountain? Called?
Help me out here?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Oh they are Trivi fountains. We've got to step in
front that. We actually took limescreoters one morning to go
to the Colosseum, which we thought was kind of the
irony of two thousand years later rolling up to the
Colisseum on a couple of limes because we thought it
was quite funny as well. So Rome's a beautiful city. Yeah,
we had a lot of fun there for a couple
of days, and the rest of Italy as well.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
From the beauty of Rome to the majesty of Greymouth,
and Greymouth is quite an attractive little town, more attractive
than it used to be. I reckon. I was there
for Old Andy Thompson's egg Fest a couple of years
ago and I thought, what a nice little waterfront area
that I've got on that town.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, it's a good little spot. We stopped on Reefton,
which is again a town on the rise, and stopped
there the bakery to get a pie on the way,
and now we're just rolling in the Greymouth as we
speak to here to attend the agem. The first time
I'm going to get to see Kenny Milner as a
West Coast Tasman candidate. So well, let's see what she's
got to say today as well.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Hey, she took your job because you were all lined
up to stand for West Coast Tasman for someone or other.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Well, speaking of standing, I hear you were just speaking
to Winston. Is he your new bosses? That is what's
going on? You You were talking about superannuation. I see
you just you just wanted to stand in your dealing
first to get out of your super romishes.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Oh shots fired. No, Winston was illegally using my image
for his propaganda videos. I'm going to have to have
a word with him. Well I did have a word
with them. He said he's going to get rid of them.
But that's that is fair enough. Katie Milne and all
seriousness will be And I think she'll get elected once
she she's certainly well on the West coast. What about
up in your neck of the woods, Nelson, Golden Bay.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, it should be. It should be a good race.
So news elms thrust of your party without putting someone
up as well on the case here, I think Ga
mclin so, former mayor on the on the coast, So
that'll that'll track a few votes or spread the votes
out on the right hand side of the Ledger. So
but you know, Katie's Katie's done a heck of a job.
And as I've mentioned before on the show, I think
(02:57):
you know of a job not only you know, in
rural leadership, but or some conservation and that sort of
thing as well. So you know that should be seen
well amongst the constituents of this area, because we've got
a lot of that in this space for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Talking about women politicians, a lot of women are stepping
up to the presidential plate for Federated Farmers this year
because you're in the AGM season.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, that's right. There is a few stepping up, which
is great to see Kerry Harmer there and mid Canterbury
and Rosemarcosta out there in the Auckland province as well,
So all around the country are joining joining in. It'll
be great to have them involved with our National Council,
the National councils who make all of our policy decisions
and so I'm good to have some new thinking around
(03:38):
the table. That'll be fantastic. Good to see them stepping.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Up and talking about New Zealand first. Of course, I'm
not a member of New Zealand First. Don't think I
ever will be like Winston. I don't know if i'd
ever vote for him. But anyhow, Jason Herrick, your Southland president,
has stood down to stand for New Zealand First, and
that's going to be an interesting electorate that one, because
you've got Jason Herrick for New Zealand First, you've got
(04:04):
the sitting MP, Joseph Mooney, and then you've got Peter McDonald,
who's a Dipton farmer bill English Country. He's standing for labor.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah. It's going to make some things interesting, isn't it. Yeah,
I think he's on first. I've had a bit of
a look through the feeds ranks to see who they
can grab, and I understand they grabbed a future across
the country, so they know where we're to go looking
for some quality talent. And yeah, when they were typing
Confederate and farmers, they must have typed in the country
at the same time, and I found someone there the.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Way I normally cracked the jokes on the show at Yolo,
so hey, you.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Talk to me. I'm just getting some revenge bag for
the Labor Party candidacy jokes as well a few few
weeks back.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
But I wasn't joking. I was deadly serious. That was
the oil I got at the National Lambday barbecue. Obviously,
when Katie put her hand up for National you thought, nah,
I don't want to go against her.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I shouldn't believe everything here over a barbecue. That's all
this hadn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Exactly Pinn's Summit and obviously the Primary Industry Awards as
well coming up and what twenty third and twenty fourth
of June. It's great and you've secured doctor Vaughan Holder
as a speaker this year. This is the guy behind
Well Without Cows the movie Well does it a movie
or a doco? It's a doco?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Well a bit of the one on most Netflix. Things
that were all across in between, isn't it. I think?
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah? Good, try a good gray lineup of speakers. There
some challenging ones last year that keep the crowd entertained
and made the tickets well worth their money. So anyone
that is wanting a bit of a winter break away
and a very good conference to go to up and
have an Auckland twenty third and twenty fourth. It is
a good, solid conference. We'll pull together now. So I'd
(05:47):
encourage you to jump on to the Primary Industry Summit
website and check out the agenda and certainly get get
tickets and get involved if if you can.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I must say, you've got a great array of speakers
and it is action year, so naturally there's plenty of politicians.
There's all then that's Shane I don't know if Winstance there,
Shane's definitely there, Chris Hipkins is there. I'm sure Joe
Luxon Luxton will be there, and Damien will probably turn up.
But there's no sign that I can see of a
(06:16):
speaker from the Greens or to party. Maray uh no,
shall we finish that conversation as that?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
No, I don't. I don't have an answer, so I'll
just I'll just say no. Then that's what they teach
you media training is if you don't have an answer
to say no, yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
You can just be like once that I'm just happy
to be the MP for Twronga.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
That's right, that's right, but no, it should be good.
And in between that, of course, we've got the Fans
Awards that night, which is which is a standout event
now and really starting to build. Great to see we've
got the the No Real Royal Woman of the Year award,
which would be great. I see that they're bringing in
the media the media awards as well. There Agricultural Communicator
(07:01):
of the Year award have and I think you've got
your name and for that one as well, well.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I didn't put my own name and someone else did.
Andy Thompson was the only one who put his own
name in, but he missed the cut.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, well, you'll have to brush off your brush off
your sick that you may get lucky and just just
get an award there.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Well, I think it's really good because those Agricultural Communicator
of the Year awards have been going for an age
and they used to be a formal dinner. It was
really good, and it's kind of dissipated over the years
and it's become a sausage roll affair and just named
the Communicator of the Year. So I'm really glad they're
doing it at a really high profile event like that.
(07:37):
And ditto, there's a really strong field out there Wayne,
for the journalism award. I looked at all the finalists,
including our own Riley Kennedy from Business Desk, and they're
all great egg journals.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, you're right. The team that were organized in the
order to have kind of fantastic job, and we're certainly
trying to make them kind of the premium agricultural awards
that they are the non specific to certain sectors that
kind of broad brush. What I also love about them
and what's been the history of them as well, is
includes some of our scientists and others involved in those
(08:10):
in those spaces that we don't often get to hear about.
It don't often get to see. But have you know
a massive impact on the on the pastoral sector, on
what we do with our animals and everything else, and
so to highlight them every now and then and every
now and then as well as as a fantastic.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And we honored doctor Robin Dines last year, didn't we.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who gets the big
award this year. You know, they are outstanding contribution to
their crops sector and it's it's always the highlight for
the end of the night. Another, Yeah, it'll be interesting
to see who that is.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, you get your victory speech ready then.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yolo, easy on part from done yet?
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Oh you've got a political career to come yet thanks
for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Now I'll go and enjoy Graymouth as the wife.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well you've enjoyed Rome with a lovely tyler anyhow. That's
Swayne Langford, president of Federated Farmers, back on the tools
and Graymouth after a stint in Rome.
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