March 30, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Dan Boulton, Mike Casey, and Dr Jacqueline Rowarth.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckaye.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks to Brent.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're specialist in John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Getay, New Zealand. Welcome to the Country, brought to you
by Brant. I'm Jamie McKay. This is Angus, not Angus Young.
He's the lead guitarist for ac DC blowing out sixty
nine candles today. Ac DC is a bit of a
sharing anthem song really, and I wouldn't mind betting a
(00:52):
bit of ac DC was rocking and tekwerdi on Saturday night,
especially for that big Open final of the New Zealand
Well Northland sharer Tyler Henderson got the Golden Shares and
enz Shares double and tekaweedy on Saturday night for the
first time in a whole lot of years. I can't
(01:13):
remember how many they actually did a twenty five sheep final.
Normally it's twenty sheep in those big open finals. So
he knocked his twenty five sheep over and under twenty minutes.
So well done Tyler Henderson, what a great year he's having.
Gavin much second place Hawkes Bay Farmer and Angus Moore
(01:34):
Marlborough sharer and farmer I think two in third place.
Well done. We're going to kick off the show today
with David Seymour at Party Leader soon to be Deputy PM.
Has he cut the current Deputy PM's lunch when it
comes to the war on woke Winston seems to be
at war with a lot of people at the moment.
(01:54):
And what about the Paris Accord? And has he gone
soft on the supermarkets? Dan Bolt he's the chief executive
of silver Firm Farms. They announced their annual result earlier
this morning, not a great one, but promising promises of
better to come. We'll chat to Dan about those results
(02:15):
and also this week obviously we've got Trump's tariff and announcements.
We'll cover those on Thursday's show when we know more
about him. What is Dan Reckons going to happen? We'll
have a look at that one. Mike Casey, I was
trying to get a hold of him last week, but
he was up in Wellington petitioning politicians about electrifying agriculture.
(02:39):
He's a high profile chairy grower. Cherries have had a
great year. We'll talk about this industry. Five thousand tons
exported for the very first time and doctor Jacqueline Roweth,
leading farming academic columnist with us here at the Country
talking about young farmers and old farmers as we count
down to that big young farmer and final happening and
(03:01):
in the cargo in early July, it's all on the
country and we're going to pay tribute to an old
schoolmate of mine who sadly passed away in a tragic
accident over the weekend. Great bloke sque fortnightly here on
(03:32):
the Country. Act Party leaders soon to be Deputy PM
David Seymour joins, it's all about the Paris Accord and
supermarkets this week. Have you, David Seymour, had to reign
in your enthusiastic agg spokesperson Mark Cameron and some of
his rhetoric rhetoric around pulling out of the Paris Accord.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
No, because Mark's the kind of guy that people want
as a representative. He hears them and he speaks for them.
That's why I call them the authentic voice of rural
New Zealand. Mark is somebody who I think speaks his
mind very well and if you listen to what he's
saying that the basic position is becoming orthodox around the world. Sure,
(04:16):
everybody signed up to the Paris Firement Accord, but not
everyone's following it, and at some point a country late
New Zealand does have to decide if the costs of
being in are greater than the costs or the penalties
of pulling out. Now, I would say that at the moment,
the consequences of market access if we were to leave,
(04:38):
probably greater than the costs of staying in, but that
calculus may shift as the rest of the world recalculates.
And I think the opportunity in the meantime that Andrew
Hogart and Mark Cameron have suggested to me is that
New Zealand should be looking to form an alliance with
like minded countries such as Uruguay, a lot of South America,
(04:58):
a lot of rice growers in Asia who are exposed
on methane emissions, to get a better deal for methane
around the world, get methane's true scientific characteristics better accepted.
And that's in part way our government, at the behest
of act, I might add, has done a new investigation
(05:20):
into the split gas approach, so we've actually got sensible
government policy to take to the world.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Has Winston Peters, David Seymour, cut your lunch. When it
comes to the war on work, He's made no bones
about it. He says, why are we making a rod
for our own backs, being part of the Paris Accord,
punishing our farmers and our taxpayers and our economy when
China or the US could sneeze and produce more CO
two overnight than we do in a year. Does he
(05:46):
have a point?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Well, I have to agree, because I think that's been
saying it for a bit longer and a bit more clearly,
So yes, I guess I'd have to agree he does.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
I note that Winston was also sent out an email.
The irony of it is he sent one to one
of our staff members, who would be fair to say
is more center left than center right, and he was
asking her for some money to continue his war on woke.
Is the act party doing likewise?
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I think at some point people actually want New Zealand
to work and fit together, and you've got to be
able to articulate what you stand for and act as
a party. We believe that each person should be treated
with equal dignity, and that if you want to talk
about things like kindness, it's not about dividing people into
(06:40):
identities and chastising people that don't genuflex to the right
minority group on the right day. It's actually about recognizing
that New Zealand can only succeed when each person flourishes
in their own way. And all you need to do
is some basic rules treating other people more kindly so
(07:02):
that you know, you can have a war on woke
if you like. But I think at some point you
need to ask yourself how is it all supposed to work?
And I think treating people with basic dignity and respect so.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
That she's David David channeling, you're channeling your Justinda there kindness.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
No, I don't think that we should allow her to
own the word kindness. I think it's actually something that
all of us, you know, try to practice as we
go through life. It's not She didn't own it, and frankly,
she didn't do a very good job of it. She
was always ready to whack a minority group, whether it
was licensed fire, our owners, farmers, landlords, small business owners.
(07:47):
You know, they all got picked on and pulled down
at some point. X messages that if you really believe
in treating people well, then yeah, you need you need
to not discriminate on people's characteristics. You need to take
people as you find them and look for the best
in people. If we all do that, I think there's
no limit to David.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
David, the problems you're getting. You're getting soft in your
old age. Have you gone soft on the supermarkets?
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Well, I mean I look at the basic proposition the
governments signed up to ask the rest of the world,
why aren't you here? That's something that I campaigned on.
I must have said that in one hundred town hauls
up and down the country. In opposition, I'd actually tell
the supermarket executives from the top ten in the world,
We'll give you an all expenses paid weekend in Queenstown,
(08:35):
but while you're here, tell us why you won't invest.
And that is roughly without the weekend in Queenstown. What
Nicola is proposing to do with them. I think that's
very positive. There's also speculation about breaking up businesses and
so on. I just take a couple of points about that.
The first is that you carrying on for what I
(08:56):
said before. I don't think how to have a bunch
of people that we make the demons and blame for
all our problems. That that's not going to get New
Zealand to a face we need to be. We actually
need to unleash more people's creativity and push up success more,
not not drag people down, just as labor did with
all those groups I mentioned. You know, we don't want
(09:19):
our government to have an oil and gas moment. And
the second thing is falling on from that. You know,
we actually want people from around the world to see
New Zealand there's a great place to do business and
invest and if they believe that, you know, if they
do a bit too well, they'll face the wrath of
the government without any notice, a little bit like how
(09:39):
oil and gas scot shut down without notice. Then we're
actually going to get less of the investment we need
and that's not ultimately good for anyone.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
No neither are Geopolis. David Seymour, thank you very much
for your time, appreciate us.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Thank you very much. Hope you have a great day.
And how many radio stations are there in New Zealand now,
I think that's almost monopoly, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Well, good luck with that, David Seymour. I think the
difference between the media companies and the supermarkets at the
moment and the banks. I'll throw them in there as well.
Is that the media companies aren't making a fortune. Good
luck anyone else trying to enter that industry, got to go.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
I got to tell you that the products are selling
are a bit tastier than what half the media is covering.
You know. Let's see if the media covers certain stories
this week.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
All right, you mean school lunches gotta go, byebye. David
Seymour there having a bit of a counter offensive there. Well,
he is right. There are the men in terms of
the radio stations in this country. Michelle Watt, good afternoon.
By the way, afternoon, there's two big companies, enz in
me and Media Works, and they basically own or least
(10:48):
nearly all of the radio stations. Back in the nineties,
there were little independents like us. That's how I started
and Gore Hocknui nineteen ninety with a bloke called Dodgy
bloke too, called Lee Piper. Hello if you're listening Lee.
But it was a lot of fun back in those days.
A lot of fun anyhow. But eventually, I mean, ours's
(11:09):
least to end. ZNY might end up back in Gore
running it who knows, But anyhow, there's not many independents left,
so he's right in that way. But I don't think
he could accuse the media companies in this country of
making as much money as the banks or the supermarkets.
There you go, there's plenty of choices in media, by
the way, talking about Gore. In the nineteen nineties, an
(11:33):
old schoolmate of mine tragically killed in a plane accident
over the weekend at Dingleburn Valley. Ivan van der Worden
went to St. Peter's College with him. Great bloke like
I used to tease him Michelle Atte's school about taking
He played hockey and he took typing, so he wasn't
your average first fifteen buff ed sort of guy. He
(11:54):
was a bit smarter than that. But I remember saying
to him many years later, I wished i'd take it
typing because I did agriculture.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Yeah, typing is a lost art now, I think I
don't even want they teach it in school.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Well you need to, because that's what I do all day.
I spend all day on a keyboard. But agriculture was
with brother Dedesco was still very useful for me. But
Ivan went on from school became an apprentice jeweler, very
very very successful businessman and was retired and living the dream.
So rest in peace, Ivan vander Water, great bloke, gone
(12:28):
way too early. This is Angus Young. He used to
dress up and he was the school He was the
guy in the schoolboy uniform for ACDC, wasn't he.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
That's right? Used to dress up on the schoolboy and
do the chuck Berry or his version of chuck Berry.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yep. So he's sixty nine today. And as I said
when I was talking at the top of the show
about the New Zealand shares, of course we had Sir
David Fagan on Friday show and I couldn't find it
on my notes here. So on Saturday night in Techo
Edy it was the first twenty five sheep final in
more than three decades and he got Eshare's twenty five
(13:04):
sheep Big second shear twotooths by memory in under twenty minutes.
He was forty nine seconds ahead of Gavin Much who
was in second place, and Angus Moore from Marlborough in
third place. Well done you guys up next Talking about sheep,
Silverfern Farms process a few of them. They process a
(13:26):
lot of beef as well. They came out with their
annual results earlier this morning. We're going to chat to
chief executive Dan Bolton about those results before the well
up next them before the end of the hour. Mike
Casey talking cherries and doctor Jaqueline Roweth on old farmers
and Young Farmers. Dan Bolton is the chief executive of
(13:57):
Silver Fern Farms, where they've come out with their annual
results this morning. So the co op has posted a
ten point nine million dollar loss after tax. Silver fir
And Farms Limited the operating business at twenty one point
eight million dollar loss after tax. Dan, when we compare
these two financial year twenty twenty three, it's almost copy
(14:20):
and paste, no real improvement.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
Yeah, I'm clearly disappointing Jamie for second year of a loss,
particularly at a time where today we've got near record
market pricing and record farm gate pricing. But you know,
last year was a game of two halfs. That's the
way I describe it. You know, back in January twenty
twenty four market pricings were pretty depressed all but interestingly
(14:45):
in the first half we had really good livestock volumes
and good process and efficiencies, and they were pretty much
offsetting some of that week pricing and midyear we're tracking okay.
But we also knew that, you know, it's forecasted to
be a difficult back half of the year with projected
lower life stop volumes and we saw that particularly on beef.
But what we probably did and what we did under
(15:05):
estimate is just the level of thecurement tension that occurred
through the back half the last the last year, and
I think, you know, that was a real challenge for us.
You know, all the market upside that we saw comes
through in the back half of the year was pretty
much all being paid out that out to farmers just
due to the competitive nature. And you know, that's grateful
(15:25):
farmers and you know, we don't begrudge them for that,
and they've enjoyed some excellent pricing through the back half
of that last year. And and you know, the other
great thing about that is it's also been rebuilding confidence
in the sector. You know, we've seen farmers now telling
me that the fun is now back in farming, and
that's that's great to hear. And I know some farmers
that are depending on when their process lifestyle had a
(15:46):
record year last year and that's great for rural communities
because we've seen spending come back in but a challenging
sort of a game of two halfs of civil fings.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Yeah, okay, Dan, are you a bit as a co op?
Are you a bit like Fonterra? If the price of
the raw ingredients lower, paying the farmers a bit less,
it's easier to make a profit.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
No, I guess there's an element to getting that balance
between what you pay at farm gate and what we
hold onto into our part of the business is critically important.
You know, for processes, to make money means we can
invest in the market, we can invest in technology and automation,
processing efficiency in that is all really really important. So
when we don't make money, it's actually not good for
(16:26):
our farmers in the long term. So you know, that
procurement nature and the tension that we saw last year
was probably the most aggressive I've seen in my eight
years in the industry. So that's not sustainable. But the
good news is as we step into twenty twenty five,
things are more normalized and we're seeing we're seeing that
profit margin more equalibly shared across the supply chain, which
(16:46):
is really important.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I note after two years of losses that your equities
dropped by fifteen percent does for instance, and I know
the Alliance Group Scott it's financial issues. You're the other
big player in the market. No danger Dan Bowl of
a run on the bank.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
No, No, we've actually just completed our refinancing on the
back half of twenty twenty four and we've we've got
a good working capital facility approved out to twenty six
so we're in good shape there with good support from
the syndicate. But you know, two years of losses makes
it makes it a bit tougher. But you know, we've
there's been a significant focus on the business around you know,
(17:23):
laser focus on cost and operating efficiencies and I'm really
pleased with the works that's gone into the business and
that's really start to pay dividends as we step into
twenty twenty five. And it's fee to say last year's
result would have been a lot worse if we didn't
do that.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Hey, good returns at the moment for red meat record
prices for beef lambs really improved on where it was
twelve months ago. But is the red meat industry and
danger of running out a critical mass?
Speaker 6 (17:51):
I mean, volumes well interesting. The first half the last year,
volumes were very favorable, So it was more about the
timing and the alignment to capacity. That's where we've been challenged.
But you know, I think the future is really bright
for our farmers. You know, I see that demand for
what we'd have here in New zealand's going to outstrip supply.
I think that's going to continue to bring value back
(18:12):
into our sector. And I think we're in a period
of a growth mindset and we need to rebuild confidence
to get our farmers back on the land farming for
the next generations. And I think the future is bright.
And so my view is when I don't accept we're
going to continue to see a decline, you know, I
want to see our stabilizing and actually grow value into
(18:32):
our sector.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Okay, let's just finish with the elephant in the room
this week. What is he calling it Salvation Day or
something like that. Trump and his tariff announcements on April
to second. I think that's what Thursday out time we
will know what is up to, but I know it.
In February from the Meat Industry Association Dan Bolton that
the United States was our largest export market, increasing by
(18:55):
thirty two percent year on year. It's such a massive
market for US. Whichever way Trump slices and dice, is
this tariff announcement it's not going to be good for
us or are there opportunities?
Speaker 6 (19:09):
And clearly this week's going to be interesting how that
plays out as we move towards the second of April.
Jamie and I think there's gonna be some choppy waters
as their announcements come out, and we've been doing a
lot of scenario planning around how we sort of navigate
that that period. And I think whether it's a direct
tariff on New Zealand or an indirect one impact as
(19:31):
another large exporter into the US moves volume into one
of our other key markets, means that their pricing could
swing quite dramatically. So there's a little bit of unpredictability
that's coming out of the US at this point in time,
but we're prepared for it. We have to be agile.
But also you said there's potentially opportunities because I think
New Zealand's well placed compared to other nations that we
(19:53):
need to make sure that we capitalize on the upside
that may come out of this as well. And I
think you know, just planning for those scenarios, leveraging all
our key markets. You know, we export to sixty markets.
We've proven to be agile and move quickly in terms
of moving volumes into different markets when things happen. But
we can't ignore global demand for protein isn't going to
(20:13):
go away, and there might be some choppy waters as
this or settles out, but long term, you know, I
think the demand for what we have is still going
to be remain positive, and there's some positive pricing with
our farmers.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
And when it comes to red meat, there is no
finer product than lamb.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
Hey.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Dan Bolton, chief executive of Silver Third Farms, thanks for
your time today.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
In the country.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Thanks Chess, Yes, and thanks Dan, and well eagerly awaits
what comes out Thursday our time. With Trump's tariffs, we're
going to be and picked and on the chief economist
for Rabobank dissecting that on Thursday show. Some of your
feedback coming in Rob Hewitt legacies. I'm not sure what
that means. You're saying the loss is a legacy. So
(20:56):
Rob Hewitt's chairmanship could have put a question mark in
there if you were meaning that. Here's another one cheap
as Jamie. David Seymour is nothing like Juice Cinder. I
think it's just Cinder. I'll give you the benefit of
the doubt that that wasn't a typo. David Seymour is
nothing like Jasinda. Where are you coming from? She does
(21:16):
not own kindness? And David is correct she was anything
but kind, right Stephen. But Jared from christ Church takes
a different tack. Hi, Jamie, Gee, what happened to mister
Seymour over the weekend sounds like a different man. I
thought he was a wee bit soft myself, you know,
getting a bit soft in his older age. Anyhow, you
be the judge. Up next Rural News with Michelle, we'll
(21:37):
have a look at Sports News Fox. He couldn't get
the job done at the Houston Open. What a great
what a great weekend of sport. It's been highlight for
me though, Michelle, don't say anything because we've got no time,
and I will come back to this. One was the
Black Ferns last night in Hong Kong. Absolutely brilliant. And
if there's a better rugby player man or woman in
(21:58):
this country than Georgia Miller, I've yet to see.
Speaker 7 (22:00):
Them okay, welcome back to the country twenty six away
from one.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Here's Michelle with the latest and rural news.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
The country's world news with Cold Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co
dot nz for your local stockist.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Fontira Cooperative has announced the appointment of Elizabeth Coats as
cheer Elective Mainland Group. This appointment follows Fonterra's announcement in
February of the selection of Renee did On Necker. I
think that's how you might say that.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I'm glad you've tried to read that rather than may
but carry onsh Stuart Keith Quinn. That's what he taught
me years and years ago. If you're not quite sure,
just say it quickly, quickly.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
That's a good way out. And CEO elected Paul Victor
of CFO and CFO elect and Mainland Group. Federate Farmers
are welcoming the government's announcement that it will consult on
improvements the highly Productive Lance Policy, acknowledging the need for
more targeted and practical approach. The highly Productive Lance Policy
was well intentioned, but is causing difficulties for some farmers.
(23:09):
Here's David Burkett, who is the Federated Farmer's Elite Soils spokesperson,
and we might find out some more about that during.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
The week yep.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
And I know you're going to cover young farmers, but
we'll do that with doctor jaquilln Rowe because that as
part of the or the topic for her column.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Here's sport Sport were then af go Kiwi to the
Bone since nineteen oh four.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Lydia Cooke for Lydia Coe has moved into contention during
the final round of the latest LPGA Tour event in Arizona.
She's two back from the lead with three holes to play.
We'll have to update that one for you because this
will be slightly old. The Billet and Fox he couldn't
get it done in Houston. He finished tied for fifteenth,
ten strokes behind first time winner min Wu Lee who
(23:52):
finished a very impressive twenty underpar and New Zealand Rugby
chief executive Mark Robinson believes they're signing of Damien McKenzie
through to two twenty twenty nine will flow on to
other players. He is a good signing and is there
a more bitter and twisted and cynical man than our lifestyle.
Correspond that, Jeremy Rooks, I don't think so. No, I
(24:14):
don't think so, he writes. It's an impossibility that a
woman would be a better player than a man at rugby.
Are you sipping on the work kool aid? No, Jeremy, comparatively,
go and have a look at her and what she
did in that final and tell me that there is
a male who dominates the sport their sport as much
as she does. She's brilliant and she's playing for us
(24:36):
in the fifteens as well. Georgia Miller only twenty one
years of age. Up next, Mike Casey, and Cherry's.
Speaker 7 (24:44):
Very young.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
He is the most famous cherry grower I know. His
name is Mike Casey, out of Central Otago, just up
the road from Cromwell.
Speaker 8 (24:55):
There.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
He's the electric cherry guy. He wants to electrify everything. Hey, Mike,
Cherry exports, as we found out last week at a
new milestone, surpassing five thousand tons exported for the first
time in the industry's history. It beat the previous volume
record of four two hundred tons in the twenty seventeen
(25:17):
twenty eighteen season and this year's exports fetched one hundred
and twenty four million dollars, the first time the exports
have been valued at more than one hundred million. How
much of that one hundred and twenty four million did
you get your hot little hands on?
Speaker 8 (25:32):
A tiny little fortune. But I have to say the
cherry industry in Central Otago has been been buzzing with
this season. I think it's been a fantastic season of
good export prices in the market. We didn't have a
lot of frost, we didn't have too much in the
way of rain after Christmas, and we got a really
good quality crop up. Numbers were up, and yeah, I
think just growers are getting better and better at growing
(25:54):
the world's best cherries here in Central So yeah, pretty
thrilled with the results for everyone.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Really made up in Blend and Blair. Blizzard MacLean, I
don't know if you know him. He's got a cherry
orchard up there. He would argue, you can still grow
good cherries in Marlborough or even Hawks Bay.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Well.
Speaker 8 (26:09):
The advantage in Marlboro at the Hawks Bay, of course,
is they come off a lot earlier. And one thing
that New Zealanders are addicted to is cherries at Christmas time,
and it's hard for us in Central to really get
good quality cherries off a Christmas Some growers do a
pretty good job at it. Are different regions that are
a bit further north that are a bit normal that,
but warmers their cherries come on a bit earlier, So
different advantages, two different growers, I guess, and us in
(26:31):
Central we're mainly focused on that export market and you know,
it works really well harvesting cherries mid to late January
and getting them to China for Chinese New Year.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
So, as I said, five thousand tons being exported for
the first time. Last year we produced only three thousand,
eight hundred tons, So you've obviously found a home for
it all, and by the looks of things, that home
is largely Taiwan.
Speaker 8 (26:53):
Well hopefully. Tom McLay is very proud of US cherry
growers because we're trying to double export revenue and cherry
growers have gone a long way to you know, helping
make that happen in our own small little way. But yeah,
I think cherries in New Zealand or New Zealand grow
and cherries have this very strong reputation overseas. Cherries are
a luxury product. They use as a gifting product. New
(27:14):
Zealand cherries hold their own against other cherries that come
from the southern hemisphere of South America and even out
of Australia. We've got the best cherries on the market,
and so in a way, there's a really opportunity at
the moment for cherries and an age where we just
don't seem to be getting sort of that market stem.
And that might come one day, but at the moment,
I think there's still plenty a room for other people
(27:36):
that wanted to get into into sharing growing in New Zealand,
and you know, hopefully we continue to grow the industry.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
So Taiwan takes forty six percent of our total exports
China followed by China with just fifteen percent. I thought
that number would have been higher.
Speaker 8 (27:52):
Yeah, yeah, Like I mean, we sell most of ours
into Taiwan. We've got some very good relationships for the
number of Taiwanese buyers over over there. I don't know,
I've only been in the cherry game for five years,
so I really know the full history around why Taiwan
takes so many more news non cherries and say a
much larger larger market like China. But it's good to
see China's growing. We'll see some of the other countries
(28:13):
that take our cherries. Those markets are growing too, because
you know, the more diverse to market, the more resilient
we've become.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Mike, you're the electric cherry guy. Everything's electrified on your farm.
You're effectively growing zero carbon cherries, or I assume you are.
How much of a premium or what sort of premium
can you get for that?
Speaker 8 (28:33):
I'd be telling a lie if I said that I've
seen or a strong evidence of a premium. I've hand
managed to open a couple of doors with going in
and talking to specific buyers about what we're doing. But
I don't think there's much of a premium yet. But
what it's done for me on the other side is
just lower our impot costs. And so one thing about
this year compared to last year is our costs were
(28:53):
generally quite a bit higher. You know, instead of paying
five dollars fifty a bucket for a picket to come
pick cherries, the fee was about xpucks a bucket. The
backing costs for slightly higher. You know, that's all just
due to on farm costs continuing to rise, and so
you know, being able to push down some of those
input costs through using electric machines or fuel machines has
been something that's worked really well. But it's really about
(29:14):
our bottom line rather than the top line at the moment.
And maybe one day is more and more farmers start
to do this, you know, New zeal might get a
bit of a reputation for electric food, which would be cool.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
I was going to chat to you on Friday's show
about the story, but you were unavailable. You were petitioning
politicians in Wellington about going electric.
Speaker 8 (29:33):
This is it's really about the energy system in New
Zealand and making sure we build out the cheapest and
most resilient energy system. And so, you know, half the
problem that I have at the moment is trying to
convince people go to electric electric machines. But our electricity
industry is really kind of not serverting to New Zealand
people in the way that it should at the moment,
and that's you to a number of different reasons. So
(29:53):
I'm just in there trying to represent farmers, trying to
represent the average customer of New Zealand and try and
make sure that the energy system we build out moving
forward is actually one that is resilient and cheap and
renewable and ultimately allows us to grow our economy because
at the moment it's pretty expensive and it doesn't need
to be.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
And why the hell we import Indonetian coals?
Speaker 8 (30:14):
Beyond me, I one hundred percent agree with you. I
can tell you exactly why we do it, because when
we start to run out of water at our storage lakes,
we've got no option. And so really it comes down
to how do we generate other types of electricity so
we can hold onto that water for longer. And I'm
all about getting rid of that Indonesian coal as soon
as we possibly can. But I think that's a system
of just a symptom of just terrible planning in our
(30:36):
energy sector.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Mike Casey, you're a great thought leader. I appreciate some
of your thoughts here today on the Country.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
It's always a pleasing to be on and come mugin. Jaimie,
thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Good on your mic and spang on quarter away from
one up next doctor chequill and Rowers Fortnightly. She writes
an excellent column on our website, The Country dot co
dot Nz. This one is about young farmers. But doctor
Jack Willonroweth, you also want to talk about old farmers.
(31:09):
Not that you're old, of course, but you did have
a reunion of your messy egg science class of nineteen
seventy seven. How did it go?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
It was lovely seventy seven we started eighty one. Most
of us graduated, but not all. You know, there's a
bit of plus or minus and some time off in between.
But it was just a lovely time to catch up
with people and talking about the fact that having had
four years or was it three depending in class gave
us the most extraordinary network. And I feel quite sad
(31:43):
that the online generation will never have that, and of
course they don't know what they've missed, but the ability
to ring people or be wrung for information or advice
or just talking, you know, life in general. What do
I do with the kids now? It was It's been
important over those almost fifty years, very important.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Well heaven for having a conversation. Are you the most
famous alumni?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Good Heavens.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
There are lots of people who have done lots of
good things, including because they've had an entrepreneurial bent made
good money. There are people who have been superb farming
and setting up new ventures and doing new things that
set the example for the region. So lots and lots
of activities of different types or on the basis of
(32:33):
the agricultural science degree, we've got engineers, We've got people
who carve or rock blast or Kevin Kilsby he wasn't there,
but he's one of the classmates and he does that
wonderful pottery with the putaco and mad eyes up in Auckland.
Lots and lots of different activities, all making New Zealand
a better place.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Were they crazy hazy days? Je Quillan? Did you spend
most of your time at lots of students? A parmy
called fitz Heerber?
Speaker 4 (33:02):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (33:02):
I wouldn't dream of commenting, No, I didn't.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Did you Inhale? Jacqueline? Did you Inhale?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I wasn't offered anything and I'm quite happy to be
keeping it that way.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Okay, let's talk about young farmers. On the weekend we
had the ara Angi final, sixth out of seven. Gareth
mccirtchere getting home there. We've got the Otago Southland Regional
Final on Saturday, and then we're going back to Southland
in July for the Grand Final going to be brilliant.
But in your column you've alluded to the fact that
we need to encourage and aid young people into farms.
(33:36):
When I was a young farmer, Jacqueline, we were aided
by the fact that the Rural Bank would give you
a special settlement loan if you owed them enough money.
But it got you a start. That avenue is no
longer available.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
And we need to be thinking about it again. So
I'm encouraged by the fact that ASB are doing something
with the dairy Innovation that Dairy Industry Awards they've announced
in some cases with Flantera and others not the one
percent loan, and I think that there should be more
of this sort of thing discussed. And of course lots
of people will then ring you up, sorry Jomie, and
(34:11):
say we're doing it as well. But the point is
we're getting behind the eight ball here and we don't
want that in New Zealand, so we likefully at the
cutting edge. Other countries that EU in particular, are putting
in all sorts of loans to get the young on
farm and one of the things we discussed in Napier
at the weekend. We've got old farmers is how we're
(34:33):
assisting children or indeed others through equity partnerships to become
farmers of the future and do the good things that
my classmates have done.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
Now, Jack, well, I'm back in the late seventies when
you weren't inhiling at Messi University. We did have, sorry
to keep going on about that, we did have land Corpse,
Predecessor lands and Survey and they used to help young
farmers onto farms with ballot blocks. Are you suggest we
go back to that?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
No, I think that would be, Johnny difficult unless we
sought out the interest rates because the backblocks they were
actually some of them were pretty shown, pretty difficult to develop,
and that's where some of our landslips have come from.
So now I think we should be looking at the
land we've got already in production and thinking about how
older farmers might like to assist, perhaps with the bank
(35:23):
assistance as well, or maybe some pact release. That's what
Ireland's doing and so good effect to allow good equity
partnerships and allow these shoulders and the breadth of experience
to be passed to the next generation. So otherwise we're
all going to be in amuddle of out food production.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Back in nineteen seventy seven, Jaquelin, they also had the
Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final televised live on
TV one. We should be bringing that back.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
I love it. It will be absolutely superb if we
could do that and company calendar. We know it's an
icon on Sunday night. Well let's go back to having
some of these specials on Saturdays. And in fact they
do it for rugby, could we not do it for farming?
Speaker 4 (36:11):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (36:12):
No, no, I've just found this in the studio here
as we speak live. I'll give you one hundred dollars, Jacqueline,
to the charity of your choice if you can name
the nineteen seventy seven Young Farmer.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
Of the Year.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
My cat.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
I'm sorry, no either could I. But it was a
bloke by the name of Keith Holmes, and I know
in nineteen eighty a guy from.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Down my well I should have known.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Well, there you go. You've just lost one hundred dollars
for the charity of your choice. James Watt who came
from my neck of the woods down in south and
he won it in nineteen eighty. So there's some real
talk about alumni. There's some great names here that have
come through the young farmer's real industry leaders.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Yeah, Wurwick, Chato's and think about Murray Turley was third
I think in the Grand finals from the great term
to move the district leader in agriculture. But also think
about John McCaw who's now Federata Farmer's Grained working there
in the Canterbury district. There'll be some terrific ones, lovely
(37:12):
lovely lads, some letters. Of course, we can remember Emma
so doing good work and continuing to do so. So
let's all vote. And it would take more than one
hundred dollars to get it back on Saturday night, but
Saturday Night Lives.
Speaker 6 (37:25):
Would be great.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Don't give one hundred dollars to the Heart Foundation because
we does need it.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Oh okay, well there we go, doctor Jack will and rolla,
thank you very much for your time, see you later.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Thanks by We're.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
Going to take a break and wrap the country with
some of your feedback. Okay, wrapping the country with some
of your feedback. Jeff says, only old people watch TV
and Barney says, what's wrong with digging our own coal?
I'm with you on that. One Barney bit of an
apology to my old mate Lee Pipeer for calling him dodgy.
I'll rephrase that Lee entrepreneurial. Is that better? And the
(38:01):
final word to Ivan Vanderwater, tragically killed in the plane
accidents and Wanaka over the weekend. Rest in peace, Ivan,
We'll catch you back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Brent Starkest of the
leading agriculture brands,
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckaye.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks to Brent.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're specialist in John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Getay, New Zealand. Welcome to the Country, brought to you
by Brant. I'm Jamie McKay. This is Angus, not Angus Young.
He's the lead guitarist for ac DC blowing out sixty
nine candles today. Ac DC is a bit of a
sharing anthem song really, and I wouldn't mind betting a
(00:52):
bit of ac DC was rocking and tekwerdi on Saturday night,
especially for that big Open final of the New Zealand
Well Northland sharer Tyler Henderson got the Golden Shares and
enz Shares double and tekaweedy on Saturday night for the
first time in a whole lot of years. I can't
(01:13):
remember how many they actually did a twenty five sheep final.
Normally it's twenty sheep in those big open finals. So
he knocked his twenty five sheep over and under twenty minutes.
So well done Tyler Henderson, what a great year he's having.
Gavin much second place Hawkes Bay Farmer and Angus Moore
(01:34):
Marlborough sharer and farmer I think two in third place.
Well done. We're going to kick off the show today
with David Seymour at Party Leader soon to be Deputy PM.
Has he cut the current Deputy PM's lunch when it
comes to the war on woke Winston seems to be
at war with a lot of people at the moment.
(01:54):
And what about the Paris Accord? And has he gone
soft on the supermarkets? Dan Bolt he's the chief executive
of silver Firm Farms. They announced their annual result earlier
this morning, not a great one, but promising promises of
better to come. We'll chat to Dan about those results
(02:15):
and also this week obviously we've got Trump's tariff and announcements.
We'll cover those on Thursday's show when we know more
about him. What is Dan Reckons going to happen? We'll
have a look at that one. Mike Casey, I was
trying to get a hold of him last week, but
he was up in Wellington petitioning politicians about electrifying agriculture.
(02:39):
He's a high profile chairy grower. Cherries have had a
great year. We'll talk about this industry. Five thousand tons
exported for the very first time and doctor Jacqueline Roweth,
leading farming academic columnist with us here at the Country
talking about young farmers and old farmers as we count
down to that big young farmer and final happening and
(03:01):
in the cargo in early July, it's all on the
country and we're going to pay tribute to an old
schoolmate of mine who sadly passed away in a tragic
accident over the weekend. Great bloke sque fortnightly here on
(03:32):
the Country. Act Party leaders soon to be Deputy PM
David Seymour joins, it's all about the Paris Accord and
supermarkets this week. Have you, David Seymour, had to reign
in your enthusiastic agg spokesperson Mark Cameron and some of
his rhetoric rhetoric around pulling out of the Paris Accord.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
No, because Mark's the kind of guy that people want
as a representative. He hears them and he speaks for them.
That's why I call them the authentic voice of rural
New Zealand. Mark is somebody who I think speaks his
mind very well and if you listen to what he's
saying that the basic position is becoming orthodox around the world. Sure,
(04:16):
everybody signed up to the Paris Firement Accord, but not
everyone's following it, and at some point a country late
New Zealand does have to decide if the costs of
being in are greater than the costs or the penalties
of pulling out. Now, I would say that at the moment,
the consequences of market access if we were to leave,
(04:38):
probably greater than the costs of staying in, but that
calculus may shift as the rest of the world recalculates.
And I think the opportunity in the meantime that Andrew
Hogart and Mark Cameron have suggested to me is that
New Zealand should be looking to form an alliance with
like minded countries such as Uruguay, a lot of South America,
(04:58):
a lot of rice growers in Asia who are exposed
on methane emissions, to get a better deal for methane
around the world, get methane's true scientific characteristics better accepted.
And that's in part way our government, at the behest
of act, I might add, has done a new investigation
(05:20):
into the split gas approach, so we've actually got sensible
government policy to take to the world.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Has Winston Peters, David Seymour, cut your lunch. When it
comes to the war on work, He's made no bones
about it. He says, why are we making a rod
for our own backs, being part of the Paris Accord,
punishing our farmers and our taxpayers and our economy when
China or the US could sneeze and produce more CO
two overnight than we do in a year. Does he
(05:46):
have a point?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Well, I have to agree, because I think that's been
saying it for a bit longer and a bit more clearly,
So yes, I guess I'd have to agree he does.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
I note that Winston was also sent out an email.
The irony of it is he sent one to one
of our staff members, who would be fair to say
is more center left than center right, and he was
asking her for some money to continue his war on woke.
Is the act party doing likewise?
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I think at some point people actually want New Zealand
to work and fit together, and you've got to be
able to articulate what you stand for and act as
a party. We believe that each person should be treated
with equal dignity, and that if you want to talk
about things like kindness, it's not about dividing people into
(06:40):
identities and chastising people that don't genuflex to the right
minority group on the right day. It's actually about recognizing
that New Zealand can only succeed when each person flourishes
in their own way. And all you need to do
is some basic rules treating other people more kindly so
(07:02):
that you know, you can have a war on woke
if you like. But I think at some point you
need to ask yourself how is it all supposed to work?
And I think treating people with basic dignity and respect so.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
That she's David David channeling, you're channeling your Justinda there kindness.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
No, I don't think that we should allow her to
own the word kindness. I think it's actually something that
all of us, you know, try to practice as we
go through life. It's not She didn't own it, and frankly,
she didn't do a very good job of it. She
was always ready to whack a minority group, whether it
was licensed fire, our owners, farmers, landlords, small business owners.
(07:47):
You know, they all got picked on and pulled down
at some point. X messages that if you really believe
in treating people well, then yeah, you need you need
to not discriminate on people's characteristics. You need to take
people as you find them and look for the best
in people. If we all do that, I think there's
no limit to David.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
David, the problems you're getting. You're getting soft in your
old age. Have you gone soft on the supermarkets?
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Well, I mean I look at the basic proposition the
governments signed up to ask the rest of the world,
why aren't you here? That's something that I campaigned on.
I must have said that in one hundred town hauls
up and down the country. In opposition, I'd actually tell
the supermarket executives from the top ten in the world,
We'll give you an all expenses paid weekend in Queenstown,
(08:35):
but while you're here, tell us why you won't invest.
And that is roughly without the weekend in Queenstown. What
Nicola is proposing to do with them. I think that's
very positive. There's also speculation about breaking up businesses and
so on. I just take a couple of points about that.
The first is that you carrying on for what I
(08:56):
said before. I don't think how to have a bunch
of people that we make the demons and blame for
all our problems. That that's not going to get New
Zealand to a face we need to be. We actually
need to unleash more people's creativity and push up success more,
not not drag people down, just as labor did with
all those groups I mentioned. You know, we don't want
(09:19):
our government to have an oil and gas moment. And
the second thing is falling on from that. You know,
we actually want people from around the world to see
New Zealand there's a great place to do business and
invest and if they believe that, you know, if they
do a bit too well, they'll face the wrath of
the government without any notice, a little bit like how
(09:39):
oil and gas scot shut down without notice. Then we're
actually going to get less of the investment we need
and that's not ultimately good for anyone.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
No neither are Geopolis. David Seymour, thank you very much
for your time, appreciate us.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Thank you very much. Hope you have a great day.
And how many radio stations are there in New Zealand now,
I think that's almost monopoly, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Well, good luck with that, David Seymour. I think the
difference between the media companies and the supermarkets at the
moment and the banks. I'll throw them in there as well.
Is that the media companies aren't making a fortune. Good
luck anyone else trying to enter that industry, got to go.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
I got to tell you that the products are selling
are a bit tastier than what half the media is covering.
You know. Let's see if the media covers certain stories
this week.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
All right, you mean school lunches gotta go, byebye. David
Seymour there having a bit of a counter offensive there. Well,
he is right. There are the men in terms of
the radio stations in this country. Michelle Watt, good afternoon.
By the way, afternoon, there's two big companies, enz in
me and Media Works, and they basically own or least
(10:48):
nearly all of the radio stations. Back in the nineties,
there were little independents like us. That's how I started
and Gore Hocknui nineteen ninety with a bloke called Dodgy
bloke too, called Lee Piper. Hello if you're listening Lee.
But it was a lot of fun back in those days.
A lot of fun anyhow. But eventually, I mean, ours's
(11:09):
least to end. ZNY might end up back in Gore
running it who knows, But anyhow, there's not many independents left,
so he's right in that way. But I don't think
he could accuse the media companies in this country of
making as much money as the banks or the supermarkets.
There you go, there's plenty of choices in media, by
the way, talking about Gore. In the nineteen nineties, an
(11:33):
old schoolmate of mine tragically killed in a plane accident
over the weekend at Dingleburn Valley. Ivan van der Worden
went to St. Peter's College with him. Great bloke like
I used to tease him Michelle Atte's school about taking
He played hockey and he took typing, so he wasn't
your average first fifteen buff ed sort of guy. He
(11:54):
was a bit smarter than that. But I remember saying
to him many years later, I wished i'd take it
typing because I did agriculture.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Yeah, typing is a lost art now, I think I
don't even want they teach it in school.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Well you need to, because that's what I do all day.
I spend all day on a keyboard. But agriculture was
with brother Dedesco was still very useful for me. But
Ivan went on from school became an apprentice jeweler, very
very very successful businessman and was retired and living the dream.
So rest in peace, Ivan vander Water, great bloke, gone
(12:28):
way too early. This is Angus Young. He used to
dress up and he was the school He was the
guy in the schoolboy uniform for ACDC, wasn't he.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
That's right? Used to dress up on the schoolboy and
do the chuck Berry or his version of chuck Berry.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yep. So he's sixty nine today. And as I said
when I was talking at the top of the show
about the New Zealand shares, of course we had Sir
David Fagan on Friday show and I couldn't find it
on my notes here. So on Saturday night in Techo
Edy it was the first twenty five sheep final in
more than three decades and he got Eshare's twenty five
(13:04):
sheep Big second shear twotooths by memory in under twenty minutes.
He was forty nine seconds ahead of Gavin Much who
was in second place, and Angus Moore from Marlborough in
third place. Well done you guys up next Talking about sheep,
Silverfern Farms process a few of them. They process a
(13:26):
lot of beef as well. They came out with their
annual results earlier this morning. We're going to chat to
chief executive Dan Bolton about those results before the well
up next them before the end of the hour. Mike
Casey talking cherries and doctor Jaqueline Roweth on old farmers
and Young Farmers. Dan Bolton is the chief executive of
(13:57):
Silver Fern Farms, where they've come out with their annual
results this morning. So the co op has posted a
ten point nine million dollar loss after tax. Silver fir
And Farms Limited the operating business at twenty one point
eight million dollar loss after tax. Dan, when we compare
these two financial year twenty twenty three, it's almost copy
(14:20):
and paste, no real improvement.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
Yeah, I'm clearly disappointing Jamie for second year of a loss,
particularly at a time where today we've got near record
market pricing and record farm gate pricing. But you know,
last year was a game of two halfs. That's the
way I describe it. You know, back in January twenty
twenty four market pricings were pretty depressed all but interestingly
(14:45):
in the first half we had really good livestock volumes
and good process and efficiencies, and they were pretty much
offsetting some of that week pricing and midyear we're tracking okay.
But we also knew that, you know, it's forecasted to
be a difficult back half of the year with projected
lower life stop volumes and we saw that particularly on beef.
But what we probably did and what we did under
(15:05):
estimate is just the level of thecurement tension that occurred
through the back half the last the last year, and
I think, you know, that was a real challenge for us.
You know, all the market upside that we saw comes
through in the back half of the year was pretty
much all being paid out that out to farmers just
due to the competitive nature. And you know, that's grateful
(15:25):
farmers and you know, we don't begrudge them for that,
and they've enjoyed some excellent pricing through the back half
of that last year. And and you know, the other
great thing about that is it's also been rebuilding confidence
in the sector. You know, we've seen farmers now telling
me that the fun is now back in farming, and
that's that's great to hear. And I know some farmers
that are depending on when their process lifestyle had a
(15:46):
record year last year and that's great for rural communities
because we've seen spending come back in but a challenging
sort of a game of two halfs of civil fings.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Yeah, okay, Dan, are you a bit as a co op?
Are you a bit like Fonterra? If the price of
the raw ingredients lower, paying the farmers a bit less,
it's easier to make a profit.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
No, I guess there's an element to getting that balance
between what you pay at farm gate and what we
hold onto into our part of the business is critically important.
You know, for processes, to make money means we can
invest in the market, we can invest in technology and automation,
processing efficiency in that is all really really important. So
when we don't make money, it's actually not good for
(16:26):
our farmers in the long term. So you know, that
procurement nature and the tension that we saw last year
was probably the most aggressive I've seen in my eight
years in the industry. So that's not sustainable. But the
good news is as we step into twenty twenty five,
things are more normalized and we're seeing we're seeing that
profit margin more equalibly shared across the supply chain, which
(16:46):
is really important.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I note after two years of losses that your equities
dropped by fifteen percent does for instance, and I know
the Alliance Group Scott it's financial issues. You're the other
big player in the market. No danger Dan Bowl of
a run on the bank.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
No, No, we've actually just completed our refinancing on the
back half of twenty twenty four and we've we've got
a good working capital facility approved out to twenty six
so we're in good shape there with good support from
the syndicate. But you know, two years of losses makes
it makes it a bit tougher. But you know, we've
there's been a significant focus on the business around you know,
(17:23):
laser focus on cost and operating efficiencies and I'm really
pleased with the works that's gone into the business and
that's really start to pay dividends as we step into
twenty twenty five. And it's fee to say last year's
result would have been a lot worse if we didn't
do that.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Hey, good returns at the moment for red meat record
prices for beef lambs really improved on where it was
twelve months ago. But is the red meat industry and
danger of running out a critical mass?
Speaker 6 (17:51):
I mean, volumes well interesting. The first half the last year,
volumes were very favorable, So it was more about the
timing and the alignment to capacity. That's where we've been challenged.
But you know, I think the future is really bright
for our farmers. You know, I see that demand for
what we'd have here in New zealand's going to outstrip supply.
I think that's going to continue to bring value back
(18:12):
into our sector. And I think we're in a period
of a growth mindset and we need to rebuild confidence
to get our farmers back on the land farming for
the next generations. And I think the future is bright.
And so my view is when I don't accept we're
going to continue to see a decline, you know, I
want to see our stabilizing and actually grow value into
(18:32):
our sector.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Okay, let's just finish with the elephant in the room
this week. What is he calling it Salvation Day or
something like that. Trump and his tariff announcements on April
to second. I think that's what Thursday out time we
will know what is up to, but I know it.
In February from the Meat Industry Association Dan Bolton that
the United States was our largest export market, increasing by
(18:55):
thirty two percent year on year. It's such a massive
market for US. Whichever way Trump slices and dice, is
this tariff announcement it's not going to be good for
us or are there opportunities?
Speaker 6 (19:09):
And clearly this week's going to be interesting how that
plays out as we move towards the second of April.
Jamie and I think there's gonna be some choppy waters
as their announcements come out, and we've been doing a
lot of scenario planning around how we sort of navigate
that that period. And I think whether it's a direct
tariff on New Zealand or an indirect one impact as
(19:31):
another large exporter into the US moves volume into one
of our other key markets, means that their pricing could
swing quite dramatically. So there's a little bit of unpredictability
that's coming out of the US at this point in time,
but we're prepared for it. We have to be agile.
But also you said there's potentially opportunities because I think
New Zealand's well placed compared to other nations that we
(19:53):
need to make sure that we capitalize on the upside
that may come out of this as well. And I
think you know, just planning for those scenarios, leveraging all
our key markets. You know, we export to sixty markets.
We've proven to be agile and move quickly in terms
of moving volumes into different markets when things happen. But
we can't ignore global demand for protein isn't going to
(20:13):
go away, and there might be some choppy waters as
this or settles out, but long term, you know, I
think the demand for what we have is still going
to be remain positive, and there's some positive pricing with
our farmers.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
And when it comes to red meat, there is no
finer product than lamb.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
Hey.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Dan Bolton, chief executive of Silver Third Farms, thanks for
your time today.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
In the country.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Thanks Chess, Yes, and thanks Dan, and well eagerly awaits
what comes out Thursday our time. With Trump's tariffs, we're
going to be and picked and on the chief economist
for Rabobank dissecting that on Thursday show. Some of your
feedback coming in Rob Hewitt legacies. I'm not sure what
that means. You're saying the loss is a legacy. So
(20:56):
Rob Hewitt's chairmanship could have put a question mark in
there if you were meaning that. Here's another one cheap
as Jamie. David Seymour is nothing like Juice Cinder. I
think it's just Cinder. I'll give you the benefit of
the doubt that that wasn't a typo. David Seymour is
nothing like Jasinda. Where are you coming from? She does
(21:16):
not own kindness? And David is correct she was anything
but kind, right Stephen. But Jared from christ Church takes
a different tack. Hi, Jamie, Gee, what happened to mister
Seymour over the weekend sounds like a different man. I
thought he was a wee bit soft myself, you know,
getting a bit soft in his older age. Anyhow, you
be the judge. Up next Rural News with Michelle, we'll
(21:37):
have a look at Sports News Fox. He couldn't get
the job done at the Houston Open. What a great
what a great weekend of sport. It's been highlight for
me though, Michelle, don't say anything because we've got no time,
and I will come back to this. One was the
Black Ferns last night in Hong Kong. Absolutely brilliant. And
if there's a better rugby player man or woman in
(21:58):
this country than Georgia Miller, I've yet to see.
Speaker 7 (22:00):
Them okay, welcome back to the country twenty six away
from one.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Here's Michelle with the latest and rural news.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
The country's world news with Cold Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co
dot nz for your local stockist.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Fontira Cooperative has announced the appointment of Elizabeth Coats as
cheer Elective Mainland Group. This appointment follows Fonterra's announcement in
February of the selection of Renee did On Necker. I
think that's how you might say that.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I'm glad you've tried to read that rather than may
but carry onsh Stuart Keith Quinn. That's what he taught
me years and years ago. If you're not quite sure,
just say it quickly, quickly.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
That's a good way out. And CEO elected Paul Victor
of CFO and CFO elect and Mainland Group. Federate Farmers
are welcoming the government's announcement that it will consult on
improvements the highly Productive Lance Policy, acknowledging the need for
more targeted and practical approach. The highly Productive Lance Policy
was well intentioned, but is causing difficulties for some farmers.
(23:09):
Here's David Burkett, who is the Federated Farmer's Elite Soils spokesperson,
and we might find out some more about that during.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
The week yep.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
And I know you're going to cover young farmers, but
we'll do that with doctor jaquilln Rowe because that as
part of the or the topic for her column.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Here's sport Sport were then af go Kiwi to the
Bone since nineteen oh four.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Lydia Cooke for Lydia Coe has moved into contention during
the final round of the latest LPGA Tour event in Arizona.
She's two back from the lead with three holes to play.
We'll have to update that one for you because this
will be slightly old. The Billet and Fox he couldn't
get it done in Houston. He finished tied for fifteenth,
ten strokes behind first time winner min Wu Lee who
(23:52):
finished a very impressive twenty underpar and New Zealand Rugby
chief executive Mark Robinson believes they're signing of Damien McKenzie
through to two twenty twenty nine will flow on to
other players. He is a good signing and is there
a more bitter and twisted and cynical man than our lifestyle.
Correspond that, Jeremy Rooks, I don't think so. No, I
(24:14):
don't think so, he writes. It's an impossibility that a
woman would be a better player than a man at rugby.
Are you sipping on the work kool aid? No, Jeremy, comparatively,
go and have a look at her and what she
did in that final and tell me that there is
a male who dominates the sport their sport as much
as she does. She's brilliant and she's playing for us
(24:36):
in the fifteens as well. Georgia Miller only twenty one
years of age. Up next, Mike Casey, and Cherry's.
Speaker 7 (24:44):
Very young.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
He is the most famous cherry grower I know. His
name is Mike Casey, out of Central Otago, just up
the road from Cromwell.
Speaker 8 (24:55):
There.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
He's the electric cherry guy. He wants to electrify everything. Hey, Mike,
Cherry exports, as we found out last week at a
new milestone, surpassing five thousand tons exported for the first
time in the industry's history. It beat the previous volume
record of four two hundred tons in the twenty seventeen
(25:17):
twenty eighteen season and this year's exports fetched one hundred
and twenty four million dollars, the first time the exports
have been valued at more than one hundred million. How
much of that one hundred and twenty four million did
you get your hot little hands on?
Speaker 8 (25:32):
A tiny little fortune. But I have to say the
cherry industry in Central Otago has been been buzzing with
this season. I think it's been a fantastic season of
good export prices in the market. We didn't have a
lot of frost, we didn't have too much in the
way of rain after Christmas, and we got a really
good quality crop up. Numbers were up, and yeah, I
think just growers are getting better and better at growing
(25:54):
the world's best cherries here in Central So yeah, pretty
thrilled with the results for everyone.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Really made up in Blend and Blair. Blizzard MacLean, I
don't know if you know him. He's got a cherry
orchard up there. He would argue, you can still grow
good cherries in Marlborough or even Hawks Bay.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Well.
Speaker 8 (26:09):
The advantage in Marlboro at the Hawks Bay, of course,
is they come off a lot earlier. And one thing
that New Zealanders are addicted to is cherries at Christmas time,
and it's hard for us in Central to really get
good quality cherries off a Christmas Some growers do a
pretty good job at it. Are different regions that are
a bit further north that are a bit normal that,
but warmers their cherries come on a bit earlier, So
different advantages, two different growers, I guess, and us in
(26:31):
Central we're mainly focused on that export market and you know,
it works really well harvesting cherries mid to late January
and getting them to China for Chinese New Year.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
So, as I said, five thousand tons being exported for
the first time. Last year we produced only three thousand,
eight hundred tons, So you've obviously found a home for
it all, and by the looks of things, that home
is largely Taiwan.
Speaker 8 (26:53):
Well hopefully. Tom McLay is very proud of US cherry
growers because we're trying to double export revenue and cherry
growers have gone a long way to you know, helping
make that happen in our own small little way. But yeah,
I think cherries in New Zealand or New Zealand grow
and cherries have this very strong reputation overseas. Cherries are
a luxury product. They use as a gifting product. New
(27:14):
Zealand cherries hold their own against other cherries that come
from the southern hemisphere of South America and even out
of Australia. We've got the best cherries on the market,
and so in a way, there's a really opportunity at
the moment for cherries and an age where we just
don't seem to be getting sort of that market stem.
And that might come one day, but at the moment,
I think there's still plenty a room for other people
(27:36):
that wanted to get into into sharing growing in New Zealand,
and you know, hopefully we continue to grow the industry.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
So Taiwan takes forty six percent of our total exports
China followed by China with just fifteen percent. I thought
that number would have been higher.
Speaker 8 (27:52):
Yeah, yeah, Like I mean, we sell most of ours
into Taiwan. We've got some very good relationships for the
number of Taiwanese buyers over over there. I don't know,
I've only been in the cherry game for five years,
so I really know the full history around why Taiwan
takes so many more news non cherries and say a
much larger larger market like China. But it's good to
see China's growing. We'll see some of the other countries
(28:13):
that take our cherries. Those markets are growing too, because
you know, the more diverse to market, the more resilient
we've become.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Mike, you're the electric cherry guy. Everything's electrified on your farm.
You're effectively growing zero carbon cherries, or I assume you are.
How much of a premium or what sort of premium
can you get for that?
Speaker 8 (28:33):
I'd be telling a lie if I said that I've
seen or a strong evidence of a premium. I've hand
managed to open a couple of doors with going in
and talking to specific buyers about what we're doing. But
I don't think there's much of a premium yet. But
what it's done for me on the other side is
just lower our impot costs. And so one thing about
this year compared to last year is our costs were
(28:53):
generally quite a bit higher. You know, instead of paying
five dollars fifty a bucket for a picket to come
pick cherries, the fee was about xpucks a bucket. The
backing costs for slightly higher. You know, that's all just
due to on farm costs continuing to rise, and so
you know, being able to push down some of those
input costs through using electric machines or fuel machines has
been something that's worked really well. But it's really about
(29:14):
our bottom line rather than the top line at the moment.
And maybe one day is more and more farmers start
to do this, you know, New zeal might get a
bit of a reputation for electric food, which would be cool.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
I was going to chat to you on Friday's show
about the story, but you were unavailable. You were petitioning
politicians in Wellington about going electric.
Speaker 8 (29:33):
This is it's really about the energy system in New
Zealand and making sure we build out the cheapest and
most resilient energy system. And so, you know, half the
problem that I have at the moment is trying to
convince people go to electric electric machines. But our electricity
industry is really kind of not serverting to New Zealand
people in the way that it should at the moment,
and that's you to a number of different reasons. So
(29:53):
I'm just in there trying to represent farmers, trying to
represent the average customer of New Zealand and try and
make sure that the energy system we build out moving
forward is actually one that is resilient and cheap and
renewable and ultimately allows us to grow our economy because
at the moment it's pretty expensive and it doesn't need
to be.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
And why the hell we import Indonetian coals?
Speaker 8 (30:14):
Beyond me, I one hundred percent agree with you. I
can tell you exactly why we do it, because when
we start to run out of water at our storage lakes,
we've got no option. And so really it comes down
to how do we generate other types of electricity so
we can hold onto that water for longer. And I'm
all about getting rid of that Indonesian coal as soon
as we possibly can. But I think that's a system
of just a symptom of just terrible planning in our
(30:36):
energy sector.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Mike Casey, you're a great thought leader. I appreciate some
of your thoughts here today on the Country.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
It's always a pleasing to be on and come mugin. Jaimie,
thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Good on your mic and spang on quarter away from
one up next doctor chequill and Rowers Fortnightly. She writes
an excellent column on our website, The Country dot co
dot Nz. This one is about young farmers. But doctor
Jack Willonroweth, you also want to talk about old farmers.
(31:09):
Not that you're old, of course, but you did have
a reunion of your messy egg science class of nineteen
seventy seven. How did it go?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
It was lovely seventy seven we started eighty one. Most
of us graduated, but not all. You know, there's a
bit of plus or minus and some time off in between.
But it was just a lovely time to catch up
with people and talking about the fact that having had
four years or was it three depending in class gave
us the most extraordinary network. And I feel quite sad
(31:43):
that the online generation will never have that, and of
course they don't know what they've missed, but the ability
to ring people or be wrung for information or advice
or just talking, you know, life in general. What do
I do with the kids now? It was It's been
important over those almost fifty years, very important.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Well heaven for having a conversation. Are you the most
famous alumni?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Good Heavens.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
There are lots of people who have done lots of
good things, including because they've had an entrepreneurial bent made
good money. There are people who have been superb farming
and setting up new ventures and doing new things that
set the example for the region. So lots and lots
of activities of different types or on the basis of
(32:33):
the agricultural science degree, we've got engineers, We've got people
who carve or rock blast or Kevin Kilsby he wasn't there,
but he's one of the classmates and he does that
wonderful pottery with the putaco and mad eyes up in Auckland.
Lots and lots of different activities, all making New Zealand
a better place.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Were they crazy hazy days? Je Quillan? Did you spend
most of your time at lots of students? A parmy
called fitz Heerber?
Speaker 4 (33:02):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (33:02):
I wouldn't dream of commenting, No, I didn't.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Did you Inhale? Jacqueline? Did you Inhale?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I wasn't offered anything and I'm quite happy to be
keeping it that way.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Okay, let's talk about young farmers. On the weekend we
had the ara Angi final, sixth out of seven. Gareth
mccirtchere getting home there. We've got the Otago Southland Regional
Final on Saturday, and then we're going back to Southland
in July for the Grand Final going to be brilliant.
But in your column you've alluded to the fact that
we need to encourage and aid young people into farms.
(33:36):
When I was a young farmer, Jacqueline, we were aided
by the fact that the Rural Bank would give you
a special settlement loan if you owed them enough money.
But it got you a start. That avenue is no
longer available.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
And we need to be thinking about it again. So
I'm encouraged by the fact that ASB are doing something
with the dairy Innovation that Dairy Industry Awards they've announced
in some cases with Flantera and others not the one
percent loan, and I think that there should be more
of this sort of thing discussed. And of course lots
of people will then ring you up, sorry Jomie, and
(34:11):
say we're doing it as well. But the point is
we're getting behind the eight ball here and we don't
want that in New Zealand, so we likefully at the
cutting edge. Other countries that EU in particular, are putting
in all sorts of loans to get the young on
farm and one of the things we discussed in Napier
at the weekend. We've got old farmers is how we're
(34:33):
assisting children or indeed others through equity partnerships to become
farmers of the future and do the good things that
my classmates have done.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
Now, Jack, well, I'm back in the late seventies when
you weren't inhiling at Messi University. We did have, sorry
to keep going on about that, we did have land Corpse,
Predecessor lands and Survey and they used to help young
farmers onto farms with ballot blocks. Are you suggest we
go back to that?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
No, I think that would be, Johnny difficult unless we
sought out the interest rates because the backblocks they were
actually some of them were pretty shown, pretty difficult to develop,
and that's where some of our landslips have come from.
So now I think we should be looking at the
land we've got already in production and thinking about how
older farmers might like to assist, perhaps with the bank
(35:23):
assistance as well, or maybe some pact release. That's what
Ireland's doing and so good effect to allow good equity
partnerships and allow these shoulders and the breadth of experience
to be passed to the next generation. So otherwise we're
all going to be in amuddle of out food production.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Back in nineteen seventy seven, Jaquelin, they also had the
Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final televised live on
TV one. We should be bringing that back.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
I love it. It will be absolutely superb if we
could do that and company calendar. We know it's an
icon on Sunday night. Well let's go back to having
some of these specials on Saturdays. And in fact they
do it for rugby, could we not do it for farming?
Speaker 4 (36:11):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (36:12):
No, no, I've just found this in the studio here
as we speak live. I'll give you one hundred dollars, Jacqueline,
to the charity of your choice if you can name
the nineteen seventy seven Young Farmer.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
Of the Year.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
My cat.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
I'm sorry, no either could I. But it was a
bloke by the name of Keith Holmes, and I know
in nineteen eighty a guy from.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Down my well I should have known.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Well, there you go. You've just lost one hundred dollars
for the charity of your choice. James Watt who came
from my neck of the woods down in south and
he won it in nineteen eighty. So there's some real
talk about alumni. There's some great names here that have
come through the young farmer's real industry leaders.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Yeah, Wurwick, Chato's and think about Murray Turley was third
I think in the Grand finals from the great term
to move the district leader in agriculture. But also think
about John McCaw who's now Federata Farmer's Grained working there
in the Canterbury district. There'll be some terrific ones, lovely
(37:12):
lovely lads, some letters. Of course, we can remember Emma
so doing good work and continuing to do so. So
let's all vote. And it would take more than one
hundred dollars to get it back on Saturday night, but
Saturday Night Lives.
Speaker 6 (37:25):
Would be great.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Don't give one hundred dollars to the Heart Foundation because
we does need it.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Oh okay, well there we go, doctor Jack will and rolla,
thank you very much for your time, see you later.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Thanks by We're.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
Going to take a break and wrap the country with
some of your feedback. Okay, wrapping the country with some
of your feedback. Jeff says, only old people watch TV
and Barney says, what's wrong with digging our own coal?
I'm with you on that. One Barney bit of an
apology to my old mate Lee Pipeer for calling him dodgy.
I'll rephrase that Lee entrepreneurial. Is that better? And the
(38:01):
final word to Ivan Vanderwater, tragically killed in the plane
accidents and Wanaka over the weekend. Rest in peace, Ivan,
We'll catch you back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Brent Starkest of the
leading agriculture brands,
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