May 21, 2025 • 8 mins
The president of Federated Farmers on the love-in with Labour and the battle with Groundswell, NZ Farming and the Methane Science Accord.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, he's had to sit through this, and I apologize, yolo,
but I had to pay a tribute to my old mate,
you at war. It would seem with ground swell en
Zen farming and the methane science accord you guys at feeds,
what's happening.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Yeah, Well, first, aubdomic condolences on your mate. AS's never
easy and you'll be taking a few days to reflect
on and everything that's come and gone, So so your
condolences on that one. And then if not up your
point in there. And no, we're not at all with Ground.
So we've just even been called out for not representing
farmers around methane Texas or pricing or where it's all going.
(00:37):
And we find that pretty ironic considering the amount of
hard work I'll be putting in over the last three
months getting as to where we are now.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I did note, was it a Facebook post Michelle's given
me and it's from Federated Farmers and it's titled Federated
Farmers will never accept the methane reduction of twenty four percent.
But I did note last week when we got the
ruminant methane survey report from said parties, Groundswell and ZED
(01:06):
Farming and the Methane Science Accord. They said beef and lamb,
New Zealand Dairy and ZED and Federated farmers are not
representing the majority view on this issue. The government and
industry co ops have signed onto biotech schemes without consulting farmers.
What do you say in your defense, I think it's.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Just absolute rubbish rope. Well, we first thought, if you
just take it back a step, this year would be
paying for our missions under Walker Can. And obviously we
got that thrown out. We set some real firm bottom
lines and we made sure it didn't ever happen for
our farmers. And that's that's what's happened from there through
the election. We campaign campaigned to get a methane review
to make sure methane's appropriately accounted for, and we've got
(01:52):
that and the data's come back on that. The data's
come back and said hey, it's somewhere between fourteen and
twenty four percent reductions. Feder and farmers and said, well, hey,
that needs to be at the lower end of that
four a percent because because we're not going to have
the targets that are going to require twenty four percent,
and we're not putting our farmers at risk because of that.
I've gone onto meetings advocating for farmers zero to four percent.
(02:15):
It should be our mission's target, because that's what it
should be. We're not going to hit one point five percent.
One point five degrees for me, agriculture is not going
to have a significant impact on that. Why would we
detected texting our farming sector do not achieve anything, It's
absolutely ridiculous. So we've got to play our part and
(02:35):
the whole thing, and we may need to play a
part in terms of marketing our product and all that
side of things, but we're certainly not going to put
farms out of business to do it. And that's the
position for our own farmers have been with all well, and.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
That's what Lux and seid yesterday on the show. They're
not going to send billions of dollars overseas and break
farmers over these targets. But the silly things about the
targets wine length for at this stage, I mean the
ones for twenty thirty we're not going to meet. But
if we don't meet them, so what there doesn't appear
to be any punishment.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Well, that's actually a difference through you know, the government
to come out and saying we are going to meet them.
We are going to be at ten percent by twenty thirty.
And therefore if we go in advocating for fourteen percent
by twenty fifty, and our stick has got to reduce
for another four percent over twenty years. Now, if I
was to look at that, I would say, if we've
reduced ten percent over the last twelve years, then we're
sure is how going to reduce four percent over the
(03:26):
next twenty years. So it's nothing to see here, and
that's what's quite frustrating, one about this report and two
about us being called out. We've got the facts kind
of laid out, we've got the science and behind it,
and we've got agriculture into a really good space. That's
why people pay their Federated Farmer's membership and that's why
we do what we do. You can tell it's getting
(03:46):
my red head rates a little.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Bit, getting fired up. This is good stuff, good for ratings.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now, but Jesus frustrating, because I mean that's what feeds
are here for. Last weekend we had every every rovintual
president email their local MP and say, hey, what's going
on with your ministers. You know, they seem to be
going for a higher target. They've called a meeting with
the Minister of Agriculture, with the Minister of Climate Change
(04:13):
and they've asked the question what's going on here? That
was all your local provincial presidents doing that for you,
you know, lobbying and behind the scenes to get a result.
That's not just from a comment on Facebook or anything
like that. That's actually doing the hard work to get
a result for farmers.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
What do you say to the likes of the Methane
Science Accord on their poster girl Jane Smith, who would say,
we don't need any targets at all. We're getting there
by attrition. Targets are ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I would say. So, there's two ways to look at it.
You're right, are we going to achieve anything by doing
what we're doing, Well, that's really questionable, right, But as
our market asking for things or are the customers that
are buying our product asking for things? Yes they are,
and would they like a target in place? Maybe they would.
And if they do and we're going to hit it,
then what's the concern here. Let's not make something out
(05:04):
of nothing. Let's give the market what they want. Let's
do what we're doing. But hey, we're sure as now
hell we're not going to do it by planting land
and pine trees, by doing things that we don't need
to do, because that's just completely ridiculous. We're not going
to put our farms out of business for it.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Hey, let's move on, because earlier this morning I caught
up with Chris Sipkins, leader of the Opposition at s
budget Day. I wanted to know what he would do
if he was running the cutter. You'll hear that interviews shortly,
but I was giving him a bit of stick, a
bit of cheek about the lovin with Labor and feeds.
Next week in the wire Rapper, you're cuddling up to
the enemy, yolo.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I mean, this is another classic example of exactly what
we're doing. You know, we met with with Deborah Russell,
the Labor Party's Climate Transfer exist in two weeks ago,
up on a farm in Auckland and we walked her
through the policy. We walked her through the methane review,
and we talked her about what their policy should look
like and why their last policy during the last election
so drastically wrong. That's what it's all about the one
(06:03):
day that the Labor Party will be back in government
and one day we'll need to work for them as
a farming sector. We want to make sure that they've
got solid policy and that's what we're doing. And so
next week a couple of key topics from us. We've
got David Frame, obviously leading leading missions scientists there, he's
coming in. We've got Elementary Commissioner for the Environment Simon
(06:24):
Upton talking about pine trees and they need to need
to slow that all down. And then some significant talks
around farm plans and also pest management on farm as well.
So a good soul of the gender to go through
with the Labor Party.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
On I haven't and I threw this at Chris Sipkins.
Where's the Labor Party egg policy? We haven't seen anything yet.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, they seem to be keeping that one in their
pockets and so you know, and obviously it was still
a year and a bit away from an election, right,
so that they'll do that for a while, but at
some stages they're going to have to put it out there.
And I would hope that actually we get a bit
of a plus on it, because she wouldn't it be
good for the labor government to listen to farmers again,
(07:05):
unlike when they were lasting government.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Well, as I said to Chris Hopkins, the worst government
ever for farmers anyhow, you'll hear about that one shortly.
Just on a lighter note, field days, you and I
are doing like a Laurel and Hardy duo. I think
at the Toyota site at some stage if I managed
to get there on time, which is always difficult in
field days, would you let me get a word in?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It should be a bit of fun actually looking forward
to I think that's Thursday afternoon, isn't it. So we
should we should have a good crack there with toyur obviously. Yeah.
I've had my new one now for a couple of
weeks and it's gone great, loving it. It's got a
bit extra power getting up over that tackhill, I can
tell you that much.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Well, that's that's the hybrid, you see. It gives you
a bit of a kickstart when you put your foot
on foot on the accelerate. Have you got it covered
in colpoo yet? It's a lot allowed on the farm.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
No, no got out and m'd just just the one
pad And I thought and the way she went. So, yeah,
you know it was a good fun.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Hey, Wayne Langford was good. That was good chatting to
you today.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
You're all fired up, you know, like we're going to
stick together as a farming sector, right and so you know,
call it calling us out for what they think we're doing,
commed to what we are doing is pretty tough. And
so so we'll catch up with them and make sure
we are all on the same patch, because one farming
sector is hard together is better than they all getting divided.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
That's well, I think Federated Farmers, your team, Aaron and
the team, they might have to after you've had the
love and with labor, you might have to have a
come by all sit around and hold hands together with
beef and lamb in Zen, deiry in Zen and and
Federated Farmers. You guys are with the other three groups.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Well, you see, it's all we're all in the advocacy
hub together and that's kind of why we've got us
all in there together, because that's that's what it's all about.
It's about doing it together and putting the putting it
all to the ministers and others as one rather than
trying to divide us
Speaker 1 (08:51):
All up, Good on you hey, thanks for your time mate,
Cheers Mad,
Okay, he's had to sit through this, and I apologize, yolo,
but I had to pay a tribute to my old mate,
you at war. It would seem with ground swell en
Zen farming and the methane science accord you guys at feeds,
what's happening.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Yeah, Well, first, aubdomic condolences on your mate. AS's never
easy and you'll be taking a few days to reflect
on and everything that's come and gone, So so your
condolences on that one. And then if not up your
point in there. And no, we're not at all with Ground.
So we've just even been called out for not representing
farmers around methane Texas or pricing or where it's all going.
(00:37):
And we find that pretty ironic considering the amount of
hard work I'll be putting in over the last three
months getting as to where we are now.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I did note, was it a Facebook post Michelle's given
me and it's from Federated Farmers and it's titled Federated
Farmers will never accept the methane reduction of twenty four percent.
But I did note last week when we got the
ruminant methane survey report from said parties, Groundswell and ZED
(01:06):
Farming and the Methane Science Accord. They said beef and lamb,
New Zealand Dairy and ZED and Federated farmers are not
representing the majority view on this issue. The government and
industry co ops have signed onto biotech schemes without consulting farmers.
What do you say in your defense, I think it's.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Just absolute rubbish rope. Well, we first thought, if you
just take it back a step, this year would be
paying for our missions under Walker Can. And obviously we
got that thrown out. We set some real firm bottom
lines and we made sure it didn't ever happen for
our farmers. And that's that's what's happened from there through
the election. We campaign campaigned to get a methane review
to make sure methane's appropriately accounted for, and we've got
(01:52):
that and the data's come back on that. The data's
come back and said hey, it's somewhere between fourteen and
twenty four percent reductions. Feder and farmers and said, well, hey,
that needs to be at the lower end of that
four a percent because because we're not going to have
the targets that are going to require twenty four percent,
and we're not putting our farmers at risk because of that.
I've gone onto meetings advocating for farmers zero to four percent.
(02:15):
It should be our mission's target, because that's what it
should be. We're not going to hit one point five percent.
One point five degrees for me, agriculture is not going
to have a significant impact on that. Why would we
detected texting our farming sector do not achieve anything, It's
absolutely ridiculous. So we've got to play our part and
(02:35):
the whole thing, and we may need to play a
part in terms of marketing our product and all that
side of things, but we're certainly not going to put
farms out of business to do it. And that's the
position for our own farmers have been with all well, and.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
That's what Lux and seid yesterday on the show. They're
not going to send billions of dollars overseas and break
farmers over these targets. But the silly things about the
targets wine length for at this stage, I mean the
ones for twenty thirty we're not going to meet. But
if we don't meet them, so what there doesn't appear
to be any punishment.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Well, that's actually a difference through you know, the government
to come out and saying we are going to meet them.
We are going to be at ten percent by twenty thirty.
And therefore if we go in advocating for fourteen percent
by twenty fifty, and our stick has got to reduce
for another four percent over twenty years. Now, if I
was to look at that, I would say, if we've
reduced ten percent over the last twelve years, then we're
sure is how going to reduce four percent over the
(03:26):
next twenty years. So it's nothing to see here, and
that's what's quite frustrating, one about this report and two
about us being called out. We've got the facts kind
of laid out, we've got the science and behind it,
and we've got agriculture into a really good space. That's
why people pay their Federated Farmer's membership and that's why
we do what we do. You can tell it's getting
(03:46):
my red head rates a little.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Bit, getting fired up. This is good stuff, good for ratings.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now, but Jesus frustrating, because I mean that's what feeds
are here for. Last weekend we had every every rovintual
president email their local MP and say, hey, what's going
on with your ministers. You know, they seem to be
going for a higher target. They've called a meeting with
the Minister of Agriculture, with the Minister of Climate Change
(04:13):
and they've asked the question what's going on here? That
was all your local provincial presidents doing that for you,
you know, lobbying and behind the scenes to get a result.
That's not just from a comment on Facebook or anything
like that. That's actually doing the hard work to get
a result for farmers.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
What do you say to the likes of the Methane
Science Accord on their poster girl Jane Smith, who would say,
we don't need any targets at all. We're getting there
by attrition. Targets are ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I would say. So, there's two ways to look at it.
You're right, are we going to achieve anything by doing
what we're doing, Well, that's really questionable, right, But as
our market asking for things or are the customers that
are buying our product asking for things? Yes they are,
and would they like a target in place? Maybe they would.
And if they do and we're going to hit it,
then what's the concern here. Let's not make something out
(05:04):
of nothing. Let's give the market what they want. Let's
do what we're doing. But hey, we're sure as now
hell we're not going to do it by planting land
and pine trees, by doing things that we don't need
to do, because that's just completely ridiculous. We're not going
to put our farms out of business for it.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Hey, let's move on, because earlier this morning I caught
up with Chris Sipkins, leader of the Opposition at s
budget Day. I wanted to know what he would do
if he was running the cutter. You'll hear that interviews shortly,
but I was giving him a bit of stick, a
bit of cheek about the lovin with Labor and feeds.
Next week in the wire Rapper, you're cuddling up to
the enemy, yolo.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I mean, this is another classic example of exactly what
we're doing. You know, we met with with Deborah Russell,
the Labor Party's Climate Transfer exist in two weeks ago,
up on a farm in Auckland and we walked her
through the policy. We walked her through the methane review,
and we talked her about what their policy should look
like and why their last policy during the last election
so drastically wrong. That's what it's all about the one
(06:03):
day that the Labor Party will be back in government
and one day we'll need to work for them as
a farming sector. We want to make sure that they've
got solid policy and that's what we're doing. And so
next week a couple of key topics from us. We've
got David Frame, obviously leading leading missions scientists there, he's
coming in. We've got Elementary Commissioner for the Environment Simon
(06:24):
Upton talking about pine trees and they need to need
to slow that all down. And then some significant talks
around farm plans and also pest management on farm as well.
So a good soul of the gender to go through
with the Labor Party.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
On I haven't and I threw this at Chris Sipkins.
Where's the Labor Party egg policy? We haven't seen anything yet.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, they seem to be keeping that one in their
pockets and so you know, and obviously it was still
a year and a bit away from an election, right,
so that they'll do that for a while, but at
some stages they're going to have to put it out there.
And I would hope that actually we get a bit
of a plus on it, because she wouldn't it be
good for the labor government to listen to farmers again,
(07:05):
unlike when they were lasting government.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Well, as I said to Chris Hopkins, the worst government
ever for farmers anyhow, you'll hear about that one shortly.
Just on a lighter note, field days, you and I
are doing like a Laurel and Hardy duo. I think
at the Toyota site at some stage if I managed
to get there on time, which is always difficult in
field days, would you let me get a word in?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It should be a bit of fun actually looking forward
to I think that's Thursday afternoon, isn't it. So we
should we should have a good crack there with toyur obviously. Yeah.
I've had my new one now for a couple of
weeks and it's gone great, loving it. It's got a
bit extra power getting up over that tackhill, I can
tell you that much.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Well, that's that's the hybrid, you see. It gives you
a bit of a kickstart when you put your foot
on foot on the accelerate. Have you got it covered
in colpoo yet? It's a lot allowed on the farm.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
No, no got out and m'd just just the one
pad And I thought and the way she went. So, yeah,
you know it was a good fun.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Hey, Wayne Langford was good. That was good chatting to
you today.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
You're all fired up, you know, like we're going to
stick together as a farming sector, right and so you know,
call it calling us out for what they think we're doing,
commed to what we are doing is pretty tough. And
so so we'll catch up with them and make sure
we are all on the same patch, because one farming
sector is hard together is better than they all getting divided.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
That's well, I think Federated Farmers, your team, Aaron and
the team, they might have to after you've had the
love and with labor, you might have to have a
come by all sit around and hold hands together with
beef and lamb in Zen, deiry in Zen and and
Federated Farmers. You guys are with the other three groups.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Well, you see, it's all we're all in the advocacy
hub together and that's kind of why we've got us
all in there together, because that's that's what it's all about.
It's about doing it together and putting the putting it
all to the ministers and others as one rather than
trying to divide us
Speaker 1 (08:51):
All up, Good on you hey, thanks for your time mate,
Cheers Mad,
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