The Country 20/03/25: Jeremy Rookes talks to Jamie Mackay

Lifestyle/hobby farmer commentator. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A wrapping of our country. Zz Top have added a
christ show to their New Zealand tour. I wonder whether
our next guest or wander along to that. Jeremy Rocks,
a lifestyle and hobby farmer correspondent. Just before we get
Jeremy on board, got a text in from Grant Weller
a golf made of mine from Riversdale. Grant and his
wife Bernie won their Balanced Farm Environment Awards in twenty eleven,

(00:24):
the first farming couple to outright win the awards, and
they beat Stephen Jane Win Harrison when Harris has never
forgiven Grant for that. But Grant says, another farm down here,
he farms on the Hockinawy Hills in Southland, has just
been signed up for trees. Another fifteen thousand ewes gone
blanket planting. This is a tragedy and our next guest

(00:47):
knows a wee bit about it because he sold his
farm in Hawke's Bay to trees. Jeremy Rooks. So when
will we see an end to this? Because this isn't good.
The blanket planting I'm talking about.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Can't really see an end to it because things are
changing as well, as I mentioned last time I was
on about they're now sort of buying the foreigners are
buying existing forests that have just been planted to buy
a pass a few the OIO rigs. So I can't
see it. And we've government policy around this climate change
nonsense which national are fully invested in. It won't stop.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Do you think the new rules that are due to
come and place into place, I think at the end
of the year or early next year to prevent blanket planting,
especially on good class land because some of this land
is Class four, five and six.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
As I understand it, well, it'll just be done differently,
I'd imagine basically. I mean, there's always a way around things,
isn't it so? And people are worked that out of
pecuniary advantage, Jamie, mind.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
You, Jeremy. As we saw yesterday with the Rabobank Farmer
Confidence survey, it's being led now by restored confidence for
sheep and beef farmers getting record beef prices. Lamb is good.
It should be ten bucks, but it's eight bucks or better.
And muttons are returned, so sheep farming is no longer
the poor relation of dairy farming, although the returns probably

(02:14):
aren't as good obviously.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Oh, I wouldn't say that. The cost structure is pretty high,
and I mean it has to be at the minimum
where it is now. But the beef jobs looking great,
car starles are go and get busters. So there is
a bit of optimism, and particularly in Canterbury because we've
had another two inches of rain down here, so North
Canterbury is a picture which is you know, those sort
of things help lift morale as well, you know, like

(02:38):
when guys have got grass at least you feel like
you're in control a bit more. So. Yeah, I don't know.
I hear there are ten dollar lend contracts out for
later in the winter, but I'm not sure who's propped
them out.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Okay, well, let's just you've got we've got enough time.
I've got a couple of minutes left for you to
get one isshoe off your chest. Now, be careful, this
is live. Don't get me sued, although.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
I don't need to come overho get you sue. But
then I just think that, as we said off or
this morning, is that I just think it's all very
well for the National government, and which is great. They're
out there trying to get a deal with India, and
you know, trades the key as Fonterra's results showed today
and Beef showing at the moment and land to a point.
But meanwhile in this country, like Rome's burning internally at

(03:23):
the moment. I just think that, you know, there's a
real division going on. And everyone I've spoken to in
the last couple of three months, regardless of whether it's
been the roofs here or the builders and whatever, everyone's
feeling it and everyone's really uncomfortable to sort of deal
with it. And the bureaucracy as well, it's just just
doesn't change regardless of who's in power. And so all
of this, you know, they're completely ignoring any common sense

(03:46):
that I mean, everything behind the scenes is still the
same as it was under Labor and I think everyone
sick to death of it. So I just don't know
what's going to happen here, Jamie, because the way we're
going where we're going to be in a bit of
trouble in a few years as a society.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Yeah, I believe we are becoming more divided as a society,
and it's driven by driven by some activists in my mind,
but mind you, my mind mightn't be what everyone else
is thinking Jeremy Rook's there.