July 29, 2025 • 6 mins
A Canterbury farmer and former All Black discusses positivity in the primary sector. He also ponders why arable farmers may not be as confident in the recent Federated Farmers survey. And what is a “rural-rural divide”?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The country alrighty well, head down Canterbury Way, sort of
out towards the Port Hills I think these days, and
checking on some farmer confidence because this blake gets around
the traps a bit.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Richard low lowie, how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I'm good, hammers, thank you good, good good?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
How would you?
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I mean? Obviously things are across many sectors pretty pretty positive,
pretty bright? Is that the sort of is that what
you're finding out as you go about and do your
research around the various.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Traps that you go to.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, traps or social establishments. I think, yeah, that is.
And you know, returns on red meat sector are great.
You know, to buy a store cattle Bee's beef one
now you're probably looking at four and a half dollars
pus a ag. And so that's good lamb is you know,
(00:55):
lambs getting up the same way, so you know the returns,
what they can turn them into and local sales here
I know they've been up to twenty plus for good lambs.
So yeah, that tells you how per head that is,
tells you how good that is going. But and of course,
as well documented, the dairy fellows going very well.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
I's going to say, mister and missus, our farmers from
Rebecca Greaves and husband Richard and out of Polario. They
got lambs on the truck and got two hundred dollars
and four cents. That's not too bad out of that country.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Is it a cheese?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
It's great and it's good to see that's going on.
They're probably only downside for the sector at the moment.
It is probably arable farmers and you know the costs
of getting a crop and what they get for them.
And we've done the work we've done, homersh over the years.
You know, grain has been imported from Australia for our bread.
(01:55):
Even potatoes have been imported for our church because it's
cheaper to buy them from overseas than graham here.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's all that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
That one always gets me, although it's probably not as
bad as the one that we always used to talk about,
which was the bacon from Spain and Portugal and Romania
and Poland and everything, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah in Canada, Yeah it did, right, Yeah, Yeah, there's
no need for us important when we can grow out here.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, one or two other dairy boys and I say this, well,
you know, I mean you've got to run your business
and you've got to and you've got to put the
hammer down. But I understand they're all, you know, doing
pretty well with the ten dollars plus plus payout, but
one or two are sort of being when it comes
to paying the grazing not wanting to sort of overpay,
(02:42):
if you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yeah, it's probably a hard one to put a line
on the sand because these crops are all grown last
spring and summer for this winter, and the deals are
done the farmers, probably dairy farmers, probably getting a good
dollar plus more a kg now, But it's cossed the
chaps putting in those crops, whether they be swedes, kale, beat,
(03:06):
you name it. They're big pots and growing those crops,
and you know the contract grazing is probably not keeping
up with it as well as I could do.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Right, I want to be at your own farming at
the moment. Low you used to get your head in
the game, even though you sort of sold the pond
a Rosa out. Why Matt Gorgeway, you're still you're still farming.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yeah, we saw a few sheep and the other week
and had the great job of button holding before we did,
so that easy piece got to run, you know.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
The one you got me out of your ye the
handy piece, David Short's handy piece.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Rap.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh good that you're good, that
you're putting up the good use.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yes, it was good and just just yesterday actually we
got the user at the Canbarry amp because it's you know,
a bit wet there and what have you. Heavy and lamb.
We put them into the sale and I think they've
got about two empty straight off the shears. So that's
good money. You know, if you're on the other end
(04:06):
you bought that, you for two twenty want at least
one and a half lambs out of all, isn't you?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yes? You would, yeah, you'd want you'd want a minimum
of that.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I would have thought how low I put it out
there earlier in the show when I was talking to
the Prime Minister mister Luxtion about there being a rural
rural divide more than a rural urban divide. It's something
you and I used to talk about, and that you know,
it's an attitudinal thing where you talk about those that
are positive and just get on with it versus the
doom and gloommeisters who can never you can never see
(04:35):
the sort of the future or the brighter picture. I
don't think there's that much room for doom and gloom
at the moment. But you're still sense a bit of
a rural divide.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Just a few. But they are the people that probably
think food comes from the supermarket. They don't really understand
where it comes from before then. And it's quite interesting.
I've got a phone call from my daughter and grandkids
were down the other month. The highlight of the trip
was going and clicking the eggs out of the truck house.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well, no, no, no, you didn't let your grandchildren do that,
did you. Low you are irresponsible?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
The pet lamb.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Oh, no, you can't have that. The milk might be
too hot, the teeth might come off. Come on.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I think back. I think back to when my kids
were that age and went out in their treat. If
they behaved themselves and help shift the electric fence, et cetera,
I would let them have a turner, and once they
got a bit older, they were allowed to peel their
own turner. Then when the little bugger's got a bit older,
I'd be still hooking up the fence and put the
bulldog clip on the hot wire and get the message
(05:41):
down the wire somehow.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, Lowly, I think back to when I was about
eight and I discovered that pedal on the massy thirty
five to the back for you, the back of your
either side of you, but you had to reach out
and get on it to say you could spin on
a dime lock one wheel, and the old man, I'd
go in the pad, I can do that. I'd be
about eight, And the omen you put that bloody tractor away, boy,
(06:03):
there would.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Be telltale signs if he didn't know you're doing it.
And it was on the shed. So I think the
young people called them donuts and donuts.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Yes, yeah, the old messy thirty five donut. Yeah, there
you go. Well, he did teach me how to deal
with ice, with black ice.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And that was the old nineteen eighty three holding commodore
on flat out in a greasy paddock and pull the
handbrake on, and that'll show you what will happen if
you hit black ice. There you go.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
That's Richard Lowe joining us here on the country back
shortly
The country alrighty well, head down Canterbury Way, sort of
out towards the Port Hills I think these days, and
checking on some farmer confidence because this blake gets around
the traps a bit.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Richard low lowie, how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I'm good, hammers, thank you good, good good?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
How would you?
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I mean? Obviously things are across many sectors pretty pretty positive,
pretty bright? Is that the sort of is that what
you're finding out as you go about and do your
research around the various.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Traps that you go to.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, traps or social establishments. I think, yeah, that is.
And you know, returns on red meat sector are great.
You know, to buy a store cattle Bee's beef one
now you're probably looking at four and a half dollars
pus a ag. And so that's good lamb is you know,
(00:55):
lambs getting up the same way, so you know the returns,
what they can turn them into and local sales here
I know they've been up to twenty plus for good lambs.
So yeah, that tells you how per head that is,
tells you how good that is going. But and of course,
as well documented, the dairy fellows going very well.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
I's going to say, mister and missus, our farmers from
Rebecca Greaves and husband Richard and out of Polario. They
got lambs on the truck and got two hundred dollars
and four cents. That's not too bad out of that country.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Is it a cheese?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
It's great and it's good to see that's going on.
They're probably only downside for the sector at the moment.
It is probably arable farmers and you know the costs
of getting a crop and what they get for them.
And we've done the work we've done, homersh over the years.
You know, grain has been imported from Australia for our bread.
(01:55):
Even potatoes have been imported for our church because it's
cheaper to buy them from overseas than graham here.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's all that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
That one always gets me, although it's probably not as
bad as the one that we always used to talk about,
which was the bacon from Spain and Portugal and Romania
and Poland and everything, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah in Canada, Yeah it did, right, Yeah, Yeah, there's
no need for us important when we can grow out here.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, one or two other dairy boys and I say this, well,
you know, I mean you've got to run your business
and you've got to and you've got to put the
hammer down. But I understand they're all, you know, doing
pretty well with the ten dollars plus plus payout, but
one or two are sort of being when it comes
to paying the grazing not wanting to sort of overpay,
(02:42):
if you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yeah, it's probably a hard one to put a line
on the sand because these crops are all grown last
spring and summer for this winter, and the deals are
done the farmers, probably dairy farmers, probably getting a good
dollar plus more a kg now, But it's cossed the
chaps putting in those crops, whether they be swedes, kale, beat,
(03:06):
you name it. They're big pots and growing those crops,
and you know the contract grazing is probably not keeping
up with it as well as I could do.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Right, I want to be at your own farming at
the moment. Low you used to get your head in
the game, even though you sort of sold the pond
a Rosa out. Why Matt Gorgeway, you're still you're still farming.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yeah, we saw a few sheep and the other week
and had the great job of button holding before we did,
so that easy piece got to run, you know.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
The one you got me out of your ye the
handy piece, David Short's handy piece.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Rap.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh good that you're good, that
you're putting up the good use.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yes, it was good and just just yesterday actually we
got the user at the Canbarry amp because it's you know,
a bit wet there and what have you. Heavy and lamb.
We put them into the sale and I think they've
got about two empty straight off the shears. So that's
good money. You know, if you're on the other end
(04:06):
you bought that, you for two twenty want at least
one and a half lambs out of all, isn't you?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yes? You would, yeah, you'd want you'd want a minimum
of that.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I would have thought how low I put it out
there earlier in the show when I was talking to
the Prime Minister mister Luxtion about there being a rural
rural divide more than a rural urban divide. It's something
you and I used to talk about, and that you know,
it's an attitudinal thing where you talk about those that
are positive and just get on with it versus the
doom and gloommeisters who can never you can never see
(04:35):
the sort of the future or the brighter picture. I
don't think there's that much room for doom and gloom
at the moment. But you're still sense a bit of
a rural divide.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Just a few. But they are the people that probably
think food comes from the supermarket. They don't really understand
where it comes from before then. And it's quite interesting.
I've got a phone call from my daughter and grandkids
were down the other month. The highlight of the trip
was going and clicking the eggs out of the truck house.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well, no, no, no, you didn't let your grandchildren do that,
did you. Low you are irresponsible?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
The pet lamb.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Oh, no, you can't have that. The milk might be
too hot, the teeth might come off. Come on.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I think back. I think back to when my kids
were that age and went out in their treat. If
they behaved themselves and help shift the electric fence, et cetera,
I would let them have a turner, and once they
got a bit older, they were allowed to peel their
own turner. Then when the little bugger's got a bit older,
I'd be still hooking up the fence and put the
bulldog clip on the hot wire and get the message
(05:41):
down the wire somehow.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, Lowly, I think back to when I was about
eight and I discovered that pedal on the massy thirty
five to the back for you, the back of your
either side of you, but you had to reach out
and get on it to say you could spin on
a dime lock one wheel, and the old man, I'd
go in the pad, I can do that. I'd be
about eight, And the omen you put that bloody tractor away, boy,
(06:03):
there would.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Be telltale signs if he didn't know you're doing it.
And it was on the shed. So I think the
young people called them donuts and donuts.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Yes, yeah, the old messy thirty five donut. Yeah, there
you go. Well, he did teach me how to deal
with ice, with black ice.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And that was the old nineteen eighty three holding commodore
on flat out in a greasy paddock and pull the
handbrake on, and that'll show you what will happen if
you hit black ice. There you go.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
That's Richard Lowe joining us here on the country back
shortly
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