The Country Full Show: Thursday, September 25, 2025

Jamie Mackay talks to Miles Hurrell, Finn Ross, Greg Cornelsen, Jo Luxton, and Chris Russell.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent. You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
No Meltday, the bottles that's all a symbol of the dog.
No melt two doll busy garbald side.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
But people busing by don't know the reason why.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
How good good in New Zealand'm good afternoon. I'm Jamie McKay.
This is The Country, brought to you by Brandt's the
only milk song I've got from Herman's. Hermit's. Yeah, it's
been a big day for the milk or dairy industry.
Miles Hurrell, chief executive of Fonterra, to kick off the show.
We're going to look at those annual results and all
the numbers are good. We've actually got an All Black

(00:55):
naming too. It's really looking forward to this test at
Eden Park on Saturday. We'll bring the All Black team
to you as soon as it comes to hand, and
are talking about the All Blacks and the Aussies. Greg
corn Nelson man who scored four tries against the All
Blacks in nineteen seventy eight at Eden Park. Great stories,
great stats behind him in this game. We're going to

(01:17):
catch up with him and thanks to Shane mcmanaway for
teeing that one up. Finn Ross a wee bit earlier
this morning, I caught up with them in London. He
says we're barking up the wrong pine tree by blaming Paris.
He says, we can't afford to get out of it.
He's with Future Farmers ian Z Joe Luxton, Labour's a
spokespersons on the show, as is their Assie correspondent Chris Russell.

(01:40):
No time to waste, let's get into it, a sire
the time. It is today's big news story if you
don't count the naming of the All Blacks for the
Eden Park test. Miles Hurrell joins us from on Terra.

(02:00):
Fonterra reports continued strong performance for the financial year ended
twenty twenty five. Miles Hurrell, where do we start with
these numbers?

Speaker 3 (02:11):
They're all good, yeah, aget Our, Jamie, Well, it is
a good news story. You're really pleased to put these
numbers out here today. And it starts with obviously a
strong milk price ten to sixteen, really really positive end
of the season, and of course the milk price forecast
a few head unchanged at ten dollars, So it does
start with that. We recognize it's the most important number
I think for our farmer sholders. But at the same

(02:31):
time then we've got to take take ten dollars sixteen
and try and add some valley on top. And team
have done a superb job and they couldn't have asked
and more from them this year. So really pleased.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
And of course the other important number for dairy farmers
is the dividend fifty seven cents per year, up from
fifty five cents last year, but that was unimputed. This
year's imputed, which means what does it grows out to?

Speaker 3 (02:56):
So seventy nine cents on a light flight basis, Jamie,
So you know, again a superb result. I think both
the expectation for both our shielders but also the market,
and so.

Speaker 4 (03:06):
I think that reflects fiously.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
It reflects yearnings, no question, but also reflects the strength
of our balance sheet that we can pay at the
top end of our range aggain things that we could
only dreamed of a few years ago. So you know,
it is a good news story and hopefully we'll get
someone of vice. A couple of team next week when
we're out on the road.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yes, so we'll talk about your road shows very shortly.
But your forecast or your season forecast milk collections, because
the season has got off to a strong start. What's
happen going to happen? There? Were you about to find
a home for all the smoke? Miles hule, Well, that's
our job.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
You know, we're a cooperative and we pride ourselves on
processing all the milk there farmers stride us, so no question,
that's what we'll do. And so it has got off
to a good start. I think we're up about three
three and a half percent I think from where we expected,
which is which is a very good start. So you know,
obviously starts with the decent price from that we pay
our farmers and they can do toom all with it.

(04:00):
So but nowhere we'll process that. You know, we've obviously
got a few hick cups along the way you when
you start up our factories, but that's always happens the
summer years. But will process the milk, no questions.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
And despite what green Piece says, Miles Harrald. Total group
revenue twenty six billion dollars, up fifteen percent. Anyone who
doesn't see how important the dairy industry is to New
Zealand inc. And our economy is economically illiterate, and that
describes greenpeace.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, well let me let's not comment on them, because
I'll probably have a crack at me on it. So
but but I will say, you know, we're trying to
do our bit of heavy listening to the economy, no question.
And well you know, I wasn't long I was reading
the book from maybe twenty years ago called the deer
industry a sunset industry, and so you know, we know
that that's laughable. And hopefully we're proving to everyone that

(04:51):
the way our people farm here in New Zealand, the
way our farmers farm, it is demanded for globally. And
you're seeing that play out with decent prices. And so
you know, we've still got issues on the horizon when
you look at some of the Jura politics we've got
to deal with. But I've been dealing with that for
one hundred and fifty years and I have no reason
to think we can't navigate our way through it for
another one.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah, So and your results today, next week you hit
the road because you've got that big farmer shareholder vote.
I think it's due to take place on October the thirtieth,
regarding selling your consumer business for four point two billion
dollars to lack tell Us.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, so yeah. We'll obviously had a few meetings with
farmers over the last a few weeks on this and
for a few months. I'd say early indications are they
very much support this generally. There are some clearly it's
pulling on the heartstrings a little bit in terms of
the nostalgic attachment to those brands. And we understand that,
no question, a lot of it. But a lot of
time has gone and infect cash has gone into investing

(05:45):
in those brands, so we understand that. But you know, economically,
we know it's the right thing to do. There is
a two dollar tax free return available, I think, is
what we're talking about. We'll go, we'll talk to our
farmers next week. We'll get it between the eyes. They'll
tell us what they really think. As farmers always doing
look forward to that that. I'm not far from New
Jermy and the Deep South. I'm quite excited.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Okay, there we go, Miles hurral to you, Peter McBride
and all the team at Fonterra. Well done on a
great result for New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (06:12):
Gooe, thanks for us Joeys.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
Twelve, make that twelve thirteen. I was going to say thirteen.
After twelf I'm getting tied up. I'm just eagerly awaiting
the naming of the All Black Side. As soon as
we get it, we will bring it to you a
bit of a footy theme today, because I'm going to
be chatting to Greg corn Nelson shortly four tries against
the All Blacks at Eden Park nineteen seventy eight. Great
bloke as well, well known to many New Zealanders, been

(06:37):
on the speaking circuit here quite a bit now, just
on Fonterra. I was just having a quick look before
we got to air. The share price, this is the
one that the Farmers by the co Op cooperative share
price is now six dollars ten. It's up about ten
cents today. A year ago it was three dollars seventy five, right,

(06:59):
so it's sixteen now. Was three seventy five. If you
go back less than two years to the low point
when Fonterra really was in the poop, the share price
was two dollars and three cents on the seventeenth of
November twenty twenty three, so almost exactly. In fact, it
is all pretty much exactly a three hundred percent increase

(07:22):
in the Fonterra co op share price in less than
two years. Mind you, I went way back in time.
May twenty thirteen, Fonterra's shares peaked at eight dollars. But
any of you farmers out there who were game enough
to buy up some shares at two dollars and three
cents and November twenty twenty three, good luck to you.

(07:44):
Very wise decision. Up next, Finnross I caught up with
them in London. He was in London. I was in
Dunedin earlier this morning. He says, we're barking up the
wrong pine tree by blaming Paris.

Speaker 3 (07:57):
My love has gone away, the bugles them.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Finn Ross is a bright young man, and Finn welcome
to the country. Thank you very much. It's very late
in the evening London time as we record this interview.
I appreciate your time. You've written a really good column.
We're going to post it on our website, The Country
dot co dot nz and summing it up as this
one sentence, we're barking up the wrong pine tree by

(08:28):
blaming Paris. Tell me what you.

Speaker 5 (08:30):
Mean, Well, the government's blaming their own poor policies on Paris.
I'm still yet to hear one way that Paris negatively
impacts New Zealand farmers. All Paris does is tells New
Zealand we have to reduce our missions to keep them
below or aligned to a one point five degree target.
So it doesn't dictate we do anything on farms in

(08:50):
New Zealand. So we're certainly barking up the wrong tree
blaming Paris. It's our policies of our own government.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
Does the Paris Climate Agreement have any teeth at all?

Speaker 5 (09:00):
Not a lot, which is the interesting thing. So you know,
I guess act in New Zealand first to campaigning to
leave it, so Paris enforcement doesn't, but leaving it certainly will.
There's a lot of teeth in the trade deals that
we're jeopardizing by potentially or advocating to leave it.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Well, what happens when you get the likes Donald Trump
spouting off on the world stage as he has in
recent days about climate change just being an absolute hoax?
Why do we bother? And he's going to behave like that.

Speaker 5 (09:31):
Well, to be Frank Jamie, it's unbelievable we're even having
this conversation about New Zealand withdrawing from Paris. It's the
you know, incoherent Trump style populism that's unfortunately infecting New
Zealand through these sorts of statements around New Zealand leaving Paris.
Every country in the world, the States, Iran, and Libya
is in Paris, and so it's a pretty poor company

(09:53):
we'd be looking at to potentially join them.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
You're also not a fan at all of carbon farm
and planting our way out of carbon emissions.

Speaker 5 (10:05):
Not at all. And I think there's been you know,
people have conflated the Paris Agreement with planting pine trees.
Paris Agreement says nothing about planting pine trees. That's our
own problem we've done here in New Zealand that really
has nothing to do with Paris.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
So how are we going to meet these emissions reductions targets?
We'll probably get to ten percent by twenty thirty, but
surely twenty four to forty seven percent by twenty fifties
just unrealistic. The only way we can meet that, surely
is to reduce livestock numbers. Is that in New Zealand
Inc's best interests.

Speaker 5 (10:40):
Yeah, well, I guess the first thing is I don't
think act in New Zealand. First quite realized that even
if we left the Paris Agreement, most New Zealand farmers
would actually stay in the Paris Agreement through all their producers.
All of our producers in New Zealand are all aligned
to Paris. All our farmers are aligned anyway, So even
if we left, all our farmers are actually still technically
aligned to Paris Agreement. Include those targets. Look, it is

(11:03):
daunting looking at twenty four to forty seven percent. It's
major changes in our farming systems in New Zealand. You know,
for me, it's got to come from methane reduces. There's
a lot of really exciting technology hopefully going to come
through in the next next five to ten years. But
there's a lot of other opportunities to cut fossil fuel
emissions on farm electrifications a big part of it as well.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
We had a scientist on the show this week, Susan Harris,
who said she would like to take natural livestock emissions
out of the Paris Climate Agreement. In other words, renegotiate
the agreement. I realized we're a very small country in
a rather large world. But there's something like that a possibility.

Speaker 5 (11:43):
Absolutely not. I mean, there's no way New Zealand would
have any teeth to renegotiate Paris. And besides, you know,
there's obviously a few people in New Zealand on the
fringe who think that livestock don't cause planetary warming emissions.
But every single country in the world is that they
do cause climate changing emissions and we need to do
something about it. You know, besides those those three countries

(12:07):
who are way out there on the fringe, what do.

Speaker 2 (12:08):
You say to the argument that there are no more
bovines or ovines on the planet than there was in
nineteen ninety, therefore the increase in emissions is all coming
from man burning fossil fuel.

Speaker 5 (12:22):
Well, there was certainly no bovines in New Zealand. In
New Zealand, we were covered in a massive native forest
which was sequestering a huge amount of carbon. So we've
turned these you know, temperate forestry systems into that were
net sinks into net sources of carbon. Now, so you know,
ninety seven percent of animal biomass on the planet now
as livestocks for humans. So only three percent of animal

(12:45):
biomass on the planet is wild animals. So we've totally
totally altered the planets, you know, the biological.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
Well, let me just go back to let me go
back to the year nineteen ninety. If that's a peg
in the sand for a missions reductions, there are not
We've got no more animals, no more stock in its
than we had back then.

Speaker 5 (13:05):
Yeah, we don't, but they were causing emissions in nineteen
ninety and are still causing emissions now. I guess by
that same logic, you could you know, double New Zealand
stock now and then in another twenty years say hey,
we're not causing any more emissions than we did twenty
years ago, but we're still causing ongoing emissions which need
to be mitigated.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
So you talked about some of the solutions, methane reduction,
all the new technology that's out there, can that, honestly,
hand on heart get us there without having to reduce
livestock numbers in this country.

Speaker 5 (13:36):
The juries the jury is still out, and the Paris
Agreement does stipulate that we shouldn't compromise food production, and
you know, that there's very few people who are you know,
reasonable advocates for Paris who are actually contemplating large reductions
in stocking numbers. But I think that the stocking number
one is sort of like saying Voldemort in New Zealand farming,

(13:59):
everyone sort of immediately gets their shackles up. You know,
we certainly shouldn't cut stocking numbers in New Zealand just
for emissions reasons, but there's obviously that there are parts
of New Zealand that are overstopped and that's having an
impact on our waterways and emissions. But yeah, hand on, Jamie.
To be honest, I'm not sure about those meat dane technologies.

(14:23):
The jury is still out on those. But we've got
to invest in the science, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Finn Ross from Future Farmers rt l OH, thank you
very much for your time today on the Country Food
for Thought.

Speaker 5 (14:34):
Thanks Jamie, great chat lovely.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Twenty five after twelve. Yes you quite agree or disagree
with Finn? Right, young lad for all that now send
us through your feedback On five double O nine. We're
just waiting around for the All Black team to be announced.
We understand it is going to be at about twelve thirty.
So what we're going to do to whet your appetite
for rugby? Up next, Greg corne Nelson, a man who

(14:58):
scored four tries in one single test against the All
Blacks in nineteen seventy eight, well known to many of
us here in this country. He's up next, counting the

(15:20):
sleeps until Eden Park. What a great game it's going
to be on Saturday. We haven't lost there since nineteen
ninety four to France. We haven't lost to the Ossie
since nineteen eighty six, go back a few years before
it was a fortress. In nineteen seventy eight the Aussies
beat us thirty points to sixteen. One man a Ford
no Less scored four tries against us that day. His

(15:41):
name is Greg Cornelson. He is joining us on the country. Greg,
you're an old friend of the country. I had the
good pleasure of hosting you, the late Colin Meads and
your old mate Dick Taylor at my house. I'll never
forget it. A great night out. I guess you never
forget a great day out at Eden Park.

Speaker 4 (15:58):
I remember all those I remember saying with him, mate,
and a great occasion. And of course nineteen seventy eight.
It was a wonderful win for the Wallabies, that we
were a great team and just reminiscently just going back
a little bit before that Test match because we played
Daryl Hardwode, our coach had a heart attack after the
second Test, and then we had four games to go

(16:21):
including the third Tests, and Ross turn By that manager
and captain Tony Shaw decided that we wouldn't bring in
another coach, we'd continue on with the style of dal
we'd been playing that tour four matches to go and
Ross Turnell said, we're not going to lose another game, fellows,
We're going to win the next four, which we did.
We played Wanganui, Bay of Planning in North Auckland and interestingly,

(16:42):
on the Tuesday at the Bay of Auckland, our test
pack played that day and five of the Test players
for the following Saturday played, so there are only two
changes from the Tuesday side to the Test match at
Eton Park in seventy eight. So yeah, it was a
sad time for us. Of course our was great the
ill but what an unbelievable day that we had wonderful

(17:06):
game of rugby.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
So you scored four tries your only tries and Test matches.
One or two of them fell into your lap. Would
be fair to say you got the bounds to the ball,
but you had a great game.

Speaker 6 (17:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (17:18):
I mean I didn't receive a pass to score the tries.
They I just picked them up off the ground or
fell into lap, as you say. But you know, you
don't score four tries in the game unless you're playing
with an exceptional team. And we had a day out
and you know, and you know, as far as the
Orbacks are concerned, of course they had won the series.

(17:39):
At that stage, we were at our absolute best and
they possibly didn't turn up, certainly in the first half
or the first fifty odd minutes we were eighteen three ups,
but the Allbacks came back and I think it was
eighteen thirteen game on and we just went on from there.
But heah, you know, my tries were pretty lucky actually,
and you know, it's a really embarrassing watching in the
moon in Conley.

Speaker 2 (18:01):
There's some wonderful stats around you, Greg Cornelson. You were
the first Ford to score four tries in a Test
since eighteen eighty one. At the time, your sixteen points
made you the highest individual scorer against the All Blacks
and a Test beating ok Geffen by memory the goal
kicking prop forward or lock for South Africa and thirty

(18:24):
points was the most points scored against the All Blacks
in a Test match up until then. Of course we
got a complete flogging in the weekend when the box
put forty three past us. But it was a great test.
What I remember about it is you gave a young kid,
an eighteen year old fresh out of school a game
at first five eight Tony Melrose.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
Yes, Tony was the captain of the famous nineteen seventy
seven schoolboy side. They went through Britain undefeated and they
were a colossal tea with the other boys Michael o'conna
and many wonderful forwards as well. Was his first Test
that pushed Keen right to inside center and they both
had absolute blinders. But you know, the player that I'd

(19:08):
like to mention is John Hippoll who was our No,
he wasn't the captain. Tony Show was our captain. But
John Hipple was the greatest wallaby in our era. He
started in nineteen sixty six and finished his career in
eighty two. Yeah, so he was a wonderful player. Yeah,
But Tony bel rays. Sadly we lost Toney to rugby

(19:28):
league at the end of nineteen seventy nine, so he
was only playing Test rugby before for two years and
as you mentioned, that was his first Test in that
an absolute blinder all the time in the world. He's
slighted the beautiful piel gold and it's a shame we
lost in the league.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
Yeah, a magnificent talent. It was also the Test match
debut of Chris Botter Handy. What a great character he is. Hey,
Greg Cornelson, what are you up to these days? Something
in the back of my mind says you used to
have a rural upbringing.

Speaker 4 (20:00):
I was from the land. My father had a property
at a place called Joggler, forty miles east of Armadah
and the New England between Sydney and Brisbane and New England.
And yeah, I went back there a couple of times.
I chose to do other things in my life, but yeah,
you know, you think back on it and do you regret.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
No, I don't.

Speaker 4 (20:18):
I don't regret, but it was pretty tough on out
at the time. I'm hoping, obviously that I would take over.
So I got on with my life and seventy three
years of age with you on the gold case of
n he is nineteen ninety. I still quite enjoy golf
and pretty well retired.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
Yeah, and you're doing the speaking circuit. You've got a
great story to tell. Do you give your Aussie's a chance?
Just quickly?

Speaker 4 (20:40):
I do my word to do. I don't know who's
available for them because we've had quite a few injuries
over the last couple of weeks, but no I do.
They've been going well at set Peace. They've got a
very very good back line. I don't know who's available
for the for our halves, but yes I do. But
of course New Zealand I've got Roy Garden, Katie Taylor.

(21:00):
I think back available. They're very very good players. But
the Springbok did us no favors at all a couple
of weeks ago, so I'm really looking forward to it.
Jay Schmidt has done a marvelous job with the Wallabies.
They're really playing well and you know, he's just got
to be so proud of him. But one of the
real shames is that has played in Australia times three.
Just after three or four the Aussie Ruels Grand Finals

(21:23):
on at two thirty now, so many people watch that.
There's so much interest now in back into rugby and
certainly the players like cup. If it was played at
five or five thirty out time, you'd have the whole
of Australia watching. So that's the shame of it all
but down But anyway, that's ourka.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
Okay, Greg Cornelson, great to catch up again. Thank you
so much for your time. Great reminiscing on a wonderful
test match way back in nineteen seventy eight when the
Wallabyes beat the All Blacks at Eden Park by thirty
points to sixteen chairs.

Speaker 4 (21:51):
Thanks Jamie, Thanks a lot, great.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
Bloke, Greg corn Nelson. Now we've just got a word
on that All Black team. Of a surprise, a shoulder
injury has sidelined the All Blacks captain Scott Barrett for
Saturday's first Letterslow Cup Test in Auckland. Ardie Savia taking
over as captain, Fabian Holland replaces Barrett, and hooker Cody

(22:15):
Taylor returns to the pack after sitting out the South
African massacre in Wellington due to concussion protocols. In the backs.
As expected, Cam roy Guard grabs the number nine Jersey
cayleb Clark's on the left wing, forcing Lee roy Cart
I'm glad to see they've picked him again onto the
right wing and allowing Will Jordan to play fallback. Well,

(22:38):
name that side for you in full in Sports News
straight after the Rural News, which is next the start
of old Welcome back to the Country. Plenty of feedback
coming in on Finn Ross. She's I'm dishing it up
to you today. Are you going to have Joe Luxton next?

(22:59):
You like that one as well, But first here's Michelle
with Rural.

Speaker 1 (23:03):
News, the country's world news with Cop Cadet, New Zealand's
leading right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot
co dot NZID for your local stockist.

Speaker 7 (23:14):
Thanks Jamie. And Federated Farms is making an urgent call
for a national rural connectivity strategy, and a survey conducted
by Feeds It has highlighted the growing concern in rural
communities with the removal of traditional copper line network. According
to the survey findings, mobile coverage currently averages only fifty
seven percent of farmland, which is unchanged from twenty twenty two.

(23:34):
One finding that feeds are particularly concerned about is that
more than a third of the farmer's surveys, so that
their mobile coverage actually worsened over the past year. So
more to come out of that story, I'd imagine.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
Yeah, I absolutely agree. The best thing we could do
for the economy and for New Zealand would be to
get good broadband coverage right across the country and mobile coverage.
Maybe Elon will save us his sport.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
Sport with AFCO. Visit them online dot Co dot Nz.

Speaker 2 (24:01):
I'll just run through that All Black team fair with
some of my week commentary are thrown and I've done
evenof I've got time for that because I've got Joe
Luxton waiting. So Ethan DeGroot retains his position in the
front row to Mighty Williams on the bench, Cody Taylor's back,
Tyrol Lomax to the other front row of Fabian Holland
and Tupouvai locked the scrum no Scott Barrett out with

(24:25):
the shoulder injury. Ardie Savia captain's the side at seven,
Wallace a Titi at eight, Simon Parker at six, Roy
Guards back at half back, Bowden Barrett verse five, Jordi
Barrett and Billy Proctor remain in the midfield, Caleb Clark
on the left wing, Leroy Carter on the right wing
and Will Jordan at fullback on the bench, Tuckyaho, Williams

(24:49):
mule Chuwey Pelotu. Good to see him back. Peter Larkeye
there the Wellington, Lucy Cortez, Ratama's back at half back,
Quintupaire and Damien Mackenzie as your all Black side to
take on the Ossies at Eden Park on Saturday. Up next,
Joe Luxton, we're going to get to your feedback on
Finn Ross as well. Start yesterday we talked to the

(25:23):
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon about rating the MP's mood of
the boardroom. He was ranked at a lowly number sixteen,
someone who didn't rank at all. Should you be offended
by that? Joe Luxton, a Labour's Egg spokesperson, because what
you want to do today is put the boot into
the most highly rated MP. Eric Kastanford, good afternoon.

Speaker 6 (25:45):
Good afternoon, Jamie. No, I'm not offended at all. I'm
pretty sure it was the front bench that were being ranked,
and rightly so. But yeah, putting the booton at your Stanford.
I cannot believe the stupid move that was made with
regards to removing the agriculture and horticulture from the curriculum.
I just what a stupid, stupid move. I don't think.

(26:05):
I don't even know how she would comprehend or understand
that would have been a good move.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah, but surely it wasn't Erica's work. It was some
bureaucrat in the ministry.

Speaker 6 (26:15):
A minister will always sign that stuff off. And I guarantee,
I guarantee she would have been advised that it wouldn't
be a good move, but she would have gone here,
just like we've seen so many other things discovernment's done.
They just don't listen to the advisors. They don't always
get it right, for sure, but it pays to listen sometimes.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
Yeah, but hey, unlike your lot, Joe, at least when
they get it wrong, they take it on the chin,
realize it. They changed it back pretty quickly.

Speaker 6 (26:38):
And I was really pleased to see that. And I've
said that in a recent article. You know, credit were credits?
Do you think goodness? She saw sense finally, But it
should never have happened in the first place. The angst
that caused no consultation with the sector or anyone. It
was just ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
In my view, everyone is putting the knife into luxeen
at the moment suggesting people who might be future leaders.
Looked at this list yesterday and Chris Hopkins your leader.
He might sleep walk to Victory. Who knows he's at
number thirty one, well above him. Barbara Edmunds and Karen mcinnulty.
Now it was you, Joe Luxton, who said to me,

(27:13):
if you want to talk to someone really interesting who
knows their stuff, talk to Barbara Edmonds.

Speaker 6 (27:20):
Yeah, that's right. So well, Christopher Luxe, there's no surprises there.
He came and Augusto promising to save the day and
they've done nothing. We've seen nothing good really come out
of this government so far. And yeah, Bob Edmonds is
a really good person to talk to with her economic background.
I thought that would be something that'd be really interesting
for you to talk to. And we've got some impressive

(27:40):
people on our team. Absolutely without a doubt, but Chippy
is our leader. We completely back him one hundred percent
and he'll be the one that takes us through the election.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
But he's not doing much. It's a bit like your
ag policy, Joe, when is that coming?

Speaker 6 (27:53):
Well?

Speaker 2 (27:53):
As some policy coming from chippy.

Speaker 6 (27:55):
Well you, well, we'll be seeing something very shortly, I
can assure you of that.

Speaker 2 (28:00):
But as far as area what on egg policy.

Speaker 6 (28:03):
No, as far as our egg policy is, it's a
probably at exactly the same stage as that Natzig policy
was at this point in the election cycle when they
were in opposition.

Speaker 2 (28:11):
Well, you've got to have some thoughts on some things
that are happening out there. What are your thoughts. You
can't just turn up on the show and say I'm
going to have some egg policy coming shortly, Joe, come on,
give me something.

Speaker 6 (28:22):
I've got some thoughts, but I'm not going to announce
it here on your show at the moment, Jamie. But actually,
one of the things that I think I may have
mentioned it to you before as well. One of the
biggest things in the biggest issues I hear when i'm
out meaning with farmers and our farm is the issue
around peaces pests and milden pins. That's a really huge
issue for everybody. So that's something I'm thinking about quite carefully.

Speaker 2 (28:44):
So, yeah, fair point, and it's very topical at the moment.
But perhaps the labor government, the previous labor government do it,
didn't cover itself in glory when it came to carbon
farming and that is encouraging pests.

Speaker 6 (28:56):
Yeah, we didn't get it one hundred percent right, but
we did try to make changes where it was about
the right tree in the right place. But carbon farming
is an issue of why the ETS encourages the change
in farm practice or farms to forestry for carbon credits,
and that's an issue and next year, I think in
the peace of legislation that's gone through, the climate legislation

(29:19):
that's gone through around pine forestry, labor has a different
view in their and we've put that. We do think
that the ETS needs an absolute review because it just
incentivizes this change to carbon farming and out of actual
pasture farming for stock.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
Let's finish on a positive note. Yesterday, I think you
visited Halter as a former dairy farmer in a past life, you,
Joe Luxton, you would have been impressed by what you've
seen at Halter.

Speaker 8 (29:46):
Oh.

Speaker 6 (29:46):
I've been impressed with Halter since since the minute I
saw it and then when I've seen it on farm
in use and it's fantastic and went to the headquarters
if you like. Yesterday in Auckland, and really impressive. What
an exciting it would be an exciting place to work.
And everyone there that I met just is really focused,

(30:07):
really enthusiastic, and all the dogs, they all bring their
dogs to work. It was actually pretty cool. But no,
the technology is absolutely incredible and they're expanding and expanded
into Australia, into the States and it's just going to
continue to grow and it's a fabulous product.

Speaker 2 (30:22):
Do they use those electric collars on the dogs keep
them under control in the workplace?

Speaker 6 (30:28):
The dogs were all really cruisy, to be honest with you.
They're laying around some of them we're having a bit
of a play with each other. But yeah, there were
lots of dogs there. But that looked such a cool
place to work.

Speaker 4 (30:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
See, I'm old school. I think dogs belong on farms,
not on offices. But anyhow, that's just a generational thing.
Joe Luxton, thanks for some of your time. I'm always
good to catch up you t Thanks Jamie.

Speaker 6 (30:51):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (30:51):
Joe. Right are you're getting stuck into Finn Russell? Finn Russell?
Where did I get Finn? Listen to here? Rugby player
for Scotland or something. Anyhow, we'll go with Finn ross okay,
get into some of this feedback. Great that you didn't
mention what Miles Hurrale earned last year. It's a minor
detail on the overall scheme and critics can get Ft
writes this text. Absolutely, whatever he's paid, he's worth it,

(31:14):
full stop. This isn't bad. Will Finn have a special
mattress for his sheep to lie on while he Jane
Cham's methane reducing bowlus down their throat. That's a reference,
of course to his parents, Jeff and Justine ross Lake.
Are weas station who had the mattress, silly mattress underneath

(31:35):
the sharing shed, so when the sheep went down the
porthole they had a soft landing. Oh, this clown has
sold his soul to climate hoax grifters. Why do you
have so many partisan hacks on regarding climate change? Look,
I'm just trying to add some balance and make you think,
and I do know what you think. Michelle's shaking her

(31:55):
head up. Next, Chris Russell, How good is Eden Park
going to be this weekend? The Aussies haven't won since
nineteen eighty six. Chris Russell, Australian farming correspondent. I'll come
back to the foody. I want to talk sheep with you.
At the moment, annual marinos stud sales are on fire,

(32:19):
but your live sheep export industry is not doing so well.

Speaker 8 (32:25):
No, while there's there's two opposite sides of the equation
here over here in the East, we've started our round
of spring stud sales all through the New England area
and northern New South Wales and I must say they're
very pleasantly surprised. I was reading the reports from a
lot of the big studs up there. They're apporting significant eight, nine,

(32:45):
ten percent jumps in their average prices for rams being
paid this year. There seems to be a real air
of confidence that we're going to see a rise in
the wall market. And also lambs are so good of course,
and so you know, people are to spend more money
on stat animals get some better marino genetics again. So
it's very encouraging. But at the same time we're looking

(33:07):
down the barrel of a ban on live sheep exports
from twenty twenty eight, which has been Labour's plan in
a suck up to the greens over here for some
years now, but that seems to have been preempted because
the companies that operate the live sheep export transports are
just not setting their transports into Western Australia. They seem

(33:27):
to have some of them have sold a lot of
the ships. Others of them are finding that they've got
to create new markets out of other countries because they
realized the long term Australia is not going to happen.
So they've already started and there's not a single live
sheep ship dropping into two Perth over the next three
months leading right up till Christmas, which is pretty scary.

(33:49):
Last year, I think they had a number of ships,
probably one hundred and fifty thousand were waiting at the
docks for the first ship to arrive at the beginning
October when they can start shipping again. But there's no there,
No ship's coming, no sheep there. So in a way
it's been by default that live sheep band's been brought
in early Jamie.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Good news and bad news for the sheep industry. It's
only good news at the moment for the beef industry.
Beef cow market hits record highs.

Speaker 8 (34:16):
Yes, well, I think that this is exciting, probably not
unexpected in a way because of the demand from the US,
but we're looking at the National Processor Cow indicator. These
are the finished cows. If you like getting three hundred
and ninety three cents of kilo. I mean, it wasn't
that long ago you were happy to get that for
a steer. And it's running hot because the world has

(34:40):
got this amazingly tight supply of lean beef, particularly in America,
where not only are they shot on beef in total,
but they're short on non fatty beef that they can
mix in to make a sort of a good quality
hamburger over there. So you know, it's continuing to escalate. Certainly,
the ten percent tariff hasn't made the slightest even blip

(35:00):
on the pricing. You know, there's a massive change happening
in the market, and even the old scrubber cows, are
we going to really make some decent money?

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Jamie, Well, we can thank Trump for continuing to eat
McDonald's burghers. Mind you, Trump's he's kind of been giving elbow,
your prime minister the elbow, but they've finally locked in
a meeting. Your prime minister is quite rightly called airpoints elbow,
so he's going to have to fly back over there.

Speaker 8 (35:28):
Yes, well they sort of casually caught up, you know,
for a brief shake hands with, you know, on the
sidelines of the UN conference over there.

Speaker 4 (35:37):
But yes, he's been.

Speaker 8 (35:38):
Told, well, there's no time for a meeting while you're
already here in New York, so you've got to fly
back on the twentieth of October and we'll have a
nice meeting in the Able Office. There's been at a
school of thought here saying that Albow is not in
a hurry because he doesn't want to be put through
a Kolinsky type drilling over, you know, over for example,
what we've done with recognizing the same of Palestine and

(36:02):
what we're doing about climate change and so on. But nonetheless,
inevitably he was going to have a meeting. We are
going to have one. It's going to cost more money
because we've got to fly all the way back over
there for it, but we'll see what comes out of it.
I think that Trump's really got no choice but to
support ORCUS because it's a critical part of his plan,
as is all the other facilities here in Australia. But

(36:23):
I think it's all being done through gritted teeth.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
Jomie, I've got thirty seconds left. Chris, thurl your boots
on the bledders Low Cup, give yourself a fight, a
start as chance. We haven't lost at eden Park since
nineteen ninety four.

Speaker 8 (36:35):
Yes, I know, and all the indicators say it's not
going to happen this time except the fact we've got
Joe Schmidt, We've got some good history and we've got
a little bit of confidence. So bring it on, Jomie.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
It is going to be fantastic. Look, I think the
All Blacks will get the job done at Eden Park.
I'm not so sure when we get over to Perth.
It's going to be fantastic to be there to see
that game. Chris Russell, we'll talk to you next week.

Speaker 4 (36:58):
Look forward to it.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Yeah, and just on that note, thanks Chris. The All
Black teams been named. No Scott Barrities out with the
shoulder injury, Cody Taylor, Camroygarden, Caleb Clark. Return more about
that at the top of the hour one o'clock. Some
of your feedback here, Jamie, your correspondent, Finn is taking
no account of the huge growth in human population since
the Paris Accord. The world's population has increased by two

(37:22):
billions since then, but livestock numbers haven't and his methane
numbers are incorrect too. When New Zealand was a forested
carbon sinc the Americas, Africa and Europe were covered in
roaming herds of methane emitting grazes, you know, the buffaloes
and all that sort of stuff. So look, I'm with

(37:43):
you there, Texter, and that is my point all along.
The number of bovines or methane emitting animals has not
increased on the planet since nineteen ninety. Carbon emissions have
greatly and there's only one cause of all that. That's
man are basically burning fossil fuels. That's my take on it.

(38:04):
See you tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (38:08):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.