September 14, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, David Clark, Todd Charteris, 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 McGue Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Dee machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Rana was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful America.
Oh it was beautiful, magical, all the bird in the
trees maybe singing so happily, Oh, joyfully.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Watching Get a New Zealand. Welcome to the Country. I'm
Jamie McKay. The show is brought to you by Brent
super Tramp. Just because I couldn't think of anything else
off the top of my head. Totally disorganized this morning,
but I promised to be better Between twelve and one.
David Seymour's going to kick off the show. We have
a national crisis on our hands. I think he needs
(01:00):
to do something about it. We're going to kick off
with that. David Clark, Now he's a Mid Canterbury arable,
sheep and beef farmer, former president of Federated Farmers in
Mid Canterbury, and he put up a post over the
weekend about his bureaucratic battle with e can his local
regional council. It's rarely got legs, So we're going to
(01:20):
look at some of the bureaucratic stupidity. Farmers are having
to face not only in Canterbury but right around the
country from their regional Council's Todd Charteris, chief executive of Rabobank,
hot off the press their latest rural confidence survey. We're
now at our second most confident reading of the last decade.
(01:44):
Doctor Jack willon Rowath, she's off to the Food and
Agriculture Organization UN conference in Rome, and Phil Duncan Monday's
President weather Man here on the country. When is September
going to calm the farm? It's been a bit of
a shit of it. Can I say that? Yes? I can.
It has been a shocker of a month after a
(02:06):
pretty good August for a lot of us. Right heo.
Let's kick off the show today with the ACT Party leader,
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour. David Good afternoon, Hey Jamie,
how are you doing right? We've got a national crisis
on our hands. You need to draft urgent legislation and
rush it through the House. No, I'm not talking about
recognizing Palestine, David. I'm talking about banning the box kick.
(02:31):
This is a national crisis.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
You know.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
They don't have to win every time. I'm realistic, but
they seem to just give up, and I don't really
know what to make of it, other than I hope
that there's a plan here and rather has some idea
of what's gone wrong and how to fix it, because
you know, I was there at the end thinking if
(02:56):
they just pick up a last gas try and it's
thirty six seventeen the net, it's kind of bad but okay,
but yeah forty three to ten.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah. Look, honestly, I've loved rugby all my life, been
a rugby fan for sixty years, David, But it's become
a game of aerial ping pong with the box kicks.
If it's not that it's just running one off rucks.
I think we need to go back and look at rugby.
And I'm sounding like an old bugger here, go back
and look at rugby the way it was played in
(03:27):
the mid nineties under John Hart Lorry Mains and then
or even the early two thousands when we had some
great tests, and try and make it a game where
fords largely stay in the fords and backs spread themselves
out and can beat another back one on one. I
just don't like the way our game's heading.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
Well, I tend to agree that I'm going to sort
of duck out of this one because I've not had
a good history with all changes myself. I came back
to play one last season after a few years of coaching,
and basically somewhere along the line, I'd missed a bit
about the ban on rucking and he couldn't work out
(04:08):
while I was getting penalo so frequently. At that point,
I think when they got rid of rucking is when
the game really lost its way. If they could bring
back that and Christian Cullen, then I'll be back in
the stadium fair enough.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
And Christian Culling. Cullen should I say, was a part
of those teams in those couple of eras I was
talking about there, Okay, what do you want to start
with Palestine or Paris? Let's carry on with Paris.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Choice.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Well it is, Jane Smith said on last week on
the show. It was an arms race. It was a
battle between you and Winston to see who came up
with the idea to get out of Paris first. Are
you competing on this policy or are you and Winston
arm and armed together like two all black forwards heading
into a ruck An agreement on this one.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Well, I think these are matters that mostly keep you
you occupied. From my point of view, it's not about
other politicians. It's about the New Zealand economy and particularly
the agricultural sector of it. We have to change the
way we look at this. You know, when we had
a labor and if you want to talk about Winston,
(05:13):
when we had a labor government in New Zealand first government,
it was almost impossible to speak up against the stuff.
You'd just be beaten down. And yet now we're in
a totally different phase where you know what I've been
saying for quite some time that we need to take
a more balanced approach to climate otherwise we're going to
(05:35):
lose them both ways, shoot ourselves in both of peep
and that looks like putting the most efficient farmers out
of business, sending the business offshore to people who actually
emit more. What we need to do is form an
alliance of like minded people around the world. Talk about
the Uruguayans, some of the Southeast Asians and so look,
you know, if Paris doesn't change, we're going to leave
(05:56):
it because it's never acknowledged the basic realities that methane
is a different gas from CO two and other greenhouse gases.
It should be treated differently under any kind of policy.
And better still, food production should not be subjects to
emissions laws because fundamentally people need to.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Eat, absolutely, And wasn't there a clause in the Paris
Agreements saying that it shouldn't come at the cost of
food production? Are you and Winston going to really get
together and put the heat on national if you were
to form the next coalition government around a Paris agreement?
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Well, look, I mean I can't speak for him, that's
up to him. All I just say is that the
best indication of future performance is past performance in the past.
You know, those guys gave us a labor government that
gave us the Paris commitments and the missions reductive whether
(06:56):
zero CARBONAC that we have now consistent against that even
when it was just one of me. So you know,
I don't know where they're going to go. But all
I do know is that New Zealand is a country
that has one of the most entrepreneurial and efficient communities
in the world. Being a cultural sector, they don't deserve
(07:18):
to be kneecaps. And as politicians, we have to start
negotiating a better deal both here and at home.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Okay, should we be recognize actually and one going about
recognizing Palestine? But should we have protesters walking over the
bridge recognizing because they couldn't because the wind was too strong.
But should Auckland, our biggest city, grind to a halt
because people want to protest and walk over the bridge?
Speaker 5 (07:43):
Well, I wouldn't have said so. It is difficult because
the police have to say and politicians can't direct the police.
So as I understand it, what went down as the NZTA,
who actually own the state highway network and therefore the
Harbor Bridge said no. That meant that the police are
(08:03):
on charge on the day, in charge on the day. Sorry,
And if the police judge something to be in the
interests of public safety is with them. No politician can
start directing the police because that's exactly the sort of
circumstances that we try to avoid in our democracy. So
that's really a question for the police Minister. Could there
(08:26):
be a bit more guidance issued to them around when
how they balance public convenience with their judgment on public safety? Maybe,
but you know, I don't want to sound like a
copy out but people want us to get rid of
police independence. That's not something that I'd be comfortable with
the government doing. If you don't like the call the
(08:48):
police made, then I guess that's something that you can
feedback to them. But I don't live in a state
where the government's telling the police what to do from
one day to the next.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
In the seventies we talked about band and the bomb.
David seymohare you were probably too young to remember that,
but ban the box kick a lot of feedback coming
and supporting that one.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Yeah, well, I'm not surprised and it sounds like exactly
the sort of thing of Parliament should be getting. Thank
you in two in the national interest. But bear in
mind black Ferns had a big win, so you know,
sometimes if they don't like one results the great thing
about our country as we have others. So go to
the black Ferns.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Yeah, absolutely got on yet, David Seymour, there, act Party leader,
Deputy Prime Minister, some of your feedback and send that through.
On five double O nine, the text lines the easiest
way to get to me, Jamie. This hasn't talking about rugby.
This hasn't happened overnight rugby has been a snore fest
for years. The players are just robots. Switch over and
(09:51):
watch the NRL. It's awesome and that is a bit
of an issue. I didn't see the playoff game was
at last night between the Broncos and whoever they play.
I can't remember, but I've been air bashed in the
office this morning about what a great spectacle it was.
Has another text coming from one of my old rugby
mates who shall remain unnamed. I've said it all my life.
(10:15):
Us forwards work hard to get the ball and you
puffybacks kick it away. I can't say that these days, Graham. Anyhow,
Just like Tasman did with two minutes to go yesterday,
and I was watching the end of that game. It
was a great game, and I was hoping Tasman might
win the Ranfilly Shield because I wanted to go to
the smaller places. Yeah, a box kick two minutes from
(10:37):
time just handed it over to the Cantabrians and they
just moved down the field and they grounded out twenty
five phases and they scored a try. It was a
great game of footie, very dramatic. But I just, you know,
like I don't know about rugby. It's there was some
great tries scored in the Spring Bok All Black Tests too.
(10:58):
I might add the skill level is absolutely amazing. But
I'm wondering what Pine Tree Meds and Brian Lahore and co.
Would think of this incessant box kicking. It's not the
game that we grew up with. Must be just an
age thing. Up next, this is the logical song by
the Way from Super Tramp. Anything but Logic from e Can.
(11:20):
This is a social media post that's got a lot
of leverage and traction over the weekend from David Clark,
mid Canterbury arable sheep and beef farmer who's fighting a
bit of a battle with e Can. And he's not
alone there quite a few farmers around the country are
fighting or having challenges with their regional counsels. The good
news today is Rabobank's latest rural confidence survey is really good.
(11:45):
We're going to talk to doctor Jack Willnrowath who's heading
to a UN conference in Rome on our behalf and
she's paying her own way and fell Duncan, Monday's weather
man on when September is going to calm the farm
And here's a story that blew up social media over
(12:16):
the weekend. That comes from David Clark, former Federated Farmer's
Mid Canterbury chair. David, you came back from an overseas
holiday with your lovely wife and there on your arrival
was an email I think from e Can Man. Oh Man,
I read your post a bureaucratic nightmare, absolute road block,
orange cone oratory from e Can. Why do they make
(12:38):
life so hard as a farmer?
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Good Jamie, great to talk to you today. Oh yeah,
absolutely right. Why is that the farming is being made
so difficult and for what outcome? So yes, we did
arrive home. We'd had a long away to trip overseas,
came home to a Section ninety two request from e
CAN for further information our lend uice consent that we
(13:02):
gained in twenty seventeen here in Canterbury for our mixed
durable and sheep property. It was up for anwal it
had to be rolled over. Now we thought, given that
we have an A grade audit, we've previously been consented
and we are meeting all the zone reduction targets, and
that there's a series of new dairy farms being consented
(13:25):
immediately around us. That rolling over the consent for a
status quo business would be a relatively straightforward process, but
we had engaged consultants to do this work for us.
Put all the information in BANG comes back for section
ninety two a report seven pages of it look delving
back into absolutely mi new detail into our application and
(13:50):
our overseer and our baseline of all things. So a
baseline is the two thousand and nine to thirteen farming
years which establishes the nitrogen loss discharge through overseer, which
then you're judged it whether you're meeting the targets of
reductions or not.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
But if you're not changing your farming practice, why can't
they just rub a stamp this? And it does seem
rather bizarre that you're getting put through the ringer and
around you brand new dairy farms are being consented and
we're hearing all sorts of numbers about how many dairy
farms are going to pop up in Canterbury. I would
(14:28):
have thought they might have had a bigger environmental footprint
than your arable mixed cropping and sheep operation.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
So that's a pretty hard thing to calibrate as to
why those dairy farms are being consented and out we're
having such a tough job. Now. Look that largely comes
the end of the way overseer operates in that it
for a long time has provided very high and loud
results for arable farm systems. It's never been a suitable
(14:58):
tool for the arable system, but for dairying. So long
as you've got plantain and you've got variable rad irrigation
and what approaches the things, it gives you quite a
low number. So whilst overseer was never ever designed to
compare two different farming systems, and it's being useful, so
you can run an overseer, compare it to arable and
(15:19):
say well here i am, I can go deirying with
a lower number, especially if you're send the cows elsewhere
the winter.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Do you think one of the reasons why this has
blown up on social media is that because there's lots
of farmers on the same boat as you. And it's
not only the Canterbury region we're hearing down. For instance,
in Southland, the local farmers down there having all sorts
of issues with regional councils. Maybe the Prince of the
Province of Shane Jones might be your savior. He wants
(15:48):
rid of them.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
Well, that's what we've got to look at, because we
can't keep going back and relitigating things like baselines. We've
got to put a line on the SCEAD and say,
right with a steed of stat we've agreed on that,
let's move forward. What's the impact of this operator of
this business. But then if you look at it at
an individual farm level, what are we achieving by it all?
And what really really got my back up in the
(16:11):
letter from me Kenjackie was that they said we're fifteen
working days to respond to the request for information, and
if we didn't provide the information or it wasn't satisfactory,
they would fully publicly notify our consent, call for public submissions,
hold a public hearing. And then they said at the
bottom of the letter, and your consent may be declined.
(16:32):
So I guess the question for all of your listeners
and all of us in agriculture and New Zealand is
for a farming family, what does declined look like? So
if we had declined, do they come and take my
sheep away? Do they confiscate the fertilizer sprinter? Do they
take the fusers out of the irrigators or do they
(16:53):
just arrest me? But what does decline look like? And
if it's a stated aim of sense in pre agricultural
revenues to try and dig this country out of the
financial mired that it's in, how does that fit with
what we're being put through to continue farming out arable
farming business here in Canterbury And what confidence does that
(17:15):
give us to reinvest in our business.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Well, maybe you just need to do a dairy conversion.
It'll be a lot easier to get a consent. Can
I just also if this wasn't challenging enough, the Rununga
also identified that one of your blocks could be the
site of an historic Mari fishing camp site some four
to five hundred meters from the river. Were you aware
of this?
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Nold, never ever heard of it before. Look, I haven't
got an act to grind with EWE are as such
on this that if there was an historic site, which
there is absolutely no signs of it on the land.
But if there was, we're quite happy to give respect
to that. I've got no problem with that. But it's
more as though it's being used as yet another stick
(17:57):
to shoven the spokes by the region counsels. So this
is actually not necessarily an overseer issue. This is not
an EWI issue. This is an issue around how regional
councils are doing everything they can to take an attitude
of no unless we are forced to say yes rather
(18:17):
than how can we help you do this now? The
regional plan that we have here in Canterbury, and I
think other councils are the same. I've written these very complex,
very legalistic plans that all turn on oversea. The whole
thing is going to implode on itself and that is
(18:39):
the risk that we all have, and I guess that's
why it's had accord with so many one hundred thousands
of people on Facebook. Is farming. Families right across New
Zealand are facing this and it is time for it
to stop, and time for us to get to a
regime where we say sorry.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I'm just gonna have to wrap this. David. How much
is this costing you?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
By the way, Ah expect this will be even if
we avoid a public hearing, We'll spend fifty thousand on
us to achieve absolutely nothing.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I love on your Facebook post and I'm going to
leave it with this because I'm out of time. Your
final words are, if this is the future, then this
country is eft, absolutely and utterly ft. And I agree
with you. David Clark. Good luck with your bureaucratic battle
with ECAN.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Yeah, thanks very much. Jamie, great to talk to you well.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Thanks for your time, David. He's taking time off the
lambing beat in mid Canterbury to have a yarn tous
texts traffic coming in, Rick Davis, I've super Tramp died
last week. He was eighty one. Yeah, I was aware
of that. Thanks Rob for that one. Brian has texted
me from Linton and the matter or two. I think
(19:47):
that's where the White Locks farm, isn't it, Brian said?
Dare I say carving here has been pretty much perfect
touch what it's been challenging around other parts of the country. Oh,
is league any better than rugby? Get tackled six times
and kick it, make a break and get tackled. Everyone
stops and starts again. You are quite right, Texter that
(20:10):
if you actually go to a live league game, you
just see lots of people doing nothing. Four or five
blocks are running around doing something. The rest of them
are just standing around. But the ball is in play
more often and someone else saying one hundred percent agree
with David Seymour, bring back rucking. If we can't win
(20:30):
the game, we might win the fight. There you go.
Lo just this is old school, I know, but when
rucking was a thing, seven fords were committed to a ruck.
You might have one you open side flanker standing off,
but basically the rest of them were in boots and
all and that was seven backs and it was seven
(20:51):
on seven in the back line, not forwards spread out
for Africa. And this incessant one off, one off running
off the ruck and I just reckon, we've got the
rules wrong in rugby and everything's cyclical and it's box
kicking at the moment. That's the flavor of the month.
But it's just boring. And as we pointed out, and
(21:13):
someone else has come in about the Jared from christ
Church said, Hi, Jamie, I'm a Tasman fan and you're
dead right. That bloody box kick cost us the game.
And I think it did in some ways. Canterbury just
grounds you out Tasman. You were two or three three
minutes I think from the end of that game. I mean,
just try and hang on and keep possession. Do a
(21:34):
Southland like they used to do when Jamie McIntosh was captain,
when they had the shield. Those were the days and
we just wound down the clock. Anyhow, there's a lot
of people critical of that method of players. Well, anyhow,
I'm getting way off track here. Up next, we've got
the good news story of the day, the latest Rabobank
rural confidence survey, and it's the good one. We're the
(21:55):
most confident we've ever been since twenty seventeen.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Give a.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
New Zealand farmer confidence continues to soar fourth consecutive quarter
at lofty heights, so says the headline on the press
release about Rabobank's latest rural confidence survey. To tell us more,
Chief executive Todd charteris four in a row is really good.
We are the most confident as farmers, Todd, that we've
(22:30):
been since quarter two of twenty seventeen.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
Yeah, good man, Jamie. Look, it's great to see. And
as you say that you have four consecutive quarters now
at really strong levels is great to see. And long
way it continue because it hasn't always been playing sailing,
but most of our farmers surveyed are certainly enjoying the
current commodity prices, which is really that main driver for confidence, unsurprisingly,
(22:58):
so you're really good to see.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
You look back in history, we've got to go back
to the twenty thirteen fourteen season for the last time
we had four consecutive quarters where confidence was at such
an inverted commace lofty heights. And we all remember well
twenty thirteen fourteen was the eight dollars forty milk payout year,
probably the highest historically in real terms. So a lot
(23:22):
of farmer confidence is based around milk price because it's
the biggest export.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
Commodity, absolutely, and that's really what's driving this level here
as well, So no doubt about that. And as you say,
unsurprisingly and we're in another really good position in terms
of global milk prices and really is driving that driving
that confidence level for sure, Well.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Red meat's doing it. It's a bit as well. Lamb's
at record prices, and beef, of all the commodities in
our export stable, my take on it, Todd, and you
know a lot more about this than me, would be
that beef is the most positive of the whole lot.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
Well, it's definitely looking very very strong and really led
by that US market which is really strong, notwithstanding that
the tariffs on there, but certainly really strong global demand
and yeah, that that looks positive a few years out.
So that's I think certainly giving red meat farmers some
(24:24):
confidence to invest and to continue to invest in their operations,
which is great to say.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I know, when we're talking about tariffs, that you surveyed
the farmers and the slightest rural confidence survey on the tariffs,
what do they have to say?
Speaker 6 (24:37):
It was pretty much result. It was the first time
we asked them, and we essentially asked them on a
scale of one to team their level of concern, and
I've got to say it was we saw both ends
of the scale and the actual average result came out
at five and a half. So that's pretty mixed. But
it is an area you know that I think it's
important that we keep an eye on.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
You know, we are.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
Slightly disadvantage now compared to some of our competitors after
that increased of fifteen percent back in July, So so
that's the air. But yeah, it was an interesting result.
Actually it was sort of split down the middle of
terms of farm and concern.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
How does this relate to investment intentions? There is a
bit of positivity out there. Are farmers going to reinvest
in their farm, I don't know by the neighboring farm
if it comes up for grabs.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
Yeah, Look, I think this is always a really important
measure because what this says to me is that sort
of longer term confidence that people have in their business,
and we're certainly seeing it driven by dairy farmers. Is
about around about half of our dairy farmer's surveyed actually
said that their investment intensions are going to increase over
the next twelve months. So that's positive, and you know,
(25:48):
let's see what happens. I mean, I think there will
be a bit more few more properties on the market
as we go through the spring period and it'll be
interesting to see how that goes. But it's not just
about acquisition, just reinvestment into their farms, whether it be
upgrading infrastructure and things like that, some investment and technology
(26:08):
as well. So that it's positive to see.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Great rural confidence survey. While I've got you the unscripted question,
where are interst rates going? Todd? What's Rabobank saying about
the OC bottoming out? We're currently at three percent. A
lot of people are saying we're going to hit the
bottom at two and a half. What does rabobank say.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
Yeah, well we're picking maybe another couple of cuts. I
need dis should catch up with being picked on on
it because it's bouncing around all over the place a
little bit, but certainly more downside preasure, there's no doubt
about that. In the market would have priced and some
of those cuts will read.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Got on you, hey, Todd, Charter's chief executive of Rabobank.
Thanks for your time as always on the country.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
Good on your Jamie ketchup. Certain thanks, good.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
On you, Todd, Thank you for your time. You can
read all about it. It's hot off the press, but
you can find it on the website Rabobank. Dot cot
In said. Some of your feedback before we go to
Rural News with Michelle and Sports news. Hi, Jamie, No
team was ever going to compete with South Africa the
way they played the second half, they were very good.
(27:14):
You bang on Pete from christ Church, they were very good.
Tony Brown plays golf in our local golf club here
at the Otago Golf Club. Bell mckewan and try and
weasel information out of him. He was kind of pretty
confident heading into the series. We've let him go. He
should be running the New Zealand back line. Perhaps he
(27:37):
can should be called you can't from Craig. That's a
good one. And here's a good text. And regarding overseer Okay,
this tool for measuring all sorts of things. As a
qualified oversea overseer professional, albeit I've been retired for some time,
I can confirm it was never designed for arable or
(27:57):
horticulture farming. And that's exactly what David Clark was saying,
even for dairy sheep and beef. I was always skeptical.
Joined the crew text a good text. Up next rural
news and sports news. Before the end of the hour.
Dr Jaqueline Roweth talking about Canterbury and consents. Dr Mike
(28:18):
Joy on nitrates and why are we removing agg from
the school curriculum, fell duncan if I get time before
the end of the hour on why September has been
so challenging for so many of us? Okay, welcome back
(28:41):
to the country super tramp today. I think this is
Roger Hodson because they shared the vocals with Rick Davies
who died. Michelle, you've just checked with good afternoon. By
the way, on Ai AI is never wrong. What does
it say?
Speaker 7 (28:55):
Yeah, Ai Ai Ai Sorry, Hodginson so Roder Hodgson, Hodgens
sorry so Yeah.
Speaker 8 (29:05):
Apparently according to AI.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
That's who's the guy with the big nose? Great singer,
Great Bands, Supertramp soundtrack of My Youth. Michelle.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Here's Rural News, the Country's world news with cub Cadet,
New Zealand's leading right on lawn blower bread. Visit steel
Ford dot co dot nzim for your local stockist and
what is.
Speaker 8 (29:24):
Has told some Hawk's Bay peach growers their fruit will
no longer be needed. Hastings peach grower Mike Donnelly has
been supplying waddies for about twenty years and was recently
informed the arrangement was ending. It has understood multiple peach
growers have been affected. It's unclear if any other fruit
is also affected. An industry leader says a change to
suggest a commitment to reduce canned peaches out of Hawks Bay.
(29:45):
Hawks Bay Today actually approached Watty's parent company, Craft Hindes
for comment, but it had not responded by deadline on Friday.
You can find more about that story on the Country.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Dot co dot I Hope We're not going to import
peaches hopefully not gee.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Sports with AFCO. Visit them online at AFCO dot co
dot nz.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
If you want sport excitement, this is a text that's coming.
Last night's NRAL game between the Raiders and Broncos had
at all leaves rugby for dead. Yeah, that's what resident
league fan Calvin tells me here at work. He gave
me a good air bashing over the water cooler this
morning on that one. Let's do sports news, shall we.
(30:27):
Five players, including Kane Williamson and Devon Conway, have agreed
terms to play on New Zealand to play on New
Zealand Cricket International Casual playing agreements this season. Chief Executive
Scott Winning says the players were required to pledge allegiance
to the black Caps T twenty World Cup campaign and
(30:50):
on that game of league last night. Brisbane fullback Rece
Walsh bit of a bogan race, isn't He is free
to play in next week's NRAL preliminary final bite headbutting
Raiders Ford Hudson Young during last night's when over Canberra.
He's escaped with a fine, but also copped another fine
for contrary conduct understood to be to be showing the
(31:14):
middle finger to the Canpra crowd after he was sinning.
Then there's another one that's escaped the warriors. Reese Walsh
up next to doctor Jaqueline Rowath. She's off the Rome.
She is one of our leading primary sector academics and
she's off to Rome in a couple of weeks to
(31:34):
represent us at the Food and Agriculture Organization United Nations Conference.
Jaqueline Rowath or doctor Jaquelin Rowath. But you're paying your
own way.
Speaker 9 (31:45):
Oh, this is an invitation, and I just thought the
best thing to do is accept it because I'm part
of the World for Farmers Organizations Scientific Council. We were asked,
is anybody prepared to be there and put forward at
various stances? And I will be talking about sustainable livestock,
not just dairy, not just sheep.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Deer, all of it, just how we approach it.
Speaker 9 (32:09):
And I will be doing it of course from get
the feed production right and that means soils and fertilizers.
And it will be really interesting because remember, an awful
lot of the countries that belong to the United Nations
do not come from developed countries. They're going to be
talking about subsistence agriculture. So yes, it's going to be fun.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Well, if Dr Mark joy Head as why we'd have
subsistence agriculture, Jack Willan in this country, you do have.
Speaker 9 (32:36):
A point, you do, but we keep trying to explain
the realities and sometimes it falls on deaf ears. Probably
there's been quite a lot of funding behind all sorts
of things, including dairy and light rates and quarter quality,
and people are reluctant to lose funding streams.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Why aren't we just to have come by us that
are around the table, Gather all the scientists from either
side of the argument together and try and reach an
agreeable solution. Surely science only has one answer.
Speaker 9 (33:11):
Well, scient is constantly developing, and we get new information
partly because of new techniques. Some of them might be
the web, you know, getting access to information from other countries.
Some of them might be because the GCMs, the measurement
techniques change. So where we have open minds, A good
scientists has an open mind about new information. And I
(33:34):
when somebody says I think you're wrong, I say, oh gosh,
which part and have another look? Or they say could
this be interpreted in this way? And we have a
discussion about the interpretation. But the meetings have been tried
several times, and I've been involved in them with activists,
with lobbyists on different campuses in different roles, and it's
(33:58):
not what they want to be here. So we've tried,
and we perceived a block from some people, and it
makes it really difficult to proceed.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Did doctor Mike Joy get the boot from Messi University
when he went to Victoria or did he go of
his own?
Speaker 9 (34:15):
Very well, yep, he had a position offered that he
thought would be more independent. It wasn't in the classroom,
it was with a separate institute, and he chose to
go and work at Victoria rather than Massi. So that
was fine because he was able to do what he
(34:36):
wanted to do. The question is is some of what
he's doing good for the country? And we have to
keep asking that question. We ask it of ourselves. I
asked it of myself as a sort of scientist. What
can I do with fertilizer to make it sure it's
in the right place and into the plant and into
the animal, all of those sorts of things. Trying to
make sure that we have the best possible evidence and
(34:58):
are interpreting it in the best possible way.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Can I just finish on education, especially egg education. What
do you make of the government's move to remove some
egg and science hot and science courses out of the
school curriculum. Surely this isn't a smart move.
Speaker 9 (35:17):
I think the pendulum might be swinging a bit far,
and we do need to be making adjustments to the
thinking around agriculture and horticulture or just talk about food
food production a bit more sensibly. It always, in my view,
needs to be built on first principles, and that is biology, physics, chemistry.
(35:38):
It should be set within social aspects. And I like
when we're talking about the SIMP Paul's model. I was
there right at the beginning when Peter Hampton started this
and it's not being taken over by carry Allen. Is
that the issue was that agriculture and horticulture wasn't being
taught throughout the curriculum. And what tended to happen is
(36:02):
that people that might have done science and learned about
photosynce this for instance in tomatoes or ryegraphs, were then
doing ag instead. It creates a bit of a problem
when at university you actually want to study agricultural science
because some of the basics have been done earlier without
being able to set in in context in quite the
(36:23):
same more life experience way. So I wouldn't have done
exactly what has been done, but I will be very
interested to see what the teachers come back with the
submissions closed today, I gather and when I look at
some of the other subjects that have been throughouted, I
do think that those sports people having their interview with
(36:45):
all that surfing going on behind was looked very jolly.
Was it actually an academic subject?
Speaker 4 (36:52):
Perhaps not?
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Doctor Jack will unrollis will catch you in a couple
of weeks in Romes, safe travels.
Speaker 9 (36:58):
Thanks a lot, Jomie.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
It is six away from one. You're with the country,
run out of time to chat to Phil Duncan. We'll
get them on tomorrow. Show up next summer. Your feedback again,
right right, you're bloody well right, you're going to bloody rate. Okay,
wrapping the country with some of your feedback, Jamie. If
(37:23):
students have a proper understanding of science, maths and economics
at school, then understanding agriculture is easy at university or polytech.
The Boomer generation is a great example of this theory.
Not sure about that. I was hopeless at science but
good at maths and economics. This is just me at school,
So yeah, maybe I'm the exception to the rule on
(37:44):
that one. And it certainly helped doing agriculture at school
with Brother Tedesco at Saint Peter's College and Gore And
in our sixth and seven four years, Brother Tedesco let
us drink beer while we watched the All Blacks play
the spring Box in nineteen seventy six Bless them. And
when I was in the sixth and seventh form hostel
Saint Paul's, this song got played to death Crime of
(38:07):
the Century. This is actually Rick Davies as opposed to
Roger Hodson up front for Super Tramp.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
See you tomorrow, catch you all the latest from the land.
It's the Country Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent,
You're specialist in John Deere construction equipment.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Dee machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Rana was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful America.
Oh it was beautiful, magical, all the bird in the
trees maybe singing so happily, Oh, joyfully.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Watching Get a New Zealand. Welcome to the Country. I'm
Jamie McKay. The show is brought to you by Brent
super Tramp. Just because I couldn't think of anything else
off the top of my head. Totally disorganized this morning,
but I promised to be better Between twelve and one.
David Seymour's going to kick off the show. We have
a national crisis on our hands. I think he needs
(01:00):
to do something about it. We're going to kick off
with that. David Clark, Now he's a Mid Canterbury arable,
sheep and beef farmer, former president of Federated Farmers in
Mid Canterbury, and he put up a post over the
weekend about his bureaucratic battle with e can his local
regional council. It's rarely got legs, So we're going to
(01:20):
look at some of the bureaucratic stupidity. Farmers are having
to face not only in Canterbury but right around the
country from their regional Council's Todd Charteris, chief executive of Rabobank,
hot off the press their latest rural confidence survey. We're
now at our second most confident reading of the last decade.
(01:44):
Doctor Jack willon Rowath, she's off to the Food and
Agriculture Organization UN conference in Rome, and Phil Duncan Monday's
President weather Man here on the country. When is September
going to calm the farm? It's been a bit of
a shit of it. Can I say that? Yes? I can.
It has been a shocker of a month after a
(02:06):
pretty good August for a lot of us. Right heo.
Let's kick off the show today with the ACT Party leader,
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour. David Good afternoon, Hey Jamie,
how are you doing right? We've got a national crisis
on our hands. You need to draft urgent legislation and
rush it through the House. No, I'm not talking about
recognizing Palestine, David. I'm talking about banning the box kick.
(02:31):
This is a national crisis.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
You know.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
They don't have to win every time. I'm realistic, but
they seem to just give up, and I don't really
know what to make of it, other than I hope
that there's a plan here and rather has some idea
of what's gone wrong and how to fix it, because
you know, I was there at the end thinking if
(02:56):
they just pick up a last gas try and it's
thirty six seventeen the net, it's kind of bad but okay,
but yeah forty three to ten.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah. Look, honestly, I've loved rugby all my life, been
a rugby fan for sixty years, David, But it's become
a game of aerial ping pong with the box kicks.
If it's not that it's just running one off rucks.
I think we need to go back and look at rugby.
And I'm sounding like an old bugger here, go back
and look at rugby the way it was played in
(03:27):
the mid nineties under John Hart Lorry Mains and then
or even the early two thousands when we had some
great tests, and try and make it a game where
fords largely stay in the fords and backs spread themselves
out and can beat another back one on one. I
just don't like the way our game's heading.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
Well, I tend to agree that I'm going to sort
of duck out of this one because I've not had
a good history with all changes myself. I came back
to play one last season after a few years of coaching,
and basically somewhere along the line, I'd missed a bit
about the ban on rucking and he couldn't work out
(04:08):
while I was getting penalo so frequently. At that point,
I think when they got rid of rucking is when
the game really lost its way. If they could bring
back that and Christian Cullen, then I'll be back in
the stadium fair enough.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
And Christian Culling. Cullen should I say, was a part
of those teams in those couple of eras I was
talking about there, Okay, what do you want to start
with Palestine or Paris? Let's carry on with Paris.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Choice.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Well it is, Jane Smith said on last week on
the show. It was an arms race. It was a
battle between you and Winston to see who came up
with the idea to get out of Paris first. Are
you competing on this policy or are you and Winston
arm and armed together like two all black forwards heading
into a ruck An agreement on this one.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Well, I think these are matters that mostly keep you
you occupied. From my point of view, it's not about
other politicians. It's about the New Zealand economy and particularly
the agricultural sector of it. We have to change the
way we look at this. You know, when we had
a labor and if you want to talk about Winston,
(05:13):
when we had a labor government in New Zealand first government,
it was almost impossible to speak up against the stuff.
You'd just be beaten down. And yet now we're in
a totally different phase where you know what I've been
saying for quite some time that we need to take
a more balanced approach to climate otherwise we're going to
(05:35):
lose them both ways, shoot ourselves in both of peep
and that looks like putting the most efficient farmers out
of business, sending the business offshore to people who actually
emit more. What we need to do is form an
alliance of like minded people around the world. Talk about
the Uruguayans, some of the Southeast Asians and so look,
you know, if Paris doesn't change, we're going to leave
(05:56):
it because it's never acknowledged the basic realities that methane
is a different gas from CO two and other greenhouse gases.
It should be treated differently under any kind of policy.
And better still, food production should not be subjects to
emissions laws because fundamentally people need to.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Eat, absolutely, And wasn't there a clause in the Paris
Agreements saying that it shouldn't come at the cost of
food production? Are you and Winston going to really get
together and put the heat on national if you were
to form the next coalition government around a Paris agreement?
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Well, look, I mean I can't speak for him, that's
up to him. All I just say is that the
best indication of future performance is past performance in the past.
You know, those guys gave us a labor government that
gave us the Paris commitments and the missions reductive whether
(06:56):
zero CARBONAC that we have now consistent against that even
when it was just one of me. So you know,
I don't know where they're going to go. But all
I do know is that New Zealand is a country
that has one of the most entrepreneurial and efficient communities
in the world. Being a cultural sector, they don't deserve
(07:18):
to be kneecaps. And as politicians, we have to start
negotiating a better deal both here and at home.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Okay, should we be recognize actually and one going about
recognizing Palestine? But should we have protesters walking over the
bridge recognizing because they couldn't because the wind was too strong.
But should Auckland, our biggest city, grind to a halt
because people want to protest and walk over the bridge?
Speaker 5 (07:43):
Well, I wouldn't have said so. It is difficult because
the police have to say and politicians can't direct the police.
So as I understand it, what went down as the NZTA,
who actually own the state highway network and therefore the
Harbor Bridge said no. That meant that the police are
(08:03):
on charge on the day, in charge on the day. Sorry,
And if the police judge something to be in the
interests of public safety is with them. No politician can
start directing the police because that's exactly the sort of
circumstances that we try to avoid in our democracy. So
that's really a question for the police Minister. Could there
(08:26):
be a bit more guidance issued to them around when
how they balance public convenience with their judgment on public safety? Maybe,
but you know, I don't want to sound like a
copy out but people want us to get rid of
police independence. That's not something that I'd be comfortable with
the government doing. If you don't like the call the
(08:48):
police made, then I guess that's something that you can
feedback to them. But I don't live in a state
where the government's telling the police what to do from
one day to the next.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
In the seventies we talked about band and the bomb.
David seymohare you were probably too young to remember that,
but ban the box kick a lot of feedback coming
and supporting that one.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Yeah, well, I'm not surprised and it sounds like exactly
the sort of thing of Parliament should be getting. Thank
you in two in the national interest. But bear in
mind black Ferns had a big win, so you know,
sometimes if they don't like one results the great thing
about our country as we have others. So go to
the black Ferns.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Yeah, absolutely got on yet, David Seymour, there, act Party leader,
Deputy Prime Minister, some of your feedback and send that through.
On five double O nine, the text lines the easiest
way to get to me, Jamie. This hasn't talking about rugby.
This hasn't happened overnight rugby has been a snore fest
for years. The players are just robots. Switch over and
(09:51):
watch the NRL. It's awesome and that is a bit
of an issue. I didn't see the playoff game was
at last night between the Broncos and whoever they play.
I can't remember, but I've been air bashed in the
office this morning about what a great spectacle it was.
Has another text coming from one of my old rugby
mates who shall remain unnamed. I've said it all my life.
(10:15):
Us forwards work hard to get the ball and you
puffybacks kick it away. I can't say that these days, Graham. Anyhow,
Just like Tasman did with two minutes to go yesterday,
and I was watching the end of that game. It
was a great game, and I was hoping Tasman might
win the Ranfilly Shield because I wanted to go to
the smaller places. Yeah, a box kick two minutes from
(10:37):
time just handed it over to the Cantabrians and they
just moved down the field and they grounded out twenty
five phases and they scored a try. It was a
great game of footie, very dramatic. But I just, you know,
like I don't know about rugby. It's there was some
great tries scored in the Spring Bok All Black Tests too.
(10:58):
I might add the skill level is absolutely amazing. But
I'm wondering what Pine Tree Meds and Brian Lahore and co.
Would think of this incessant box kicking. It's not the
game that we grew up with. Must be just an
age thing. Up next, this is the logical song by
the Way from Super Tramp. Anything but Logic from e Can.
(11:20):
This is a social media post that's got a lot
of leverage and traction over the weekend from David Clark,
mid Canterbury arable sheep and beef farmer who's fighting a
bit of a battle with e Can. And he's not
alone there quite a few farmers around the country are
fighting or having challenges with their regional counsels. The good
news today is Rabobank's latest rural confidence survey is really good.
(11:45):
We're going to talk to doctor Jack Willnrowath who's heading
to a UN conference in Rome on our behalf and
she's paying her own way and fell Duncan, Monday's weather
man on when September is going to calm the farm
And here's a story that blew up social media over
(12:16):
the weekend. That comes from David Clark, former Federated Farmer's
Mid Canterbury chair. David, you came back from an overseas
holiday with your lovely wife and there on your arrival
was an email I think from e Can Man. Oh Man,
I read your post a bureaucratic nightmare, absolute road block,
orange cone oratory from e Can. Why do they make
(12:38):
life so hard as a farmer?
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Good Jamie, great to talk to you today. Oh yeah,
absolutely right. Why is that the farming is being made
so difficult and for what outcome? So yes, we did
arrive home. We'd had a long away to trip overseas,
came home to a Section ninety two request from e
CAN for further information our lend uice consent that we
(13:02):
gained in twenty seventeen here in Canterbury for our mixed
durable and sheep property. It was up for anwal it
had to be rolled over. Now we thought, given that
we have an A grade audit, we've previously been consented
and we are meeting all the zone reduction targets, and
that there's a series of new dairy farms being consented
(13:25):
immediately around us. That rolling over the consent for a
status quo business would be a relatively straightforward process, but
we had engaged consultants to do this work for us.
Put all the information in BANG comes back for section
ninety two a report seven pages of it look delving
back into absolutely mi new detail into our application and
(13:50):
our overseer and our baseline of all things. So a
baseline is the two thousand and nine to thirteen farming
years which establishes the nitrogen loss discharge through overseer, which
then you're judged it whether you're meeting the targets of
reductions or not.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
But if you're not changing your farming practice, why can't
they just rub a stamp this? And it does seem
rather bizarre that you're getting put through the ringer and
around you brand new dairy farms are being consented and
we're hearing all sorts of numbers about how many dairy
farms are going to pop up in Canterbury. I would
(14:28):
have thought they might have had a bigger environmental footprint
than your arable mixed cropping and sheep operation.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
So that's a pretty hard thing to calibrate as to
why those dairy farms are being consented and out we're
having such a tough job. Now. Look that largely comes
the end of the way overseer operates in that it
for a long time has provided very high and loud
results for arable farm systems. It's never been a suitable
(14:58):
tool for the arable system, but for dairying. So long
as you've got plantain and you've got variable rad irrigation
and what approaches the things, it gives you quite a
low number. So whilst overseer was never ever designed to
compare two different farming systems, and it's being useful, so
you can run an overseer, compare it to arable and
(15:19):
say well here i am, I can go deirying with
a lower number, especially if you're send the cows elsewhere
the winter.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Do you think one of the reasons why this has
blown up on social media is that because there's lots
of farmers on the same boat as you. And it's
not only the Canterbury region we're hearing down. For instance,
in Southland, the local farmers down there having all sorts
of issues with regional councils. Maybe the Prince of the
Province of Shane Jones might be your savior. He wants
(15:48):
rid of them.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
Well, that's what we've got to look at, because we
can't keep going back and relitigating things like baselines. We've
got to put a line on the SCEAD and say,
right with a steed of stat we've agreed on that,
let's move forward. What's the impact of this operator of
this business. But then if you look at it at
an individual farm level, what are we achieving by it all?
And what really really got my back up in the
(16:11):
letter from me Kenjackie was that they said we're fifteen
working days to respond to the request for information, and
if we didn't provide the information or it wasn't satisfactory,
they would fully publicly notify our consent, call for public submissions,
hold a public hearing. And then they said at the
bottom of the letter, and your consent may be declined.
(16:32):
So I guess the question for all of your listeners
and all of us in agriculture and New Zealand is
for a farming family, what does declined look like? So
if we had declined, do they come and take my
sheep away? Do they confiscate the fertilizer sprinter? Do they
take the fusers out of the irrigators or do they
(16:53):
just arrest me? But what does decline look like? And
if it's a stated aim of sense in pre agricultural
revenues to try and dig this country out of the
financial mired that it's in, how does that fit with
what we're being put through to continue farming out arable
farming business here in Canterbury And what confidence does that
(17:15):
give us to reinvest in our business.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Well, maybe you just need to do a dairy conversion.
It'll be a lot easier to get a consent. Can
I just also if this wasn't challenging enough, the Rununga
also identified that one of your blocks could be the
site of an historic Mari fishing camp site some four
to five hundred meters from the river. Were you aware
of this?
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Nold, never ever heard of it before. Look, I haven't
got an act to grind with EWE are as such
on this that if there was an historic site, which
there is absolutely no signs of it on the land.
But if there was, we're quite happy to give respect
to that. I've got no problem with that. But it's
more as though it's being used as yet another stick
(17:57):
to shoven the spokes by the region counsels. So this
is actually not necessarily an overseer issue. This is not
an EWI issue. This is an issue around how regional
councils are doing everything they can to take an attitude
of no unless we are forced to say yes rather
(18:17):
than how can we help you do this now? The
regional plan that we have here in Canterbury, and I
think other councils are the same. I've written these very complex,
very legalistic plans that all turn on oversea. The whole
thing is going to implode on itself and that is
(18:39):
the risk that we all have, and I guess that's
why it's had accord with so many one hundred thousands
of people on Facebook. Is farming. Families right across New
Zealand are facing this and it is time for it
to stop, and time for us to get to a
regime where we say sorry.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I'm just gonna have to wrap this. David. How much
is this costing you?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
By the way, Ah expect this will be even if
we avoid a public hearing, We'll spend fifty thousand on
us to achieve absolutely nothing.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I love on your Facebook post and I'm going to
leave it with this because I'm out of time. Your
final words are, if this is the future, then this
country is eft, absolutely and utterly ft. And I agree
with you. David Clark. Good luck with your bureaucratic battle
with ECAN.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Yeah, thanks very much. Jamie, great to talk to you well.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Thanks for your time, David. He's taking time off the
lambing beat in mid Canterbury to have a yarn tous
texts traffic coming in, Rick Davis, I've super Tramp died
last week. He was eighty one. Yeah, I was aware
of that. Thanks Rob for that one. Brian has texted
me from Linton and the matter or two. I think
(19:47):
that's where the White Locks farm, isn't it, Brian said?
Dare I say carving here has been pretty much perfect
touch what it's been challenging around other parts of the country. Oh,
is league any better than rugby? Get tackled six times
and kick it, make a break and get tackled. Everyone
stops and starts again. You are quite right, Texter that
(20:10):
if you actually go to a live league game, you
just see lots of people doing nothing. Four or five
blocks are running around doing something. The rest of them
are just standing around. But the ball is in play
more often and someone else saying one hundred percent agree
with David Seymour, bring back rucking. If we can't win
(20:30):
the game, we might win the fight. There you go.
Lo just this is old school, I know, but when
rucking was a thing, seven fords were committed to a ruck.
You might have one you open side flanker standing off,
but basically the rest of them were in boots and
all and that was seven backs and it was seven
(20:51):
on seven in the back line, not forwards spread out
for Africa. And this incessant one off, one off running
off the ruck and I just reckon, we've got the
rules wrong in rugby and everything's cyclical and it's box
kicking at the moment. That's the flavor of the month.
But it's just boring. And as we pointed out, and
(21:13):
someone else has come in about the Jared from christ
Church said, Hi, Jamie, I'm a Tasman fan and you're
dead right. That bloody box kick cost us the game.
And I think it did in some ways. Canterbury just
grounds you out Tasman. You were two or three three
minutes I think from the end of that game. I mean,
just try and hang on and keep possession. Do a
(21:34):
Southland like they used to do when Jamie McIntosh was captain,
when they had the shield. Those were the days and
we just wound down the clock. Anyhow, there's a lot
of people critical of that method of players. Well, anyhow,
I'm getting way off track here. Up next, we've got
the good news story of the day, the latest Rabobank
rural confidence survey, and it's the good one. We're the
(21:55):
most confident we've ever been since twenty seventeen.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Give a.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
New Zealand farmer confidence continues to soar fourth consecutive quarter
at lofty heights, so says the headline on the press
release about Rabobank's latest rural confidence survey. To tell us more,
Chief executive Todd charteris four in a row is really good.
We are the most confident as farmers, Todd, that we've
(22:30):
been since quarter two of twenty seventeen.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
Yeah, good man, Jamie. Look, it's great to see. And
as you say that you have four consecutive quarters now
at really strong levels is great to see. And long
way it continue because it hasn't always been playing sailing,
but most of our farmers surveyed are certainly enjoying the
current commodity prices, which is really that main driver for confidence, unsurprisingly,
(22:58):
so you're really good to see.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
You look back in history, we've got to go back
to the twenty thirteen fourteen season for the last time
we had four consecutive quarters where confidence was at such
an inverted commace lofty heights. And we all remember well
twenty thirteen fourteen was the eight dollars forty milk payout year,
probably the highest historically in real terms. So a lot
(23:22):
of farmer confidence is based around milk price because it's
the biggest export.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
Commodity, absolutely, and that's really what's driving this level here
as well, So no doubt about that. And as you say,
unsurprisingly and we're in another really good position in terms
of global milk prices and really is driving that driving
that confidence level for sure, Well.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Red meat's doing it. It's a bit as well. Lamb's
at record prices, and beef, of all the commodities in
our export stable, my take on it, Todd, and you
know a lot more about this than me, would be
that beef is the most positive of the whole lot.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
Well, it's definitely looking very very strong and really led
by that US market which is really strong, notwithstanding that
the tariffs on there, but certainly really strong global demand
and yeah, that that looks positive a few years out.
So that's I think certainly giving red meat farmers some
(24:24):
confidence to invest and to continue to invest in their operations,
which is great to say.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I know, when we're talking about tariffs, that you surveyed
the farmers and the slightest rural confidence survey on the tariffs,
what do they have to say?
Speaker 6 (24:37):
It was pretty much result. It was the first time
we asked them, and we essentially asked them on a
scale of one to team their level of concern, and
I've got to say it was we saw both ends
of the scale and the actual average result came out
at five and a half. So that's pretty mixed. But
it is an area you know that I think it's
important that we keep an eye on.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
You know, we are.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
Slightly disadvantage now compared to some of our competitors after
that increased of fifteen percent back in July, So so
that's the air. But yeah, it was an interesting result.
Actually it was sort of split down the middle of
terms of farm and concern.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
How does this relate to investment intentions? There is a
bit of positivity out there. Are farmers going to reinvest
in their farm, I don't know by the neighboring farm
if it comes up for grabs.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
Yeah, Look, I think this is always a really important
measure because what this says to me is that sort
of longer term confidence that people have in their business,
and we're certainly seeing it driven by dairy farmers. Is
about around about half of our dairy farmer's surveyed actually
said that their investment intensions are going to increase over
the next twelve months. So that's positive, and you know,
(25:48):
let's see what happens. I mean, I think there will
be a bit more few more properties on the market
as we go through the spring period and it'll be
interesting to see how that goes. But it's not just
about acquisition, just reinvestment into their farms, whether it be
upgrading infrastructure and things like that, some investment and technology
(26:08):
as well. So that it's positive to see.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Great rural confidence survey. While I've got you the unscripted question,
where are interst rates going? Todd? What's Rabobank saying about
the OC bottoming out? We're currently at three percent. A
lot of people are saying we're going to hit the
bottom at two and a half. What does rabobank say.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
Yeah, well we're picking maybe another couple of cuts. I
need dis should catch up with being picked on on
it because it's bouncing around all over the place a
little bit, but certainly more downside preasure, there's no doubt
about that. In the market would have priced and some
of those cuts will read.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Got on you, hey, Todd, Charter's chief executive of Rabobank.
Thanks for your time as always on the country.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
Good on your Jamie ketchup. Certain thanks, good.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
On you, Todd, Thank you for your time. You can
read all about it. It's hot off the press, but
you can find it on the website Rabobank. Dot cot
In said. Some of your feedback before we go to
Rural News with Michelle and Sports news. Hi, Jamie, No
team was ever going to compete with South Africa the
way they played the second half, they were very good.
(27:14):
You bang on Pete from christ Church, they were very good.
Tony Brown plays golf in our local golf club here
at the Otago Golf Club. Bell mckewan and try and
weasel information out of him. He was kind of pretty
confident heading into the series. We've let him go. He
should be running the New Zealand back line. Perhaps he
(27:37):
can should be called you can't from Craig. That's a
good one. And here's a good text. And regarding overseer Okay,
this tool for measuring all sorts of things. As a
qualified oversea overseer professional, albeit I've been retired for some time,
I can confirm it was never designed for arable or
(27:57):
horticulture farming. And that's exactly what David Clark was saying,
even for dairy sheep and beef. I was always skeptical.
Joined the crew text a good text. Up next rural
news and sports news. Before the end of the hour.
Dr Jaqueline Roweth talking about Canterbury and consents. Dr Mike
(28:18):
Joy on nitrates and why are we removing agg from
the school curriculum, fell duncan if I get time before
the end of the hour on why September has been
so challenging for so many of us? Okay, welcome back
(28:41):
to the country super tramp today. I think this is
Roger Hodson because they shared the vocals with Rick Davies
who died. Michelle, you've just checked with good afternoon. By
the way, on Ai AI is never wrong. What does
it say?
Speaker 7 (28:55):
Yeah, Ai Ai Ai Sorry, Hodginson so Roder Hodgson, Hodgens
sorry so Yeah.
Speaker 8 (29:05):
Apparently according to AI.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
That's who's the guy with the big nose? Great singer,
Great Bands, Supertramp soundtrack of My Youth. Michelle.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Here's Rural News, the Country's world news with cub Cadet,
New Zealand's leading right on lawn blower bread. Visit steel
Ford dot co dot nzim for your local stockist and
what is.
Speaker 8 (29:24):
Has told some Hawk's Bay peach growers their fruit will
no longer be needed. Hastings peach grower Mike Donnelly has
been supplying waddies for about twenty years and was recently
informed the arrangement was ending. It has understood multiple peach
growers have been affected. It's unclear if any other fruit
is also affected. An industry leader says a change to
suggest a commitment to reduce canned peaches out of Hawks Bay.
(29:45):
Hawks Bay Today actually approached Watty's parent company, Craft Hindes
for comment, but it had not responded by deadline on Friday.
You can find more about that story on the Country.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Dot co dot I Hope We're not going to import
peaches hopefully not gee.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Sports with AFCO. Visit them online at AFCO dot co
dot nz.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
If you want sport excitement, this is a text that's coming.
Last night's NRAL game between the Raiders and Broncos had
at all leaves rugby for dead. Yeah, that's what resident
league fan Calvin tells me here at work. He gave
me a good air bashing over the water cooler this
morning on that one. Let's do sports news, shall we.
(30:27):
Five players, including Kane Williamson and Devon Conway, have agreed
terms to play on New Zealand to play on New
Zealand Cricket International Casual playing agreements this season. Chief Executive
Scott Winning says the players were required to pledge allegiance
to the black Caps T twenty World Cup campaign and
(30:50):
on that game of league last night. Brisbane fullback Rece
Walsh bit of a bogan race, isn't He is free
to play in next week's NRAL preliminary final bite headbutting
Raiders Ford Hudson Young during last night's when over Canberra.
He's escaped with a fine, but also copped another fine
for contrary conduct understood to be to be showing the
(31:14):
middle finger to the Canpra crowd after he was sinning.
Then there's another one that's escaped the warriors. Reese Walsh
up next to doctor Jaqueline Rowath. She's off the Rome.
She is one of our leading primary sector academics and
she's off to Rome in a couple of weeks to
(31:34):
represent us at the Food and Agriculture Organization United Nations Conference.
Jaqueline Rowath or doctor Jaquelin Rowath. But you're paying your
own way.
Speaker 9 (31:45):
Oh, this is an invitation, and I just thought the
best thing to do is accept it because I'm part
of the World for Farmers Organizations Scientific Council. We were asked,
is anybody prepared to be there and put forward at
various stances? And I will be talking about sustainable livestock,
not just dairy, not just sheep.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Deer, all of it, just how we approach it.
Speaker 9 (32:09):
And I will be doing it of course from get
the feed production right and that means soils and fertilizers.
And it will be really interesting because remember, an awful
lot of the countries that belong to the United Nations
do not come from developed countries. They're going to be
talking about subsistence agriculture. So yes, it's going to be fun.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Well, if Dr Mark joy Head as why we'd have
subsistence agriculture, Jack Willan in this country, you do have.
Speaker 9 (32:36):
A point, you do, but we keep trying to explain
the realities and sometimes it falls on deaf ears. Probably
there's been quite a lot of funding behind all sorts
of things, including dairy and light rates and quarter quality,
and people are reluctant to lose funding streams.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Why aren't we just to have come by us that
are around the table, Gather all the scientists from either
side of the argument together and try and reach an
agreeable solution. Surely science only has one answer.
Speaker 9 (33:11):
Well, scient is constantly developing, and we get new information
partly because of new techniques. Some of them might be
the web, you know, getting access to information from other countries.
Some of them might be because the GCMs, the measurement
techniques change. So where we have open minds, A good
scientists has an open mind about new information. And I
(33:34):
when somebody says I think you're wrong, I say, oh gosh,
which part and have another look? Or they say could
this be interpreted in this way? And we have a
discussion about the interpretation. But the meetings have been tried
several times, and I've been involved in them with activists,
with lobbyists on different campuses in different roles, and it's
(33:58):
not what they want to be here. So we've tried,
and we perceived a block from some people, and it
makes it really difficult to proceed.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Did doctor Mike Joy get the boot from Messi University
when he went to Victoria or did he go of
his own?
Speaker 9 (34:15):
Very well, yep, he had a position offered that he
thought would be more independent. It wasn't in the classroom,
it was with a separate institute, and he chose to
go and work at Victoria rather than Massi. So that
was fine because he was able to do what he
(34:36):
wanted to do. The question is is some of what
he's doing good for the country? And we have to
keep asking that question. We ask it of ourselves. I
asked it of myself as a sort of scientist. What
can I do with fertilizer to make it sure it's
in the right place and into the plant and into
the animal, all of those sorts of things. Trying to
make sure that we have the best possible evidence and
(34:58):
are interpreting it in the best possible way.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Can I just finish on education, especially egg education. What
do you make of the government's move to remove some
egg and science hot and science courses out of the
school curriculum. Surely this isn't a smart move.
Speaker 9 (35:17):
I think the pendulum might be swinging a bit far,
and we do need to be making adjustments to the
thinking around agriculture and horticulture or just talk about food
food production a bit more sensibly. It always, in my view,
needs to be built on first principles, and that is biology, physics, chemistry.
(35:38):
It should be set within social aspects. And I like
when we're talking about the SIMP Paul's model. I was
there right at the beginning when Peter Hampton started this
and it's not being taken over by carry Allen. Is
that the issue was that agriculture and horticulture wasn't being
taught throughout the curriculum. And what tended to happen is
(36:02):
that people that might have done science and learned about
photosynce this for instance in tomatoes or ryegraphs, were then
doing ag instead. It creates a bit of a problem
when at university you actually want to study agricultural science
because some of the basics have been done earlier without
being able to set in in context in quite the
(36:23):
same more life experience way. So I wouldn't have done
exactly what has been done, but I will be very
interested to see what the teachers come back with the
submissions closed today, I gather and when I look at
some of the other subjects that have been throughouted, I
do think that those sports people having their interview with
(36:45):
all that surfing going on behind was looked very jolly.
Was it actually an academic subject?
Speaker 4 (36:52):
Perhaps not?
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Doctor Jack will unrollis will catch you in a couple
of weeks in Romes, safe travels.
Speaker 9 (36:58):
Thanks a lot, Jomie.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
It is six away from one. You're with the country,
run out of time to chat to Phil Duncan. We'll
get them on tomorrow. Show up next summer. Your feedback again,
right right, you're bloody well right, you're going to bloody rate. Okay,
wrapping the country with some of your feedback, Jamie. If
(37:23):
students have a proper understanding of science, maths and economics
at school, then understanding agriculture is easy at university or polytech.
The Boomer generation is a great example of this theory.
Not sure about that. I was hopeless at science but
good at maths and economics. This is just me at school,
So yeah, maybe I'm the exception to the rule on
(37:44):
that one. And it certainly helped doing agriculture at school
with Brother Tedesco at Saint Peter's College and Gore And
in our sixth and seven four years, Brother Tedesco let
us drink beer while we watched the All Blacks play
the spring Box in nineteen seventy six Bless them. And
when I was in the sixth and seventh form hostel
Saint Paul's, this song got played to death Crime of
(38:07):
the Century. This is actually Rick Davies as opposed to
Roger Hodson up front for Super Tramp.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
See you tomorrow, catch you all the latest from the land.
It's the Country Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent,
You're specialist in John Deere construction equipment.
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