July 13, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks Kevin Freeman, Derek Daniell, Andrew Hoggard, Grant McCallum, and Phil Duncan.
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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 Dee construction equipment. Said again, Jip belsade ahead, get
switched to ohb load and no, Old Boddy's gonna got
(00:23):
a start today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
She's gonna make them stay.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
And Daddy doesn't understand it. He always said she was
good as cool and you can.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
See no reasons because no reasons?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
What reason do you need to be sure?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Get Amy's eland? Excuse me, I'm Jamie McKay, frog in
the throat. This is the Country. It's brought to you
by Brand fortieth anniversary. Today our time of the Live
AID concert at Wembley Stadium thirteenth of July nineteen eighty five.
It's the thirteenth of July and the un at the moment, Hey,
today's show, we're going to give you an opportunity for
(01:05):
you and a mate to go fishing with Scott Barrett.
More about that a wee bit later in the but
we're going to kick it off with the big story
out there, and that is the terrible devastation that is
happening and that has happened. Should I say in the
Tasman Nelson region. We're going to talk to a farmer,
a dairy farmer right at the coal face at the
(01:26):
top of the Mochueka River. His name is Kevin Freeman.
To kick off the show, we're going up the road
Awebit to the wire Rappa region. Derek Daniel one of
the countries leading sheep breeders. But does sheep farming have
a future? We'll ask him, does production forestry have a future?
Does carbon farming have a future? We're going to look
(01:46):
at that. Today's Dairy Farmer MP panel Andrew Hoggard just
back from the UK and Grant McCullum. Of course, very
dry in the UK at the moment, very wet here
in New Zealand. So we're going to ponder that and
Phil duncan see if we can come up with a
break in the weather for the farmers and the people
(02:07):
of the Tasman Nelson region. It has been absolutely heartbreaking
or watching what's happened there over the past couple of weeks.
And I think the Killer has been the follow up event.
What was it a week ten days after the first one?
How soul destroying? Is that? So off We're off their
next with Kevin Freeman.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And Nick and said no reasons because the no reasons,
what reason do you need too, dang.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Jimnade ahead, Well, we've all been watching with great sadness
what's happened in the Tasman Nelson region. We're going to
head to the cold Face now to catch up with
a Tasman dairy farmer, Kevin Freeman, at the top end
of the Mohowe River, one of the worst affected areas. Kevin,
I think you and your family have been in the
(03:04):
valley for thirty years. It's the worst you've seen. How
bad is it?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, it's pretty disgusting.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
It's pretty disheartening being close to springtime where we're about
to be inundated with cars and all the excitement of
a season, and then it's a bit of work to
do before that even happens.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Is there any horticulture there you, because what I've been seeing,
certainly online and on the national TV networks has been
particularly Some of those hop farmers have been absolutely thrashed.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
YEP, with all their poles, wires, gy wise, whatever else.
It's pretty good trap for everything. There's a hot farmer
where it's just below us and one of the bends
in the river has come out and moved probably fifty
odd meters and started actually eating it was hot gun.
(04:01):
And that's across access ways and other land as well.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Dairy farming fences are a wee bit more resilient than,
for instance, sheep farming fences or deer farming fences because
there's less wires on them. How have you survived? How
many fences have you lost?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Ah, it's case so since the first event, I've had
two to two and a half staff, like a three
staff two and a half staff, and they've been flat
out busy for since it's happened. And then the flood
that has happened just last Friday just ended up with
(04:38):
probably put us back another week's worth of work again.
And it's just like some of these fences that's like
fall right off, you scratch it out and start again.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It must be absolutely soul destroying for you farmers. Okay,
you've had a one off event a couple of weeks ago,
well you were told it was a one off event,
and then within the space or less than two weeks later,
you get another one of these one off events and
it's just basically undone all the repatriation work that you'd
done that is so destroying.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah, definitely, definitely, And yeah the second event because everything
was sodden and we had clear the reasonable portion of
the culverts, but they will fill back up. And then
with the wind on the second event, it's brought down
trees across enses as well, So that's just another edit.
It's not just floodwork, it's now cutting off trees and
(05:32):
those senses of broken wires and broken posts and everything else.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
What can the rest of the country do effectively to
help you guys out?
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Oh well, I was to go into Wellington today that
we need to ease up our on being able to
dig out of rivers rock because there's plenty of rock
that's come out of the banks so far and it
would be very nice to put that back on our roads.
Ah what else can I do?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Yeah, there's it's skilled labor is really what a lot
of the moderwake of region needs in the fact of
to help with fencing. There's equipment, it's tracking and post
drivers because there's cently a forestry cruise in Nelson and
they'll be very well busy with wind four. But yes,
(06:26):
skilled operators to actually bring things out and making them.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
How far off carving are you?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Ah well, we've heard a couple of early ones, so
there's actually a couple of calves already. But we've planned
starters about twenty six, twenty eight.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, okay, we can't coming. Yeah, so the timings are
not that flash. What about access, because it's one thing
that damage is on farm, but then it's another thing
getting access to the farm, especially once you start carving
and milking dairy tankers for instance.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Is that okay, Well, where it's gone across the road,
it's pulled up all the tars here, and yeah, the
roads are definitely rough, not that it's going to limit
access too much, but you do worry that as certain
as there's any other small scale event, it will block
access again. And that's where we can't really control. But
(07:22):
it's because we've had so much rain in such a
short time that it carries on. You know, the trees
fall easy, their slips come down easy. There's rock fall,
there's unstable ground, The bridges have been maybe compromised. It's
starting to get close to the approach on the bridge
that's just down the road from us. The state highway
(07:46):
has been they've rebuilt bud banks and then it's been
re washed out again in the second event. So it's
where running on a nice edge is what it is.
That it's not necessarily going to happen, but there is
even small events it will happen.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Kevin Freeman, I know you're flat out. I know you
need to get back out onto the farm and try
and tidy things up before carving. Thanks for some of
your time. And you guys really need a bit of
a helping hand from mother nature more than anybody. And
I hope it's coming your way. We'll discuss that a
wee bit later in the hour with our weather guy
fell Duncan. Good luck.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Thank you very much, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Thanks for some of your time, Kevin, can't be easy.
How soul destroying is that? Fixed the fences and then
another flood comes and wipes out all your work. Fifteen
after twelve on the country. Yes for Hello Michelle? What
have I changed your microphone on? Hello Michelle?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
What?
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Hello?
Speaker 6 (08:42):
Jaemcau?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I think I think your microphone was on. You just
got a bit of stage fright there, did you.
Speaker 6 (08:47):
D You kind of caught me off guard?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yeah, okay, so I can't ask a woman, a lady
her age, but were you born when Live A was on, No,
I was only just we're given your age. Way, it's
I shouldn't do that, should I? Forty years ago? Today
our time? Of course? Bob Guadoff, so Bob Goudoff as
(09:10):
he is now from the Boomtown rats this song here,
their biggest song was one of the organizers along with
do you know who the other main organizer or one
of the other main organizers was. He had a song
called Vienna. Oh yeah, Ultravox mid sure, so I might
play a wee bit of that as well. But it
(09:31):
was amazing. And my favorite stat from Live Aid is
good old Phil Collins performing on both sides because they
had one at Wembley Stadium. Then they had one an
American concert straight after that from Philadelphia. Wonderful. Now we
have got Scott Barrett to go fishing with you. He
could probably go now, actually a bit bit cold to
(09:52):
go fishing because he's he's injured at the moment. But
this is our latest promotion from Kywaker, the Storm Force Parker.
They make the Storm Force park Is. They're brilliant jackets,
like literally one hundred and ten percent are waterproof and
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with Scott Barrett. You got the info, No, I've got.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
The aw I've got all the info. But it's pretty
exciting stuff. You can enter on our website.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yep, okay, So here's the drill because it's sitting in
front of me rather than Michelle. So all you need
to do you can be a lucky listener and one
of your mates. You can join the Kaiwaker crew on
a fishing trip along with the Ambassador Scott Barrett. So
included in the fishing trip flights, accommodation, a couple of
those storm Force park is. They're worth four or five
(10:40):
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fifty I was going to say two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. I might be getting carried away there two
hundred and fifty dollars of cash to cover any odd
expenses that might crop up. All you need to do
is go to our website the Country dot co dot
nz and register and your in the draw. Now we'll
(11:01):
announce our first ki Walker storm Force Parker winner tomorrow.
So we've got we've got parkers to give away Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday four yep. Getting the heads up there, and on
Monday's show we're going to get Scott Barrett on to
announce Friday's winner. How good is that their waterproof, windproof
(11:23):
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dot com. So go fishing with Scott Barrett. He might
take Smiley along. Smiley's a very good fisherman. Scott grew
up on the on coastal Taranaki, so he's used to fishing.
So you and to mate flights, accommodation, a couple of
storm Force Parkers and two hundred and fifty dollars of
(11:45):
cash to cover any odd expenses that might crop up.
I'm sure that the feeding and watering will happen on
board the boat. What a great price. Our website is
Thecountry dot co dot Nz. Up next from the Tasman.
Oh he's the end. Yes up next, Derek Daniel. I
(12:24):
enjoy picking the brain of this man, because he's got
a very good one. Derek Daniel. Why a rapp a
sheep breeder from the Whyrary Stunt Derek, I want to
talk about noodies and Brazilians a wee bit later, but
I want to start if I can, with carbon farming,
because you and I are both hot under the collar
about this one. Federated Farmers over the weekend or this
(12:45):
morning put out a report saying fifteen thousand hectares of
productive land food growing land has gone to trees since
the government announcement descend before of last year. Look, I
reckon was shutting the stable door here after the is boulted.
What do you think?
Speaker 5 (13:02):
Yeah, you're so right. No one in the public service
wants to count up how much land has gone into
trees in the last five or six years, because it's
been not only whole farm sold into trees, but also
lots of trees planted on existing farms. And why wouldn't you,
I mean, this is social welfare in another sense. You
(13:23):
plant trees, go to the beach and pull an income.
It's totally unproductive as far as the country's concerned. And
I find an alarming jam. Just yesterday, I've got a
quote on some trees to log and the returns were pitiful.
And so what we're going to see very soon is
(13:45):
any trees planted since nineteen ninety will not be logged.
And the whole export industry, which has been getting six
sem billion a year for New Zealand, that's going to
start falling away. It's not going to bet Derek Daniel.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I worry that in twenty to thirty years in this country.
It may not affect you and I, but we're going
to be up for an ecological disaster. We are going
to be California all over again with wildfires as a
result of these unkept and unkempt forests. As you say,
this is not production forestry that has been managed properly.
This is pines that have been planted as thickly as
(14:23):
possible to get as many carbon credits as possible.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
Yeah. Look, I totally agree. Right round my farm boundary
at Werry, seventeen hundred hectares has been planted in the
last two winters, and yeah, we're going to be an
oasis of pasture in the middle of all of that.
Those previous country had been planted in trees or is
made a bush or scrub around, and the likelihood of fire,
(14:51):
as you say, is just lifting all the time as
our average temperature lifts. Look down at Ohaw. Look in
the Nelson area, there's been some pretty dramatic fires on
the Port Hills in christ Church. It's not a great
future to look forward to it all.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
And I think the other problem facing production forestry is
the slash issue. And like you, it's a six or
seven billion dollar industry. We can't afford to let it slip.
But I think socially there's going to be a lot
more pressure on forestry companies to get rid of the
slash or do something with it. So we don't get
what is happening in Nelson Tasman at the moment that
(15:30):
will make production forestry I worry totally uneconomic.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
I think you're right. I've been thinking that it's a
slash that lands in Toyliger Bay, landed in Devonport at Takapuna.
That would have been a big change already and it's
going to make production forestry even less economic, especially for
the land owner. Yeah, it's just crippling. We've allowed inflation
(15:58):
to take costs up within New Zealand, whereas our biggest
trading partner, China, they've kept a dampner on inflation, wages,
salaries and they have a huge trade service. We have
the worst trade surplus deficit in the OECD I mean
we are crippled at the moment. The government is borrowing
(16:19):
more than a million dollars an hour to prop up
an unsustainable economy. Where are we going with all of this?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Okay, let's move on from carbon farming and forestry to
sheep farming, your area of expertise. You've been breeding sheep now, Derek, Well,
it goes back a generation before you, or does it
go back two generations before you? At Wyreari?
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Two generations. My grandfather started a registered start in nineteen
twenty nine, what's there, ninety six years ago, and then
my father branched out into performance recording on the hill
country almost sixty years ago. So that's the base.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Do you think your grandfather and father will be rolling
in their graves at the thought of you producing and
breeding sheep that don't produce wool? Because why Rary is
famous for its romney sheep and there of course a
dual purpose breed, very good wool producers. You're producing things
called nerdies and Brazilians. That's slightly rude, Derek.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Yeah, well, you know you've got to have a trademark
that's memorable. But iver foot, neither camp. I am still
very hopeful that there's deconstruction of wool which will produce
not only a power that's suitable as a pigment carrier,
but also can you can make cellophane similar to cellophane
(17:40):
for food packaging out of this, I'm very hopeful that
in the short to medium term we're going to see
a change in how wool is used and that will
come back to much greater returns for wool on farm.
In the meantime, though, there's no doubt that if you
can run sheep that don't have the hassles of wool,
(18:03):
you can run with a lot less labored content, just
like mini cattle, and you can do other things with
your time. You can do other things, maybe with a
shepherd's house, and you can reduce the cost of production
very significantly.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
A dual purpose sheep like the Romney now outmoded. Are they?
Have they been overtaken by composites and exotics?
Speaker 5 (18:26):
No? No, absolutely not. Farmers may go out and breed
to composites, but they end up coming back to romney
because romney provides the constitution structural soundness that they need.
When you breed out to other breeds, you gradually lose
(18:49):
that hybrid vigor, and you need to stabilize with the Romney.
Romney is a bedrock of the New Zewman sheep industry.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
You've been a visionary all your life. What's the future
for sheep farming in New Zealand?
Speaker 5 (19:04):
Yeah, very good question, right. I see two major challenges
right at the moment. The first one is to get
big money back into wool. The second is we have
an issue with internal parasites, and we're finding ways to
manage that as we go along. I mean, it's the
same as herbicides with wheat or maize or whatever. It's
(19:29):
something that farmers are having to deal with. Intensive cattle
finishes with young cattle face the same issues with internal parasites.
We'll find a way around it. But they are the
two big challenges to my mind. And I'm hoping Jamie,
that we can get big money back into wool, sheep
farming will suddenly be flavor of the decad Well.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
I hope you're right. Could it be overtaken by beef
farming because the prospects the prospects for beef, especially over
the next two to three years short to medium term,
are pretty good, perhaps better than lamb certainly better than wool.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Oh yeah, yeah, no, I have to agree with you,
but there's not many soils in New Zealand that can
take one hundred percent beef cattle, especially when you get
a wet winter. Might go fine for one or two
seasons and then you face a soggy winter and lots
of damage is done with pugging and so on. So
(20:26):
that's why most hill country farms in New Zealand are
actually seventy percent sheep, sometimes down to forty to fifty
places like Disbon free of draining soils, but there's always
going to be a place for sheep.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Derek Daniel out of the ware Rapper, why rarely stud
Thanks for some of your time today, and I'm pleased
to hear that you guys and the wire Rapper have
missed out on some of that terrible weather that's at
the top of the South Island.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Thanks for your time, Derek, Yeah, thank you, Jamie both now.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Hang on twelve thirty, Thank you, Derek. Informed commentary as always,
some of your text feedback coming. And Mike and Jan
from Westport that's sent me a text saying they would
love to go fishing with Scott Barrett don't tell me.
Jan and Mike. You need to go to the website
the country dot co dot in z. You can't enter
(21:20):
by text. Just go and register and you're in the
draw to go fishing. You and a mate with Scott
Barrett Flights Accommodation, Dull works arm Oh there's a that's
another thing with the nudi sheep or the nude sheep.
They carry a low Wormburten writes one farmer. I'm assuming
you're a farmer. Here's one talking about the carbon farming,
(21:42):
and not to mention the Haven forestry provides for feral pests.
I know of some farmers concerned they may be forced
out by feral pigs and neighboring forestry blocks and decimating
who are decimating? Which are decimating are newborn lambs and
destroying pasture. It's a real issue. It's not only the pigs,
it's the deer as well. Someone else says, what are
(22:08):
your views on the forestation grant scheme? I haven't got any.
I don't know what it is. Michelle. Could you look
that up and I'll form a view. I'm sure I
can form a view. And here's a great travel story.
I thought I was pretty good on travel stories, but
this one beats me. I flew from New York to London.
The daylight, Live aid was on and the concord was
(22:29):
on the tarmac when we landed. How cool is that
travel story? Phil Collins of course, taking the concord across
the Atlantic to go from London to New York, and
I think they chopping them down to Philadelphia. Great memories.
Speaker 7 (22:44):
Up next, rural news and sports news.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
We get rid of Spandeal Beallet. Welcome back to the country.
They were Tony Hadley, the lead singer for Spandal Ballet.
Jane Ferguson. I think she's gone to lunch. She won't
be hearing this on her oe. She claimed that Tony
Hadley from Spandale Ballet eied her up one night he
(23:17):
drove past she was waiting at the bus stop. I'm
not I'm not sure whether I believe that, Joan, but
it's a good story. It is a good travel story.
Here's Michelle with some hopefully equally scintillating rural news.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
The Country's world news with cald Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower Brand. Visit Steelford dot co dot
nzim for your locals doggist.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
Yes, Jamie, some great news. New Zealand Sharing champion Towah
Henderson has claimed his first big success in the Northern
Hemisphere by winning the Open International Final at the French Championships.
The win came early today Monday, New Zealand time at Boussac,
where he and Wolves of New Zealand national team made
and Open final runner up Jack Fagan also beat France
in a tear match, sharing in Europe for the first time.
(24:02):
Henderson's win follows a fourth placing in the Scottish Blackface
Sharing Championships final at Lockinhead Shares on June twenty eighth,
and third at the Great Yorkshire Shire Show Open Final
on July ninth. Fagan won the Bossic Speed Share, with
Henderson claiming second place. And of course are they're in Wales.
I think next in Kothi for the next round of
(24:22):
sharing competitions for excellent news.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, and I think we're going to catch up with
Jack Fagan midweek over there representing his country. He's sport
Sport with AFCO.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Visit them online at a FCO dot Co dot NZ.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Runner Kimberly May has moved to second on the New
Zealand fifteen hundred meter all time list after running a
World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Italy. The twenty two
year olds are on a personal best of four forty
after recently graduating from Rhode Island's Providence College. And Shane
(24:56):
van Gersbergen has secured a third consecutive road w at
the latest NASCAR Cup Series race in California. He led
for ninety seven of the one hundred and ten laps
after starting on pol holding off arrival in the process.
There you go up next Today's Farmer Panel and MP
panel Andrew Hoggard Grant McCallum. Today's panel is the Dairy
(25:29):
Farmer slash MP panel as we talk farming and politics.
Grant McCullum, the National MP for Northland and Andrew Hoggard,
List MP out of the manor or two. He's just
come back, Andrew from a junket to the UK where
you were visiting Clarkson's farm and I'm sure you enjoyed that,
but what value was in that for the taxpayers?
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Well?
Speaker 8 (25:53):
Nothing, The tax burden pay for it. It was a family holiday,
first in six years, so.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Okay, sorry for throwing that accusation at you.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
You don't get involved, just keeping the family happy, spending
some time with them, because they've been doing a lot
of that recently. So yeah, it was school holiday, so
an opportunity I'm not going to get this next year,
so I figured to get the family time taking care
of this year.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Well, good on you. What was Clarkson's farm.
Speaker 8 (26:17):
Like, well, pretty much as you saw on TV. So
but I just couldn't believe the number of people crowd
The queue went all the way around the car park.
It would have been at least an hour or so
to get into the shop to buy a spud or
whatever the hell they were doing. I'm not usual. Yeah,
(26:38):
they don't sell souvenirs in there anymore. So I just
went to the beer tent that was a much smaller
line and got myself a complimentary glass or plastic cup
with Bidley Squat Farm on it and a beer in it,
and drank the beer and kept the cup and.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, yeah, well that's probably better than a tea towel.
It's pretty dry and warm at the moment. In the UK.
Speaker 8 (27:02):
Yeah, some of the farmers I was talking to was
sort of saying, you know, crops aren't doing that well.
And they've been struggling. It rained, well was in Scotland
as to normal Scottish weather conditions, but yeah there was.
It still looked green, but their crops were struggling.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Which is in stark contrast to what's happening here in
New Zealand at the moment. Grant McCullum, I know you're
based in Northland and you've been incredibly wet up there
as well, but nothing to what the poor buggers in
the Tasman and Nelson region have had to face that.
We're seeing some appalling scenes there. This is like Gabrielle
all over again for that region.
Speaker 9 (27:43):
Yes, yeah, I'm good. I'm good after everybody, and that's
exactly right. It's just devastating seeing the photos. Not as
wide sprint as Gabrielle, but it's very devastating for the
people affected the photos. I sat the stuff you saw
on TV last night in the news was you know
when you start in just the sheer volume of water
and mud and that I just really feel for them
and all power I see the world support, trust is busy,
(28:05):
I see it. Lewis Upsin's off in support with getting
people are ready to work, people to go and help
that are on the doll at the moment, you know,
that sort of thing, and the government is getting getting
organized to see what I can do. And I really
feel for them, they really do. It's just really tough
and I know every all the rest of the farming community,
I'm sure be wishing them all the best.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Well. That flood prone land is the best land for horticulture.
It's very intensive. I mean Nelson is one of the
best horticultural regions in the country. And getting out of
that or the reparation from that takes years rather than months.
Speaker 9 (28:43):
I would have thought, yeah, absolutely, it does, you know,
and the recovery is not quick. You only have to
drive up the s Belly and Hawks Bay to see
you know. It takes a long time. And unfortunately it's
just is the way of the world. A wee bit
in New Zealand, some of them no Spirit Hole Land
is some of the most loved plane and that's why
because traditionally would flood then you get those fertile flats.
(29:04):
That's what you're battling. We have the hickory and swamp
in Northland, some of the best land in Northland. But
there's a reason that some of the best landers because
it's flooded for years and it floods now still to.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
This day, Andrew, we're going to get more and more
of this as the as we get more climate extremities.
Where does the government pull the pin on paying for this?
Speaker 8 (29:25):
Well, let's obviously there's been a report that's been put
forward that hasn't been discussed by this stage and decisions
made on it. So you know there will be something
that happened shortly. I mean there's always going to be this,
you know, a need for government to help. But we've
got a bear in mind. We can't keep doing it
all the time. I look back at you know, support
(29:48):
we got in two thousand and four. You know that
was similar to what happened with the support for Gabriel.
But you know, you can't just keep doing it. And
you know, I think it's in come.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You know.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
One of the lessons I learned from two thousand and
four was to think about, you know, how can I
prepare myself on the farm. So if you do have
flood prone land, you know you need to be thinking
about how do we handle this stuff coming through? Where
can we put up tree barriers and the like to
try and catch debris before it gets to other parts.
(30:22):
You know, there's an element of yep, the government can
come in to assist, but the best, the person that's
most always going to want to do the most is yourself.
And so you know, whilst government can help, don't rely
on government. Start thinking about how you can do more
for yourself. But you know, obviously there's a need for
government to provide assistance to get land back in production
(30:44):
because that's what generates texts.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Okay, adaptation versus mitigation. And I guess we joke about
the bloke who runs or makes the orange cones got
the best business in New Zealand. I'll stay with you,
Andrew Hoggard. But maybe if you've got a bulldozer and
you're in the business of building flood banks, the next
twenty years could be a good time to be in
that business as well. So do we just have to
(31:07):
face the fact that the climate is changing, we're getting
more extremities. We need to adapt to living in it.
Speaker 8 (31:14):
Well, I think you know, these weather events always occur,
whether or not it's more frequency or not.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
It can be.
Speaker 8 (31:22):
Debatable at times, but you know it's not just about
building flood banks. Sometimes a flood bank can actually be
a problem because it holds water in place. You know,
I look at my farm and the solution for me
is just to make sure when the river does rise
that you know, that water gets off there as quickly
as possible. Certainly, you know what I experienced after Gabriel
(31:46):
where the floodwaters were as high as what we got
on our farm in two thousand and four, was we
didn't get all the silt and sediment. And there's been
a lot of work in the Horizons region on a
popular planting and stabilizing hillsides through the slowly initiatives, so
you know, sort of antidotal, but I look at that
and go, well, perhaps that work was quite useful in
(32:07):
the fact that you know, we didn't get as much
selts on our farm then, and it was a hell
of a lot easy. You know, we had to repair
all the fences, but we're able to get back into
production a lot quicker on most of that land. So
these elements like that, you want to be looking at.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Grant McCallum. You're a dairy farmer in Northland, very wet
up there. You'll be thankful that you're a coin Street farmer.
These days and not having to muck in and do
the carving and the mud.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, I feel I've done my time in that space, Jamie.
You know, when you get to a mature stage of life,
you feel you've earned a changing career and that's what
you have. You employed good people to do, and good
young fit people to do lifting calves out of the
mud where we have them mud these days we carving
really good sordus pads. We got well set up for it.
(32:53):
But is really wet and I'm quite happy actually to
be I'm amazed. I'm saying we're raby to ben Wellington
and not picking up carves for change.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Yeah, okay, muck raking instead of picking up carves out
of the mud. Andrew Hoggard, you're halfway between Tasman and Northland.
How are you faring in the manner at two?
Speaker 8 (33:14):
Yeah, it's been a bit weird to than normal and
certainly I mean the weather maps I've seen for all
of the North Island show you've got a hell of
a lot more moisture than normal, particularly Taranaki Northland, but
also a bit in the eastern bar plenty. So yeah,
it's a wet it's going to be a wet spring.
(33:36):
Hopefully that means that might actually get some new and
usually I sort of get a period of winter that's
absolute crap, and then you usually get a nice bit.
So fingers crossed we get a nice bit coming up.
But Murphy's Law will probably prove me wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Okay, final question for you, Grant McCallum. I see Audrey Young,
I think in the Herald right this morning about who's
going to replace.
Speaker 9 (34:00):
A real liberty question.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
I'm going no, no, you haven't even heard the question yet.
So the question was if he was to fall under
a bus or fall down a cryptit.
Speaker 9 (34:09):
Career, Liberty going to answer, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
But here's the question. How come you weren't mentioned alongside
Bishop Willis Brown and Stanford.
Speaker 9 (34:21):
I'm pleasured that you think I should be mentioned in
such a steamed company, but really I'm just a humble
back bench EP from Northland doing his job, working hard
for the people of Northland.
Speaker 10 (34:31):
You know how it works, Jamie happy to be the
empty before Yeah, exactly, Well, that might be a future
prime minister.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
He might be a future prime minister.
Speaker 9 (34:45):
There's always lots of people queuing up to be the
future prime minister, and right now I'm just very happy
to be the MP for Northland.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Okay, Andrew Highgart, and you're happy to be Associate agg
and Minister of Biosecurity. Keep up the good work.
Speaker 9 (34:56):
Many thanks, said Jones.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
Is it is thanks lads. It's eleven or way from
one summer. Your feedback, A river takes what a river
makes good saying that one and just as well, Phil
Collins didn't have to worry about his carbon footprint for
that trip. You bang on burn in the manor or
two up next, Phil Duncan on the weather. So as promised,
(35:28):
we're going to talk weather on the country to wrap
things up. Kevin Freeman, the dairy farmer we talked to
in Tasman, said after we finished chatting to him off
Heir that the worst part mentally of the whole event,
or the two events, was the anticipation of knowing a
second event was coming. So Phil Duncan from weather Watch,
for the likes of Kevin Freeman and his farming mates
(35:50):
in the Tasman Nelson region, I only want good news
from you. Are they going to get a break in
the weather, yes, say.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Well, that is the good news. Apart from some hours
tomorrow the next seven to ten days look dry or
mostly dry, So no repeat performance that we can see
at the moment, although there are a number of cold
fronts and lows crossing New Zealand. But to the top
of the South Island, a little bit of a break,
a little bit of a breather now, going back to
(36:18):
what you would expect would be a more normal weather
pattern at this time of the year, and that's dryer
rather than wetter.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Well, I'm so pleased for them. They definitely need a break.
What about the North Island? Grant McCallum also earlier on
the show talking about how wet it was in Northland.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Yeah, I mean it's been pretty wet for the top
of the North Island, just like the top of the
South Island. It's a number of northerly events bringing rain
into those northern areas. This week, we do see more
rain for the top of the country. It's a little
more broken up, depends on where you are, but sort
of parts of Northland, Auckland, Taranaki and over towards Bay
of Plenty, that kind of central upper North Island. We've
(36:56):
seen some rainfall numbers anywhere between forty and sixty milimeters
is coming in this week, so that's still quite a
bit on top of what's already been. But for the
most part, most places are in that kind of ten
to thirty milimeter mark this week around the North Island,
and if you're on the eastern side of the country,
Hawk's Bay, Southern Wided, Upper Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and the
(37:19):
eastern half of Southland, you're looking at basically no rain
or very low amounts of rain this week. So it's
a breed a week for many regions. But still the
top of the North Island and some parts of the
West Coast still have a bit of rain on the
way this week.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
And on that note, Phil Duncan, I'm going to love
you and leave you. I think I'll take that forecast.
You're not fired. We'll see you again next Monday.
Speaker 7 (37:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
Nothing r like handing on a silver lining.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Wrapping the country. Forty years on from Live Aid. If
you want to go fishing with Scott Barrett you Animet
will do flights, accommodation, give you a couple of storm
Force Parkers and we'll throw an two hundred and fifty
dollars cash to cover any odd expenses that might crop up.
Just register on our website, The Country dot co dot
(38:08):
in z, and we'll announce our first winner of a
Kaiwaker storm Force Parker on tomorrow's show. See you then.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Dee construction equipment. Said again, Jip belsade ahead, get
switched to ohb load and no, Old Boddy's gonna got
(00:23):
a start today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
She's gonna make them stay.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
And Daddy doesn't understand it. He always said she was
good as cool and you can.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
See no reasons because no reasons?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
What reason do you need to be sure?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Get Amy's eland? Excuse me, I'm Jamie McKay, frog in
the throat. This is the Country. It's brought to you
by Brand fortieth anniversary. Today our time of the Live
AID concert at Wembley Stadium thirteenth of July nineteen eighty five.
It's the thirteenth of July and the un at the moment, Hey,
today's show, we're going to give you an opportunity for
(01:05):
you and a mate to go fishing with Scott Barrett.
More about that a wee bit later in the but
we're going to kick it off with the big story
out there, and that is the terrible devastation that is
happening and that has happened. Should I say in the
Tasman Nelson region. We're going to talk to a farmer,
a dairy farmer right at the coal face at the
(01:26):
top of the Mochueka River. His name is Kevin Freeman.
To kick off the show, we're going up the road
Awebit to the wire Rappa region. Derek Daniel one of
the countries leading sheep breeders. But does sheep farming have
a future? We'll ask him, does production forestry have a future?
Does carbon farming have a future? We're going to look
(01:46):
at that. Today's Dairy Farmer MP panel Andrew Hoggard just
back from the UK and Grant McCullum. Of course, very
dry in the UK at the moment, very wet here
in New Zealand. So we're going to ponder that and
Phil duncan see if we can come up with a
break in the weather for the farmers and the people
(02:07):
of the Tasman Nelson region. It has been absolutely heartbreaking
or watching what's happened there over the past couple of weeks.
And I think the Killer has been the follow up event.
What was it a week ten days after the first one?
How soul destroying? Is that? So off We're off their
next with Kevin Freeman.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And Nick and said no reasons because the no reasons,
what reason do you need too, dang.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Jimnade ahead, Well, we've all been watching with great sadness
what's happened in the Tasman Nelson region. We're going to
head to the cold Face now to catch up with
a Tasman dairy farmer, Kevin Freeman, at the top end
of the Mohowe River, one of the worst affected areas. Kevin,
I think you and your family have been in the
(03:04):
valley for thirty years. It's the worst you've seen. How
bad is it?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, it's pretty disgusting.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
It's pretty disheartening being close to springtime where we're about
to be inundated with cars and all the excitement of
a season, and then it's a bit of work to
do before that even happens.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Is there any horticulture there you, because what I've been seeing,
certainly online and on the national TV networks has been
particularly Some of those hop farmers have been absolutely thrashed.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
YEP, with all their poles, wires, gy wise, whatever else.
It's pretty good trap for everything. There's a hot farmer
where it's just below us and one of the bends
in the river has come out and moved probably fifty
odd meters and started actually eating it was hot gun.
(04:01):
And that's across access ways and other land as well.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Dairy farming fences are a wee bit more resilient than,
for instance, sheep farming fences or deer farming fences because
there's less wires on them. How have you survived? How
many fences have you lost?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Ah, it's case so since the first event, I've had
two to two and a half staff, like a three
staff two and a half staff, and they've been flat
out busy for since it's happened. And then the flood
that has happened just last Friday just ended up with
(04:38):
probably put us back another week's worth of work again.
And it's just like some of these fences that's like
fall right off, you scratch it out and start again.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It must be absolutely soul destroying for you farmers. Okay,
you've had a one off event a couple of weeks ago,
well you were told it was a one off event,
and then within the space or less than two weeks later,
you get another one of these one off events and
it's just basically undone all the repatriation work that you'd
done that is so destroying.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah, definitely, definitely, And yeah the second event because everything
was sodden and we had clear the reasonable portion of
the culverts, but they will fill back up. And then
with the wind on the second event, it's brought down
trees across enses as well, So that's just another edit.
It's not just floodwork, it's now cutting off trees and
(05:32):
those senses of broken wires and broken posts and everything else.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
What can the rest of the country do effectively to
help you guys out?
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Oh well, I was to go into Wellington today that
we need to ease up our on being able to
dig out of rivers rock because there's plenty of rock
that's come out of the banks so far and it
would be very nice to put that back on our roads.
Ah what else can I do?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Yeah, there's it's skilled labor is really what a lot
of the moderwake of region needs in the fact of
to help with fencing. There's equipment, it's tracking and post
drivers because there's cently a forestry cruise in Nelson and
they'll be very well busy with wind four. But yes,
(06:26):
skilled operators to actually bring things out and making them.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
How far off carving are you?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Ah well, we've heard a couple of early ones, so
there's actually a couple of calves already. But we've planned
starters about twenty six, twenty eight.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, okay, we can't coming. Yeah, so the timings are
not that flash. What about access, because it's one thing
that damage is on farm, but then it's another thing
getting access to the farm, especially once you start carving
and milking dairy tankers for instance.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Is that okay, Well, where it's gone across the road,
it's pulled up all the tars here, and yeah, the
roads are definitely rough, not that it's going to limit
access too much, but you do worry that as certain
as there's any other small scale event, it will block
access again. And that's where we can't really control. But
(07:22):
it's because we've had so much rain in such a
short time that it carries on. You know, the trees
fall easy, their slips come down easy. There's rock fall,
there's unstable ground, The bridges have been maybe compromised. It's
starting to get close to the approach on the bridge
that's just down the road from us. The state highway
(07:46):
has been they've rebuilt bud banks and then it's been
re washed out again in the second event. So it's
where running on a nice edge is what it is.
That it's not necessarily going to happen, but there is
even small events it will happen.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Kevin Freeman, I know you're flat out. I know you
need to get back out onto the farm and try
and tidy things up before carving. Thanks for some of
your time. And you guys really need a bit of
a helping hand from mother nature more than anybody. And
I hope it's coming your way. We'll discuss that a
wee bit later in the hour with our weather guy
fell Duncan. Good luck.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Thank you very much, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Thanks for some of your time, Kevin, can't be easy.
How soul destroying is that? Fixed the fences and then
another flood comes and wipes out all your work. Fifteen
after twelve on the country. Yes for Hello Michelle? What
have I changed your microphone on? Hello Michelle?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
What?
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Hello?
Speaker 6 (08:42):
Jaemcau?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I think I think your microphone was on. You just
got a bit of stage fright there, did you.
Speaker 6 (08:47):
D You kind of caught me off guard?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yeah, okay, so I can't ask a woman, a lady
her age, but were you born when Live A was on, No,
I was only just we're given your age. Way, it's
I shouldn't do that, should I? Forty years ago? Today
our time? Of course? Bob Guadoff, so Bob Goudoff as
(09:10):
he is now from the Boomtown rats this song here,
their biggest song was one of the organizers along with
do you know who the other main organizer or one
of the other main organizers was. He had a song
called Vienna. Oh yeah, Ultravox mid sure, so I might
play a wee bit of that as well. But it
(09:31):
was amazing. And my favorite stat from Live Aid is
good old Phil Collins performing on both sides because they
had one at Wembley Stadium. Then they had one an
American concert straight after that from Philadelphia. Wonderful. Now we
have got Scott Barrett to go fishing with you. He
could probably go now, actually a bit bit cold to
(09:52):
go fishing because he's he's injured at the moment. But
this is our latest promotion from Kywaker, the Storm Force Parker.
They make the Storm Force park Is. They're brilliant jackets,
like literally one hundred and ten percent are waterproof and
you can go you want to, mate can go fishing
with Scott Barrett. You got the info, No, I've got.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
The aw I've got all the info. But it's pretty
exciting stuff. You can enter on our website.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yep, okay, So here's the drill because it's sitting in
front of me rather than Michelle. So all you need
to do you can be a lucky listener and one
of your mates. You can join the Kaiwaker crew on
a fishing trip along with the Ambassador Scott Barrett. So
included in the fishing trip flights, accommodation, a couple of
those storm Force park is. They're worth four or five
(10:40):
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fifty I was going to say two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. I might be getting carried away there two
hundred and fifty dollars of cash to cover any odd
expenses that might crop up. All you need to do
is go to our website the Country dot co dot
nz and register and your in the draw. Now we'll
(11:01):
announce our first ki Walker storm Force Parker winner tomorrow.
So we've got we've got parkers to give away Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday four yep. Getting the heads up there, and on
Monday's show we're going to get Scott Barrett on to
announce Friday's winner. How good is that their waterproof, windproof
(11:23):
and breathable. You can check them out at Kaiwalker Clothing
dot com. So go fishing with Scott Barrett. He might
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up on the on coastal Taranaki, so he's used to fishing.
So you and to mate flights, accommodation, a couple of
storm Force Parkers and two hundred and fifty dollars of
(11:45):
cash to cover any odd expenses that might crop up.
I'm sure that the feeding and watering will happen on
board the boat. What a great price. Our website is
Thecountry dot co dot Nz. Up next from the Tasman.
Oh he's the end. Yes up next, Derek Daniel. I
(12:24):
enjoy picking the brain of this man, because he's got
a very good one. Derek Daniel. Why a rapp a
sheep breeder from the Whyrary Stunt Derek, I want to
talk about noodies and Brazilians a wee bit later, but
I want to start if I can, with carbon farming,
because you and I are both hot under the collar
about this one. Federated Farmers over the weekend or this
(12:45):
morning put out a report saying fifteen thousand hectares of
productive land food growing land has gone to trees since
the government announcement descend before of last year. Look, I
reckon was shutting the stable door here after the is boulted.
What do you think?
Speaker 5 (13:02):
Yeah, you're so right. No one in the public service
wants to count up how much land has gone into
trees in the last five or six years, because it's
been not only whole farm sold into trees, but also
lots of trees planted on existing farms. And why wouldn't you,
I mean, this is social welfare in another sense. You
(13:23):
plant trees, go to the beach and pull an income.
It's totally unproductive as far as the country's concerned. And
I find an alarming jam. Just yesterday, I've got a
quote on some trees to log and the returns were pitiful.
And so what we're going to see very soon is
(13:45):
any trees planted since nineteen ninety will not be logged.
And the whole export industry, which has been getting six
sem billion a year for New Zealand, that's going to
start falling away. It's not going to bet Derek Daniel.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I worry that in twenty to thirty years in this country.
It may not affect you and I, but we're going
to be up for an ecological disaster. We are going
to be California all over again with wildfires as a
result of these unkept and unkempt forests. As you say,
this is not production forestry that has been managed properly.
This is pines that have been planted as thickly as
(14:23):
possible to get as many carbon credits as possible.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
Yeah. Look, I totally agree. Right round my farm boundary
at Werry, seventeen hundred hectares has been planted in the
last two winters, and yeah, we're going to be an
oasis of pasture in the middle of all of that.
Those previous country had been planted in trees or is
made a bush or scrub around, and the likelihood of fire,
(14:51):
as you say, is just lifting all the time as
our average temperature lifts. Look down at Ohaw. Look in
the Nelson area, there's been some pretty dramatic fires on
the Port Hills in christ Church. It's not a great
future to look forward to it all.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
And I think the other problem facing production forestry is
the slash issue. And like you, it's a six or
seven billion dollar industry. We can't afford to let it slip.
But I think socially there's going to be a lot
more pressure on forestry companies to get rid of the
slash or do something with it. So we don't get
what is happening in Nelson Tasman at the moment that
(15:30):
will make production forestry I worry totally uneconomic.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
I think you're right. I've been thinking that it's a
slash that lands in Toyliger Bay, landed in Devonport at Takapuna.
That would have been a big change already and it's
going to make production forestry even less economic, especially for
the land owner. Yeah, it's just crippling. We've allowed inflation
(15:58):
to take costs up within New Zealand, whereas our biggest
trading partner, China, they've kept a dampner on inflation, wages,
salaries and they have a huge trade service. We have
the worst trade surplus deficit in the OECD I mean
we are crippled at the moment. The government is borrowing
(16:19):
more than a million dollars an hour to prop up
an unsustainable economy. Where are we going with all of this?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Okay, let's move on from carbon farming and forestry to
sheep farming, your area of expertise. You've been breeding sheep now, Derek, Well,
it goes back a generation before you, or does it
go back two generations before you? At Wyreari?
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Two generations. My grandfather started a registered start in nineteen
twenty nine, what's there, ninety six years ago, and then
my father branched out into performance recording on the hill
country almost sixty years ago. So that's the base.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Do you think your grandfather and father will be rolling
in their graves at the thought of you producing and
breeding sheep that don't produce wool? Because why Rary is
famous for its romney sheep and there of course a
dual purpose breed, very good wool producers. You're producing things
called nerdies and Brazilians. That's slightly rude, Derek.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Yeah, well, you know you've got to have a trademark
that's memorable. But iver foot, neither camp. I am still
very hopeful that there's deconstruction of wool which will produce
not only a power that's suitable as a pigment carrier,
but also can you can make cellophane similar to cellophane
(17:40):
for food packaging out of this, I'm very hopeful that
in the short to medium term we're going to see
a change in how wool is used and that will
come back to much greater returns for wool on farm.
In the meantime, though, there's no doubt that if you
can run sheep that don't have the hassles of wool,
(18:03):
you can run with a lot less labored content, just
like mini cattle, and you can do other things with
your time. You can do other things, maybe with a
shepherd's house, and you can reduce the cost of production
very significantly.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
A dual purpose sheep like the Romney now outmoded. Are they?
Have they been overtaken by composites and exotics?
Speaker 5 (18:26):
No? No, absolutely not. Farmers may go out and breed
to composites, but they end up coming back to romney
because romney provides the constitution structural soundness that they need.
When you breed out to other breeds, you gradually lose
(18:49):
that hybrid vigor, and you need to stabilize with the Romney.
Romney is a bedrock of the New Zewman sheep industry.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
You've been a visionary all your life. What's the future
for sheep farming in New Zealand?
Speaker 5 (19:04):
Yeah, very good question, right. I see two major challenges
right at the moment. The first one is to get
big money back into wool. The second is we have
an issue with internal parasites, and we're finding ways to
manage that as we go along. I mean, it's the
same as herbicides with wheat or maize or whatever. It's
(19:29):
something that farmers are having to deal with. Intensive cattle
finishes with young cattle face the same issues with internal parasites.
We'll find a way around it. But they are the
two big challenges to my mind. And I'm hoping Jamie,
that we can get big money back into wool, sheep
farming will suddenly be flavor of the decad Well.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
I hope you're right. Could it be overtaken by beef
farming because the prospects the prospects for beef, especially over
the next two to three years short to medium term,
are pretty good, perhaps better than lamb certainly better than wool.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Oh yeah, yeah, no, I have to agree with you,
but there's not many soils in New Zealand that can
take one hundred percent beef cattle, especially when you get
a wet winter. Might go fine for one or two
seasons and then you face a soggy winter and lots
of damage is done with pugging and so on. So
(20:26):
that's why most hill country farms in New Zealand are
actually seventy percent sheep, sometimes down to forty to fifty
places like Disbon free of draining soils, but there's always
going to be a place for sheep.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Derek Daniel out of the ware Rapper, why rarely stud
Thanks for some of your time today, and I'm pleased
to hear that you guys and the wire Rapper have
missed out on some of that terrible weather that's at
the top of the South Island.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Thanks for your time, Derek, Yeah, thank you, Jamie both now.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Hang on twelve thirty, Thank you, Derek. Informed commentary as always,
some of your text feedback coming. And Mike and Jan
from Westport that's sent me a text saying they would
love to go fishing with Scott Barrett don't tell me.
Jan and Mike. You need to go to the website
the country dot co dot in z. You can't enter
(21:20):
by text. Just go and register and you're in the
draw to go fishing. You and a mate with Scott
Barrett Flights Accommodation, Dull works arm Oh there's a that's
another thing with the nudi sheep or the nude sheep.
They carry a low Wormburten writes one farmer. I'm assuming
you're a farmer. Here's one talking about the carbon farming,
(21:42):
and not to mention the Haven forestry provides for feral pests.
I know of some farmers concerned they may be forced
out by feral pigs and neighboring forestry blocks and decimating
who are decimating? Which are decimating are newborn lambs and
destroying pasture. It's a real issue. It's not only the pigs,
it's the deer as well. Someone else says, what are
(22:08):
your views on the forestation grant scheme? I haven't got any.
I don't know what it is. Michelle. Could you look
that up and I'll form a view. I'm sure I
can form a view. And here's a great travel story.
I thought I was pretty good on travel stories, but
this one beats me. I flew from New York to London.
The daylight, Live aid was on and the concord was
(22:29):
on the tarmac when we landed. How cool is that
travel story? Phil Collins of course, taking the concord across
the Atlantic to go from London to New York, and
I think they chopping them down to Philadelphia. Great memories.
Speaker 7 (22:44):
Up next, rural news and sports news.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
We get rid of Spandeal Beallet. Welcome back to the country.
They were Tony Hadley, the lead singer for Spandal Ballet.
Jane Ferguson. I think she's gone to lunch. She won't
be hearing this on her oe. She claimed that Tony
Hadley from Spandale Ballet eied her up one night he
(23:17):
drove past she was waiting at the bus stop. I'm
not I'm not sure whether I believe that, Joan, but
it's a good story. It is a good travel story.
Here's Michelle with some hopefully equally scintillating rural news.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
The Country's world news with cald Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower Brand. Visit Steelford dot co dot
nzim for your locals doggist.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
Yes, Jamie, some great news. New Zealand Sharing champion Towah
Henderson has claimed his first big success in the Northern
Hemisphere by winning the Open International Final at the French Championships.
The win came early today Monday, New Zealand time at Boussac,
where he and Wolves of New Zealand national team made
and Open final runner up Jack Fagan also beat France
in a tear match, sharing in Europe for the first time.
(24:02):
Henderson's win follows a fourth placing in the Scottish Blackface
Sharing Championships final at Lockinhead Shares on June twenty eighth,
and third at the Great Yorkshire Shire Show Open Final
on July ninth. Fagan won the Bossic Speed Share, with
Henderson claiming second place. And of course are they're in Wales.
I think next in Kothi for the next round of
(24:22):
sharing competitions for excellent news.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, and I think we're going to catch up with
Jack Fagan midweek over there representing his country. He's sport
Sport with AFCO.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Visit them online at a FCO dot Co dot NZ.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Runner Kimberly May has moved to second on the New
Zealand fifteen hundred meter all time list after running a
World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Italy. The twenty two
year olds are on a personal best of four forty
after recently graduating from Rhode Island's Providence College. And Shane
(24:56):
van Gersbergen has secured a third consecutive road w at
the latest NASCAR Cup Series race in California. He led
for ninety seven of the one hundred and ten laps
after starting on pol holding off arrival in the process.
There you go up next Today's Farmer Panel and MP
panel Andrew Hoggard Grant McCallum. Today's panel is the Dairy
(25:29):
Farmer slash MP panel as we talk farming and politics.
Grant McCullum, the National MP for Northland and Andrew Hoggard,
List MP out of the manor or two. He's just
come back, Andrew from a junket to the UK where
you were visiting Clarkson's farm and I'm sure you enjoyed that,
but what value was in that for the taxpayers?
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Well?
Speaker 8 (25:53):
Nothing, The tax burden pay for it. It was a family holiday,
first in six years, so.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Okay, sorry for throwing that accusation at you.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
You don't get involved, just keeping the family happy, spending
some time with them, because they've been doing a lot
of that recently. So yeah, it was school holiday, so
an opportunity I'm not going to get this next year,
so I figured to get the family time taking care
of this year.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Well, good on you. What was Clarkson's farm.
Speaker 8 (26:17):
Like, well, pretty much as you saw on TV. So
but I just couldn't believe the number of people crowd
The queue went all the way around the car park.
It would have been at least an hour or so
to get into the shop to buy a spud or
whatever the hell they were doing. I'm not usual. Yeah,
(26:38):
they don't sell souvenirs in there anymore. So I just
went to the beer tent that was a much smaller
line and got myself a complimentary glass or plastic cup
with Bidley Squat Farm on it and a beer in it,
and drank the beer and kept the cup and.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, yeah, well that's probably better than a tea towel.
It's pretty dry and warm at the moment. In the UK.
Speaker 8 (27:02):
Yeah, some of the farmers I was talking to was
sort of saying, you know, crops aren't doing that well.
And they've been struggling. It rained, well was in Scotland
as to normal Scottish weather conditions, but yeah there was.
It still looked green, but their crops were struggling.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Which is in stark contrast to what's happening here in
New Zealand at the moment. Grant McCullum, I know you're
based in Northland and you've been incredibly wet up there
as well, but nothing to what the poor buggers in
the Tasman and Nelson region have had to face that.
We're seeing some appalling scenes there. This is like Gabrielle
all over again for that region.
Speaker 9 (27:43):
Yes, yeah, I'm good. I'm good after everybody, and that's
exactly right. It's just devastating seeing the photos. Not as
wide sprint as Gabrielle, but it's very devastating for the
people affected the photos. I sat the stuff you saw
on TV last night in the news was you know
when you start in just the sheer volume of water
and mud and that I just really feel for them
and all power I see the world support, trust is busy,
(28:05):
I see it. Lewis Upsin's off in support with getting
people are ready to work, people to go and help
that are on the doll at the moment, you know,
that sort of thing, and the government is getting getting
organized to see what I can do. And I really
feel for them, they really do. It's just really tough
and I know every all the rest of the farming community,
I'm sure be wishing them all the best.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Well. That flood prone land is the best land for horticulture.
It's very intensive. I mean Nelson is one of the
best horticultural regions in the country. And getting out of
that or the reparation from that takes years rather than months.
Speaker 9 (28:43):
I would have thought, yeah, absolutely, it does, you know,
and the recovery is not quick. You only have to
drive up the s Belly and Hawks Bay to see
you know. It takes a long time. And unfortunately it's
just is the way of the world. A wee bit
in New Zealand, some of them no Spirit Hole Land
is some of the most loved plane and that's why
because traditionally would flood then you get those fertile flats.
(29:04):
That's what you're battling. We have the hickory and swamp
in Northland, some of the best land in Northland. But
there's a reason that some of the best landers because
it's flooded for years and it floods now still to.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
This day, Andrew, we're going to get more and more
of this as the as we get more climate extremities.
Where does the government pull the pin on paying for this?
Speaker 8 (29:25):
Well, let's obviously there's been a report that's been put
forward that hasn't been discussed by this stage and decisions
made on it. So you know there will be something
that happened shortly. I mean there's always going to be this,
you know, a need for government to help. But we've
got a bear in mind. We can't keep doing it
all the time. I look back at you know, support
(29:48):
we got in two thousand and four. You know that
was similar to what happened with the support for Gabriel.
But you know, you can't just keep doing it. And
you know, I think it's in come.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You know.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
One of the lessons I learned from two thousand and
four was to think about, you know, how can I
prepare myself on the farm. So if you do have
flood prone land, you know you need to be thinking
about how do we handle this stuff coming through? Where
can we put up tree barriers and the like to
try and catch debris before it gets to other parts.
(30:22):
You know, there's an element of yep, the government can
come in to assist, but the best, the person that's
most always going to want to do the most is yourself.
And so you know, whilst government can help, don't rely
on government. Start thinking about how you can do more
for yourself. But you know, obviously there's a need for
government to provide assistance to get land back in production
(30:44):
because that's what generates texts.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Okay, adaptation versus mitigation. And I guess we joke about
the bloke who runs or makes the orange cones got
the best business in New Zealand. I'll stay with you,
Andrew Hoggard. But maybe if you've got a bulldozer and
you're in the business of building flood banks, the next
twenty years could be a good time to be in
that business as well. So do we just have to
(31:07):
face the fact that the climate is changing, we're getting
more extremities. We need to adapt to living in it.
Speaker 8 (31:14):
Well, I think you know, these weather events always occur,
whether or not it's more frequency or not.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
It can be.
Speaker 8 (31:22):
Debatable at times, but you know it's not just about
building flood banks. Sometimes a flood bank can actually be
a problem because it holds water in place. You know,
I look at my farm and the solution for me
is just to make sure when the river does rise
that you know, that water gets off there as quickly
as possible. Certainly, you know what I experienced after Gabriel
(31:46):
where the floodwaters were as high as what we got
on our farm in two thousand and four, was we
didn't get all the silt and sediment. And there's been
a lot of work in the Horizons region on a
popular planting and stabilizing hillsides through the slowly initiatives, so
you know, sort of antidotal, but I look at that
and go, well, perhaps that work was quite useful in
(32:07):
the fact that you know, we didn't get as much
selts on our farm then, and it was a hell
of a lot easy. You know, we had to repair
all the fences, but we're able to get back into
production a lot quicker on most of that land. So
these elements like that, you want to be looking at.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Grant McCallum. You're a dairy farmer in Northland, very wet
up there. You'll be thankful that you're a coin Street farmer.
These days and not having to muck in and do
the carving and the mud.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, I feel I've done my time in that space, Jamie.
You know, when you get to a mature stage of life,
you feel you've earned a changing career and that's what
you have. You employed good people to do, and good
young fit people to do lifting calves out of the
mud where we have them mud these days we carving
really good sordus pads. We got well set up for it.
(32:53):
But is really wet and I'm quite happy actually to
be I'm amazed. I'm saying we're raby to ben Wellington
and not picking up carves for change.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Yeah, okay, muck raking instead of picking up carves out
of the mud. Andrew Hoggard, you're halfway between Tasman and Northland.
How are you faring in the manner at two?
Speaker 8 (33:14):
Yeah, it's been a bit weird to than normal and
certainly I mean the weather maps I've seen for all
of the North Island show you've got a hell of
a lot more moisture than normal, particularly Taranaki Northland, but
also a bit in the eastern bar plenty. So yeah,
it's a wet it's going to be a wet spring.
(33:36):
Hopefully that means that might actually get some new and
usually I sort of get a period of winter that's
absolute crap, and then you usually get a nice bit.
So fingers crossed we get a nice bit coming up.
But Murphy's Law will probably prove me wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Okay, final question for you, Grant McCallum. I see Audrey Young,
I think in the Herald right this morning about who's
going to replace.
Speaker 9 (34:00):
A real liberty question.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
I'm going no, no, you haven't even heard the question yet.
So the question was if he was to fall under
a bus or fall down a cryptit.
Speaker 9 (34:09):
Career, Liberty going to answer, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
But here's the question. How come you weren't mentioned alongside
Bishop Willis Brown and Stanford.
Speaker 9 (34:21):
I'm pleasured that you think I should be mentioned in
such a steamed company, but really I'm just a humble
back bench EP from Northland doing his job, working hard
for the people of Northland.
Speaker 10 (34:31):
You know how it works, Jamie happy to be the
empty before Yeah, exactly, Well, that might be a future
prime minister.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
He might be a future prime minister.
Speaker 9 (34:45):
There's always lots of people queuing up to be the
future prime minister, and right now I'm just very happy
to be the MP for Northland.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Okay, Andrew Highgart, and you're happy to be Associate agg
and Minister of Biosecurity. Keep up the good work.
Speaker 9 (34:56):
Many thanks, said Jones.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
Is it is thanks lads. It's eleven or way from
one summer. Your feedback, A river takes what a river
makes good saying that one and just as well, Phil
Collins didn't have to worry about his carbon footprint for
that trip. You bang on burn in the manor or
two up next, Phil Duncan on the weather. So as promised,
(35:28):
we're going to talk weather on the country to wrap
things up. Kevin Freeman, the dairy farmer we talked to
in Tasman, said after we finished chatting to him off
Heir that the worst part mentally of the whole event,
or the two events, was the anticipation of knowing a
second event was coming. So Phil Duncan from weather Watch,
for the likes of Kevin Freeman and his farming mates
(35:50):
in the Tasman Nelson region, I only want good news
from you. Are they going to get a break in
the weather, yes, say.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Well, that is the good news. Apart from some hours
tomorrow the next seven to ten days look dry or
mostly dry, So no repeat performance that we can see
at the moment, although there are a number of cold
fronts and lows crossing New Zealand. But to the top
of the South Island, a little bit of a break,
a little bit of a breather now, going back to
(36:18):
what you would expect would be a more normal weather
pattern at this time of the year, and that's dryer
rather than wetter.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Well, I'm so pleased for them. They definitely need a break.
What about the North Island? Grant McCallum also earlier on
the show talking about how wet it was in Northland.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Yeah, I mean it's been pretty wet for the top
of the North Island, just like the top of the
South Island. It's a number of northerly events bringing rain
into those northern areas. This week, we do see more
rain for the top of the country. It's a little
more broken up, depends on where you are, but sort
of parts of Northland, Auckland, Taranaki and over towards Bay
of Plenty, that kind of central upper North Island. We've
(36:56):
seen some rainfall numbers anywhere between forty and sixty milimeters
is coming in this week, so that's still quite a
bit on top of what's already been. But for the
most part, most places are in that kind of ten
to thirty milimeter mark this week around the North Island,
and if you're on the eastern side of the country,
Hawk's Bay, Southern Wided, Upper Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and the
(37:19):
eastern half of Southland, you're looking at basically no rain
or very low amounts of rain this week. So it's
a breed a week for many regions. But still the
top of the North Island and some parts of the
West Coast still have a bit of rain on the
way this week.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
And on that note, Phil Duncan, I'm going to love
you and leave you. I think I'll take that forecast.
You're not fired. We'll see you again next Monday.
Speaker 7 (37:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
Nothing r like handing on a silver lining.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Wrapping the country. Forty years on from Live Aid. If
you want to go fishing with Scott Barrett you Animet
will do flights, accommodation, give you a couple of storm
Force Parkers and we'll throw an two hundred and fifty
dollars cash to cover any odd expenses that might crop up.
Just register on our website, The Country dot co dot
(38:08):
in z, and we'll announce our first winner of a
Kaiwaker storm Force Parker on tomorrow's show. See you then.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
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