July 27, 2025 • 6 mins
Federated Farmers National President talks about the Feds’ latest Farm Confidence Survey, which is looking rather positive.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
First up today though it is mister Yolo himself White
Length and of course Federated Farmers a national president. Can
I waite?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How are you am sure? Good to be here? Thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Good to chat. Okay, So we've had the latest farmer
confidence survey, some some green shoots of positivity happening.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, I think it's a re affirming probably the sentiment
that was popping out during a field days and probably
over a few winter conferences and that sort of thing
as well. That, yeah, that farmer confidence has lifted and
there's definitely some positivity out there, which is just fantastic.
It's great to have the survey re affirm that.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
What's driving it? But I mean, we know farmgate prices
across the board and what many respects are up. What
else is? What else is helping this boost in confidence?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, well you're right, farm gate farmergate prices always helped.
But certainly a clawback announcement, you know that that really
steadying out seem to drop and drop an interest to
us help as well. And then you know a bit
more certainty around some of the regulation coming out both
from central and local government. Although I will add in
(01:09):
there that that local government's you know, moved up the
list and there's more of a concern for farmers and
what it's been in the past.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, still raising their ugly heads, aren't they? The old
regulation and compliance.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Well at will. I mean that's what I'm here to
help farmers fight, and that's what we're doing. It's good
to see that we're getting some good results. There was
a lot of announcements made last year in twenty twenty
five and twenty twenty six said, I mean sorry last
year twenty twenty four, I'm getting hid to myself. Twenty
twenty five. We've got to you know, we've got to
get in and get some results. And so we're working
through that now. I think we're making some pretty good
(01:41):
ground and that's ultimately showing through on some of these
figures as well.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, fantastic. One thing that I think must be helping
too is that I see that forty three percent of
farmers are targeting a debt reduction. I mean, that's that's
that's a real good thing too. When you can see that,
you know, that old, that old you know, well, you know,
reckon the heat going in a downward direction. Oh I
does it? What? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, I think there has not too many farmers that
can get out a bit of the morning and are
conscious of their bed. They're stuck them behind their back.
So it's great to see that going down. More farmers
moving into profitability, which is fantastic. And and like you say,
with the with the red meat and the dairy price
is going the way out they are, that's understandable. I'm
really conscious that their airable sector isn't quite shining just
(02:28):
as much as the other two and and so we'll
be looking at doing some work with the government around
what we can do to help them out and to
get their prices up. Typically well, they should hopefully follow
the red meat and the dairy, you know, and the
other hopeful that the grain boys can get a bit
more out of their dairy farmers and that sort of thing.
But it there's something that we're going to be conscious
(02:49):
of that that sector doesn't get left behind.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah. Absolutely. Another another issue is getting up and realizing
how how do you get through the day if you
haven't got the star levels you need staffing difficulties. That
has eased a little.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Bit, yeah, it has. It will always be a constant
concern and technically as farmers are looking at building their
businesses again. And then I say that because that's what
the survey telling us. Hey, we've got confidence, we're wanting
to invest. There's a bit more money in the market again,
and so we're looking at what we can do with
our farming businesses. So making sure that we've got a
(03:25):
skilled workforce to match that is incredibly important and it's
probably something that's gone off the dial of bit over
the last year or so and it's spent some pretty
significant changes in terms of the training on the ground.
So so something is moving back up to the priority
list to make sure that the you know, the the
workflow matches, matches the investment going in.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Himus mccaugh and for Jamie McAll on the country, Wayne
Langford of course, feder right a Farmer's National President Wine
you're sort of right in the heart of it down there.
Recent weather events in your region Nelson, what it feeds
here and seeing on the ground around they and what
does the timeline look like for some farmers.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, it's been a really interesting month for us. We've
been pretty heavily involved with with our members baticularly and
in the mainly in the Nelson regions. A couple there
in Malbor and a couple over and Golden Bay as
well that have been affected and so working with them
very closely thankfully. I mean, I'm always wanted to look
for the positives, but it is a it is a
(04:25):
smaller event, but that doesn't mean it's not affecting those
farmers that have been affected, you know, hugely as well.
So we've been able to really specifically target those farmers
that have been affected and then get on board. It's
been invested and fantastic was out on Saturday, you know,
watching the dozers and the diggers get to work. So
that's that's great and really good to be out offer
(04:45):
that that real practical help, you know, not just not
just pulling stuff offenses, but actually get diggers and bulldozers
out there. And that's that's through the money that's been
donated through the Farmer's Adverse Events Trust, some of the
support from MPI and in Farmlands and FMT few of
Fear those others that are a boult here as well,
So you know, really great to have that support from
everyone that's got in behind it well.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
And when you got me started and we all make
LOWI a few years back on the old Yolo journey.
You only live once. It's important. I almost got it tattooed.
I haven't quite gone that far, but it certainly was
something that stuck with me, resonated with me. And of course,
with carving and lambing coming up, and you know, tough
weather events we've got, farmers really got to look after themselves,
(05:28):
don't they, and avoid burning out at a stressful time
of the year. Nothing more important than your own top
two inches oh undred percent.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
And it's really easy to do. I get stuck and
stuck in the run and stuck in the system of
what's happening, you know, I always said to my wife,
for you know, carving and lambing, it's a marathon, not
a sprint, you know, and you've got to look you know,
when you when you work through a marathon, you to
look after yourself and and this is this is no different.
So make sure you've identified you know when you're going
(05:58):
to get tired, what you're going to put place to
get tied. And most importantly for me, it's it's just
getting off farm just a little bit, just to get
your head into a different world and make sure you're
thinking about something else other than than you know that
smell like lost from cows and the cars and the
car fits and everything that comes with it. Yeah, it's
really important.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yeah yeah, No, fantastic. Hi Wayne, always good to chat.
Thank you very much for your time that as Wayne Langford,
Federated Farmers National President,
First up today though it is mister Yolo himself White
Length and of course Federated Farmers a national president. Can
I waite?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How are you am sure? Good to be here? Thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Good to chat. Okay, So we've had the latest farmer
confidence survey, some some green shoots of positivity happening.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, I think it's a re affirming probably the sentiment
that was popping out during a field days and probably
over a few winter conferences and that sort of thing
as well. That, yeah, that farmer confidence has lifted and
there's definitely some positivity out there, which is just fantastic.
It's great to have the survey re affirm that.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
What's driving it? But I mean, we know farmgate prices
across the board and what many respects are up. What
else is? What else is helping this boost in confidence?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, well you're right, farm gate farmergate prices always helped.
But certainly a clawback announcement, you know that that really
steadying out seem to drop and drop an interest to
us help as well. And then you know a bit
more certainty around some of the regulation coming out both
from central and local government. Although I will add in
(01:09):
there that that local government's you know, moved up the
list and there's more of a concern for farmers and
what it's been in the past.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, still raising their ugly heads, aren't they? The old
regulation and compliance.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Well at will. I mean that's what I'm here to
help farmers fight, and that's what we're doing. It's good
to see that we're getting some good results. There was
a lot of announcements made last year in twenty twenty
five and twenty twenty six said, I mean sorry last
year twenty twenty four, I'm getting hid to myself. Twenty
twenty five. We've got to you know, we've got to
get in and get some results. And so we're working
through that now. I think we're making some pretty good
(01:41):
ground and that's ultimately showing through on some of these
figures as well.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, fantastic. One thing that I think must be helping
too is that I see that forty three percent of
farmers are targeting a debt reduction. I mean, that's that's
that's a real good thing too. When you can see that,
you know, that old, that old you know, well, you know,
reckon the heat going in a downward direction. Oh I
does it? What? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, I think there has not too many farmers that
can get out a bit of the morning and are
conscious of their bed. They're stuck them behind their back.
So it's great to see that going down. More farmers
moving into profitability, which is fantastic. And and like you say,
with the with the red meat and the dairy price
is going the way out they are, that's understandable. I'm
really conscious that their airable sector isn't quite shining just
(02:28):
as much as the other two and and so we'll
be looking at doing some work with the government around
what we can do to help them out and to
get their prices up. Typically well, they should hopefully follow
the red meat and the dairy, you know, and the
other hopeful that the grain boys can get a bit
more out of their dairy farmers and that sort of thing.
But it there's something that we're going to be conscious
(02:49):
of that that sector doesn't get left behind.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah. Absolutely. Another another issue is getting up and realizing
how how do you get through the day if you
haven't got the star levels you need staffing difficulties. That
has eased a little.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Bit, yeah, it has. It will always be a constant
concern and technically as farmers are looking at building their
businesses again. And then I say that because that's what
the survey telling us. Hey, we've got confidence, we're wanting
to invest. There's a bit more money in the market again,
and so we're looking at what we can do with
our farming businesses. So making sure that we've got a
(03:25):
skilled workforce to match that is incredibly important and it's
probably something that's gone off the dial of bit over
the last year or so and it's spent some pretty
significant changes in terms of the training on the ground.
So so something is moving back up to the priority
list to make sure that the you know, the the
workflow matches, matches the investment going in.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Himus mccaugh and for Jamie McAll on the country, Wayne
Langford of course, feder right a Farmer's National President Wine
you're sort of right in the heart of it down there.
Recent weather events in your region Nelson, what it feeds
here and seeing on the ground around they and what
does the timeline look like for some farmers.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, it's been a really interesting month for us. We've
been pretty heavily involved with with our members baticularly and
in the mainly in the Nelson regions. A couple there
in Malbor and a couple over and Golden Bay as
well that have been affected and so working with them
very closely thankfully. I mean, I'm always wanted to look
for the positives, but it is a it is a
(04:25):
smaller event, but that doesn't mean it's not affecting those
farmers that have been affected, you know, hugely as well.
So we've been able to really specifically target those farmers
that have been affected and then get on board. It's
been invested and fantastic was out on Saturday, you know,
watching the dozers and the diggers get to work. So
that's that's great and really good to be out offer
(04:45):
that that real practical help, you know, not just not
just pulling stuff offenses, but actually get diggers and bulldozers
out there. And that's that's through the money that's been
donated through the Farmer's Adverse Events Trust, some of the
support from MPI and in Farmlands and FMT few of
Fear those others that are a boult here as well,
So you know, really great to have that support from
everyone that's got in behind it well.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
And when you got me started and we all make
LOWI a few years back on the old Yolo journey.
You only live once. It's important. I almost got it tattooed.
I haven't quite gone that far, but it certainly was
something that stuck with me, resonated with me. And of course,
with carving and lambing coming up, and you know, tough
weather events we've got, farmers really got to look after themselves,
(05:28):
don't they, and avoid burning out at a stressful time
of the year. Nothing more important than your own top
two inches oh undred percent.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
And it's really easy to do. I get stuck and
stuck in the run and stuck in the system of
what's happening, you know, I always said to my wife,
for you know, carving and lambing, it's a marathon, not
a sprint, you know, and you've got to look you know,
when you when you work through a marathon, you to
look after yourself and and this is this is no different.
So make sure you've identified you know when you're going
(05:58):
to get tired, what you're going to put place to
get tied. And most importantly for me, it's it's just
getting off farm just a little bit, just to get
your head into a different world and make sure you're
thinking about something else other than than you know that
smell like lost from cows and the cars and the
car fits and everything that comes with it. Yeah, it's
really important.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yeah yeah, No, fantastic. Hi Wayne, always good to chat.
Thank you very much for your time that as Wayne Langford,
Federated Farmers National President,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.