August 3, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Riley Kennedy, Chris Brandolino, and Farmer Tom Martin.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Just one and then my hot word book and we
were on the moon Lion Erny.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You sky oh.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Back, want a gene Church bells ray and then called
none to say it's a.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Rash nice sky.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Gooday New Zealand and welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McCay.
I'm like a one armed paper hanger in here today.
Got information coming out in my backside quite literally. We've
got a new All Blacks team that's just been named.
I'm trying to quickly power read this one. I remember
I don't see any new Caps, but there are some
new Caps who have been named in the squad as
(01:15):
injury cover and we'll come back to these a wee
bit later. But great to see Leroy Carter from the
Bay of Plenty in Chiefs being in the squad. He
should be in the squad full stop. Fantastic yesterday for
the Steamers. Kyle Preston's in there as well, the Crusaders
and Wellington halfback Tavita Mathalao. Also Hurricanes and Bay have
(01:41):
plenty injury cover for Tyrol Lomax. More about that later,
But other breaking news today, we have abolished n CEEA.
We're going to kick off the as we know it
with David Seymour. He's got something to do with education,
he'll tell me in a tick. But more importantly I
want to ask the Deputy Prime Minister what if anything,
(02:02):
we can do about Trump's fifteen percent tariff that was
announced on Friday. We're going to talk to Riley Kennedy
out of business desk in Auckland there. He's their primary
sector journo along the way to deal to recapitalize their
Lions Group appears to be nearing the oil seems to
be that Irish meat company Dawn Meats is going to
(02:25):
take a seventy percent steak at two hundred and seventy million.
So much for the co op A. Chris Brandolino Earth
Science New Zealand formerly NIWA updating well, they've got an
updated three month outlook. And earlier this morning I caught
up with a farmer, Tom Martin. Believe it or not,
him and his dad are suing the British government over
(02:48):
the inheritance tax TB has been found on Didley Squat
Farm and what does that mean for British farmers now
that the most high profile one is battling tea. But
let's kick it off with the Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour. David,
good afternoon, Thanks for waiting through that long intro.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
What's the story informative?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Well, thank you, David. I've hopefully I've brought Chris.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Have they brought Christian cullenby.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
No, he hasn't been brought back. He might be a
bit like you and I, a bit long in the tooth,
but we'll come back to the all black squad. Talk
to me about the fifteen percent tariff. And I heard
the Prime Minister speaking to Mike Cosking this morning. The
reality of it is we've just got to do what
we've told, what we're told when it comes to this from.
Speaker 5 (03:37):
The US Well, I always a big fan of I
think it was Saint Francis of ASSISI said the trick
in life is to have the courage to change the
things you can, the serenity to accept the things you can't,
to the wisdom to know the difference. You know, we'll
continue doing what well we've been doing for a while.
Which is just quietly talking to the American government saying,
(03:58):
look where some of the good guys here, we're free
traders ourselves. It doesn't make a lot of sense for
us to be punished. And by and large, I mean,
you know, a couple of countries got ten percent, but
fifteen is pretty good. But that doesn't mean that it's
good enough for a free tradeing country like New Zealand
that would prefer tariffs to be zero everywhere if we
(04:22):
had our way, because when you trade, people can specialize,
do what they're good at. Everyone eats more, and that
the New Zealand agricultural sector is a perfect example of that.
So then you say, all right, that's our position. Can
we change it? Maybe, But at some point we've got
to accept that the democratic country, they elected their own government,
(04:44):
they make their own policy. And then we come back
to okay, what else can we change? Opening up trade agreements?
So working really hard on India, you know, done good
work with the Gulf States and also UAE, growing trade
now with the EU and the UK as those trade
areements come on stream, and then we sort of say, okay,
(05:06):
look in there is the one that we'd really like
to get. The second thing is, you know, you can
talk about market access and obviously the government's working hard
on that, including with the United States, but ultimately it
comes down to what do you have to sell? And
ideally you have stuff to sell what people are beating
a path to your door asking if they could buy it,
(05:28):
rather than us going to their door begging to sell it.
And that's one area where you know, at least the
last forty years, in particular the New Zealand primary industries
have been one of, if not the greatest example in
the world of a group of people who relentlessly innovate
and provide stuff that everyone's beating a path to your
(05:50):
door to buy.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
While you were going through that wonderful dissertation there, David,
I did get a text from a lowly National Party
back bench Grant McCallum. Do you know Grant?
Speaker 5 (06:02):
I do, yes, he's actually a very good example of
someone who can overcome disadvantage. His parents sent him to
King's College and that you can really ruin a lot
of people. I know a few people who have been
ruined that way. He's actually turned out as a half
season blow. Well.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
He just sent me a text and he said that
I was remiss and saying no new caps and the
squad because Simon Parker from Northland is a new Cap,
and he says feel free to mention to see more
that Kings are going to beat Grammar again this weekend
in New Auckland school semi final. So good on you,
Grant mcnational. We'll have more about that all black team
(06:42):
at the bottom of the hour. Okay. So it would
appear to me and I was reading that text while
you were talking, I wasn't paying total attention. I should
be slapped on the wrist and made to reset NCEEA
David Seymour. But if we'd run a trade deficit with
the US, like for instance, Australia does, we would have
got a ten percent tariff too. Is that correct?
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Well, that's I don't want to speak for the US government,
but that's certainly what they've intimated.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Ye.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Yeah, So I've read other commentary on this this morning.
At ten percent, especially when it comes to the likes
of beef and maybe some of our fine wines, I
don't know the market was prepared to absorb it. They
won't be at fifteen percent when they can get Ossie
beef at ten percent.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Well, you're reading an argument that New Zealand produce is
no more than five percent better than Aussie I reckon,
we can beat the Aussies by five percent, and that's
that's reality. You know, we will do our best to
change it, but we may have to have the serenity
to accept what we can't change, and then it's simply
a question of well, what can we do to access
(07:56):
other markets, how can we compete them even with the margin,
and go from there.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So I also heard Tim Grossis speaking on zb this
morning saying basically what you've said, we have zero chance
of changing Trump's minds, so we've got to put up
with the deal we're given. Are we wasting taxpayers' money
by putting Todd McClay business class over to the US
to talk to them because we're not going to change anything.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Well, I think you can answer the question for yourself.
If the New Zealand government was not sending a minister
to speak to officials on the US government, I think
we'd be told that that was neglectful. And if we said, well,
we're not doing it in order to save one f
I think people would say that was pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Oh no, I was using that it was a poor example.
We do share We do share a headline reciprocal tariff
rate with Venezuela, a country run by a regime the
US once refused to recognize. Venezuela does not have an
FBI office.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
David Seymour, you know, I remember the days when people
on the left of New Zealand politics used to say
that Venezuela was an example of socialism and action and
something that we should look up to. And every now
and then it just pays to remind these characters that
socialism doesn't work. It's never worked, makes people poor, and
it also leads to a lot of violence. And that's
(09:22):
your public addressed announcement just for today.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Do you know anything? And we're going to talk to
Riley Kennedy from Business Desk about this shortly regarding the
potential sale own of our only farmer owned meat cooperative
or Meat process and Cooperative of the Alliance Group to
an Irish meat company or seventy percent stake they're supposedly
going to take in it. I also read commentary this
(09:48):
morning that it shouldn't have any trouble getting past act
or National, but Winston might kick up a wee bit
about it.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
Well, let's just see. I mean, I'm a little bit
responsible as the Minister for Overseas Investment Policy, but I
haven't dealt with that particular one. I mean, I just
make the point that, you know, New Zealand is a
country where we have low wages and a lot of people,
you know, very angry about the prices of things in supermarkets,
(10:19):
particularly dairy products lately. And I always try and put
it around the other way. The problem is not that
dairy prices are high. That's a good thing for New Zealand.
The problem is that on average New Zealand wages are low,
and that leads to a lot of frustration with prices.
So then you say, okay, we'll wire wages low in
part because New Zealand workers have less capital to work with,
(10:43):
we have less sophisticated machinery. It's not that we don't
work hard in New Zealand, we just can't produce as
much as people off shore who have more investment. And
then you say, okay, well you've got two basic choices.
You know, you can try and be an island in
a metaphorical scene as well as literal and say we
don't want the world to send us money. We don't
(11:04):
want their know how we want to basically chop our
nose off. Despite our face. All we can say, well,
you know, more capital means fire, productivity means small wages,
and there's a lot more capital outside New Zealand's borders
that are inside. So where we're going to get it.
So if I just take a very I don't know,
I guess you might say engineer's approach to this wages,
(11:27):
good productivity, good capital, needed capital overseas, Let's get it.
And that way New Zealanders can produce more, earn more
and buy more of the stuff that we all want.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Well, let's put on your education hat. A radical shakeup
of the country's main secondary school qualification. We'll see nc
EA abolished and replaced with two new qualifications at year
twelve and thirteen and having educationalists. Can I put it
that way? Teachers in our family, I think be support
(12:00):
I think NCA has let us down and has led
our young people down.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Yeah, well kind of case. How long have you got
I mean? Strangely, this was the thing that first made
me pay attention to politics. My principle at the school
I went to had a massive public fight with Trevor
Mallard over the introduction of NCA. His name was John
Morris and he's been proven right and basically everything he
(12:28):
said twenty five years ago. He said that if you
didn't have a clear exam that is sat by everybody,
with a bunch of things that you have to know
and you can't avoid, then what would happen is that
you'd end up with different standards at different schools because
different teaching and different assessment styles, children choose different credits.
(12:52):
And what's basically happened is the NCDA. You know, we
don't want to tell children that are working hard on
it right now that it's not worth anything, because it
is worth something, but it's worth what you put into it.
It's worth the value of the credits that you get,
especially if you take the heart and more rigorous ones.
But as a system for a country that is trying
to transfer valuable knowledge from one generation to the next,
(13:16):
it is a terrible failure because it doesn't have that
core base of knowledge. These are the things one generation
wants to pass on and we will test you and
assess you to see if you've learned it now in
the time that we've had the NCAA. We've gone from
a top five country in the world according to the
(13:37):
OECD to being something like twenty second in the world
for maths for example. That's not good enough. I mean
children today at fifteen years old know about one year
less of learning, or it's like they've been at school
one year less than the same age children back at
(13:57):
the start of the century when NCAA started. So look,
I think it's been a real problem. I think it
can still work for students, but we need it to
work for everybody. And that's why I just think, you know,
in a way, it's kind of the reason I got
interested in politics, and I'm thrilled to be part of
a government.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
I just want to quickly finish on David Sema. I
know you're probably a keen watcher of a Q and
A with Jack Tame. Did you see that young guy who,
you know, the tech startup billionaire with his education system
talking about nca and why, for instance, our education systems
letting our kids down. And the comment that's stuck to
(14:39):
me was he's got thirty degrees or something like that,
and he still gets exam anxiety. He says, that's a
good thing, and he's dead right. We give them a
soft run with internal credits and all this sort of nonsense.
But life is about pass or fail, and you do
have to handle the pressure, whether it's the pressure of
an exam or the pressure of a w workload that
(15:00):
might come in your daily job. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Look, I agree with that sentiment. At some point, life
is going to send you a tough challenge, and ideally
it's not the first tough challenge you faced, because all
your life you've faced a series of increasingly large challenges
that have built up your resilience and your confidence over time. Now,
when you get a generation who are hugely anxious, massive
(15:28):
problems when it comes to mental health, and the number
of children that report that the distressed mentally is basically
quadrupled in the last fifteen years, you have to wonder
how much of that is because you don't have that
long series of small challenges the way that we did
in the past. And so in a way, trying to
(15:50):
be kind and taking a softly, softly approach has actually
left children less resilient and able to face the challenges
in their life and actually ironically less them more mentally distressed.
So you know, I completely endorse those sentiments.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
Well, being kind is so twenty seventeen to twenty twenty three,
isn't it, David, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
We tried that. Now it's got to be real good
on you.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Thanks for your time, David Seymour, Act Party Leader, Deputy
Prime Minister. And he's something to do with education. I'm
getting information overload and here everyone's sending me messages and
I'm a bloke. I can't multitask. I can only do
one thing at a time. Just and thanks to Grant
McCullum for correcting us on that All Black squad. So
(16:36):
there's only one new cap in the actual squad, but
there are three other new caps and for injury covers,
so uncapped Chiefs and Northland Lucy Simon Parker has been
included in the All Blacks Rugby Championship squad, which features
returns for Tamighty Williams and Wallace Setti, both great players.
With three more uncapped players are going to travel to
(16:59):
Argentine as injury cover. So we finally sort of got
that one right up. Next the Alliance group, let me
get rid of my papers with all Black themes on
them and try and find my paper with information on
this one. So the Irish Times put out a story
over the weekend or on Friday that Dawn Meats looks
(17:22):
set to stump up with two hundred and seventy million
dollars for a seventy percent steak in the Alliance Group,
which is at this stage the country's only fully farmer
owned red meat cooperative. Interestingly, apparently, Dawn Meats I was
reading also this morning were under bidders to Shanghai Mailing
for a bite at Silver Fern Farms when they did
(17:45):
their joint venture. So trouble at mill and the meat industry.
Next with Riley Kennedy from Business Desk, we don't say
(18:12):
the nerve what I've got to welcome back to the country.
A bit of Selene on it the behest of our
next guest that rhymes, didn't it? Riley Kennedy, primary sector
journo at Business Desk. I'm not a big Selene fan,
(18:34):
but this is all right. This is the Selene with
the beg's. I can live with that.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Riley.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
How are you well?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
I'm not bad now. You've been doing some interesting work
around the recapitalization of the Alliance Group we know that
the status quo cannot remain. But the Irish Times came
out with the story over the weekend, or it might
have been Friday. So the inside oil, well the oil
appears to be that they're going to pay two hundred
(19:03):
and seventy million dollars New Zealand for a seventy percent
stake in the Alliance Group cooperative. Are they getting a
bargain or are they paying too much?
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Well, it's a fasting investment bank, is that? But it
sort of really confirms the speculation that's been going on
for a long time that it was Dawn. I suppose
a new Dawn that waits for Alliance. But this process
has been going on for eighteen months, I think, you know,
And so we're really getting to that. I suspect this
time next week, No, I think I think.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
It's next Tuesday. Isn't it the twelfth of September?
Speaker 6 (19:36):
Yeah? Yeah, this week we'll be having a different conversation,
and I justspect we probably won't be proven wrong on
that speculation.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
No, No, normally where the smoke this fire. So it
looks like it is Dawn meets, but there were other suitors,
Is that right?
Speaker 5 (19:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (19:50):
Silver Fon Farms were the only New Zealand processor to
come out and say that they were interested what formed,
but I don't think that went any further. I think
every New Zealand process have probably looked at it in
terms of consolidation because the red meat sector in New Zealand,
I mean, weird would be as simplistic we're putting it,
but quite an awkward situation where global demand for red
(20:13):
meat is at near record levels, particularly for beef, but
in New Zealand we don't have them supply of last
stop to match that. Then we also have sixty process
plants and I think everyone is of the opinion that
that can't continue. So I think every New Zealand process
have probably looked at it for in terms of consolidation.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Wouldn't it be a better deal for New Zealand farmers
if we could get like a mega merger And we've
talked about these for decades, but a mega merger between
Silver Ferned Farms and the Alliance Group might be a
better result for New Zealand red meat farmers than having
an overseas company take a seventy percent steak. They also
take seventy percent of the profits you would assume. And
(20:54):
I was talking to former Alliance chairman John Turner thening
I've been working the phones. You'll be pleased to know Riley,
and he said, originally the Alliance Group was set up
in the sixties to stop overseas companies ripping off in
his words, New Zealand farmers. Are we going back to
the future.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
Yeah, well, well you could say that equally. You could
say that door meat might bring other markets to New Zealand,
or access to markets the zel that we currently don't have.
I was at the red meat comments the other day
and I asked someone, is a time for a frontier
of the red meat industry at a time that we
have a single desk it's sort of exporter in New
(21:37):
Zealand to help with that consolidation. But I think there's
a lot of water to go under the bridge before
the fine printers put on the steel.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
So okay, we'll run with the numbers we've been given
at this stage. Its supposition, I know, but two hundred
and seventy million. That's one hundred and forty million euros
for that seventy percent stake. But when I look through
my raft of pages in front of me, the Alliance
Group already has loans and borrowings of two hundred and
(22:07):
thirty two million, so you know, they're barely covering their debt.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
Yeah, and I think the most interesting part will be
what if for all, any payment has made to farmers,
as Bigby will be, and what their joint venture looks
like and with a you know, it's it's a minority
stake by the cooperative where the Alliance Cooperative continues but
has a thirty percent stake in the operating company of Alliance,
(22:35):
similar to Silver and Fund.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
But that that, well, it's not quite similar because Silver
fir and Farms. Correct me if I'm wrong. Fifty to fifty,
isn't it with Shanghai Island.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
It's fifty to fifty. But whether the structure is the same,
and whether the cooperative has a thirty percent steak as
opposed to fifty percent, well.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Well I'm assuming it will because I mean, well, they
are a cooperative and they'll have to do something with
the farmer shares. But it's not a very powerful stak.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
No, No, it's not that city was seen. Are still
it's better than nothing at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Really, Oh yeah, I don't know Okay, so how does
this thing? How does this thing play out? We wait
till next Tuesday, do we? Because I've been looking even
all these disgruntled and I know a lot of them
because I'm a Southland and myself high profile, high powered
Southland shareholders, none of them are prepared to talk. They
(23:26):
don't want to say anything, and I guess I'd understand that,
and that's fair enough. They don't want to compromise the situation.
I know a lot of work has been going on
in the background, but it would it appear to me
that maybe not all the Farmer shareholders are very happy
with this proposal.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
No, I suspect not, and I suspect there will be
some level of opposition to Winston Peters and jail First
have said that, you know, they will look to put
up some sort of opposition to it. But I would
be very surprised if this goes through without any of opposition,
as the Shanghai Mailing and Silvan Farms deal ten years ago.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
That there was one other interesting comment in the story
from the Irish Times, and that was from David Pinckney.
Now David or his family owns one of the biggest
and best farming operations in the country Clenary station down
and down not far from where I was born and raised,
and he's saying, maybe he's throwing this, he's flying this kite.
(24:26):
Maybe with the improvement and red meat returns that there
may be perhaps an appetite from Farmers shareholders to fund it.
There wasn't last time when they asked for an internal
capital race. I'm not sure if I was an Alliance shareholder,
I'd be keen to tip more money in what are
you hearing now?
Speaker 6 (24:44):
The Alliones were very clear throughout the some tire process
that they had that Farmers had three options. They either
stumped up and recapitalized it and that didn't go that well,
which she was external factor does at play there with
the slump and the red net market. There was either
going to be a JV or the entire business of Soul,
and it appears that it's going to be a JV.
But I think the time to recapitalize it's probably past.
(25:07):
Well Farmer's recapitalizing it. Sorry, it has probably passed and
now it's time to move on with whatever deal they
bring out on Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Well, you can hear Selena in the background it's time
to bid you farewell. Riley Kennedy. You keep up the
good work at Business Desk.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
It is twenty five away from one. Okay, we're going
to quickly catch up with Chris Brandolina. I'm going to
run myself shorter time again here today. I need better
time management. Earth Science New Zealand. That's what they're called,
isn't it now? Neil updated there there or they've gotten
updated three months out look most important three months on
the farming calendar too, August, September and October. Earlier this
(25:48):
morning I caught up the UK correspondent farmer Tom Martin.
You're going to hear that as well, and we'll update
that all Black squad for you and Sports news and
Michelle will be in for Rural News.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Righty.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
I I've tracked him down. Chris Brandolino missed him on Friday.
We always get our man here on the country. Chris
from Earth Sciences News or Earth Science and z formerly
known as newa You're updated three months outlook for the
most important three months on the farming calendar, August, September
and October. What do you got for us?
Speaker 5 (26:29):
Mate?
Speaker 7 (26:30):
Yeah? Look, I know it's been chilly the past few days.
We had some cold mornings across especially the South Island
and certainly parts of the North Island, but that will
not be a theen Jammy for the next three months.
I think for much of New Zealand we're expect above
average temperature, so that could be you know what that
means in terms of a farming contact, perhaps an early
start to the growing season. We still at the watch
for frost. I mean, look, it's winter and early spring,
(26:52):
so these things will happen. Bought our expectations that cold
snaps and frosts are likely to be simply less frequent
than what is usual. Notice Less frequent does not equal zero,
so let's be abundantly clear in rainfall. Rainfall is expected
to be above normal for northern and eastern parts of
the North Island, so I think those area have the
best chances for one are than usual conditions Bay a Plenty, Hawks, Bay, Tadafati, Gisbankora,
(27:17):
Mandel Wakatto, Northland Auckland one.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
Area, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (27:21):
If there's going to be unusually dry weather over the
next three months, or I guess if we have below
normal rainfall, it'll likely be the west of the South Island,
and that's one area where we're thinking that either normal
or below normal rainfall will occur over the three month period,
so places like Southland, interior Otago on the west coast,
(27:41):
that'll be a place worth watching. So again La Nina
is going to emerge it looks like as one of
the main climate drivers over the next few months, and
not a really driver airflows and therefore rainfall patterns as well.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
It was nice to say the Tasman Nelson region kind
of dodge a bullet at the end of last week
was because that could have been a lot uglier.
Speaker 7 (28:02):
Yeah, they got a lot of rain, but I think
what happened is that there was that about ten to
twelve day period where it was largely dry weather and
that did help. And where the rain fell too. It
depends on where exactly in the catchings, but you're right, Jamie,
to your point, it certainly could have been a lot worse.
And were those airflows less westerlies. We're expecting the next
(28:23):
three months, so we'll get wester just less of them,
but they're going to be replaced with more kind of
east to northeast winds and when we get those air flows,
particularly from the northeast or northerly type wind. That is
when we run the risk for these big rainfall events.
So I think for August, I have to watch the
second half of August. That is when things are coming
together where we could see a noticeable increase with our weather,
(28:47):
especially influences from the north, so we could see more
active weather chants for big rainfall events second half of August.
Especially until then, we'll watch later this week. It looks
like a decent rainfall event for the west of the South.
File get some ranks of the north of the North
Island as well Friday night to Saturday. But again it's
middle part of August and beyond wipe to keep your
eyes on.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Okay, mate, got to go. Thanks for your time. Chris
Brandolino from NIWA. No time to waste. Michelle's got rural news.
We'll update the All Blacks team for you in sports
news as well. Farmer Tom Martin before the end of
the hour from the UK. He's suing the government along
with his dad. Interesting. Thank you soon, welcome back to
(29:36):
the country. The show was brought to you by Brant
very shortly the latest and rural news and sports news.
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backing farmers for the long haul. Yes, there you go.
Good idea good deal from ASB. That one right coming
up to quarter away from one year with the country,
we're running horribly out of time. You have to do
a quick edit on Farmer Tom you might get him
in two parts. Some of your feedback the irishape are
natural rugby racing and beer brothers. We should be welcome
(31:03):
them with open arms to our meat industry. And there's
another one coming in overseas. Ownership means they'll take a
percentage of profits, but at least there will be a profit.
Well maybe true. Interesting. We're expecting that announcement next Tuesday,
September the twelfth, as we understand it. Here's Michelle with
the latest in rural.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
News, the country's world news with Cob Cadet, New Zealand's
leading right on lawn Bower brand visit Steelford dot cot
on incid for your local.
Speaker 8 (31:34):
Stockerst And some news out of Canterbury belief trading rural
police stations for suburban hubs will let down rural Canterbury communities.
Police are consulting on a proposal to reduce personnel disestablishing
some rural roles in favor of larger twenty four to
seven hubs based in Rolston and Ringing Aura. Steve was
a police officer in cold in the late nineties and
(31:55):
early two thousands, and he says it's a terrible idea.
He says rural community. These produced key staples like milk,
meat and milk, and those people deserve law enforcement presence.
And that's your rural news has sport.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Sport with AFCO. Visit them online at AFCO dot co
dot nzed.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
So, after being corrected by Grant mcnasal McCullum that we
do have a new All Black cap, let's read out
that team Finley Christy and uncapped crusader Kyle Preston that
blocks come from nowhere, by the way, have been handed
call ups as the All Blacks deal with a half
back injury crisis ahead of the Rugby Championship. They're part
(32:35):
of a six player group named as injury cover for
the start of the tournament, covering the absences of Cameron
Roy Guard and Noah A. Hotham. They have Plenty Duo
Leroy Carter and Taveta Maffa Lao come in for Caleb
Clark and Tyrl Lomas, respectively. George Bauer and Josh Lord
(32:59):
complete the injury cover group for to Mighty Williams and
Luke Jacobson. Uncapped chiefs Lucy Simon Parker has been named
in the squad outright ahead of Christian Leo Willie and
Dalton Popolee whose pants are always too tight. But great
to see Leo Leroy, should I say carter In there?
(33:23):
Up next? Farmer Tom Martin caught up with him earlier
this morning. Here's our farming correspondent in the UK, Farmer
Tom Martin's social media influencer and now he can add
to his list of achievements. Sewer of the government. Yes,
he's suing the government over the very very unpopular inheritance
(33:46):
tax in the UK for farmers and farmer Tom, you've
got big time support on this, or support in high
places President Trump.
Speaker 9 (33:56):
Well, that's true. I mean I don't want to pick
you up on your terminology there, Jamie, but I wouldn't
describe myself as the sewer of the government. The sewer
of the government of course, is down down in Westwinster.
But yeah, it's great, I mean great to hear Trump
just speaking so candidly. And you know, he's an interesting character,
isn't He is me old the dawn, but certainly speaking
(34:17):
pretty passionately about his farmers and the way that he
is he thinks he's protecting them. I mean, he did
say that we there's not an estate tax at all
in the US, there actually is, but the I think
the threshold is fifteen million or thirty millions for a couple,
so that's you know that that's a significant difference. And
it was fascinating watching Starmer squirm and then try to
(34:39):
try to kind of pipe in with oh, you know,
we're only doing a little one and you know it's
only it's only a couple of percent, and really really
feeling awkward. And and wasn't it fascinating to see you know,
Trump holding court. I mean he's he's in our countries,
in Scotland, and yet he was hosting as if he
would in the Oval Office in his own hotel and ursula.
Underlying are the European Union and kit Stamer and then
(35:04):
the First Minister of Scotland. All were ushered in as
if they were as if they were guests, as if
they were visitors. And yet you know, here we are
in Europe, in the UK, in Scotland.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
I see bank roll in your legal case against the government,
Tom or have you just got deep pockets?
Speaker 9 (35:20):
There's a crowd I think we call it crowd justice.
There is a crowd justice campaign if you if you
wish to contribute, Jane. It's going to be pretty expensive,
but it's absolutely vital. We're basically taking the government to
judicial review and that's where we're challenging the process that
they followed in order to get to the to to
create the legislation to change the inheritance tax released that
(35:44):
were in place for the last for the last forty years.
We were effectively saying they didn't consult properly and they
didn't consult wide enough, which which is which is absolutely true,
and the whole industry is in agreement about that. Frankly,
I think def Ros our Department for the Environment, Food
and Rural face that are probably in agreement with that
as well. But this is this is a Treasury policy
(36:06):
pushed by the Treasury, stamped by the Chancellor, and it
could be, amongst many things, the undoing this government.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Farmer Tom Martin caught up with them earlier this morning.
That's part one of the interview. We had to do
a quick edit during edits during the eared break head break,
head break, Michelle, I'll tell you what. Sometimes I'm like
David Cunloff. I apologize for being a man. I want
to be a woman. Can I say that, No, no, no, no,
(36:39):
I don't actually want to be a woman, but I
want to be able to multitask, Michelle.
Speaker 8 (36:43):
I'll tell you now, Jamie, multit No one can multitask.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
No woman do it better than men.
Speaker 8 (36:49):
Yes, and no, left hands actually do it better than anyone.
I'm left handed.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
All right, take that back, listeners, I don't want to
be a woman. I'm not apologizing for being a man either.
And I think the kids should have to sit and
exam and harden up and face the anxiety of an exam,
because when you get out of school, folks, young people
listening to this, it's probably not any young people listening.
Life is an exam and you either pass or you fail.
(37:16):
Yes day, yes, I do you. You have an exam
every day. Some days you pass. To Michelle up next,
we're going to wrap it with some of your feedback.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Best with.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Yes, I blame Riley Kennedy for Celine Dion and anyhow
we've muddled our way through the show. Some of your feedback.
Trevor Mallard. Mallard killed off half the rural schools during
his tenure. What a side he turned out to be.
That's from Ted and Ted. I'll let you in on
a week secret and all the years I've been doing
this job, and Michelle I've spoken to thirty years. Politicians
(37:59):
have all Suasians, colors, creeds, religion or whatever, and most
of them are agreeable, likable sort of people, to be honest.
The only two politicians I've found dislikable and all that
time is the honorable Mallard trev and David Cunliff, who
I mentioned earlier. For you know, I mean, any bloke
(38:19):
who apologizes for being a man needs to seriously look
at himself. It's bad enough, Michelle that I wanted to
be a woman so I could multitask. That was a moment.
I think we need to wipe that off the audio
files just in case it comes back to bite me
in the bum. We'll see you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Catch you're the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, your specialist in
John Dre Machinery
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Just one and then my hot word book and we
were on the moon Lion Erny.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You sky oh.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Back, want a gene Church bells ray and then called
none to say it's a.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Rash nice sky.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Gooday New Zealand and welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McCay.
I'm like a one armed paper hanger in here today.
Got information coming out in my backside quite literally. We've
got a new All Blacks team that's just been named.
I'm trying to quickly power read this one. I remember
I don't see any new Caps, but there are some
new Caps who have been named in the squad as
(01:15):
injury cover and we'll come back to these a wee
bit later. But great to see Leroy Carter from the
Bay of Plenty in Chiefs being in the squad. He
should be in the squad full stop. Fantastic yesterday for
the Steamers. Kyle Preston's in there as well, the Crusaders
and Wellington halfback Tavita Mathalao. Also Hurricanes and Bay have
(01:41):
plenty injury cover for Tyrol Lomax. More about that later,
But other breaking news today, we have abolished n CEEA.
We're going to kick off the as we know it
with David Seymour. He's got something to do with education,
he'll tell me in a tick. But more importantly I
want to ask the Deputy Prime Minister what if anything,
(02:02):
we can do about Trump's fifteen percent tariff that was
announced on Friday. We're going to talk to Riley Kennedy
out of business desk in Auckland there. He's their primary
sector journo along the way to deal to recapitalize their
Lions Group appears to be nearing the oil seems to
be that Irish meat company Dawn Meats is going to
(02:25):
take a seventy percent steak at two hundred and seventy million.
So much for the co op A. Chris Brandolino Earth
Science New Zealand formerly NIWA updating well, they've got an
updated three month outlook. And earlier this morning I caught
up with a farmer, Tom Martin. Believe it or not,
him and his dad are suing the British government over
(02:48):
the inheritance tax TB has been found on Didley Squat
Farm and what does that mean for British farmers now
that the most high profile one is battling tea. But
let's kick it off with the Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour. David,
good afternoon, Thanks for waiting through that long intro.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
What's the story informative?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Well, thank you, David. I've hopefully I've brought Chris.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Have they brought Christian cullenby.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
No, he hasn't been brought back. He might be a
bit like you and I, a bit long in the tooth,
but we'll come back to the all black squad. Talk
to me about the fifteen percent tariff. And I heard
the Prime Minister speaking to Mike Cosking this morning. The
reality of it is we've just got to do what
we've told, what we're told when it comes to this from.
Speaker 5 (03:37):
The US Well, I always a big fan of I
think it was Saint Francis of ASSISI said the trick
in life is to have the courage to change the
things you can, the serenity to accept the things you can't,
to the wisdom to know the difference. You know, we'll
continue doing what well we've been doing for a while.
Which is just quietly talking to the American government saying,
(03:58):
look where some of the good guys here, we're free
traders ourselves. It doesn't make a lot of sense for
us to be punished. And by and large, I mean,
you know, a couple of countries got ten percent, but
fifteen is pretty good. But that doesn't mean that it's
good enough for a free tradeing country like New Zealand
that would prefer tariffs to be zero everywhere if we
(04:22):
had our way, because when you trade, people can specialize,
do what they're good at. Everyone eats more, and that
the New Zealand agricultural sector is a perfect example of that.
So then you say, all right, that's our position. Can
we change it? Maybe, But at some point we've got
to accept that the democratic country, they elected their own government,
(04:44):
they make their own policy. And then we come back
to okay, what else can we change? Opening up trade agreements?
So working really hard on India, you know, done good
work with the Gulf States and also UAE, growing trade
now with the EU and the UK as those trade
areements come on stream, and then we sort of say, okay,
(05:06):
look in there is the one that we'd really like
to get. The second thing is, you know, you can
talk about market access and obviously the government's working hard
on that, including with the United States, but ultimately it
comes down to what do you have to sell? And
ideally you have stuff to sell what people are beating
a path to your door asking if they could buy it,
(05:28):
rather than us going to their door begging to sell it.
And that's one area where you know, at least the
last forty years, in particular the New Zealand primary industries
have been one of, if not the greatest example in
the world of a group of people who relentlessly innovate
and provide stuff that everyone's beating a path to your
(05:50):
door to buy.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
While you were going through that wonderful dissertation there, David,
I did get a text from a lowly National Party
back bench Grant McCallum. Do you know Grant?
Speaker 5 (06:02):
I do, yes, he's actually a very good example of
someone who can overcome disadvantage. His parents sent him to
King's College and that you can really ruin a lot
of people. I know a few people who have been
ruined that way. He's actually turned out as a half
season blow. Well.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
He just sent me a text and he said that
I was remiss and saying no new caps and the
squad because Simon Parker from Northland is a new Cap,
and he says feel free to mention to see more
that Kings are going to beat Grammar again this weekend
in New Auckland school semi final. So good on you,
Grant mcnational. We'll have more about that all black team
(06:42):
at the bottom of the hour. Okay. So it would
appear to me and I was reading that text while
you were talking, I wasn't paying total attention. I should
be slapped on the wrist and made to reset NCEEA
David Seymour. But if we'd run a trade deficit with
the US, like for instance, Australia does, we would have
got a ten percent tariff too. Is that correct?
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Well, that's I don't want to speak for the US government,
but that's certainly what they've intimated.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Ye.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Yeah, So I've read other commentary on this this morning.
At ten percent, especially when it comes to the likes
of beef and maybe some of our fine wines, I
don't know the market was prepared to absorb it. They
won't be at fifteen percent when they can get Ossie
beef at ten percent.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Well, you're reading an argument that New Zealand produce is
no more than five percent better than Aussie I reckon,
we can beat the Aussies by five percent, and that's
that's reality. You know, we will do our best to
change it, but we may have to have the serenity
to accept what we can't change, and then it's simply
a question of well, what can we do to access
(07:56):
other markets, how can we compete them even with the margin,
and go from there.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So I also heard Tim Grossis speaking on zb this
morning saying basically what you've said, we have zero chance
of changing Trump's minds, so we've got to put up
with the deal we're given. Are we wasting taxpayers' money
by putting Todd McClay business class over to the US
to talk to them because we're not going to change anything.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Well, I think you can answer the question for yourself.
If the New Zealand government was not sending a minister
to speak to officials on the US government, I think
we'd be told that that was neglectful. And if we said, well,
we're not doing it in order to save one f
I think people would say that was pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Oh no, I was using that it was a poor example.
We do share We do share a headline reciprocal tariff
rate with Venezuela, a country run by a regime the
US once refused to recognize. Venezuela does not have an
FBI office.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
David Seymour, you know, I remember the days when people
on the left of New Zealand politics used to say
that Venezuela was an example of socialism and action and
something that we should look up to. And every now
and then it just pays to remind these characters that
socialism doesn't work. It's never worked, makes people poor, and
it also leads to a lot of violence. And that's
(09:22):
your public addressed announcement just for today.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Do you know anything? And we're going to talk to
Riley Kennedy from Business Desk about this shortly regarding the
potential sale own of our only farmer owned meat cooperative
or Meat process and Cooperative of the Alliance Group to
an Irish meat company or seventy percent stake they're supposedly
going to take in it. I also read commentary this
(09:48):
morning that it shouldn't have any trouble getting past act
or National, but Winston might kick up a wee bit
about it.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
Well, let's just see. I mean, I'm a little bit
responsible as the Minister for Overseas Investment Policy, but I
haven't dealt with that particular one. I mean, I just
make the point that, you know, New Zealand is a
country where we have low wages and a lot of people,
you know, very angry about the prices of things in supermarkets,
(10:19):
particularly dairy products lately. And I always try and put
it around the other way. The problem is not that
dairy prices are high. That's a good thing for New Zealand.
The problem is that on average New Zealand wages are low,
and that leads to a lot of frustration with prices.
So then you say, okay, we'll wire wages low in
part because New Zealand workers have less capital to work with,
(10:43):
we have less sophisticated machinery. It's not that we don't
work hard in New Zealand, we just can't produce as
much as people off shore who have more investment. And
then you say, okay, well you've got two basic choices.
You know, you can try and be an island in
a metaphorical scene as well as literal and say we
don't want the world to send us money. We don't
(11:04):
want their know how we want to basically chop our
nose off. Despite our face. All we can say, well,
you know, more capital means fire, productivity means small wages,
and there's a lot more capital outside New Zealand's borders
that are inside. So where we're going to get it.
So if I just take a very I don't know,
I guess you might say engineer's approach to this wages,
(11:27):
good productivity, good capital, needed capital overseas, Let's get it.
And that way New Zealanders can produce more, earn more
and buy more of the stuff that we all want.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Well, let's put on your education hat. A radical shakeup
of the country's main secondary school qualification. We'll see nc
EA abolished and replaced with two new qualifications at year
twelve and thirteen and having educationalists. Can I put it
that way? Teachers in our family, I think be support
(12:00):
I think NCA has let us down and has led
our young people down.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Yeah, well kind of case. How long have you got
I mean? Strangely, this was the thing that first made
me pay attention to politics. My principle at the school
I went to had a massive public fight with Trevor
Mallard over the introduction of NCA. His name was John
Morris and he's been proven right and basically everything he
(12:28):
said twenty five years ago. He said that if you
didn't have a clear exam that is sat by everybody,
with a bunch of things that you have to know
and you can't avoid, then what would happen is that
you'd end up with different standards at different schools because
different teaching and different assessment styles, children choose different credits.
(12:52):
And what's basically happened is the NCDA. You know, we
don't want to tell children that are working hard on
it right now that it's not worth anything, because it
is worth something, but it's worth what you put into it.
It's worth the value of the credits that you get,
especially if you take the heart and more rigorous ones.
But as a system for a country that is trying
to transfer valuable knowledge from one generation to the next,
(13:16):
it is a terrible failure because it doesn't have that
core base of knowledge. These are the things one generation
wants to pass on and we will test you and
assess you to see if you've learned it now in
the time that we've had the NCAA. We've gone from
a top five country in the world according to the
(13:37):
OECD to being something like twenty second in the world
for maths for example. That's not good enough. I mean
children today at fifteen years old know about one year
less of learning, or it's like they've been at school
one year less than the same age children back at
(13:57):
the start of the century when NCAA started. So look,
I think it's been a real problem. I think it
can still work for students, but we need it to
work for everybody. And that's why I just think, you know,
in a way, it's kind of the reason I got
interested in politics, and I'm thrilled to be part of
a government.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
I just want to quickly finish on David Sema. I
know you're probably a keen watcher of a Q and
A with Jack Tame. Did you see that young guy who,
you know, the tech startup billionaire with his education system
talking about nca and why, for instance, our education systems
letting our kids down. And the comment that's stuck to
(14:39):
me was he's got thirty degrees or something like that,
and he still gets exam anxiety. He says, that's a
good thing, and he's dead right. We give them a
soft run with internal credits and all this sort of nonsense.
But life is about pass or fail, and you do
have to handle the pressure, whether it's the pressure of
an exam or the pressure of a w workload that
(15:00):
might come in your daily job. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Look, I agree with that sentiment. At some point, life
is going to send you a tough challenge, and ideally
it's not the first tough challenge you faced, because all
your life you've faced a series of increasingly large challenges
that have built up your resilience and your confidence over time. Now,
when you get a generation who are hugely anxious, massive
(15:28):
problems when it comes to mental health, and the number
of children that report that the distressed mentally is basically
quadrupled in the last fifteen years, you have to wonder
how much of that is because you don't have that
long series of small challenges the way that we did
in the past. And so in a way, trying to
(15:50):
be kind and taking a softly, softly approach has actually
left children less resilient and able to face the challenges
in their life and actually ironically less them more mentally distressed.
So you know, I completely endorse those sentiments.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
Well, being kind is so twenty seventeen to twenty twenty three,
isn't it, David, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
We tried that. Now it's got to be real good
on you.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Thanks for your time, David Seymour, Act Party Leader, Deputy
Prime Minister. And he's something to do with education. I'm
getting information overload and here everyone's sending me messages and
I'm a bloke. I can't multitask. I can only do
one thing at a time. Just and thanks to Grant
McCullum for correcting us on that All Black squad. So
(16:36):
there's only one new cap in the actual squad, but
there are three other new caps and for injury covers,
so uncapped Chiefs and Northland Lucy Simon Parker has been
included in the All Blacks Rugby Championship squad, which features
returns for Tamighty Williams and Wallace Setti, both great players.
With three more uncapped players are going to travel to
(16:59):
Argentine as injury cover. So we finally sort of got
that one right up. Next the Alliance group, let me
get rid of my papers with all Black themes on
them and try and find my paper with information on
this one. So the Irish Times put out a story
over the weekend or on Friday that Dawn Meats looks
(17:22):
set to stump up with two hundred and seventy million
dollars for a seventy percent steak in the Alliance Group,
which is at this stage the country's only fully farmer
owned red meat cooperative. Interestingly, apparently, Dawn Meats I was
reading also this morning were under bidders to Shanghai Mailing
for a bite at Silver Fern Farms when they did
(17:45):
their joint venture. So trouble at mill and the meat industry.
Next with Riley Kennedy from Business Desk, we don't say
(18:12):
the nerve what I've got to welcome back to the country.
A bit of Selene on it the behest of our
next guest that rhymes, didn't it? Riley Kennedy, primary sector
journo at Business Desk. I'm not a big Selene fan,
(18:34):
but this is all right. This is the Selene with
the beg's. I can live with that.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Riley.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
How are you well?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
I'm not bad now. You've been doing some interesting work
around the recapitalization of the Alliance Group we know that
the status quo cannot remain. But the Irish Times came
out with the story over the weekend, or it might
have been Friday. So the inside oil, well the oil
appears to be that they're going to pay two hundred
(19:03):
and seventy million dollars New Zealand for a seventy percent
stake in the Alliance Group cooperative. Are they getting a
bargain or are they paying too much?
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Well, it's a fasting investment bank, is that? But it
sort of really confirms the speculation that's been going on
for a long time that it was Dawn. I suppose
a new Dawn that waits for Alliance. But this process
has been going on for eighteen months, I think, you know,
And so we're really getting to that. I suspect this
time next week, No, I think I think.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
It's next Tuesday. Isn't it the twelfth of September?
Speaker 6 (19:36):
Yeah? Yeah, this week we'll be having a different conversation,
and I justspect we probably won't be proven wrong on
that speculation.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
No, No, normally where the smoke this fire. So it
looks like it is Dawn meets, but there were other suitors,
Is that right?
Speaker 5 (19:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (19:50):
Silver Fon Farms were the only New Zealand processor to
come out and say that they were interested what formed,
but I don't think that went any further. I think
every New Zealand process have probably looked at it in
terms of consolidation because the red meat sector in New Zealand,
I mean, weird would be as simplistic we're putting it,
but quite an awkward situation where global demand for red
(20:13):
meat is at near record levels, particularly for beef, but
in New Zealand we don't have them supply of last
stop to match that. Then we also have sixty process
plants and I think everyone is of the opinion that
that can't continue. So I think every New Zealand process
have probably looked at it for in terms of consolidation.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Wouldn't it be a better deal for New Zealand farmers
if we could get like a mega merger And we've
talked about these for decades, but a mega merger between
Silver Ferned Farms and the Alliance Group might be a
better result for New Zealand red meat farmers than having
an overseas company take a seventy percent steak. They also
take seventy percent of the profits you would assume. And
(20:54):
I was talking to former Alliance chairman John Turner thening
I've been working the phones. You'll be pleased to know Riley,
and he said, originally the Alliance Group was set up
in the sixties to stop overseas companies ripping off in
his words, New Zealand farmers. Are we going back to
the future.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
Yeah, well, well you could say that equally. You could
say that door meat might bring other markets to New Zealand,
or access to markets the zel that we currently don't have.
I was at the red meat comments the other day
and I asked someone, is a time for a frontier
of the red meat industry at a time that we
have a single desk it's sort of exporter in New
(21:37):
Zealand to help with that consolidation. But I think there's
a lot of water to go under the bridge before
the fine printers put on the steel.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
So okay, we'll run with the numbers we've been given
at this stage. Its supposition, I know, but two hundred
and seventy million. That's one hundred and forty million euros
for that seventy percent stake. But when I look through
my raft of pages in front of me, the Alliance
Group already has loans and borrowings of two hundred and
(22:07):
thirty two million, so you know, they're barely covering their debt.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
Yeah, and I think the most interesting part will be
what if for all, any payment has made to farmers,
as Bigby will be, and what their joint venture looks
like and with a you know, it's it's a minority
stake by the cooperative where the Alliance Cooperative continues but
has a thirty percent stake in the operating company of Alliance,
(22:35):
similar to Silver and Fund.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
But that that, well, it's not quite similar because Silver
fir and Farms. Correct me if I'm wrong. Fifty to fifty,
isn't it with Shanghai Island.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
It's fifty to fifty. But whether the structure is the same,
and whether the cooperative has a thirty percent steak as
opposed to fifty percent, well.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Well I'm assuming it will because I mean, well, they
are a cooperative and they'll have to do something with
the farmer shares. But it's not a very powerful stak.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
No, No, it's not that city was seen. Are still
it's better than nothing at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Really, Oh yeah, I don't know Okay, so how does
this thing? How does this thing play out? We wait
till next Tuesday, do we? Because I've been looking even
all these disgruntled and I know a lot of them
because I'm a Southland and myself high profile, high powered
Southland shareholders, none of them are prepared to talk. They
(23:26):
don't want to say anything, and I guess I'd understand that,
and that's fair enough. They don't want to compromise the situation.
I know a lot of work has been going on
in the background, but it would it appear to me
that maybe not all the Farmer shareholders are very happy
with this proposal.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
No, I suspect not, and I suspect there will be
some level of opposition to Winston Peters and jail First
have said that, you know, they will look to put
up some sort of opposition to it. But I would
be very surprised if this goes through without any of opposition,
as the Shanghai Mailing and Silvan Farms deal ten years ago.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
That there was one other interesting comment in the story
from the Irish Times, and that was from David Pinckney.
Now David or his family owns one of the biggest
and best farming operations in the country Clenary station down
and down not far from where I was born and raised,
and he's saying, maybe he's throwing this, he's flying this kite.
(24:26):
Maybe with the improvement and red meat returns that there
may be perhaps an appetite from Farmers shareholders to fund it.
There wasn't last time when they asked for an internal
capital race. I'm not sure if I was an Alliance shareholder,
I'd be keen to tip more money in what are
you hearing now?
Speaker 6 (24:44):
The Alliones were very clear throughout the some tire process
that they had that Farmers had three options. They either
stumped up and recapitalized it and that didn't go that well,
which she was external factor does at play there with
the slump and the red net market. There was either
going to be a JV or the entire business of Soul,
and it appears that it's going to be a JV.
But I think the time to recapitalize it's probably past.
(25:07):
Well Farmer's recapitalizing it. Sorry, it has probably passed and
now it's time to move on with whatever deal they
bring out on Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Well, you can hear Selena in the background it's time
to bid you farewell. Riley Kennedy. You keep up the
good work at Business Desk.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
It is twenty five away from one. Okay, we're going
to quickly catch up with Chris Brandolina. I'm going to
run myself shorter time again here today. I need better
time management. Earth Science New Zealand. That's what they're called,
isn't it now? Neil updated there there or they've gotten
updated three months out look most important three months on
the farming calendar too, August, September and October. Earlier this
(25:48):
morning I caught up the UK correspondent farmer Tom Martin.
You're going to hear that as well, and we'll update
that all Black squad for you and Sports news and
Michelle will be in for Rural News.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Righty.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
I I've tracked him down. Chris Brandolino missed him on Friday.
We always get our man here on the country. Chris
from Earth Sciences News or Earth Science and z formerly
known as newa You're updated three months outlook for the
most important three months on the farming calendar, August, September
and October. What do you got for us?
Speaker 5 (26:29):
Mate?
Speaker 7 (26:30):
Yeah? Look, I know it's been chilly the past few days.
We had some cold mornings across especially the South Island
and certainly parts of the North Island, but that will
not be a theen Jammy for the next three months.
I think for much of New Zealand we're expect above
average temperature, so that could be you know what that
means in terms of a farming contact, perhaps an early
start to the growing season. We still at the watch
for frost. I mean, look, it's winter and early spring,
(26:52):
so these things will happen. Bought our expectations that cold
snaps and frosts are likely to be simply less frequent
than what is usual. Notice Less frequent does not equal zero,
so let's be abundantly clear in rainfall. Rainfall is expected
to be above normal for northern and eastern parts of
the North Island, so I think those area have the
best chances for one are than usual conditions Bay a Plenty, Hawks, Bay, Tadafati, Gisbankora,
(27:17):
Mandel Wakatto, Northland Auckland one.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
Area, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (27:21):
If there's going to be unusually dry weather over the
next three months, or I guess if we have below
normal rainfall, it'll likely be the west of the South Island,
and that's one area where we're thinking that either normal
or below normal rainfall will occur over the three month period,
so places like Southland, interior Otago on the west coast,
(27:41):
that'll be a place worth watching. So again La Nina
is going to emerge it looks like as one of
the main climate drivers over the next few months, and
not a really driver airflows and therefore rainfall patterns as well.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
It was nice to say the Tasman Nelson region kind
of dodge a bullet at the end of last week
was because that could have been a lot uglier.
Speaker 7 (28:02):
Yeah, they got a lot of rain, but I think
what happened is that there was that about ten to
twelve day period where it was largely dry weather and
that did help. And where the rain fell too. It
depends on where exactly in the catchings, but you're right, Jamie,
to your point, it certainly could have been a lot worse.
And were those airflows less westerlies. We're expecting the next
(28:23):
three months, so we'll get wester just less of them,
but they're going to be replaced with more kind of
east to northeast winds and when we get those air flows,
particularly from the northeast or northerly type wind. That is
when we run the risk for these big rainfall events.
So I think for August, I have to watch the
second half of August. That is when things are coming
together where we could see a noticeable increase with our weather,
(28:47):
especially influences from the north, so we could see more
active weather chants for big rainfall events second half of August.
Especially until then, we'll watch later this week. It looks
like a decent rainfall event for the west of the South.
File get some ranks of the north of the North
Island as well Friday night to Saturday. But again it's
middle part of August and beyond wipe to keep your
eyes on.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Okay, mate, got to go. Thanks for your time. Chris
Brandolino from NIWA. No time to waste. Michelle's got rural news.
We'll update the All Blacks team for you in sports
news as well. Farmer Tom Martin before the end of
the hour from the UK. He's suing the government along
with his dad. Interesting. Thank you soon, welcome back to
(29:36):
the country. The show was brought to you by Brant
very shortly the latest and rural news and sports news.
But are you tired of having no control over your
own farm costs. Now could be the time to consider
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(29:57):
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(30:18):
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(30:42):
backing farmers for the long haul. Yes, there you go.
Good idea good deal from ASB. That one right coming
up to quarter away from one year with the country,
we're running horribly out of time. You have to do
a quick edit on Farmer Tom you might get him
in two parts. Some of your feedback the irishape are
natural rugby racing and beer brothers. We should be welcome
(31:03):
them with open arms to our meat industry. And there's
another one coming in overseas. Ownership means they'll take a
percentage of profits, but at least there will be a profit.
Well maybe true. Interesting. We're expecting that announcement next Tuesday,
September the twelfth, as we understand it. Here's Michelle with
the latest in rural.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
News, the country's world news with Cob Cadet, New Zealand's
leading right on lawn Bower brand visit Steelford dot cot
on incid for your local.
Speaker 8 (31:34):
Stockerst And some news out of Canterbury belief trading rural
police stations for suburban hubs will let down rural Canterbury communities.
Police are consulting on a proposal to reduce personnel disestablishing
some rural roles in favor of larger twenty four to
seven hubs based in Rolston and Ringing Aura. Steve was
a police officer in cold in the late nineties and
(31:55):
early two thousands, and he says it's a terrible idea.
He says rural community. These produced key staples like milk,
meat and milk, and those people deserve law enforcement presence.
And that's your rural news has sport.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Sport with AFCO. Visit them online at AFCO dot co
dot nzed.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
So, after being corrected by Grant mcnasal McCullum that we
do have a new All Black cap, let's read out
that team Finley Christy and uncapped crusader Kyle Preston that
blocks come from nowhere, by the way, have been handed
call ups as the All Blacks deal with a half
back injury crisis ahead of the Rugby Championship. They're part
(32:35):
of a six player group named as injury cover for
the start of the tournament, covering the absences of Cameron
Roy Guard and Noah A. Hotham. They have Plenty Duo
Leroy Carter and Taveta Maffa Lao come in for Caleb
Clark and Tyrl Lomas, respectively. George Bauer and Josh Lord
(32:59):
complete the injury cover group for to Mighty Williams and
Luke Jacobson. Uncapped chiefs Lucy Simon Parker has been named
in the squad outright ahead of Christian Leo Willie and
Dalton Popolee whose pants are always too tight. But great
to see Leo Leroy, should I say carter In there?
(33:23):
Up next? Farmer Tom Martin caught up with him earlier
this morning. Here's our farming correspondent in the UK, Farmer
Tom Martin's social media influencer and now he can add
to his list of achievements. Sewer of the government. Yes,
he's suing the government over the very very unpopular inheritance
(33:46):
tax in the UK for farmers and farmer Tom, you've
got big time support on this, or support in high
places President Trump.
Speaker 9 (33:56):
Well, that's true. I mean I don't want to pick
you up on your terminology there, Jamie, but I wouldn't
describe myself as the sewer of the government. The sewer
of the government of course, is down down in Westwinster.
But yeah, it's great, I mean great to hear Trump
just speaking so candidly. And you know, he's an interesting character,
isn't He is me old the dawn, but certainly speaking
(34:17):
pretty passionately about his farmers and the way that he
is he thinks he's protecting them. I mean, he did
say that we there's not an estate tax at all
in the US, there actually is, but the I think
the threshold is fifteen million or thirty millions for a couple,
so that's you know that that's a significant difference. And
it was fascinating watching Starmer squirm and then try to
(34:39):
try to kind of pipe in with oh, you know,
we're only doing a little one and you know it's
only it's only a couple of percent, and really really
feeling awkward. And and wasn't it fascinating to see you know,
Trump holding court. I mean he's he's in our countries,
in Scotland, and yet he was hosting as if he
would in the Oval Office in his own hotel and ursula.
Underlying are the European Union and kit Stamer and then
(35:04):
the First Minister of Scotland. All were ushered in as
if they were as if they were guests, as if
they were visitors. And yet you know, here we are
in Europe, in the UK, in Scotland.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
I see bank roll in your legal case against the government,
Tom or have you just got deep pockets?
Speaker 9 (35:20):
There's a crowd I think we call it crowd justice.
There is a crowd justice campaign if you if you
wish to contribute, Jane. It's going to be pretty expensive,
but it's absolutely vital. We're basically taking the government to
judicial review and that's where we're challenging the process that
they followed in order to get to the to to
create the legislation to change the inheritance tax released that
(35:44):
were in place for the last for the last forty years.
We were effectively saying they didn't consult properly and they
didn't consult wide enough, which which is which is absolutely true,
and the whole industry is in agreement about that. Frankly,
I think def Ros our Department for the Environment, Food
and Rural face that are probably in agreement with that
as well. But this is this is a Treasury policy
(36:06):
pushed by the Treasury, stamped by the Chancellor, and it
could be, amongst many things, the undoing this government.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Farmer Tom Martin caught up with them earlier this morning.
That's part one of the interview. We had to do
a quick edit during edits during the eared break head break,
head break, Michelle, I'll tell you what. Sometimes I'm like
David Cunloff. I apologize for being a man. I want
to be a woman. Can I say that, No, no, no, no,
(36:39):
I don't actually want to be a woman, but I
want to be able to multitask, Michelle.
Speaker 8 (36:43):
I'll tell you now, Jamie, multit No one can multitask.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
No woman do it better than men.
Speaker 8 (36:49):
Yes, and no, left hands actually do it better than anyone.
I'm left handed.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
All right, take that back, listeners, I don't want to
be a woman. I'm not apologizing for being a man either.
And I think the kids should have to sit and
exam and harden up and face the anxiety of an exam,
because when you get out of school, folks, young people
listening to this, it's probably not any young people listening.
Life is an exam and you either pass or you fail.
(37:16):
Yes day, yes, I do you. You have an exam
every day. Some days you pass. To Michelle up next,
we're going to wrap it with some of your feedback.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Best with.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Yes, I blame Riley Kennedy for Celine Dion and anyhow
we've muddled our way through the show. Some of your feedback.
Trevor Mallard. Mallard killed off half the rural schools during
his tenure. What a side he turned out to be.
That's from Ted and Ted. I'll let you in on
a week secret and all the years I've been doing
this job, and Michelle I've spoken to thirty years. Politicians
(37:59):
have all Suasians, colors, creeds, religion or whatever, and most
of them are agreeable, likable sort of people, to be honest.
The only two politicians I've found dislikable and all that
time is the honorable Mallard trev and David Cunliff, who
I mentioned earlier. For you know, I mean, any bloke
(38:19):
who apologizes for being a man needs to seriously look
at himself. It's bad enough, Michelle that I wanted to
be a woman so I could multitask. That was a moment.
I think we need to wipe that off the audio
files just in case it comes back to bite me
in the bum. We'll see you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Catch you're the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, your specialist in
John Dre Machinery
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