January 26, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Damien O'Connor, Dennis Neilson, Sirma Karapeeva, 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 mckue. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deer construction equipment. I call you.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
My hearts on fire, the con do conju me wild
and wild.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You condo me.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
You gooda New Zealand and welcome to the Country. Brought
to you by Brent. Michelle's chuckson Tina Turner in because
apparently we found an old Tina Turner song. So this
is of course this was the theme song, wasn't it
for the NRL for a while across the town Esmond?
(01:00):
Simply the best? What a great tennis final it was
last night as well. Now simply the best. I'm not
quite sure whether that is fitting for our first guest.
He might he might agree, Have we okay, let's just
hold fire, folks. I think we might have lost Damien O'Connor,
(01:23):
our first guest. Let me just bring you in here, Michelle.
I know here he goes he's trying to get a
hold of us. We've lost him. So I'll tell you
who's on the show today, just while we try and
get Damien O'Connor back, right. Have I got him? I
think I've got him now. Hello, Damien, Sorry about that.
Michelle pointed out that you dropped off the line, and
(01:43):
I apologize for the disorganization. But this is live radio
and it's very best or worse. Do you think this
song by Tina Turner describes you as an egg minister?
Where's he gone?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I'm here, I'm listening.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yeah, yeah, well you're with a song that's called simply
the Best.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Oh, I'd be ever too humble to ever say that
I tried my best. That was certainly well.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Good on you and you did some and to be
feeded some good work. And trade. I want to talk
to you about trade. I'll just tell you who else
is on the show today as we get organized. We're
going to talk forestry with Dennis Neilson Kara Peaver out
of the Meat Industry Association, also talking about Trump and
trade and tariffs. I'm going to ask Damien about that.
(02:29):
It's in this wheelhouse. And also they've come up with
a new Dragon's Den initiative. And a bit earlier this morning,
I caught up with our UK correspondent farmer Tom Martin.
They've been hit by the biggest storm in ten years
over there. Okay, Damien, thank you for some of your time.
How did the Christmas break treat you?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I look, it was great to catch up with family
and friends, and probably more relation than I've had for
a while last year while we were into opposition. I
guess it was an adjustment. So it has been a
time to get around the country have a look at
particularly the rural areas. Actually, and it's been pretty green everywhere,
but you know, too much moisture in some areas has
created us of challenges, but pretty repacted. Some time to
(03:11):
get back to work.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Okay, put on your trade hat because you've got a
lot of experiences I said in that area. What do
you make of Trump's talk about tariffs? How's that going
to affect us here in New Zealand Because and we'll
discuss the snowed out with Sirmacara Pever, the US Damien
is now our biggest market for red meat. It has
overtaken China.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
It's always been a very big market for our manufactured beef,
which is about fifty percent of our our market. So look,
it's going to affect us, and we're not quite sure
how will when, And there's a lot of uncertainty around
Trump's presidency. I think every day. I certainly have reason
to be more concerned. I think that most of the
world does.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
We don't know.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
What carafs imposed upon countries. You know, sending stuff to
the US will mean if it stops, will make some
of those experts own economic people will shift to other markets.
What does that do to international prices in volumes? No
one quite knows. So it's a very uncertain time for
(04:16):
anyone connected to the US.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
He seems to be he seems to want, at this
very early stage of his presidency to want to slap
tror some people who are annoying them, Like hasn't he
just put one on Columbia or something because they wouldn't
let a plane of deportees land.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Well, you know, it's almost an hour by our reactionary
approach to governance of you know, the biggest economy in
the world, and that's that uncertainty creates a lot of
chaos around not just.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
World markets, but you know, people.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Are trying to plan forward with not only in the
primary sectors, but any manufacturing, anything that is traded around
the world will be interrupted in some way by city
or indeed by direct impacts of tariffs.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, Winston. Well, you've been in politics and in
parliament with them for many, many many years, because you
started back in the nineteen nineties. Is he going to
be a bit of an ace in our hand here
when it comes to dealing with the Americans because he
has been traditionally very pro America.
Speaker 5 (05:23):
Well, it might be a joker that we need rather
than ace when it comes to playing cards with Donald Trump.
But I think, you know, Winston has the experience, he
has connections with the US. You know, we can just
do our best and I'm sure that Winston will in
trying to minimize any impact that New Zealand will suffer
from the intervention on trade. And it might just not
(05:47):
just be tariffs, it could be other non tariff barriers
that affects in some ways. So uncertain times, I'm sure
Winston will do his best on behalf of our country.
Very hard to know what that might mean the long term.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Do you reckon we could get we'll we're talking about
this one last week with the likes of Todd McLay
and even Christopher Luxe, and do you reckon we could
do some sort of sweetheart deal. The Australians are talking
about that because of their special relationship with America, Could
we do something like that?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Look, I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
I mean, Crystal Luckson has talked about a trade deal
within three years with India that was unrealistic. They're now
being more realistic. Whether the statements about a sweetheart deal
with the US unrealistic or not, I won't judge it
or I'll always try to be optimistic for our country,
but we have to be pretty honest in terms of
(06:40):
the political interaction, intervention and possibilities with the US at
this point in time.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
How you realize you and Trump have got something in
common and you won't like this. You've both made controversial
statements about Gaza. Trump wants to empty the place out.
You controversially last year, I think retweeted something about Gaza
got you into a bit of hot water.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
It was a statement from a US retired general. And
you know, look have been many statements made on Gaza.
By stand by all mind that it's a very worrying
time for international human rights, for the rule of law,
for the protection of people who can otherwise just be
you know, totally exterminated through a genocide where there's no controls,
(07:30):
no UN intervention, no ability to take people to account.
So it's a very very worrying and disturbing time for
many things across the globe, and the US has been
at the hardened center of many of those things. And
hopefully low come right and we'll see some more law
and order, some more trade order, and some consistency across
(07:52):
the globe.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Are you happy that Shane Jones, the Minister of digging
it up and damning it up, is going to dig
up quite a bit of your home patch? Drill, baby, drill.
There's another Trump comparison.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
I think, yeah, the comparisons aren't really helpful. I think
it does scare people in many ways. I think, you know,
we do need to have mining, but responsible mining for
the things that we need and where the you know,
high quality coal for coaching purposes is necessary and as
continues on the West Coast, low value coal for thermal
(08:25):
purposes maybe not as necessary and maybe there are better options,
which is, you know, what the world is seeking at
the moment, and so we have to be part of
the international movement. As you say, the UK by storms,
we will see more of these climatic effects, particularly in
primary production, and we think we can ignore that and
(08:45):
just carry on blindly. Then you know we're kidding ourselves
in our international reputation, will will go astray and be destroyed.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Did you guys in the Labor government get it so
badly wrong? And you probably did. When it came to coal,
the fact that we're were important coal from Indonesia, that
was fascical.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
That coal had been imported for my recollection ten to
fifteen years as a core part of our energy mix.
We were trying to move to more renewables. Wasn't a
government's decision? Was the decision actually of the part privatized
you know under John Key electricity companies. It was their
call to do that, not government's call.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
First sitting of Parliament tomorrow for twenty twenty five today
Select Committee Treaty Principal's Bill. It's the oral submissions they began,
I think with David Seymour first thing this morning.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Are you submitting, well, not submitting as a member of Parliament. No,
certainly contribute to it through the party, through assisting many
other people who have contacted me who are horrified with
the division that this bill is creating. And I hope
that you're making one, Jamie, given that you'd like to
see how unified and progress New Zealand country.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, I'm planning the fifth Amendment on this one. Just
sunder durn Her memoir is being released in June. Will
you be mentioned in glowing terms.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
I have no idea and no expectations at all. I was,
you know, I guess, a loyal minister and a cabinet there.
You know, I took on quite a few challenges, I guess,
and COVID being the one that you know, we'd never
faced before. And you know, I think we did okay
as a country and made the right decision. The other one, absolutely,
(10:35):
there's the thousands of people who are still a life today.
It wouldn't have been otherwise. And I have to say
I was proud to be part of the government. We
made the call on microplacement of ovs, which is a
huge benefit to the livestock industry in our economy across
the country, something that has been taken for granted by
many people.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Yeah, and I'll give you credit there along with the
MPI did a good job there. Actually MPI is doing
a good job when you look at the outbreak of
the Avian flu in that we seem to be on
top of that long may it continue. Were you a
loyal servant to Jacinda or were you a hatchet man
and a henchman.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
No?
Speaker 5 (11:11):
I was always an honest, outspoken contributed to cabinet and
to her government. And you know, we did our very
best for New Zealand, and New Zealanders stand by all
those decisions. I'm sure we went perfect. We didn't get
everything right, but we did it for the right reasons.
And that wasn't to privatize our public health system. It
wasn't to sell off their country to the wealthiest. These
(11:34):
are the kinds of things that are starting to see
from the coalition government just under us.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
All about kindness and empathy. And to be fair, she
is kind and empathetic, But was she completely and on
hindsight here, Damien, because the book's been published, so she
can't write nasty things about you now in hindsight, was
she hopelessly out of a depth? Should I don't know,
Grant Robertson or something taken on the job?
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Stally bizarre you, Jamie. I think we've had many people
who have been prime ministers. The one who was a
salesman in the US and was a chief executive of
an airline with a questionable kind of outcome, you know,
as may or may not hit the skills. We'll see
long term whether that leads to our country in the
right direction. Just in to had the skills to bring
(12:21):
people to the table, to get the best information at
the table, and to make the reasons for the right decision.
And that's more important than someone who steps back and
just lets the market determine where our country will head
in the future. And that's what we're seeing at the moment.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Damien O'Connor, thanks as always for your time. Always enjoy
a good debate on the country with you came, Jamie.
There we go, Damien O'Connor. This is Tina Turner. Where
did they find a song? Michelle?
Speaker 7 (12:48):
Oh so this is super interesting, Jamie. I can see
that you're just like, oh so interering.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Well, no, you did say to me before that you've
been reading handsard and this is great for research purposes,
But sometimes I do wonder if you.
Speaker 7 (12:59):
Have I keep telling you and you will have a
political nerd on your side.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yeah, and you've been watching these submissions to the Treaty
Principles Bill as well.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
I don't red that now.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
I'm not properly.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
The only other person I know who's watching that is Rooks.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
We'll see a Rooks Texan after this.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
So the song, well, not this song, but the song
they found was called Hotview Baby, and it was actually
meant to be on the album, the nineteen eighty four
album that had Private Dancer and What's Love Got to
Do with.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
It on it?
Speaker 7 (13:27):
So really interesting. They played it on BBC's Radio two
Brieffast Show last week, and it's going to be on
the fortieth edition anniversary album.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Okay, there we go. Some useless interesting trivia from Michelle Watt,
some feedback coming in What's wrong with You? This is
I think this is to do with me? What's wrong
with you? Jacinda? Kind and empathetic? She No, she wasn't.
She was an evil, lying tyrant but locked the country down.
(13:56):
So that text that doesn't believe doesn't agree with Damien
on that one. No, I'm sticking to my story when
it comes to Jacinda. I think at a heart she
was a kind and empathetic person. But as I said
to Damien, I think history will judge he is and
her government as being hopefully out of their depths when
it comes to running an economy and to be fair
(14:19):
in New Zealand, you've got yourself to blame for this.
They got a clean majority in the twenty twenty election,
over fifty percent. Every electorate in the country apart from
EPSOM party voted Labor and that includes all those true
blue GNAT electorates. So well. She might have been out
(14:40):
of a depth, but perhaps a lot of people were
convinced after the first three year term that she was
the way forward. Anyhow, you get what you vote for.
Up next, Dennis Nielsen. I'm looking forward to this chat.
Dennis is a forestry expert. Forestry it's not a dirty word,
but his carbon arming a dirty word. And what is
(15:01):
the future for forestry in this country because it's having
tough times at the moment. Is the future carbon farming?
What about the ets? And should we invest in bitcoin?
That's up next time to talk about of forestry and
(15:29):
carbon farming. Yes, that evil word here on the country today.
To illuminate me and to fill in all my knowledge
gaps when it comes to forestry and carbon farming. I've
got this guy on board. His name is Dennis Neilson.
He's a forestry entrepreneur. He's a fellow of the New
Zealand Institute of Forestry, and he's the chair of the
New Zealand Timber Museum Trust. Hey Dennis, I just want
(15:51):
to start by saying great to get you on the show.
I think we chatted briefly at Field Days a couple
of years ago. You link me in on your email
threads which go to all and Sundry and even your
own forestry mates call you a polymath, and you realize
that polymath is a person of wide knowledge or learning,
in other words, a know all. Are you a no all? Dennis?
Speaker 8 (16:14):
Well, I've progressed because until recently my forestry friends and
you from time to time called me the failed forester
for Moor Paris. So I progressed to a polymath, not
a know all. But I am seventy five years old
and I have been around a little bit, and I
(16:34):
have opinions about on anything and everything, including forestry, and
including carbon farming.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Did the government make a mistake by introducing rules restricting
tree planting, because you know you and I have lots
of debates online about this. I'm not a big fan
of carbon farming taking over good pastoral land. My position
is clear.
Speaker 8 (16:55):
My position is clear, and it's really not to do
with forestry or farming. It's to do with the philosophy
of I think it was Gordon Coates. I might be wrong,
but the original Reform National Party leader who wrote a
manifesto of four or five bullet points in nineteen thirty six,
and two of them are very important. One is minimal
(17:16):
government and one is the sanctity of private land ownership.
And that's why I philosophically would like to see minimum
restrictions on rural land uice or urban land news for
that matter. It's not a forester or farming thing. It's
a sanctity of private ownership.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Hang on, Dennis, Under your regime we would become the
pine plantation of the South Pacific, and we would have
urban sprawl everywhere, and places like Pokacoe and out western Auckland,
all that wonderful farm land out at QMU there would
all go into houses.
Speaker 8 (17:53):
Yes, but there's no restrictions on subdivision development on the
onion fields of South Auckland or any else except I
think there are dolet planes. I know Jamie that that
is a philosophical approach, and sure there's there probably has
to be some government intervention on on on some of
the areas of land use. But I think the governors
(18:15):
overreached on this occasion.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Now, Dennis Nielsen, forestry is now officially our fourth biggest industry.
It's just slipped off the pace a wee bit from horticulture.
They were sort of tied third equal behind dairy and
red meat. Forestry is very, very important. It's a huge
export industry for US. Is carbon farming still a thing?
Speaker 8 (18:38):
I believe there's a lot of misunderstanding about the word
carbon farming. I don't know of any people that are planting,
certainly overseas organizations. This is, in my opinion, certainly overseas organizations,
private private family officers, private high net wealth individuals, big
(19:03):
companies that are here from overseas. I don't know anyone
that's carbon farming for carbon. They are growing trees for
various reasons, including security of their wealth, diversity by spreading
to different countries, and to be part of what is
really one of two or three of the best countries
(19:24):
in which to grow medium to fast growing, medium quality
softward logs for harvesting and sale of logs. And there
may or may not be some new Zealanders who are
involved in carbon farming. But the word carbon farming is
heavily misused, heavily overused, and so that's that's my opinion.
(19:47):
They're the eats. We can talk about that. There is
some advantages or there has been some advantages in people
are investing in trees to grow for harvesting logs as
well as for carbon. There has been an advantage in that,
but that's not the primary motivation or even the secondary
or third tertiary motivation for overseas investors I know to
(20:11):
be to invest in forests and New Zealand. The carbon
is almost incidental. In fact, many a number of big
organizations of private companies from Europe especially either they're not
even cashing in their carbon credits. They may or may
not be registered in the ETS. Carbon is inconsequential to
(20:34):
their decision to invest in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Okay, a couple questions to finish on. Is the ETS
the dog's breakfast? I think I know the answer.
Speaker 8 (20:43):
It's become more messy. It's been long standing, it's been
here from two thousand and seven. It is still the
only government certified ETS which allows for sequestration credits for
carbon for trees. But it's becoming a murky murky pool,
if not a swamp because of hugely expensive regulations now
(21:08):
set out by the Minister MPI, and particularly for the
registration and now fourteen dollars per hectare per year, which
is just out outlandishly high for what could be done
on a spreaching.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Yeah, they tell me their new flash computer system worth
ninety million bucks something like that doesn't even work.
Speaker 8 (21:28):
Well. I've had reliable sources tell me that A're in
the game. They've been waiting for more than two years
to get credits and they're still not at ninety million dollars.
And I've been told by arrival sources at the same
work could be done on.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
The Nexcel spreaching.
Speaker 8 (21:45):
So that's the nover pay fiasco which is now unfortunately
clouding the future of the ETS in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Hey, Dennis Nilsen, final question for you. If you had
your way, you'd be planting pine trees everywhere. What about
the death of rural New Zealand, especially some of the
smaller isolated communities.
Speaker 8 (22:06):
I wouldn't be planting pine trees everywhere. The pine tree
planning has been blamed I think wrongly and overly by
various organizations and leaders. I can give you an example
the Alliance Freezing where it's closed and Timaru was it
last year, five or six hundred jobs lost. It was
(22:28):
blamed on forestry. Reality was ten or fifteen years before
it closed. There was one hundred and eight thousand hectares
of pine trees in that region the catchment. When it
closed there was ten thousand hectares less. And there's good
reasons for that. Night Tahoo logging forests and turning to
dairy farms. But forestry was blamed so often forestry is blamed.
(22:50):
The depopulation of rural centers is happening globally. I travel
a lot and I read a lot that's happening. And
whether it's France and Belgium and Holland than the United States,
it's happening every depopulation. No one else except in New
Zealand as a blamed on radiot of pine trees. But
it's happening, and it's huge, and it's sad, but it's
inevitable and it will continue.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
What's the best bet forestry or bitcoin?
Speaker 8 (23:20):
It's pegging a poke and a toss of a coin
for both. If I can use that word. I was
really Latin to bitcoin. I only bought it six thousand
dollars and at one hundred and five thousand dollars today.
Side say bitcoin going you with if you want to
go into nnged us going with your eyes wide open
and the same with bitcoin, it could fly to a
(23:42):
million dollars, or you can go to nothing and nnged
us can do the same. Go into injed use ets
with whether your farmers or anyone else with their eyes
open and seek solid advice.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Dennis Nielsen, thanks very much for your time today. It's
been great to talk to a polymath of forestry.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Thank you, Jamie, Thank you Dennis.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Lots of feedback coming in on Dennis, not as much
as there is coming in on Jacinda. She still exercises
people for and against. To be fair, someone said, because
the texts are coming in that quickly zooming off my page.
She had a communications degree. Of course, she was good
at bringing people together, but she wasn't good at politics,
(24:27):
which were we found out too late. Yeah, I think
the first Ardurn government, especially in the early stages of COVID.
Once again, only my opinion gets a pass mark. I
know a lot of people will hate that the second
Ardurn government Hipkins took over the last for the last
year was the worst government in my lifetime. Once again,
(24:49):
just my humble opinion as a long time observer. Right,
how up next Michelle with Rural News. I think Roland
Smith's making a comeback. Yeah, that's exciting and sport. Plus
we've to talk the dragons Den for the meat industry
and farmer Tom Martin caught up with them ally bit
earlier this morning regarding the worst storm to hit the
(25:10):
UK in ten years.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Bad Days come you don't look at the bay.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
This is one of Tina's best songs, Private Dancer getting
confused with Tiny Dancer. That was Sir Elton just before
we go to Rural News with Michelle. Remember and you
went nuts on this one over the weekend and why
wouldn't you Thanks to us here at the Country but
mainly steal Fort, John mcavenie and Gave and the team.
You can win a cub Cadet Lex five four seven
(25:41):
ride on MOA valued at six and ninety nine dollars
their absolute buttes these things. Go to the Country dot
co dot n z to enter or text the keyword
cub to our text line five double O nine and
we'll send you the link to enter.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
The country's world news with Old Get it New Zealand's
leading right on lawn bower Bread. Visit steel Ford dot
Cot dot z for your local stockist.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Former world champion hawks Bay Shaer Roland Smith has bounced
back from almost a year away from competition to win
his second final in a week as he prepares for
the near year long New Zealand team selection series ahead
of the twenty twenty six World Championships. The thirty eight
year old, who is two meters tall for the marked
his line in the sand when he won an A
grade show at the tai Happy Shares Open Final on
(26:28):
Saturday for the tenth time. This comes seven days after
winning the Wairoa Amp Show title and his first competition
since sergeriy A on a hip injury that forced his
late withdrawal from the twenty twenty four Golden Shares. And
that's rural news.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Yeah tell it. He's got unfinished business. Must try and
get him on the show tomorrow. Roland Smith, what a
champion he is right, that's your Royal news, Thank you, Michelle.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Here's sport Sport with AFCO visit them online at a
FCO dot co dot NZED.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Okay, it's a semi final time in American foot all
is the teams try to make their way to the
super Bowl. You might need to update these because this
is an oldest If you can, Michelle, just quickly google
those scores. Philadelphia Eagles are all but on their way
to the Super Bowl. Moments ago, the Eagles led the
(27:16):
Washington Commanders. We're going to change their name, I think
under Trump back to the Redskins. Are they forty eight
to twenty three in the final quarter of the NFC's
championship game. The other one involves the Kansas City Chiefs
and someone else? What do we go as?
Speaker 7 (27:30):
I got an update the Eagles did beat the Commanders
fifty five twenty three.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Yep. And the other game I think gets underway or
got underway at about twelve thirty News talks they'd be
at the top of the hour. We'll update the second
semi final in the NFL. Right up next, it is Meat,
Red Meat and the Dragon's Den with Serma Kara Peaver
from the Meat Industry Association. Here's a great new initiative
(28:01):
from the New Zealand Red Meat industry. They've launched the
first ever Dragon's Den to encourage Kiwis to come up
with innovative new ideas to supercharge the industry. To tell
us a bit more about that, plus we'll talk about
Trump and trade and tariffs. Chief executive of the Meat
Industry Association. Great to have her on the show, Surma
(28:23):
Cara Beever. Is it too late to say happy New Year?
Because I think it's going to be a happy new
year for red meat farmers in this country.
Speaker 8 (28:32):
Oh, I look.
Speaker 9 (28:33):
Happy new Year indeed, and it's never too late to
wish people a good, good new year. I know twenty
five as shaping up to be another tumultuous year for
the red meat sector, but we are being positive and
we are starting to see some recovery and key markets,
so hopefully it is going to be a good year
(28:54):
for everyone and for red meat farmers and particular.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Hey, a lot better off than we were this time
a year ago. The LAMB schedules up nearly two bucks.
Speaker 9 (29:05):
Yeah, no, definitely, and I think that kind of reflects
that the global economy seems to be settling down a
little bit, and certainly we're starting to see a little
bit more recovery and our key markets. You know, China
has clearly gone through quite a difficult economic time over
(29:26):
the last year or so. We're starting to see some
green shirts coming through from that economy, and of course
what is good for that economy is also good for
us because it is such a strategically important market for
the New Zealand red meat sector.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Has the US now officially overtaken China as our biggest
market for red meat, well.
Speaker 9 (29:50):
It certainly has in the last six to eight months
it has been number one, particularly driven from beef exports
into the US as well. The US is traditionally a
beef market, of course, and our product is well placed
because the US hamburger manufacturers they like to use New
(30:13):
Zealand lean product to mix with some of the grain
finished product that comes out of the US and other countries,
and so we have seen a lot of demand, partly
driven by the short supply of domestic product and the
US they're going through a heard we building phase at
(30:33):
the moment, and so we have been able to export
a lot more product into that market, which has made
it the number one market owen OK.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
So potentially these good times in terms of the US
and their demand for beef could last what another two
or three years?
Speaker 9 (30:52):
Yeah, I mean I would say two years, given the
timeframes around re building a herd, the size of the
heard in the US. But yeah, two to three years,
I think we will be in a fairly good position
in that market and it's certainly helping to offset some
of the downturn and other markets.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Are you worried about Trump and his tariffs?
Speaker 9 (31:15):
Look, you know that as a watching brief from our end,
we have heard the rhetoric. We are following his announcements
with baited breath. Of course, it would not be ideal
for US if taffs were imposed on New Zealand red
meat imports into the United States, But you know, we'll
(31:38):
just have to work through whatever comes out of that administration.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Whose idea was it to come up with the Dragon's
Den to get some innovative new ideas to supercharge the industry? Serma,
Is this your brainchild?
Speaker 9 (31:51):
Oh no, I can't take credit for that. This is
all the team's work. So we run an annual R
and D workshop together with a research and the focus
of that workshop is really to look at the research
and development and innovation that's coming up and as possible
for the sector and what we need to be investing
(32:11):
in to make sure that we can continue to be
innovative and at the forefront on a wide range of
issues that matter to us. So we've been doing this
workshop for many years now and the idea just came
about why don't we try and cast the net out
a little bit more widely and see what other unique
(32:34):
and innovative ideas people might have that, as you said,
would supercharge the industry and help us to really maintain
that forward leaning position and the economy and also globally.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Sir Macara Peap, Chief Executive of the Meat Industry Association,
thanks is always for your time on the country. Thank
you thirteen and all from one, Thank you Sirmo. So
if you've got a bright idea, you could get when
a teen and to develop it further from the Meat
Industry Association's dragons Den competition happening in Parmi North, I
think in March up next. Earlier this morning I took
(33:10):
a trip to the UK, or not me. I phoned
up the UK and talked to farmer Tom Martin. He's
a UK farming correspondent, goes by the moniker of farmer
Tom Martin farming just north of London. There of course
(33:30):
in the depths of their winter and Tom. Part of
the UK and Ireland has been hit by the strongest
storm in the past ten years. Storm is it awin?
How do you pronounce it?
Speaker 6 (33:43):
I think you can basically pronounce it however you like,
if if the news reports are ready to go by.
But I think it's herewin and yeah, it's been. It's
been and been ravaging up the west coast of the
British Isles and in Scotland. We had over one hundred
mile in our winds on the mailand of Ireland, Northern Ireland,
and then a lot of damage up into Scotland as well.
(34:04):
We had one hundred and eighty towers and now more
than two hundred thousand homes in Northern Ireland without power
and quite a few of them aren't going to get
any parents till February.
Speaker 8 (34:13):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (34:13):
So it's been pretty devastating, I've got to say pretty devastating.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Well, one million households in the UK without power and
the deads of Wanter. You've still got heavy rain and
wind warnings. That's not going away.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Quickly, that's right, And rainfalling on already some land. It's
a bit of a recipe that disaster. But you know,
there's been a lot of other madness going at the
same time. The farmers in Scotland suspended their protests because
they wanted to be able to help people clearing trees
(34:45):
and making roadways safe with ere and passing through. But yeah,
there's been a lot of farmer process, been a lot
of other stuff going on, And it feels like it's
been a long time, Jamie, to catch you up on
with all the mad happenings in the UK.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
We last chaedded just before Christmas, Tom Martin, the British
farmers quite rightly, we're up in arms about this inheritance
tech texts that Sakiah Starmer and the Labor Party have
foisted upon you. I take it the fight still continues absolutely.
Speaker 6 (35:16):
Yeah, we had our farming Deir of Unity. They were
a lot of town centers we're not blocked because farmers
were very keen not to keep the public onside and
not to block the roads. But where there were mass
demonstrations of tractors and farmers and the pressure still and
it's and it's hard to find anyone in the UK,
probably apart from the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, who
(35:39):
are not saying maybe we need to think again with this.
We're having some terrible economic results. The markets are not great. Really,
everywhere you look, we're not having a great time, and
it's all pointing back to the budget and some of
the key decisions made there.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
So how how has all this and clement weather affected you.
You're an arable farm up above London there, You're on
the east side of the country, so I guess you're
a bit more sheltered. Have you had the same sort
of rainfall.
Speaker 6 (36:07):
No, we're pretty soft here in the east. We generally
get don't get so much wet weather, and a lot
of the wind, our prevailing wind comes in from the southwest,
so by the time it gets to us, it's normally dissipated.
All the big storm systems like this one went up
the west coast, so I mean we were getting forty
mile our gus but that was nothing we can see.
In fact, we spent Friday dressing grain to cleaning our
(36:28):
grain in the yard. It's fantastic. The wind was blowing
all the chaff away and then we had a full
day yesterday planting one hundred and eighty two hundred fruit
trees and nut trees on the farm, so it didn't
really affect us here in the east of the UK,
and in fact he throw didn't have too many problems
either to just to the west of London, but a
lot of problems at Birmingham Airport, Manister Airport right up
(36:49):
into into Scotland as well. I think the Botanic Gardens
in Edinburgh had their one of their oldest and biggest
trees was split. So yeah, it's been there's it's been
a it's been a tough tough time for the British
Isles under this storm. Well we've got another one coming
this week. We've got a storm. I think it's Herminia.
It's been named by the Spanish forecasters. I'm not sure
if they either maybe didn't know what Iwin began with
(37:12):
or whether they've got their alphabet wrong, but they've gone
straight from e to Herminia. And that storm's due to
come through I think tonight and tomorrow. But I'm standing
outside of the moment and I would describe it as
a breeze.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Thank you. Tom caught up with them earlier this morning.
Why can't they call their cyclones, names like Brian simple
names up. After the break, we're going to wrap the country. Okay,
you're wrapping the country. We're hearing that the government's about
to make a big economic growth announcement. Maybe that at
(37:46):
the top of the air, Kansas City chiefs leading the
Buffalo Bill seven mil and that second NFL what is
effectively a semi final Thanks for your time today. We'll
catch you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Love catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie mckue. Thanks to Brent, your specialist
in John Deere machinery
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckue. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deer construction equipment. I call you.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
My hearts on fire, the con do conju me wild
and wild.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You condo me.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
You gooda New Zealand and welcome to the Country. Brought
to you by Brent. Michelle's chuckson Tina Turner in because
apparently we found an old Tina Turner song. So this
is of course this was the theme song, wasn't it
for the NRL for a while across the town Esmond?
(01:00):
Simply the best? What a great tennis final it was
last night as well. Now simply the best. I'm not
quite sure whether that is fitting for our first guest.
He might he might agree, Have we okay, let's just
hold fire, folks. I think we might have lost Damien O'Connor,
(01:23):
our first guest. Let me just bring you in here, Michelle.
I know here he goes he's trying to get a
hold of us. We've lost him. So I'll tell you
who's on the show today, just while we try and
get Damien O'Connor back, right. Have I got him? I
think I've got him now. Hello, Damien, Sorry about that.
Michelle pointed out that you dropped off the line, and
(01:43):
I apologize for the disorganization. But this is live radio
and it's very best or worse. Do you think this
song by Tina Turner describes you as an egg minister?
Where's he gone?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I'm here, I'm listening.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yeah, yeah, well you're with a song that's called simply
the Best.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Oh, I'd be ever too humble to ever say that
I tried my best. That was certainly well.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Good on you and you did some and to be
feeded some good work. And trade. I want to talk
to you about trade. I'll just tell you who else
is on the show today as we get organized. We're
going to talk forestry with Dennis Neilson Kara Peaver out
of the Meat Industry Association, also talking about Trump and
trade and tariffs. I'm going to ask Damien about that.
(02:29):
It's in this wheelhouse. And also they've come up with
a new Dragon's Den initiative. And a bit earlier this morning,
I caught up with our UK correspondent farmer Tom Martin.
They've been hit by the biggest storm in ten years
over there. Okay, Damien, thank you for some of your time.
How did the Christmas break treat you?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I look, it was great to catch up with family
and friends, and probably more relation than I've had for
a while last year while we were into opposition. I
guess it was an adjustment. So it has been a
time to get around the country have a look at
particularly the rural areas. Actually, and it's been pretty green everywhere,
but you know, too much moisture in some areas has
created us of challenges, but pretty repacted. Some time to
(03:11):
get back to work.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Okay, put on your trade hat because you've got a
lot of experiences I said in that area. What do
you make of Trump's talk about tariffs? How's that going
to affect us here in New Zealand Because and we'll
discuss the snowed out with Sirmacara Pever, the US Damien
is now our biggest market for red meat. It has
overtaken China.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
It's always been a very big market for our manufactured beef,
which is about fifty percent of our our market. So look,
it's going to affect us, and we're not quite sure
how will when, And there's a lot of uncertainty around
Trump's presidency. I think every day. I certainly have reason
to be more concerned. I think that most of the
world does.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
We don't know.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
What carafs imposed upon countries. You know, sending stuff to
the US will mean if it stops, will make some
of those experts own economic people will shift to other markets.
What does that do to international prices in volumes? No
one quite knows. So it's a very uncertain time for
(04:16):
anyone connected to the US.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
He seems to be he seems to want, at this
very early stage of his presidency to want to slap
tror some people who are annoying them, Like hasn't he
just put one on Columbia or something because they wouldn't
let a plane of deportees land.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Well, you know, it's almost an hour by our reactionary
approach to governance of you know, the biggest economy in
the world, and that's that uncertainty creates a lot of
chaos around not just.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
World markets, but you know, people.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Are trying to plan forward with not only in the
primary sectors, but any manufacturing, anything that is traded around
the world will be interrupted in some way by city
or indeed by direct impacts of tariffs.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, Winston. Well, you've been in politics and in
parliament with them for many, many many years, because you
started back in the nineteen nineties. Is he going to
be a bit of an ace in our hand here
when it comes to dealing with the Americans because he
has been traditionally very pro America.
Speaker 5 (05:23):
Well, it might be a joker that we need rather
than ace when it comes to playing cards with Donald Trump.
But I think, you know, Winston has the experience, he
has connections with the US. You know, we can just
do our best and I'm sure that Winston will in
trying to minimize any impact that New Zealand will suffer
from the intervention on trade. And it might just not
(05:47):
just be tariffs, it could be other non tariff barriers
that affects in some ways. So uncertain times, I'm sure
Winston will do his best on behalf of our country.
Very hard to know what that might mean the long term.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Do you reckon we could get we'll we're talking about
this one last week with the likes of Todd McLay
and even Christopher Luxe, and do you reckon we could
do some sort of sweetheart deal. The Australians are talking
about that because of their special relationship with America, Could
we do something like that?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Look, I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
I mean, Crystal Luckson has talked about a trade deal
within three years with India that was unrealistic. They're now
being more realistic. Whether the statements about a sweetheart deal
with the US unrealistic or not, I won't judge it
or I'll always try to be optimistic for our country,
but we have to be pretty honest in terms of
(06:40):
the political interaction, intervention and possibilities with the US at
this point in time.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
How you realize you and Trump have got something in
common and you won't like this. You've both made controversial
statements about Gaza. Trump wants to empty the place out.
You controversially last year, I think retweeted something about Gaza
got you into a bit of hot water.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
It was a statement from a US retired general. And
you know, look have been many statements made on Gaza.
By stand by all mind that it's a very worrying
time for international human rights, for the rule of law,
for the protection of people who can otherwise just be
you know, totally exterminated through a genocide where there's no controls,
(07:30):
no UN intervention, no ability to take people to account.
So it's a very very worrying and disturbing time for
many things across the globe, and the US has been
at the hardened center of many of those things. And
hopefully low come right and we'll see some more law
and order, some more trade order, and some consistency across
(07:52):
the globe.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Are you happy that Shane Jones, the Minister of digging
it up and damning it up, is going to dig
up quite a bit of your home patch? Drill, baby, drill.
There's another Trump comparison.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
I think, yeah, the comparisons aren't really helpful. I think
it does scare people in many ways. I think, you know,
we do need to have mining, but responsible mining for
the things that we need and where the you know,
high quality coal for coaching purposes is necessary and as
continues on the West Coast, low value coal for thermal
(08:25):
purposes maybe not as necessary and maybe there are better options,
which is, you know, what the world is seeking at
the moment, and so we have to be part of
the international movement. As you say, the UK by storms,
we will see more of these climatic effects, particularly in
primary production, and we think we can ignore that and
(08:45):
just carry on blindly. Then you know we're kidding ourselves
in our international reputation, will will go astray and be destroyed.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Did you guys in the Labor government get it so
badly wrong? And you probably did. When it came to coal,
the fact that we're were important coal from Indonesia, that
was fascical.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
That coal had been imported for my recollection ten to
fifteen years as a core part of our energy mix.
We were trying to move to more renewables. Wasn't a
government's decision? Was the decision actually of the part privatized
you know under John Key electricity companies. It was their
call to do that, not government's call.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
First sitting of Parliament tomorrow for twenty twenty five today
Select Committee Treaty Principal's Bill. It's the oral submissions they began,
I think with David Seymour first thing this morning.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Are you submitting, well, not submitting as a member of Parliament. No,
certainly contribute to it through the party, through assisting many
other people who have contacted me who are horrified with
the division that this bill is creating. And I hope
that you're making one, Jamie, given that you'd like to
see how unified and progress New Zealand country.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, I'm planning the fifth Amendment on this one. Just
sunder durn Her memoir is being released in June. Will
you be mentioned in glowing terms.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
I have no idea and no expectations at all. I was,
you know, I guess, a loyal minister and a cabinet there.
You know, I took on quite a few challenges, I guess,
and COVID being the one that you know, we'd never
faced before. And you know, I think we did okay
as a country and made the right decision. The other one, absolutely,
(10:35):
there's the thousands of people who are still a life today.
It wouldn't have been otherwise. And I have to say
I was proud to be part of the government. We
made the call on microplacement of ovs, which is a
huge benefit to the livestock industry in our economy across
the country, something that has been taken for granted by
many people.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Yeah, and I'll give you credit there along with the
MPI did a good job there. Actually MPI is doing
a good job when you look at the outbreak of
the Avian flu in that we seem to be on
top of that long may it continue. Were you a
loyal servant to Jacinda or were you a hatchet man
and a henchman.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
No?
Speaker 5 (11:11):
I was always an honest, outspoken contributed to cabinet and
to her government. And you know, we did our very
best for New Zealand, and New Zealanders stand by all
those decisions. I'm sure we went perfect. We didn't get
everything right, but we did it for the right reasons.
And that wasn't to privatize our public health system. It
wasn't to sell off their country to the wealthiest. These
(11:34):
are the kinds of things that are starting to see
from the coalition government just under us.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
All about kindness and empathy. And to be fair, she
is kind and empathetic, But was she completely and on
hindsight here, Damien, because the book's been published, so she
can't write nasty things about you now in hindsight, was
she hopelessly out of a depth? Should I don't know,
Grant Robertson or something taken on the job?
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Stally bizarre you, Jamie. I think we've had many people
who have been prime ministers. The one who was a
salesman in the US and was a chief executive of
an airline with a questionable kind of outcome, you know,
as may or may not hit the skills. We'll see
long term whether that leads to our country in the
right direction. Just in to had the skills to bring
(12:21):
people to the table, to get the best information at
the table, and to make the reasons for the right decision.
And that's more important than someone who steps back and
just lets the market determine where our country will head
in the future. And that's what we're seeing at the moment.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Damien O'Connor, thanks as always for your time. Always enjoy
a good debate on the country with you came, Jamie.
There we go, Damien O'Connor. This is Tina Turner. Where
did they find a song? Michelle?
Speaker 7 (12:48):
Oh so this is super interesting, Jamie. I can see
that you're just like, oh so interering.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Well, no, you did say to me before that you've
been reading handsard and this is great for research purposes,
But sometimes I do wonder if you.
Speaker 7 (12:59):
Have I keep telling you and you will have a
political nerd on your side.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yeah, and you've been watching these submissions to the Treaty
Principles Bill as well.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
I don't red that now.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
I'm not properly.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
The only other person I know who's watching that is Rooks.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
We'll see a Rooks Texan after this.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
So the song, well, not this song, but the song
they found was called Hotview Baby, and it was actually
meant to be on the album, the nineteen eighty four
album that had Private Dancer and What's Love Got to
Do with.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
It on it?
Speaker 7 (13:27):
So really interesting. They played it on BBC's Radio two
Brieffast Show last week, and it's going to be on
the fortieth edition anniversary album.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Okay, there we go. Some useless interesting trivia from Michelle Watt,
some feedback coming in What's wrong with You? This is
I think this is to do with me? What's wrong
with you? Jacinda? Kind and empathetic? She No, she wasn't.
She was an evil, lying tyrant but locked the country down.
(13:56):
So that text that doesn't believe doesn't agree with Damien
on that one. No, I'm sticking to my story when
it comes to Jacinda. I think at a heart she
was a kind and empathetic person. But as I said
to Damien, I think history will judge he is and
her government as being hopefully out of their depths when
it comes to running an economy and to be fair
(14:19):
in New Zealand, you've got yourself to blame for this.
They got a clean majority in the twenty twenty election,
over fifty percent. Every electorate in the country apart from
EPSOM party voted Labor and that includes all those true
blue GNAT electorates. So well. She might have been out
(14:40):
of a depth, but perhaps a lot of people were
convinced after the first three year term that she was
the way forward. Anyhow, you get what you vote for.
Up next, Dennis Nielsen. I'm looking forward to this chat.
Dennis is a forestry expert. Forestry it's not a dirty word,
but his carbon arming a dirty word. And what is
(15:01):
the future for forestry in this country because it's having
tough times at the moment. Is the future carbon farming?
What about the ets? And should we invest in bitcoin?
That's up next time to talk about of forestry and
(15:29):
carbon farming. Yes, that evil word here on the country today.
To illuminate me and to fill in all my knowledge
gaps when it comes to forestry and carbon farming. I've
got this guy on board. His name is Dennis Neilson.
He's a forestry entrepreneur. He's a fellow of the New
Zealand Institute of Forestry, and he's the chair of the
New Zealand Timber Museum Trust. Hey Dennis, I just want
(15:51):
to start by saying great to get you on the show.
I think we chatted briefly at Field Days a couple
of years ago. You link me in on your email
threads which go to all and Sundry and even your
own forestry mates call you a polymath, and you realize
that polymath is a person of wide knowledge or learning,
in other words, a know all. Are you a no all? Dennis?
Speaker 8 (16:14):
Well, I've progressed because until recently my forestry friends and
you from time to time called me the failed forester
for Moor Paris. So I progressed to a polymath, not
a know all. But I am seventy five years old
and I have been around a little bit, and I
(16:34):
have opinions about on anything and everything, including forestry, and
including carbon farming.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Did the government make a mistake by introducing rules restricting
tree planting, because you know you and I have lots
of debates online about this. I'm not a big fan
of carbon farming taking over good pastoral land. My position
is clear.
Speaker 8 (16:55):
My position is clear, and it's really not to do
with forestry or farming. It's to do with the philosophy
of I think it was Gordon Coates. I might be wrong,
but the original Reform National Party leader who wrote a
manifesto of four or five bullet points in nineteen thirty six,
and two of them are very important. One is minimal
(17:16):
government and one is the sanctity of private land ownership.
And that's why I philosophically would like to see minimum
restrictions on rural land uice or urban land news for
that matter. It's not a forester or farming thing. It's
a sanctity of private ownership.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Hang on, Dennis, Under your regime we would become the
pine plantation of the South Pacific, and we would have
urban sprawl everywhere, and places like Pokacoe and out western Auckland,
all that wonderful farm land out at QMU there would
all go into houses.
Speaker 8 (17:53):
Yes, but there's no restrictions on subdivision development on the
onion fields of South Auckland or any else except I
think there are dolet planes. I know Jamie that that
is a philosophical approach, and sure there's there probably has
to be some government intervention on on on some of
the areas of land use. But I think the governors
(18:15):
overreached on this occasion.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Now, Dennis Nielsen, forestry is now officially our fourth biggest industry.
It's just slipped off the pace a wee bit from horticulture.
They were sort of tied third equal behind dairy and
red meat. Forestry is very, very important. It's a huge
export industry for US. Is carbon farming still a thing?
Speaker 8 (18:38):
I believe there's a lot of misunderstanding about the word
carbon farming. I don't know of any people that are planting,
certainly overseas organizations. This is, in my opinion, certainly overseas organizations,
private private family officers, private high net wealth individuals, big
(19:03):
companies that are here from overseas. I don't know anyone
that's carbon farming for carbon. They are growing trees for
various reasons, including security of their wealth, diversity by spreading
to different countries, and to be part of what is
really one of two or three of the best countries
(19:24):
in which to grow medium to fast growing, medium quality
softward logs for harvesting and sale of logs. And there
may or may not be some new Zealanders who are
involved in carbon farming. But the word carbon farming is
heavily misused, heavily overused, and so that's that's my opinion.
(19:47):
They're the eats. We can talk about that. There is
some advantages or there has been some advantages in people
are investing in trees to grow for harvesting logs as
well as for carbon. There has been an advantage in that,
but that's not the primary motivation or even the secondary
or third tertiary motivation for overseas investors I know to
(20:11):
be to invest in forests and New Zealand. The carbon
is almost incidental. In fact, many a number of big
organizations of private companies from Europe especially either they're not
even cashing in their carbon credits. They may or may
not be registered in the ETS. Carbon is inconsequential to
(20:34):
their decision to invest in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Okay, a couple questions to finish on. Is the ETS
the dog's breakfast? I think I know the answer.
Speaker 8 (20:43):
It's become more messy. It's been long standing, it's been
here from two thousand and seven. It is still the
only government certified ETS which allows for sequestration credits for
carbon for trees. But it's becoming a murky murky pool,
if not a swamp because of hugely expensive regulations now
(21:08):
set out by the Minister MPI, and particularly for the
registration and now fourteen dollars per hectare per year, which
is just out outlandishly high for what could be done
on a spreaching.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Yeah, they tell me their new flash computer system worth
ninety million bucks something like that doesn't even work.
Speaker 8 (21:28):
Well. I've had reliable sources tell me that A're in
the game. They've been waiting for more than two years
to get credits and they're still not at ninety million dollars.
And I've been told by arrival sources at the same
work could be done on.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
The Nexcel spreaching.
Speaker 8 (21:45):
So that's the nover pay fiasco which is now unfortunately
clouding the future of the ETS in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Hey, Dennis Nilsen, final question for you. If you had
your way, you'd be planting pine trees everywhere. What about
the death of rural New Zealand, especially some of the
smaller isolated communities.
Speaker 8 (22:06):
I wouldn't be planting pine trees everywhere. The pine tree
planning has been blamed I think wrongly and overly by
various organizations and leaders. I can give you an example
the Alliance Freezing where it's closed and Timaru was it
last year, five or six hundred jobs lost. It was
(22:28):
blamed on forestry. Reality was ten or fifteen years before
it closed. There was one hundred and eight thousand hectares
of pine trees in that region the catchment. When it
closed there was ten thousand hectares less. And there's good
reasons for that. Night Tahoo logging forests and turning to
dairy farms. But forestry was blamed so often forestry is blamed.
(22:50):
The depopulation of rural centers is happening globally. I travel
a lot and I read a lot that's happening. And
whether it's France and Belgium and Holland than the United States,
it's happening every depopulation. No one else except in New
Zealand as a blamed on radiot of pine trees. But
it's happening, and it's huge, and it's sad, but it's
inevitable and it will continue.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
What's the best bet forestry or bitcoin?
Speaker 8 (23:20):
It's pegging a poke and a toss of a coin
for both. If I can use that word. I was
really Latin to bitcoin. I only bought it six thousand
dollars and at one hundred and five thousand dollars today.
Side say bitcoin going you with if you want to
go into nnged us going with your eyes wide open
and the same with bitcoin, it could fly to a
(23:42):
million dollars, or you can go to nothing and nnged
us can do the same. Go into injed use ets
with whether your farmers or anyone else with their eyes
open and seek solid advice.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Dennis Nielsen, thanks very much for your time today. It's
been great to talk to a polymath of forestry.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Thank you, Jamie, Thank you Dennis.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Lots of feedback coming in on Dennis, not as much
as there is coming in on Jacinda. She still exercises
people for and against. To be fair, someone said, because
the texts are coming in that quickly zooming off my page.
She had a communications degree. Of course, she was good
at bringing people together, but she wasn't good at politics,
(24:27):
which were we found out too late. Yeah, I think
the first Ardurn government, especially in the early stages of COVID.
Once again, only my opinion gets a pass mark. I
know a lot of people will hate that the second
Ardurn government Hipkins took over the last for the last
year was the worst government in my lifetime. Once again,
(24:49):
just my humble opinion as a long time observer. Right,
how up next Michelle with Rural News. I think Roland
Smith's making a comeback. Yeah, that's exciting and sport. Plus
we've to talk the dragons Den for the meat industry
and farmer Tom Martin caught up with them ally bit
earlier this morning regarding the worst storm to hit the
(25:10):
UK in ten years.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Bad Days come you don't look at the bay.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
This is one of Tina's best songs, Private Dancer getting
confused with Tiny Dancer. That was Sir Elton just before
we go to Rural News with Michelle. Remember and you
went nuts on this one over the weekend and why
wouldn't you Thanks to us here at the Country but
mainly steal Fort, John mcavenie and Gave and the team.
You can win a cub Cadet Lex five four seven
(25:41):
ride on MOA valued at six and ninety nine dollars
their absolute buttes these things. Go to the Country dot
co dot n z to enter or text the keyword
cub to our text line five double O nine and
we'll send you the link to enter.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
The country's world news with Old Get it New Zealand's
leading right on lawn bower Bread. Visit steel Ford dot
Cot dot z for your local stockist.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Former world champion hawks Bay Shaer Roland Smith has bounced
back from almost a year away from competition to win
his second final in a week as he prepares for
the near year long New Zealand team selection series ahead
of the twenty twenty six World Championships. The thirty eight
year old, who is two meters tall for the marked
his line in the sand when he won an A
grade show at the tai Happy Shares Open Final on
(26:28):
Saturday for the tenth time. This comes seven days after
winning the Wairoa Amp Show title and his first competition
since sergeriy A on a hip injury that forced his
late withdrawal from the twenty twenty four Golden Shares. And
that's rural news.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Yeah tell it. He's got unfinished business. Must try and
get him on the show tomorrow. Roland Smith, what a
champion he is right, that's your Royal news, Thank you, Michelle.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Here's sport Sport with AFCO visit them online at a
FCO dot co dot NZED.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Okay, it's a semi final time in American foot all
is the teams try to make their way to the
super Bowl. You might need to update these because this
is an oldest If you can, Michelle, just quickly google
those scores. Philadelphia Eagles are all but on their way
to the Super Bowl. Moments ago, the Eagles led the
(27:16):
Washington Commanders. We're going to change their name, I think
under Trump back to the Redskins. Are they forty eight
to twenty three in the final quarter of the NFC's
championship game. The other one involves the Kansas City Chiefs
and someone else? What do we go as?
Speaker 7 (27:30):
I got an update the Eagles did beat the Commanders
fifty five twenty three.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Yep. And the other game I think gets underway or
got underway at about twelve thirty News talks they'd be
at the top of the hour. We'll update the second
semi final in the NFL. Right up next, it is Meat,
Red Meat and the Dragon's Den with Serma Kara Peaver
from the Meat Industry Association. Here's a great new initiative
(28:01):
from the New Zealand Red Meat industry. They've launched the
first ever Dragon's Den to encourage Kiwis to come up
with innovative new ideas to supercharge the industry. To tell
us a bit more about that, plus we'll talk about
Trump and trade and tariffs. Chief executive of the Meat
Industry Association. Great to have her on the show, Surma
(28:23):
Cara Beever. Is it too late to say happy New Year?
Because I think it's going to be a happy new
year for red meat farmers in this country.
Speaker 8 (28:32):
Oh, I look.
Speaker 9 (28:33):
Happy new Year indeed, and it's never too late to
wish people a good, good new year. I know twenty
five as shaping up to be another tumultuous year for
the red meat sector, but we are being positive and
we are starting to see some recovery and key markets,
so hopefully it is going to be a good year
(28:54):
for everyone and for red meat farmers and particular.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Hey, a lot better off than we were this time
a year ago. The LAMB schedules up nearly two bucks.
Speaker 9 (29:05):
Yeah, no, definitely, and I think that kind of reflects
that the global economy seems to be settling down a
little bit, and certainly we're starting to see a little
bit more recovery and our key markets. You know, China
has clearly gone through quite a difficult economic time over
(29:26):
the last year or so. We're starting to see some
green shirts coming through from that economy, and of course
what is good for that economy is also good for
us because it is such a strategically important market for
the New Zealand red meat sector.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Has the US now officially overtaken China as our biggest
market for red meat, well.
Speaker 9 (29:50):
It certainly has in the last six to eight months
it has been number one, particularly driven from beef exports
into the US as well. The US is traditionally a
beef market, of course, and our product is well placed
because the US hamburger manufacturers they like to use New
(30:13):
Zealand lean product to mix with some of the grain
finished product that comes out of the US and other countries,
and so we have seen a lot of demand, partly
driven by the short supply of domestic product and the
US they're going through a heard we building phase at
(30:33):
the moment, and so we have been able to export
a lot more product into that market, which has made
it the number one market owen OK.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
So potentially these good times in terms of the US
and their demand for beef could last what another two
or three years?
Speaker 9 (30:52):
Yeah, I mean I would say two years, given the
timeframes around re building a herd, the size of the
heard in the US. But yeah, two to three years,
I think we will be in a fairly good position
in that market and it's certainly helping to offset some
of the downturn and other markets.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Are you worried about Trump and his tariffs?
Speaker 9 (31:15):
Look, you know that as a watching brief from our end,
we have heard the rhetoric. We are following his announcements
with baited breath. Of course, it would not be ideal
for US if taffs were imposed on New Zealand red
meat imports into the United States, But you know, we'll
(31:38):
just have to work through whatever comes out of that administration.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Whose idea was it to come up with the Dragon's
Den to get some innovative new ideas to supercharge the industry? Serma,
Is this your brainchild?
Speaker 9 (31:51):
Oh no, I can't take credit for that. This is
all the team's work. So we run an annual R
and D workshop together with a research and the focus
of that workshop is really to look at the research
and development and innovation that's coming up and as possible
for the sector and what we need to be investing
(32:11):
in to make sure that we can continue to be
innovative and at the forefront on a wide range of
issues that matter to us. So we've been doing this
workshop for many years now and the idea just came
about why don't we try and cast the net out
a little bit more widely and see what other unique
(32:34):
and innovative ideas people might have that, as you said,
would supercharge the industry and help us to really maintain
that forward leaning position and the economy and also globally.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Sir Macara Peap, Chief Executive of the Meat Industry Association,
thanks is always for your time on the country. Thank
you thirteen and all from one, Thank you Sirmo. So
if you've got a bright idea, you could get when
a teen and to develop it further from the Meat
Industry Association's dragons Den competition happening in Parmi North, I
think in March up next. Earlier this morning I took
(33:10):
a trip to the UK, or not me. I phoned
up the UK and talked to farmer Tom Martin. He's
a UK farming correspondent, goes by the moniker of farmer
Tom Martin farming just north of London. There of course
(33:30):
in the depths of their winter and Tom. Part of
the UK and Ireland has been hit by the strongest
storm in the past ten years. Storm is it awin?
How do you pronounce it?
Speaker 6 (33:43):
I think you can basically pronounce it however you like,
if if the news reports are ready to go by.
But I think it's herewin and yeah, it's been. It's
been and been ravaging up the west coast of the
British Isles and in Scotland. We had over one hundred
mile in our winds on the mailand of Ireland, Northern Ireland,
and then a lot of damage up into Scotland as well.
(34:04):
We had one hundred and eighty towers and now more
than two hundred thousand homes in Northern Ireland without power
and quite a few of them aren't going to get
any parents till February.
Speaker 8 (34:13):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (34:13):
So it's been pretty devastating, I've got to say pretty devastating.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Well, one million households in the UK without power and
the deads of Wanter. You've still got heavy rain and
wind warnings. That's not going away.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Quickly, that's right, And rainfalling on already some land. It's
a bit of a recipe that disaster. But you know,
there's been a lot of other madness going at the
same time. The farmers in Scotland suspended their protests because
they wanted to be able to help people clearing trees
(34:45):
and making roadways safe with ere and passing through. But yeah,
there's been a lot of farmer process, been a lot
of other stuff going on, And it feels like it's
been a long time, Jamie, to catch you up on
with all the mad happenings in the UK.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
We last chaedded just before Christmas, Tom Martin, the British
farmers quite rightly, we're up in arms about this inheritance
tech texts that Sakiah Starmer and the Labor Party have
foisted upon you. I take it the fight still continues absolutely.
Speaker 6 (35:16):
Yeah, we had our farming Deir of Unity. They were
a lot of town centers we're not blocked because farmers
were very keen not to keep the public onside and
not to block the roads. But where there were mass
demonstrations of tractors and farmers and the pressure still and
it's and it's hard to find anyone in the UK,
probably apart from the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, who
(35:39):
are not saying maybe we need to think again with this.
We're having some terrible economic results. The markets are not great. Really,
everywhere you look, we're not having a great time, and
it's all pointing back to the budget and some of
the key decisions made there.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
So how how has all this and clement weather affected you.
You're an arable farm up above London there, You're on
the east side of the country, so I guess you're
a bit more sheltered. Have you had the same sort
of rainfall.
Speaker 6 (36:07):
No, we're pretty soft here in the east. We generally
get don't get so much wet weather, and a lot
of the wind, our prevailing wind comes in from the southwest,
so by the time it gets to us, it's normally dissipated.
All the big storm systems like this one went up
the west coast, so I mean we were getting forty
mile our gus but that was nothing we can see.
In fact, we spent Friday dressing grain to cleaning our
(36:28):
grain in the yard. It's fantastic. The wind was blowing
all the chaff away and then we had a full
day yesterday planting one hundred and eighty two hundred fruit
trees and nut trees on the farm, so it didn't
really affect us here in the east of the UK,
and in fact he throw didn't have too many problems
either to just to the west of London, but a
lot of problems at Birmingham Airport, Manister Airport right up
(36:49):
into into Scotland as well. I think the Botanic Gardens
in Edinburgh had their one of their oldest and biggest
trees was split. So yeah, it's been there's it's been
a it's been a tough tough time for the British
Isles under this storm. Well we've got another one coming
this week. We've got a storm. I think it's Herminia.
It's been named by the Spanish forecasters. I'm not sure
if they either maybe didn't know what Iwin began with
(37:12):
or whether they've got their alphabet wrong, but they've gone
straight from e to Herminia. And that storm's due to
come through I think tonight and tomorrow. But I'm standing
outside of the moment and I would describe it as
a breeze.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Thank you. Tom caught up with them earlier this morning.
Why can't they call their cyclones, names like Brian simple
names up. After the break, we're going to wrap the country. Okay,
you're wrapping the country. We're hearing that the government's about
to make a big economic growth announcement. Maybe that at
(37:46):
the top of the air, Kansas City chiefs leading the
Buffalo Bill seven mil and that second NFL what is
effectively a semi final Thanks for your time today. We'll
catch you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Love catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie mckue. Thanks to Brent, your specialist
in John Deere machinery
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