November 25, 2025 • 6 mins
The President of Federated Farmers previews his farm tour with the Prime Minister, talks about an increasing Feds membership, making a buck at $9.50, and why he’s happy to see the end of regional councils.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Share musical theme for today thirteen million pounds for a
Netflix tell all series, Wayne Langford, you're a bit of
a celebrity. As I mentioned to the Prime Minister here
in New Zealand, has anyone approach you to do a
Netflix series?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
No, no, not yet Jamie Hey, thanks thanks for having
me on, but no, not yet. No, they haven't. They
would pay off the farm probably pretty well.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
You're obviously rating your payout pretty highly. Talking about payouts,
what are you what are you making nine to fifty?
You can still make a buck quite comfortably.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
At nine fifty, well, you can still make it back
on that. I appreciate them going early and giving us
the heads up because there's nothing worse than him to
try klawback in the second half of the year. So
tough times are well, you know, just tougher times. Sorry
and I haven't said really tough by but yeah, it's
luck so good to get there early warning on it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
As we discussed with the Prime Minister, I know you
didn't hear the interview. I think tomorrow are you meeting
them tomorrow and Terrace? Is that right? And then next
week you're on the road with them.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yes, down in arras with the Royal Nets tomorrow and
catching up with them there. That'd be great to see
some farmers down there. And then next week we're heading
up to both Hastings and Mystery Creek to again catch
up with them again there. I think next week's next
week is a bit more of a fireside chat we're
calling it, which is good because it means people can
fire me in a few questions and I can make
(01:19):
sure we get the questions answered rather than listening to
two big, long speeches, which is always a lot better.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
We're all for that. What are you going to talk
about at Terrace? Not much farming going to be happening
there shortly, it's all well Shane Jones skitz his way,
it's all going to be gold mining in airports.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, I did actually ask that question before I signed
my name down to the trip. I said, we're not
going down there to announce in the airport, so no,
butously obviously grazing, grazing and crowland will be a big
discussion taking care of wilding pines and the pests. I've
actually I'm in Wellington today. We just met with MPLO
around what we're doing around pests, and it's good to
see some re election from them there. So yeah, we're
(01:56):
moving things along. We're getting a few ones, which is good.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
I spoke to Jim Ward, yes, an old schoolmate of
mine and the former manager who abruptly had to leave
his job at to Molesworth, and he came up with
some fascinatingly scary facts around wilding pines and the amount
of water take that they take and how that affects
our hydro electric dams. I'd never thought of that.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, no, they really haven't effect on him, but of
everything on the side. Note, have you ever shaken hands
with Jim Ward?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yeah, yeah, yes I did.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I got an iron grip. Yeah, it's a strong antack.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Well, I'll tell you the other one, and he's one
of those I shouldn't say it because he's an old schoolmate,
but they literally want to crush your hands.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, yes, so, I mean, I'm all for a good,
good handshake and look him in the eye all that,
but Jim, Jim takes it to the next level for
a good arm Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Jim haw is another one who does that. Andrew's father.
They're crushes, they're punishes anyhow. Okay, so you've got three
of these as we said Terrace Tomorrow, Hastings and then
Mystery Creek. Why should farmers come along for your cozy
little fireside chat. Is this where you roll over on
your back and the luck and scratches you tell me
(03:04):
it Federated Farmer's Wain.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
No, No, definitely not. What it's all about is as
we do see some of the work that's going on here,
and it's often hard to get it out through some
of the media to trry back to our farmers to
see what's happening. So we've got let's get the Prime
Minister out into the provinces talking directly with farmers, giving
them plenty of opportunity to ask questions and to see
exactly what they are working on and how it all works.
(03:27):
Of course, it is a tricky one to explain how
Wellington and the bureaucracy of Wellington works sometimes and so
when you can hear it straight from the Prime Minister's mouth,
hopefully they'll go home with a bit of a better
understanding of what they're working on and what they're trying
to achieve.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
And from the Federated Farmer's pr Division, Aaron does a
great job there. Your membership is up by around four
hundred members are compared to twenty twenty four. You're hoping
by year's end you can get up to five hundred.
And I think Federated Farmers has had a bit of
a renaissance, and I'm sure you've played your role in
the one as well. But do you know what I reckon, Wayne,
(04:02):
you should give life memberships to Bryce McKenzie and Laurie
Patterson at Groundswell. I've I've done you a huge favor.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Have they have they? From what respect well, that've.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Made They've made in your heart that made you hard
and not believe it.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's right? So no, no, it's they certainly put up
I guess in a way from competition for us right
to show, hey, hey, this is this is some of
the sentiment of farmers out here, and we had to
have a good look at ourselves around what we're doing
and and like you say, straighten up our back and
really represent the farmers that were that are our members.
So those are some some great numbers coming out into
(04:40):
the membership numbers. Anyone that follows along would probably well
it comes to feeds a games, would know that the
membership is in a in the steady start of decline
with the land sales and amalgamations and all the sort
of thing people will retire, and so to see such
a dramatic I guess increase is really positive. I think
I told you at the start of the year this
(05:01):
is the year of membership. Now, I was hoping for
a few more than five hundred. But it's a heck
of a good start computer we've been in the past,
so that's great.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I agree with you. Now. I've also been told to
ask you from the PR department at at Fonterra. Let
me try. I had the PR department on Fontira on
yesterday PR Department at Federated Farmers to ask you how
your petition for the consenting crisis is tracking. Because yesterday's
news that the government is eventually going to get rid
of regional councils. I'm sure what have been greeted with
(05:32):
glee at Federated Farmers definitely was.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
It's a hege, a step in the right direction. We're
calling for a ten year roll over on consents. We're
wanting farmers to get them behind it, and hopefully those
in the affected areas are saying that sign the sign
the petition and help us help us to achieve that.
You know, farmers just need some certainty around their businesses
going forward, and with all this upheaval around our regional
(05:56):
councils around the RMA, we need a clear, clear direction travel.
I don't have to appreach as a converter, but you know,
we work on a seasonal basis. It takes time for
us to make change, takes time for us to do things,
and we need some certainty. So ten years will sound
like a lot some people, but it's really not. It's
just a short term really for farmers and what they're
trying to achieve.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Wayne Langthord, thanks for your time today. Enjoy your day
in Terras tomorrow. Beautiful part of the country.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Awesome jeers Jamming. Thanks
Share musical theme for today thirteen million pounds for a
Netflix tell all series, Wayne Langford, you're a bit of
a celebrity. As I mentioned to the Prime Minister here
in New Zealand, has anyone approach you to do a
Netflix series?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
No, no, not yet Jamie Hey, thanks thanks for having
me on, but no, not yet. No, they haven't. They
would pay off the farm probably pretty well.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
You're obviously rating your payout pretty highly. Talking about payouts,
what are you what are you making nine to fifty?
You can still make a buck quite comfortably.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
At nine fifty, well, you can still make it back
on that. I appreciate them going early and giving us
the heads up because there's nothing worse than him to
try klawback in the second half of the year. So
tough times are well, you know, just tougher times. Sorry
and I haven't said really tough by but yeah, it's
luck so good to get there early warning on it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
As we discussed with the Prime Minister, I know you
didn't hear the interview. I think tomorrow are you meeting
them tomorrow and Terrace? Is that right? And then next
week you're on the road with them.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yes, down in arras with the Royal Nets tomorrow and
catching up with them there. That'd be great to see
some farmers down there. And then next week we're heading
up to both Hastings and Mystery Creek to again catch
up with them again there. I think next week's next
week is a bit more of a fireside chat we're
calling it, which is good because it means people can
fire me in a few questions and I can make
(01:19):
sure we get the questions answered rather than listening to
two big, long speeches, which is always a lot better.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
We're all for that. What are you going to talk
about at Terrace? Not much farming going to be happening
there shortly, it's all well Shane Jones skitz his way,
it's all going to be gold mining in airports.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, I did actually ask that question before I signed
my name down to the trip. I said, we're not
going down there to announce in the airport, so no,
butously obviously grazing, grazing and crowland will be a big
discussion taking care of wilding pines and the pests. I've
actually I'm in Wellington today. We just met with MPLO
around what we're doing around pests, and it's good to
see some re election from them there. So yeah, we're
(01:56):
moving things along. We're getting a few ones, which is good.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
I spoke to Jim Ward, yes, an old schoolmate of
mine and the former manager who abruptly had to leave
his job at to Molesworth, and he came up with
some fascinatingly scary facts around wilding pines and the amount
of water take that they take and how that affects
our hydro electric dams. I'd never thought of that.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, no, they really haven't effect on him, but of
everything on the side. Note, have you ever shaken hands
with Jim Ward?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yeah, yeah, yes I did.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I got an iron grip. Yeah, it's a strong antack.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Well, I'll tell you the other one, and he's one
of those I shouldn't say it because he's an old schoolmate,
but they literally want to crush your hands.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, yes, so, I mean, I'm all for a good,
good handshake and look him in the eye all that,
but Jim, Jim takes it to the next level for
a good arm Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Jim haw is another one who does that. Andrew's father.
They're crushes, they're punishes anyhow. Okay, so you've got three
of these as we said Terrace Tomorrow, Hastings and then
Mystery Creek. Why should farmers come along for your cozy
little fireside chat. Is this where you roll over on
your back and the luck and scratches you tell me
(03:04):
it Federated Farmer's Wain.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
No, No, definitely not. What it's all about is as
we do see some of the work that's going on here,
and it's often hard to get it out through some
of the media to trry back to our farmers to
see what's happening. So we've got let's get the Prime
Minister out into the provinces talking directly with farmers, giving
them plenty of opportunity to ask questions and to see
exactly what they are working on and how it all works.
(03:27):
Of course, it is a tricky one to explain how
Wellington and the bureaucracy of Wellington works sometimes and so
when you can hear it straight from the Prime Minister's mouth,
hopefully they'll go home with a bit of a better
understanding of what they're working on and what they're trying
to achieve.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
And from the Federated Farmer's pr Division, Aaron does a
great job there. Your membership is up by around four
hundred members are compared to twenty twenty four. You're hoping
by year's end you can get up to five hundred.
And I think Federated Farmers has had a bit of
a renaissance, and I'm sure you've played your role in
the one as well. But do you know what I reckon, Wayne,
(04:02):
you should give life memberships to Bryce McKenzie and Laurie
Patterson at Groundswell. I've I've done you a huge favor.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Have they have they? From what respect well, that've.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Made They've made in your heart that made you hard
and not believe it.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's right? So no, no, it's they certainly put up
I guess in a way from competition for us right
to show, hey, hey, this is this is some of
the sentiment of farmers out here, and we had to
have a good look at ourselves around what we're doing
and and like you say, straighten up our back and
really represent the farmers that were that are our members.
So those are some some great numbers coming out into
(04:40):
the membership numbers. Anyone that follows along would probably well
it comes to feeds a games, would know that the
membership is in a in the steady start of decline
with the land sales and amalgamations and all the sort
of thing people will retire, and so to see such
a dramatic I guess increase is really positive. I think
I told you at the start of the year this
(05:01):
is the year of membership. Now, I was hoping for
a few more than five hundred. But it's a heck
of a good start computer we've been in the past,
so that's great.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I agree with you. Now. I've also been told to
ask you from the PR department at at Fonterra. Let
me try. I had the PR department on Fontira on
yesterday PR Department at Federated Farmers to ask you how
your petition for the consenting crisis is tracking. Because yesterday's
news that the government is eventually going to get rid
of regional councils. I'm sure what have been greeted with
(05:32):
glee at Federated Farmers definitely was.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
It's a hege, a step in the right direction. We're
calling for a ten year roll over on consents. We're
wanting farmers to get them behind it, and hopefully those
in the affected areas are saying that sign the sign
the petition and help us help us to achieve that.
You know, farmers just need some certainty around their businesses
going forward, and with all this upheaval around our regional
(05:56):
councils around the RMA, we need a clear, clear direction travel.
I don't have to appreach as a converter, but you know,
we work on a seasonal basis. It takes time for
us to make change, takes time for us to do things,
and we need some certainty. So ten years will sound
like a lot some people, but it's really not. It's
just a short term really for farmers and what they're
trying to achieve.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Wayne Langthord, thanks for your time today. Enjoy your day
in Terras tomorrow. Beautiful part of the country.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Awesome jeers Jamming. Thanks
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