January 12, 2026 • 37 mins
Hamish McKay talks to Neil Bateup, Rowland and Ingrid Smith, Kate Scott, Kate Acland, and Dr Jacqueline Rowarth.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Country with Hamish Mackuay and Farmland's or advice to
earn your challenges into wins.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
A picture ramble you held in your hands. I had
flashes you saw the plan on the.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Nothing like seeing the whole of the moon, eh, rather
than just the cresent. This is the country. Hatless Mackay
with you. Great to have your company wherever you are,
whatever you might be doing on this hopefully a fine
day wherever you are in the country. You're coming up
on the show and wake out a Dairy Farmer and
Rural Support Trust legend honored in the King's New Year's
(00:51):
Honors List. That's very shortly. Also nah, I love these
two hawks Bay Power couple and it comes to farming
Roland and in Grid Smith to catch up with them
on the panel. They always busy. Kate Ackland, Beef and
Lamb a chair will be on the show coming to
us from the northern part of the South Island today
(01:12):
rather than Mount Summer's very busy, very busy with a
half iron man coming up as Kate. Doctor Jacqueline Rowath
one of the greatest brains and an incredibly informative funny
Just love Jacqueline Roath coming up on the show, and
we'll talk a little bit about the old humble but
much maligned dairy cow, particularly around that Canterbury region where
(01:34):
some are sort of full of you know what when
it comes to certain things about the old humble dairy cow.
And a man on a journey having a cup of
tea about now and Huntervill of all places, the wonderful,
beautiful Hunterville. That's all coming up here on the country. Ah, yes, well,
(01:58):
companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services
to the rural sector of Waycaddow, a dairy farmer, Neil
Baitup joins us.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Now.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Good afternoon, Neil.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Good afternoon, Homers tell you today?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, good, thank you? Good hair things. What you at home, honey?
Why or you're summering somewhere else or.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
No, we've been to the beach. But we're at home
at the moment and it's a beautiful sunny day to
day and not too much wind, so yeah, it's all yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
The grass is all right though you had a bit
of moisture through there.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Yes, we had. Yeah, it's quite green. It's spring was
a bit slow, but yeah, looking right at the moment.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, yeah, nothing like looking all right in the middle
of January. That's always a pretty good sign. Happy with that, Neil,
twenty or twenty is it? What is it twenty old
years ago since you were involved in the setting up
of the Rural Support Trust. Take us back to that.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Yeah, that's twenty one years ago. A group of us, yes,
standing around after the financial meeting presentation, just talking about
the fact that a lot of farmers on their own,
young farmers, perhaps they get into strike, don't quite know
where to turn. So we looked at setting an organization
up so that they could, Yeah, had had somewhere to
(03:12):
go to when things got a bit tough. And for
my sins, I've got elected to chair that organization.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Has it sort of grown beyond your wildest dreams when
you're sort of when you first set it up.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Yeah? Absolutely. There was only half a dozen others at
the beginning, and now the WAYCATO teams about fifty people,
and your nationwide is about three hundred and fifty three
sixty people involved in were all support providing support for
farmers and growers, farmary industry people. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
When I think of the support and the stories that
I've heard, the hair stands up on the back of
my neck and I just go, you know, you must
be how would you sort of I guess I guess
as individuals sort of stand out backstories, But across the board,
what you're most proud of, what you've been able to achieve?
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Yeah, probably just hearing the hearing the thanks from from
people that have been helped right across the right across
the sector. Often don't don't know who who they are
or who's which one of our teams has supported them,
but you know, when they've been through a tough time
and they've come up the other side and they're in
a good space, and you know, you get the thanks
(04:25):
from them, that's that's all you need. That's that's clearly
your rewards.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, you know, you know with farming, you know, I
think about this and across the seat it's not only
if your perhaps got like financial challenges, but also your
confidence can be dented pretty easily. You know, if you
if you're wondering whether you're doing the right things. I mean,
I guess those are the sort of things that's across
It's a full spectrum of support, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Absolutely a full spectrum of support. So through the financial
and the and the farm management issues, but personal issues
as well, employment issues, relationship issues, and just you have stress, stress,
and and the workload. We're working in a sector where
we don't know what the weather's going to do, what
(05:10):
the product prices are going to do. So yeah, there's
a lot of unknowns and the system, so there's a
lot of a lot of things can happen within a
farming family.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, this is the old paycheck isn't in the bank
on the twentieth the very month? Is it that? The
variables are quite incredible. You're still involved though, aren't you
at the White ketot at a regional provincial level.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Yeah, I'm still the white cat a chair for a
little wardiyots. But yeah, it's we're looking for succession planning
in the within the within the trust and yeah, but
but yeah, it's still it's still a great organization to
be involved with. And you know, the fantastic people that
are in the team. You are both in adverse events
and in supporting people one on one on a daily basis.
(05:53):
It's yeah, just just having contact with those people, it's marvelous.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah. So ranger services, as you say, right, so the
one on one chat that might just make the difference
with an individual right through to when there are big
events and we've we've certainly seen plenty of those.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Yeah, we certainly have. And I was thinking that, you know,
every one of the forteen trusts in the country has
had an adverse event or a number of adverse events
over the years I've been involved, and you know, they've
all stepped up and helped their local communities. Obviously the
big one with Cyclone Gabriel preceded by Cyclone Hail which
(06:29):
affected us and the Crimandel and the northern part of
our area. And yeah, just the trusts working together, you know,
the forteen individual trusts which are important to support their
own local communities, but when things get big and tough,
they can work together and provide that support. That's tremendous.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah. Yeah, so everybody sort of whilst we so you've
got fourteen across the country. That's but everybody sinks in
for where where the need is.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yes, yes, that's right, and working together and sharing resources.
It's it's it's grown from strengths and the strengths as
a national brand of the national organization and it's great
to see when they all get together.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, so you talk about the next generation. If somebody
is interested in and listening to this today and think,
actually that's something I'd like to be involved with. What's
sort of the next steps.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yeah, they can get in touch with us and yeah
and have a chat about what, yeah, what what they
might be looking to offer and what's available. We don't
build our teams too big. You have enough. We have
a build a team big enough that we can actually
support them and train them and that sort of thing. So,
but but we need new people from time to time,
(07:47):
and you know, some great people coming through through the
system and you know, just seeing the passion.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Is brilliant, fantastic where we go there as Neil bade Up,
companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services
to the rural sector, was on the ground floor with
the wonderful, the magnificent Rural Support Trust right across the
country more than twenty years. Great to check the Neil
coming up, I'm going to talk to Ingrid and Roland
Smith out of the Hawks Bay here on the Country Bills.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Yes you're with the Country Brought to you by Farmland's
Hatless McKay in for cousin bo Dukeke Jamie.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Mckaye this week. Great to have your company right across
the country. Well, look, fantastic couple individuals who are a team,
Rolling Smith and Ingrid Smith and they are our panel
for today. Great to have you guys. We'll start with you,
Ingrid House. We're about seat today and how's the summer
been going?
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Well, I'm currently sitting in the office one of those
lovely Edmund ketchup days. But I did actually get out
for an early ride with the kids this morning, so
that was quite nice.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Was that? What bike or horseback or yeah? Nice? And Roland,
what about you? You know, do you do you get
in the saddle as well? Do you go for a ride?
Speaker 6 (09:24):
Absolutely not, absolutely not unless it's horsepower. I'm not interested.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Fair enough, I angered so off the stay to day.
And of course you've got this the made Up Farmer,
which is well, I think it's a bit more than
a side hustle. It seunds like it's a pretty full
on sort of business with you. Tell us about tell
us a bit about that.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Yeah, so I sell makeup and skin care. I sort
of do it. It is sort of a side hustle
because I don't I don't often post about the make up.
But I always wear makeup and skin here when I'm
out and about and people see it and go, oh,
what's that. And I'm like, well, this is this amazing
lipstick that doesn't come off for tinted moisturiser that just
(10:07):
lasts all day, even if you're sweating in the drenching race.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
And yeah, so.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
I just post sort of fun farming stuff and do
a little bit of makeup on the side and yeah,
just bring in speakster in come that way.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Enrolling you guys obviously you're what you're farming about sort
of seven hundred hectares across a few blocks, I mean
between the two of you. Fairly busy life.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Yeah, fairly busy at the moment. It's at summertime in
Hawk's Bay. It is actually a little bit of green
tinge there for the rain after Christmas. But yeah, just
just some summer lambs on crop and cattle on the
hills doing some work. So it's actually one of our
bit more peaceful times a year of you could say
we're a bit more busy in the winter.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Yeah, we'll grab those with both hands, right who when
we're on the land ingrid. You know all about sharing
records of course, having set one with your mum, well record,
What did you make of Simon Gossips seven thirty two
over one Matt Smith seven thirty one? What a performance?
Speaker 4 (11:06):
What a day?
Speaker 5 (11:07):
He started off really strong. I didn't go overly, really did,
but I found myself checking Facebook, hey every break time
to see what the tallys are and I was on
the edge of my seat.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
But he he beat it. What a day, What a
huge day. He would be be super stoked about that.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, roll, it would have been great to see that.
What an occasion.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Yeah, definitely made. It's always one of those things, you know,
those individual the solo records something in their own. Yeah,
it's a memoth memmoth day, you know, you sort of
watch one run and then you sting you for more
to go. That's quite incredible. So I'm not super proud
of Simony. You certainly nailed that very well. So yeah,
(11:49):
great day, great day.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
What are you up to? Competition? Was are you going
to be doing? If you or what have you been competing? No?
Speaker 6 (11:56):
No, no competing for me so far. But I am
I am going to Lunson and Winton on the weekend.
But yeah, I haven't, I haven't really been sharing. We've
been sharing a few of our own too, you know,
at the moment, because we have time, But no, I haven't.
I certainly don't share in the sheds anymore. And and
(12:17):
to be fair, I don't really miss it because I
love farming. I love driving tractors, so certainly taking the
easy way in life, now.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
That was a bit of a side hustle because you
accumulated a few tractors, didn't you, And they came in
pretty handy too for some others at a pretty difficult
time in your area.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
Yeah, yeah, no, we're certainly certainly well equipped with gear
and all that sort of stuff nowadays. Much as Ingrid's discussed.
I think every time I go into town she's worried
what's happening. But yeah, yeah, we're certainly recovering well now
from the cyclone. Like everybody's sort of looking pretty pretty
pretty held up, and I mean there's still a lot
(12:53):
of hurt from from the sheer cost of it all,
but now I look the bays and in pretty good
shape again. I think, you know, if some people might
not agree with that, but everybody's sort of looking forward
and moving forward, So yeah, all good.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Got to be optimistic, Angrid. You've got the sort of
the home block there and the blocks you're leasing and everything,
but it is the sort of what's the sort of
long term goal for you and farming it as a partnership.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
We ultimately would love to have more land. You know,
We've only got a small block here. It's about twenty
five eight days. But we would love to own our
own land. At the moment, we're just trying to farm
the lease blocks that we have really well and make
them pay and then just keep saving, chipping away at
(13:40):
the mortgage and then put ourselves in a position to
expand and grow. And yeah, we'd just love to own
our own piece of dirt.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Are you excited about the future of farming and not
just the lifestyle and not what you can offer? You've
got three children, you know, I guess the fact that
we're going through a bit of a purple patch at
the moment. I see that every Friday music at the
fielding sale, and you know, do you feel good about it?
Speaker 7 (14:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
I do.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
I love farming. I just think I don't. I couldn't
see myself doing anything else. I've always wanted to be
in the egg industry, and I actually originally never thought
I would be a farmer. I sort of was going
down the genetics side. I did a bit of work
for Risington breedline and.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Malagy breeders brown rigs.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
And I always sort of be in that area, and
I did the banking and the fertilizer and I love that.
But now that I've spent a few years farming, I just.
Speaker 6 (14:35):
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
And I just love that that we're bringing our kids
up that way as well.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Like our upbringing was so cool.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back,
we had a really awesome upbringing and I'm really excited
we can give that to our children. And they learned
so many different skills whether they know it or not,
you know, working in the yards or just how to
move around stock or you know, working dogs, things like that.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
I just think it's awesome.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
That's not even what to do with, you know, the
meat side of it, just that, Yeah, there's sheet lifestyle
of it.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Roland.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
What are your biggest challenges that you have on a
daily basis as a farmer and heading towards that there's
long term goal of your own big property.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Yeah, I suppose just I suppose we are. We're are
very very intensive operation. We look at everything in terms
of its productivity, and we try and be critical on ourselves.
I believe you have to be able to criticism to grow.
If you don't want, you know, if you don't like that,
you'll never never get better. So we're very hard on
ourselves and what we can do better and how we
(15:41):
can make more money.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
So I suppose just.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
Really you know, finding the money for starts to improve
it so you can make more money is the one
of the biggest challenges farmers coming up against. You know,
It's one of those things. If we improve our pasture
and our our lives are and get our bases right,
we'll grow more grass, which grows more meat, and you know,
so just just trying to get you know, walk before
we can run probably my biggest challenge, because I like,
(16:05):
I like getting there faster than then. It's very niche
to take, but you know which Ingrid often tells me
that I should probably slow down sometimes. But yeah, so
we're just pretty you know, trying to make the most
about what we've got and you know everything. We certainly
getting there now. We certainly plenty of new grass going
in this autumn. So yeah, he's hoping for a good
(16:26):
winter trade. And yeah, that's probably probably where we're at
the moment. It's just focusing on our winter and that's
our key, key time to for us in the bay.
You know, it's pretty hard to pet and sock over
somewhere around here, but we're still still plenty of summer
crops and and that seems to become pretty well with a
strong prices. As you're saying before, which is you know,
(16:48):
it's so good to see breeders having a good year.
Too often a trader has a good year and a
breeder has a bad year or opposite, you know, so
it's really good to see everybody having a good, good
cricket at this year.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah. I was lucky enough to be at a beautiful
wedding up Moirra before just before Christmas, and you know,
I just loved the upbeat farming community that exists that
the exists at the moment, and long made that continue.
Now Anger, the book for the tab for the Golden
Shears hasn't opened. You have you got any text for me?
By the way, it does, I should put a lazy
(17:22):
tenor on well.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
I'm definitely going to be putting Lazy tir Rolie for sure,
because you.
Speaker 6 (17:27):
Know, why wouldn't I.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
But I think the likes of Tory Henderson is looking
very strong. I haven't actually been following the show as
much because ol he hasn't been doing them. But David
Buick's always a good one to back. He's a strong contender,
amazing story how he's covered from his hat. So yeah,
I don't know, I'd have to. I think I must
look at some results and then I have to get
(17:51):
back to you on that.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
One, righty. I will keep us posted on that and
then I know who Roley will be backing. But you're
right about David Buick. What an incredible story that is.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I could talk all day. Have you have you guys been?
I mean, I mean I watch a lot of Tally
and excuse me if I mister, but you must you
must be lining up a TV show or something. I reckon,
I reckon you could you know you could take on
Jeremy Clarkson's you know, a New Zealand version. I think
I've hatched an idea here.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
I think I think we're too brillily honest and we're
probably a bit harsh for people's liking sometimes, so yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Think that might rate.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
Then.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Great to check to you guys, Roland smith Ingress, Well,
thank you so much for joining us. Much appreciated. Great
to check to Rolling and Ingrid. They're out of Mora
kakah in the Hawk's Bay coming up. Beef and Lamb
chair Kate Eckland on how year end news was pretty
(18:48):
damn good actually, and we'll check him with the latest
in rural news and sports you saw on This is
(19:09):
the Country right across the country, brought to you by
Farbland's Harves makuay in for Jamie mcaye rdio boards here
of Beef and Lamb in ze. Kate Ackland joins us. Now,
welcome to twenty twenty six. Kate, how's the year started
for you?
Speaker 7 (19:26):
Oh hi, hey, let's look, it's been a fantastic start
for the year. We've had a couple of inches of
rain at nt summers and the grass is growing again,
so that's very positive. And actually twenty twenty five ended
up with some really good things happening in the last
few weeks.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, what happened there? What were some of those things
that have given us a spring in our step for
twenty six well.
Speaker 7 (19:48):
I still have just given us a bit more certainty
in the trade space. So you know, of course, it
started with the US removing the tariff on beef. It
was really positive. And then we had the announcement of
the India STA which is something that we've been working
on for twenty years. So big shout out from mister
McLay for getting that across the line. And you know
it's not perfect as far as dairy goes that and
(20:09):
he has never done a deal on dairy and so
the fact that we're now on parle of Australia is
really good. And then the other one that people might
have missed is the China these safeguards, and that was
announced around New Year's Eve actually, so that's a good
way to disappear some news. But we got an announcement
of a quota going into China, which isn't good, but
(20:32):
we actually ended up with a quota that we don't
think is going to disrupt trade and we've ended up
actually a lot better than some of our counterparts like
Australia and Brazil. So that was a really positive light
to be in the year on and it just gives
us a bit of certainty going into this year.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yes, because that is something, as you say, that could
have had negative connotations. But with an okay quota, that's
actually good news.
Speaker 7 (20:57):
Oh, it's really good news. And look I know that
and ministers were working on this right right up through
the holiday period. So you really want to acknowledge all
the hard work that went into getting us a pretty
good outlook, pretty good outcome, I should say.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Yeah, yep, and I'll look with the India FTA Free
Trade Agreement and Minister Maclay mentioned and I got really
I did get a bit wound up as to how
many sort of were trying to find the negatives in it,
were working so hard on this thing for so long
that it felt to me like across the board there
(21:33):
was just a little bit too much of that.
Speaker 7 (21:35):
Yeah, and look it's a long term play right Strategically,
this India is going to be a really important market
for us. It's not going to happen overnight. It's not
going to next next week or even next year. We
may not see the results, but it's really important for
us to have options. And what is you know the
world's fastest growing economy, most populous country, So you know,
(21:56):
it's a great outcome.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah, fantastic. So what I got coming up sort of
in the positive fun space, National Lamb Day always like
National Lamb Day.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
Yeah, National Land Day's the fifteenth of Fedruary, where we'll
be hosting all the politicians for a barbecue for some
land lollipops on the eleventh of February. And that's always
great because you get you know, ministers from across government
turning up having a chat and always try and get
some farmers along there to have a good chat to
the ministers. So that's a really great event, and there'll
(22:28):
be people hosting barbecues across the country hopefully. And the
other thing that's happening for us this year is it's
the seventy fifth anniversary of the Sheep and Beef Survey,
which is something that Beef and Land runs and it's
five hundred farms from across the country that we collect
data from and we're the only country in the world
that's been doing it for this long and wealth and
(22:50):
depth of information is just outstanding that we get. So
you know the fact that we're reaching seventy five years
for that this year, well, and it's a bit of
a nerdy thing maybe, but we're we're going to have
a celebration because it's really important for our sector.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah, I imagine it is one of the things that
I know. And I think we as a nation and
urbanites are far more interested in rural New Zealand than
they ever let on. And I was, and I always
get to asked this question, and I'm I'm going to
come to you as the expert on this seventy million
sheep when I left high school twenty odd now, and
(23:25):
yet we're producing just as much lamb and I say
to people, because we're probably pushing two hundred percent lambing
the and then the live weights is so much better?
Is that kind of like I I kind of got
it right. And I imagine those sort of statistical things
would be collected across the survey.
Speaker 7 (23:41):
So you've kind of got it right. I mean, we're
about less than half the U numbers, and I think
we're about twelve percent in terms of volume of product exported,
and that is through just those incremental gains that farmers
are making year after year, and that continual gain to
be more efficient and more productive. You know, we we
could have say that we are the most productive sector
(24:02):
in this country, and the games that we continue to
make is what's put us in such a good position.
Speaker 8 (24:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Absolutely, Now, talking of being efficient and productive when one
decides to do something as a gutsy or as crazy
as a half iron man, how's that all going for you,
Kate Eckland.
Speaker 7 (24:21):
Well, it's getting better. It was looking at GRIMM last year.
Because I've been traveling so much, i hadn't really done
the training. But I've had three weeks at home and
it's been like an intensive training camp. So I'm starting
to feel like I'm going to get there. But I
was just talking off here with Michelle, your producer, and
she's an iron manner from way back, so she's been
giving all the hot tips and the advice.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
She's the expert on that one. She is one hell
o than athlete. Yeah, well, as long as you're being
efficient and getting the right results, what's the hardest part
of the training.
Speaker 7 (24:53):
Well, I'm not a runner, so I'm really struggling with
the running. But you know, for me, it's actually just
about setting a goal and finishing it. You know, I'm
certainly not gonna be breaking any records as long as
I make the finish line.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I'll be happy yet now. So when is it? When
and where are we? It is March sixth to March
in Okay. Might talk before then, we'll certainly talk after it.
Kate Ekland, What's what's what's on the training menu today?
Speaker 7 (25:19):
Well, I was up early for a swim this morning,
so training's done and dusted.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Done and dust beautiful. You have a great date. Thanks
for chatting.
Speaker 7 (25:26):
Thanks Saylor.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
This is the Country twelve thirty nine. Time now for
news and.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Sport, the country's world news with Cod Cadet, New Zealand's
leading right on lawn Bower brand visit steel.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Ford dot Co dot N said for your local stockist.
Speaker 8 (25:56):
Thanks hamous. Legal controls remain in place to restrict the
movement of fruit and vegetables in and out a section
of Auckland's Mount roscill It follows a detection of a
single male Queensland fruit flying suburb last week. Special bins
have been issued for all households in the highest risk
Zone A and are located throughout Zone B, and signs
have been put up at every road entrance in the
(26:18):
controlled area. So keep an eye out for that one.
We're going to catch up with Mike Ingalls from MPI
on Thursday and get a bit of an update on
that one. But right now his homage was sport.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Sports on the country with a FCO one hundred percent
ki we owned and trusted it.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
That's rare.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
A major golf and coup with Brooks Keepka returning to
the PGA tour, John Rahm, Bryce and to Shamba and
Cameron Smith, they're all believed to be a negotiation to
make a return. It's understood a little cost Keepka more
than one hundred million dollars to leave golf to co
back to the PGA. Fantastic they have him back though.
(26:55):
Doctor Jacqueline Rowath is next here on the country. Strange
great to hear for your company across the country on
(27:16):
the country with Farmland's Hattish McKay and for Jamie McKay
joining us now doctor Jaquelin Rot and JaQuel a little
Birdie tells me before we get into the nitty gritty
of things that as part of the sort of your summering,
your wrist and relaxation, you've been doing a bit of
interesting reading. Is that the case? Have you got a
few tips for a good read?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
No?
Speaker 9 (27:37):
I haven't because My interesting reading is mostly scientific papers
and consumer comments and reports and research and that sort
of thing. So I have had a very good time
in terms of immersion and thinking about dairy opportunities for
the future. But it has been Some people would call
it work. I call it I'm making progress and.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Making progress well. And in the last few weeks, what
would you say, you've made progress and any sort of
hot tips for the future.
Speaker 9 (28:07):
No, certainly looking at the trends for dairy and this
was for a book for the USA, which will be global,
but it was looking at global dairy futures, and so
that was very interesting in terms of the whole people saying, gosh,
these weight loss drugs, they're going to put us all
out of production. Well, actually they're not, because what's happening
(28:28):
with these weight loss drugs, apart from the shock horror
health implications, is that people need more protein and the
whole business about protein and not the ultra processed food
type stuff, the natural and what New Zealand can provide.
I think this puts US in a very good place
for the future. And of course we did see the
uptick in the dairy prices already this year, which is
(28:51):
traditional for about this time of year, but it gives
us the indication that people want our product and that
makes us all feel good.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, great way to start the year. That gdd why
about six percent?
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Right?
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Okay, so well building on there, So what are your
sort of how's your confidence levels and your predictions for
the year of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 9 (29:13):
Across the board, they are actually better for our global
trade than thinking about the local concerns because over the
Christmas holidays I was somewhat appalled to see dairy getting
sack again on the Canterbury planes without actually understanding the practically,
anything anything to do with humans will have an impact
(29:36):
because there are so many of us on the Canterbury planes.
The most high quality protein the indispensable amino acids or
essentral amino acids for the least impact, including area, so
we're talking about greenhouse gases, water and area come from
dairy with a bit of arable But the problem for
(29:58):
the erroball growers at the moment is that they can't
cover costs by growing crops, so not their traditional crops.
There's high value seed crops is a bit different. But
how can we actually make ensure that the economy survives
and that the understanding of the role of the dairy
cow actually improves. And this interview, I'm hoping will enable
(30:21):
people to understand that their nitrogen and they eat water
on the cantory plants has been there for a very
long time, long before dairy got there. So taking the
dairy cow away does not help hamish.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Long before the dairy cow got there. And your latest
column is available and goes into that big time for
the New Zealand dairy cow on this particular front. Right, yes, yes,
although there is something about an elephant at speed that
kind of like amused me and I've eventually got it
and I loved it. Yeah, yeah, oh well, I hope
(30:55):
people do.
Speaker 9 (30:56):
But I certainly remember my brother who was a few
years younger than me, how middle aster at this particular
joke and making everybody think, what, oh right, rethink, and
that's what we need to do about the dairy count.
Let's have a rethink and stop rehashing stuff that wasn't
right in the nineties. And we've got all the data
and we've got the evidence, and we've got people well
(31:19):
landcare when it was called landcare, scientists doing work in
the whitewarra Rapper saying, unless we understand the role of
gorse in producing nitrogen, we're going to be constraining agriculture unnecessarily,
and of course the constraint won't make any difference to
the water. So let's keep thinking what do we actually
(31:40):
want to achieve with water? Are we talking health issues
because nobody's really proved anything there. Are we talking the
little fishes the macro invertebrate index. Well, actually that tends
to be in most trouble on the coastal regions, which
is mostly to do with towns. So let's consider what
(32:00):
we're trying to do with beautiful New Zealand because the
tourists think it's lovely.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Yeah, oh goodness, there's so much of this sort of
I don't know, misinformation that seemed like it was a
thing and now it's not. But how do we change it.
It's like it feels like we're pushing a bit of
a proverbial uphill check all it at times.
Speaker 9 (32:18):
Well let's go back to that joke. But yes, you
need to keep going with it because of the snarks syndrome,
and every time somebody says something, it gets embedded and
some of the things that have said, when do you
know when everybody knows something, I spend time thinking about
why do we know that? And is it actually true?
And sometimes things are measured in ways that have now
(32:40):
been improved so that we get better understanding, better techniques,
better measurements, better understanding, and we can think actually needs
a complete overhaul, and the dairy cow in New Zealand
is supporting the economy and allowing us to do all
the other things famous like education that needs well Erica's
trying to do the overhaul, or the health system and
(33:03):
we need that to be functioning as a better level.
And let's do some more investment in research and development
because that's where we get the answers.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
They try doing all that in those sectors without the
faithful dairy gow right be.
Speaker 9 (33:17):
Able to do it at all.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yeah, Doctor Jacqueline Rath as always pleasure, Thank you very
much for joining us from the country. Pleasure to right
(33:50):
the country. Ms McKay coming today from the Auckland studio,
amshell out of the need and producer extraordinary. Great to
catch up with Neil wake Out o dairy farmer of course,
one of the brains trust behind the rural support trust
and a lot of blood, sweat and tears and great
outcomes from that magnificent organization that started twenty one years ago.
(34:13):
But great acknowledgment in the King's New Year's Honors List
for Neil Rollin, Ingrid Psmith out of Moriah Carker hole
in the Hawk's Bay there, Chuck all good to have
a chat to them. Of course, Ingland has the well.
She says it is a bit of a sight hustle,
but it's got a great following. The made up farmer
makeup business. I don't know whether she sort of practices
(34:33):
the lippy on Roland on a long day's sharing to
see if he's still got the red lippy, the rouge
lippy left at the end of the day. Not that
he does too much sharing these days. He has admitted
to that perhaps the made up farmer makeup business pays
for Rowley's next tractor. Summer of tennis in Auckland. You
might be watching a bit of the tennis, Michelle. Do
(34:53):
you watch a bit of the tennis? Do you like
the old tennis?
Speaker 8 (34:56):
The ASB not a huge fan of tennis, but Serena
and Venus a massive heroes of mine. A sportswoman, so
I made much And also Andre Agassi's autobiography my most
favorite autobiography of all time, but from a sportsperson. Yeah,
and anyone reading it if you hate tennis.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, I had all that stuff with Brookshields, you know,
like like some incredible stuff in there. That was a
good read. In fact, it's probably about twenty years since
I read that. Hey, we're going to catch up. We
were going to catch up today with Shane Becken, who's
doing the walk from Cape Bringer to the Bluff to
raise awareness about the aftermath of suicide. What is left,
(35:36):
the people left, the family's left, and now he's in Hunterville,
I think Huntable at the moment, heading south, and so
we were going to catch up with and we ruled tomorrow.
We'll catch up with Shane tomorrow. Say today teat your
horn stop and have a yarn and we'll put some
details up on the Facebook. Give a little page so
you can make a donation to that great cause there
(35:57):
with Shane walking the link the country Kate Bringer to
the Bluff. Also today Kate Ackland, chair of Beef and
lamb in Z. So much good news, as she said,
finishing up at the end of twenty twenty five. The
whole quota thing with China turns out that it might
not be too bad. We might have some sort of
advantage over Brazil and Australia and that sort of beef space,
(36:21):
especially in Kate's training for a har liron Man in
early March. Michelle, no doubt you'll be getting a call
from her to get a few more sort of hot
tips on training given the you know you are the athlete,
you know, yeah, right here. This has been the country
brought to you by Farmland's I'm Hamers McCay will do
it all again tomorrow and out with a bit of
(36:42):
Jimmy Curer in Simple Minds
Speaker 1 (37:00):
The Country with Hamish mackuye and Farmland's or advised to
turn your challenges into wins.
The Country with Hamish Mackuay and Farmland's or advice to
earn your challenges into wins.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
A picture ramble you held in your hands. I had
flashes you saw the plan on the.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Nothing like seeing the whole of the moon, eh, rather
than just the cresent. This is the country. Hatless Mackay
with you. Great to have your company wherever you are,
whatever you might be doing on this hopefully a fine
day wherever you are in the country. You're coming up
on the show and wake out a Dairy Farmer and
Rural Support Trust legend honored in the King's New Year's
(00:51):
Honors List. That's very shortly. Also nah, I love these
two hawks Bay Power couple and it comes to farming
Roland and in Grid Smith to catch up with them
on the panel. They always busy. Kate Ackland, Beef and
Lamb a chair will be on the show coming to
us from the northern part of the South Island today
(01:12):
rather than Mount Summer's very busy, very busy with a
half iron man coming up as Kate. Doctor Jacqueline Rowath
one of the greatest brains and an incredibly informative funny
Just love Jacqueline Roath coming up on the show, and
we'll talk a little bit about the old humble but
much maligned dairy cow, particularly around that Canterbury region where
(01:34):
some are sort of full of you know what when
it comes to certain things about the old humble dairy cow.
And a man on a journey having a cup of
tea about now and Huntervill of all places, the wonderful,
beautiful Hunterville. That's all coming up here on the country. Ah, yes, well,
(01:58):
companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services
to the rural sector of Waycaddow, a dairy farmer, Neil
Baitup joins us.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Now.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Good afternoon, Neil.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Good afternoon, Homers tell you today?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, good, thank you? Good hair things. What you at home, honey?
Why or you're summering somewhere else or.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
No, we've been to the beach. But we're at home
at the moment and it's a beautiful sunny day to
day and not too much wind, so yeah, it's all yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
The grass is all right though you had a bit
of moisture through there.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Yes, we had. Yeah, it's quite green. It's spring was
a bit slow, but yeah, looking right at the moment.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, yeah, nothing like looking all right in the middle
of January. That's always a pretty good sign. Happy with that, Neil,
twenty or twenty is it? What is it twenty old
years ago since you were involved in the setting up
of the Rural Support Trust. Take us back to that.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Yeah, that's twenty one years ago. A group of us, yes,
standing around after the financial meeting presentation, just talking about
the fact that a lot of farmers on their own,
young farmers, perhaps they get into strike, don't quite know
where to turn. So we looked at setting an organization
up so that they could, Yeah, had had somewhere to
(03:12):
go to when things got a bit tough. And for
my sins, I've got elected to chair that organization.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Has it sort of grown beyond your wildest dreams when
you're sort of when you first set it up.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Yeah? Absolutely. There was only half a dozen others at
the beginning, and now the WAYCATO teams about fifty people,
and your nationwide is about three hundred and fifty three
sixty people involved in were all support providing support for
farmers and growers, farmary industry people. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
When I think of the support and the stories that
I've heard, the hair stands up on the back of
my neck and I just go, you know, you must
be how would you sort of I guess I guess
as individuals sort of stand out backstories, But across the board,
what you're most proud of, what you've been able to achieve?
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Yeah, probably just hearing the hearing the thanks from from
people that have been helped right across the right across
the sector. Often don't don't know who who they are
or who's which one of our teams has supported them,
but you know, when they've been through a tough time
and they've come up the other side and they're in
a good space, and you know, you get the thanks
(04:25):
from them, that's that's all you need. That's that's clearly
your rewards.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, you know, you know with farming, you know, I
think about this and across the seat it's not only
if your perhaps got like financial challenges, but also your
confidence can be dented pretty easily. You know, if you
if you're wondering whether you're doing the right things. I mean,
I guess those are the sort of things that's across
It's a full spectrum of support, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Absolutely a full spectrum of support. So through the financial
and the and the farm management issues, but personal issues
as well, employment issues, relationship issues, and just you have stress, stress,
and and the workload. We're working in a sector where
we don't know what the weather's going to do, what
(05:10):
the product prices are going to do. So yeah, there's
a lot of unknowns and the system, so there's a
lot of a lot of things can happen within a
farming family.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, this is the old paycheck isn't in the bank
on the twentieth the very month? Is it that? The
variables are quite incredible. You're still involved though, aren't you
at the White ketot at a regional provincial level.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Yeah, I'm still the white cat a chair for a
little wardiyots. But yeah, it's we're looking for succession planning
in the within the within the trust and yeah, but
but yeah, it's still it's still a great organization to
be involved with. And you know, the fantastic people that
are in the team. You are both in adverse events
and in supporting people one on one on a daily basis.
(05:53):
It's yeah, just just having contact with those people, it's marvelous.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah. So ranger services, as you say, right, so the
one on one chat that might just make the difference
with an individual right through to when there are big
events and we've we've certainly seen plenty of those.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Yeah, we certainly have. And I was thinking that, you know,
every one of the forteen trusts in the country has
had an adverse event or a number of adverse events
over the years I've been involved, and you know, they've
all stepped up and helped their local communities. Obviously the
big one with Cyclone Gabriel preceded by Cyclone Hail which
(06:29):
affected us and the Crimandel and the northern part of
our area. And yeah, just the trusts working together, you know,
the forteen individual trusts which are important to support their
own local communities, but when things get big and tough,
they can work together and provide that support. That's tremendous.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah. Yeah, so everybody sort of whilst we so you've
got fourteen across the country. That's but everybody sinks in
for where where the need is.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yes, yes, that's right, and working together and sharing resources.
It's it's it's grown from strengths and the strengths as
a national brand of the national organization and it's great
to see when they all get together.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, so you talk about the next generation. If somebody
is interested in and listening to this today and think,
actually that's something I'd like to be involved with. What's
sort of the next steps.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yeah, they can get in touch with us and yeah
and have a chat about what, yeah, what what they
might be looking to offer and what's available. We don't
build our teams too big. You have enough. We have
a build a team big enough that we can actually
support them and train them and that sort of thing. So,
but but we need new people from time to time,
(07:47):
and you know, some great people coming through through the
system and you know, just seeing the passion.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Is brilliant, fantastic where we go there as Neil bade Up,
companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services
to the rural sector, was on the ground floor with
the wonderful, the magnificent Rural Support Trust right across the
country more than twenty years. Great to check the Neil
coming up, I'm going to talk to Ingrid and Roland
Smith out of the Hawks Bay here on the Country Bills.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Yes you're with the Country Brought to you by Farmland's
Hatless McKay in for cousin bo Dukeke Jamie.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Mckaye this week. Great to have your company right across
the country. Well, look, fantastic couple individuals who are a team,
Rolling Smith and Ingrid Smith and they are our panel
for today. Great to have you guys. We'll start with you,
Ingrid House. We're about seat today and how's the summer
been going?
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Well, I'm currently sitting in the office one of those
lovely Edmund ketchup days. But I did actually get out
for an early ride with the kids this morning, so
that was quite nice.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Was that? What bike or horseback or yeah? Nice? And Roland,
what about you? You know, do you do you get
in the saddle as well? Do you go for a ride?
Speaker 6 (09:24):
Absolutely not, absolutely not unless it's horsepower. I'm not interested.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Fair enough, I angered so off the stay to day.
And of course you've got this the made Up Farmer,
which is well, I think it's a bit more than
a side hustle. It seunds like it's a pretty full
on sort of business with you. Tell us about tell
us a bit about that.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Yeah, so I sell makeup and skin care. I sort
of do it. It is sort of a side hustle
because I don't I don't often post about the make up.
But I always wear makeup and skin here when I'm
out and about and people see it and go, oh,
what's that. And I'm like, well, this is this amazing
lipstick that doesn't come off for tinted moisturiser that just
(10:07):
lasts all day, even if you're sweating in the drenching race.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
And yeah, so.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
I just post sort of fun farming stuff and do
a little bit of makeup on the side and yeah,
just bring in speakster in come that way.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Enrolling you guys obviously you're what you're farming about sort
of seven hundred hectares across a few blocks, I mean
between the two of you. Fairly busy life.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Yeah, fairly busy at the moment. It's at summertime in
Hawk's Bay. It is actually a little bit of green
tinge there for the rain after Christmas. But yeah, just
just some summer lambs on crop and cattle on the
hills doing some work. So it's actually one of our
bit more peaceful times a year of you could say
we're a bit more busy in the winter.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Yeah, we'll grab those with both hands, right who when
we're on the land ingrid. You know all about sharing
records of course, having set one with your mum, well record,
What did you make of Simon Gossips seven thirty two
over one Matt Smith seven thirty one? What a performance?
Speaker 4 (11:06):
What a day?
Speaker 5 (11:07):
He started off really strong. I didn't go overly, really did,
but I found myself checking Facebook, hey every break time
to see what the tallys are and I was on
the edge of my seat.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
But he he beat it. What a day, What a
huge day. He would be be super stoked about that.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, roll, it would have been great to see that.
What an occasion.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Yeah, definitely made. It's always one of those things, you know,
those individual the solo records something in their own. Yeah,
it's a memoth memmoth day, you know, you sort of
watch one run and then you sting you for more
to go. That's quite incredible. So I'm not super proud
of Simony. You certainly nailed that very well. So yeah,
(11:49):
great day, great day.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
What are you up to? Competition? Was are you going
to be doing? If you or what have you been competing? No?
Speaker 6 (11:56):
No, no competing for me so far. But I am
I am going to Lunson and Winton on the weekend.
But yeah, I haven't, I haven't really been sharing. We've
been sharing a few of our own too, you know,
at the moment, because we have time, But no, I haven't.
I certainly don't share in the sheds anymore. And and
(12:17):
to be fair, I don't really miss it because I
love farming. I love driving tractors, so certainly taking the
easy way in life, now.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
That was a bit of a side hustle because you
accumulated a few tractors, didn't you, And they came in
pretty handy too for some others at a pretty difficult
time in your area.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
Yeah, yeah, no, we're certainly certainly well equipped with gear
and all that sort of stuff nowadays. Much as Ingrid's discussed.
I think every time I go into town she's worried
what's happening. But yeah, yeah, we're certainly recovering well now
from the cyclone. Like everybody's sort of looking pretty pretty
pretty held up, and I mean there's still a lot
(12:53):
of hurt from from the sheer cost of it all,
but now I look the bays and in pretty good
shape again. I think, you know, if some people might
not agree with that, but everybody's sort of looking forward
and moving forward, So yeah, all good.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Got to be optimistic, Angrid. You've got the sort of
the home block there and the blocks you're leasing and everything,
but it is the sort of what's the sort of
long term goal for you and farming it as a partnership.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
We ultimately would love to have more land. You know,
We've only got a small block here. It's about twenty
five eight days. But we would love to own our
own land. At the moment, we're just trying to farm
the lease blocks that we have really well and make
them pay and then just keep saving, chipping away at
(13:40):
the mortgage and then put ourselves in a position to
expand and grow. And yeah, we'd just love to own
our own piece of dirt.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Are you excited about the future of farming and not
just the lifestyle and not what you can offer? You've
got three children, you know, I guess the fact that
we're going through a bit of a purple patch at
the moment. I see that every Friday music at the
fielding sale, and you know, do you feel good about it?
Speaker 7 (14:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
I do.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
I love farming. I just think I don't. I couldn't
see myself doing anything else. I've always wanted to be
in the egg industry, and I actually originally never thought
I would be a farmer. I sort of was going
down the genetics side. I did a bit of work
for Risington breedline and.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Malagy breeders brown rigs.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
And I always sort of be in that area, and
I did the banking and the fertilizer and I love that.
But now that I've spent a few years farming, I just.
Speaker 6 (14:35):
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
And I just love that that we're bringing our kids
up that way as well.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Like our upbringing was so cool.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back,
we had a really awesome upbringing and I'm really excited
we can give that to our children. And they learned
so many different skills whether they know it or not,
you know, working in the yards or just how to
move around stock or you know, working dogs, things like that.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
I just think it's awesome.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
That's not even what to do with, you know, the
meat side of it, just that, Yeah, there's sheet lifestyle
of it.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Roland.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
What are your biggest challenges that you have on a
daily basis as a farmer and heading towards that there's
long term goal of your own big property.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Yeah, I suppose just I suppose we are. We're are
very very intensive operation. We look at everything in terms
of its productivity, and we try and be critical on ourselves.
I believe you have to be able to criticism to grow.
If you don't want, you know, if you don't like that,
you'll never never get better. So we're very hard on
ourselves and what we can do better and how we
(15:41):
can make more money.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
So I suppose just.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
Really you know, finding the money for starts to improve
it so you can make more money is the one
of the biggest challenges farmers coming up against. You know,
It's one of those things. If we improve our pasture
and our our lives are and get our bases right,
we'll grow more grass, which grows more meat, and you know,
so just just trying to get you know, walk before
we can run probably my biggest challenge, because I like,
(16:05):
I like getting there faster than then. It's very niche
to take, but you know which Ingrid often tells me
that I should probably slow down sometimes. But yeah, so
we're just pretty you know, trying to make the most
about what we've got and you know everything. We certainly
getting there now. We certainly plenty of new grass going
in this autumn. So yeah, he's hoping for a good
(16:26):
winter trade. And yeah, that's probably probably where we're at
the moment. It's just focusing on our winter and that's
our key, key time to for us in the bay.
You know, it's pretty hard to pet and sock over
somewhere around here, but we're still still plenty of summer
crops and and that seems to become pretty well with a
strong prices. As you're saying before, which is you know,
(16:48):
it's so good to see breeders having a good year.
Too often a trader has a good year and a
breeder has a bad year or opposite, you know, so
it's really good to see everybody having a good, good
cricket at this year.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah. I was lucky enough to be at a beautiful
wedding up Moirra before just before Christmas, and you know,
I just loved the upbeat farming community that exists that
the exists at the moment, and long made that continue.
Now Anger, the book for the tab for the Golden
Shears hasn't opened. You have you got any text for me?
By the way, it does, I should put a lazy
(17:22):
tenor on well.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
I'm definitely going to be putting Lazy tir Rolie for sure,
because you.
Speaker 6 (17:27):
Know, why wouldn't I.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
But I think the likes of Tory Henderson is looking
very strong. I haven't actually been following the show as
much because ol he hasn't been doing them. But David
Buick's always a good one to back. He's a strong contender,
amazing story how he's covered from his hat. So yeah,
I don't know, I'd have to. I think I must
look at some results and then I have to get
(17:51):
back to you on that.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
One, righty. I will keep us posted on that and
then I know who Roley will be backing. But you're
right about David Buick. What an incredible story that is.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I could talk all day. Have you have you guys been?
I mean, I mean I watch a lot of Tally
and excuse me if I mister, but you must you
must be lining up a TV show or something. I reckon,
I reckon you could you know you could take on
Jeremy Clarkson's you know, a New Zealand version. I think
I've hatched an idea here.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
I think I think we're too brillily honest and we're
probably a bit harsh for people's liking sometimes, so yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Think that might rate.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
Then.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Great to check to you guys, Roland smith Ingress, Well,
thank you so much for joining us. Much appreciated. Great
to check to Rolling and Ingrid. They're out of Mora
kakah in the Hawk's Bay coming up. Beef and Lamb
chair Kate Eckland on how year end news was pretty
(18:48):
damn good actually, and we'll check him with the latest
in rural news and sports you saw on This is
(19:09):
the Country right across the country, brought to you by
Farbland's Harves makuay in for Jamie mcaye rdio boards here
of Beef and Lamb in ze. Kate Ackland joins us. Now,
welcome to twenty twenty six. Kate, how's the year started
for you?
Speaker 7 (19:26):
Oh hi, hey, let's look, it's been a fantastic start
for the year. We've had a couple of inches of
rain at nt summers and the grass is growing again,
so that's very positive. And actually twenty twenty five ended
up with some really good things happening in the last
few weeks.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, what happened there? What were some of those things
that have given us a spring in our step for
twenty six well.
Speaker 7 (19:48):
I still have just given us a bit more certainty
in the trade space. So you know, of course, it
started with the US removing the tariff on beef. It
was really positive. And then we had the announcement of
the India STA which is something that we've been working
on for twenty years. So big shout out from mister
McLay for getting that across the line. And you know
it's not perfect as far as dairy goes that and
(20:09):
he has never done a deal on dairy and so
the fact that we're now on parle of Australia is
really good. And then the other one that people might
have missed is the China these safeguards, and that was
announced around New Year's Eve actually, so that's a good
way to disappear some news. But we got an announcement
of a quota going into China, which isn't good, but
(20:32):
we actually ended up with a quota that we don't
think is going to disrupt trade and we've ended up
actually a lot better than some of our counterparts like
Australia and Brazil. So that was a really positive light
to be in the year on and it just gives
us a bit of certainty going into this year.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yes, because that is something, as you say, that could
have had negative connotations. But with an okay quota, that's
actually good news.
Speaker 7 (20:57):
Oh, it's really good news. And look I know that
and ministers were working on this right right up through
the holiday period. So you really want to acknowledge all
the hard work that went into getting us a pretty
good outlook, pretty good outcome, I should say.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Yeah, yep, and I'll look with the India FTA Free
Trade Agreement and Minister Maclay mentioned and I got really
I did get a bit wound up as to how
many sort of were trying to find the negatives in it,
were working so hard on this thing for so long
that it felt to me like across the board there
(21:33):
was just a little bit too much of that.
Speaker 7 (21:35):
Yeah, and look it's a long term play right Strategically,
this India is going to be a really important market
for us. It's not going to happen overnight. It's not
going to next next week or even next year. We
may not see the results, but it's really important for
us to have options. And what is you know the
world's fastest growing economy, most populous country, So you know,
(21:56):
it's a great outcome.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah, fantastic. So what I got coming up sort of
in the positive fun space, National Lamb Day always like
National Lamb Day.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
Yeah, National Land Day's the fifteenth of Fedruary, where we'll
be hosting all the politicians for a barbecue for some
land lollipops on the eleventh of February. And that's always
great because you get you know, ministers from across government
turning up having a chat and always try and get
some farmers along there to have a good chat to
the ministers. So that's a really great event, and there'll
(22:28):
be people hosting barbecues across the country hopefully. And the
other thing that's happening for us this year is it's
the seventy fifth anniversary of the Sheep and Beef Survey,
which is something that Beef and Land runs and it's
five hundred farms from across the country that we collect
data from and we're the only country in the world
that's been doing it for this long and wealth and
(22:50):
depth of information is just outstanding that we get. So
you know the fact that we're reaching seventy five years
for that this year, well, and it's a bit of
a nerdy thing maybe, but we're we're going to have
a celebration because it's really important for our sector.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah, I imagine it is one of the things that
I know. And I think we as a nation and
urbanites are far more interested in rural New Zealand than
they ever let on. And I was, and I always
get to asked this question, and I'm I'm going to
come to you as the expert on this seventy million
sheep when I left high school twenty odd now, and
(23:25):
yet we're producing just as much lamb and I say
to people, because we're probably pushing two hundred percent lambing
the and then the live weights is so much better?
Is that kind of like I I kind of got
it right. And I imagine those sort of statistical things
would be collected across the survey.
Speaker 7 (23:41):
So you've kind of got it right. I mean, we're
about less than half the U numbers, and I think
we're about twelve percent in terms of volume of product exported,
and that is through just those incremental gains that farmers
are making year after year, and that continual gain to
be more efficient and more productive. You know, we we
could have say that we are the most productive sector
(24:02):
in this country, and the games that we continue to
make is what's put us in such a good position.
Speaker 8 (24:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Absolutely, Now, talking of being efficient and productive when one
decides to do something as a gutsy or as crazy
as a half iron man, how's that all going for you,
Kate Eckland.
Speaker 7 (24:21):
Well, it's getting better. It was looking at GRIMM last year.
Because I've been traveling so much, i hadn't really done
the training. But I've had three weeks at home and
it's been like an intensive training camp. So I'm starting
to feel like I'm going to get there. But I
was just talking off here with Michelle, your producer, and
she's an iron manner from way back, so she's been
giving all the hot tips and the advice.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
She's the expert on that one. She is one hell
o than athlete. Yeah, well, as long as you're being
efficient and getting the right results, what's the hardest part
of the training.
Speaker 7 (24:53):
Well, I'm not a runner, so I'm really struggling with
the running. But you know, for me, it's actually just
about setting a goal and finishing it. You know, I'm
certainly not gonna be breaking any records as long as
I make the finish line.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I'll be happy yet now. So when is it? When
and where are we? It is March sixth to March
in Okay. Might talk before then, we'll certainly talk after it.
Kate Ekland, What's what's what's on the training menu today?
Speaker 7 (25:19):
Well, I was up early for a swim this morning,
so training's done and dusted.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Done and dust beautiful. You have a great date. Thanks
for chatting.
Speaker 7 (25:26):
Thanks Saylor.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
This is the Country twelve thirty nine. Time now for
news and.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Sport, the country's world news with Cod Cadet, New Zealand's
leading right on lawn Bower brand visit steel.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Ford dot Co dot N said for your local stockist.
Speaker 8 (25:56):
Thanks hamous. Legal controls remain in place to restrict the
movement of fruit and vegetables in and out a section
of Auckland's Mount roscill It follows a detection of a
single male Queensland fruit flying suburb last week. Special bins
have been issued for all households in the highest risk
Zone A and are located throughout Zone B, and signs
have been put up at every road entrance in the
(26:18):
controlled area. So keep an eye out for that one.
We're going to catch up with Mike Ingalls from MPI
on Thursday and get a bit of an update on
that one. But right now his homage was sport.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Sports on the country with a FCO one hundred percent
ki we owned and trusted it.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
That's rare.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
A major golf and coup with Brooks Keepka returning to
the PGA tour, John Rahm, Bryce and to Shamba and
Cameron Smith, they're all believed to be a negotiation to
make a return. It's understood a little cost Keepka more
than one hundred million dollars to leave golf to co
back to the PGA. Fantastic they have him back though.
(26:55):
Doctor Jacqueline Rowath is next here on the country. Strange
great to hear for your company across the country on
(27:16):
the country with Farmland's Hattish McKay and for Jamie McKay
joining us now doctor Jaquelin Rot and JaQuel a little
Birdie tells me before we get into the nitty gritty
of things that as part of the sort of your summering,
your wrist and relaxation, you've been doing a bit of
interesting reading. Is that the case? Have you got a
few tips for a good read?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
No?
Speaker 9 (27:37):
I haven't because My interesting reading is mostly scientific papers
and consumer comments and reports and research and that sort
of thing. So I have had a very good time
in terms of immersion and thinking about dairy opportunities for
the future. But it has been Some people would call
it work. I call it I'm making progress and.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Making progress well. And in the last few weeks, what
would you say, you've made progress and any sort of
hot tips for the future.
Speaker 9 (28:07):
No, certainly looking at the trends for dairy and this
was for a book for the USA, which will be global,
but it was looking at global dairy futures, and so
that was very interesting in terms of the whole people saying, gosh,
these weight loss drugs, they're going to put us all
out of production. Well, actually they're not, because what's happening
(28:28):
with these weight loss drugs, apart from the shock horror
health implications, is that people need more protein and the
whole business about protein and not the ultra processed food
type stuff, the natural and what New Zealand can provide.
I think this puts US in a very good place
for the future. And of course we did see the
uptick in the dairy prices already this year, which is
(28:51):
traditional for about this time of year, but it gives
us the indication that people want our product and that
makes us all feel good.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, great way to start the year. That gdd why
about six percent?
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Right?
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Okay, so well building on there, So what are your
sort of how's your confidence levels and your predictions for
the year of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 9 (29:13):
Across the board, they are actually better for our global
trade than thinking about the local concerns because over the
Christmas holidays I was somewhat appalled to see dairy getting
sack again on the Canterbury planes without actually understanding the practically,
anything anything to do with humans will have an impact
(29:36):
because there are so many of us on the Canterbury planes.
The most high quality protein the indispensable amino acids or
essentral amino acids for the least impact, including area, so
we're talking about greenhouse gases, water and area come from
dairy with a bit of arable But the problem for
(29:58):
the erroball growers at the moment is that they can't
cover costs by growing crops, so not their traditional crops.
There's high value seed crops is a bit different. But
how can we actually make ensure that the economy survives
and that the understanding of the role of the dairy
cow actually improves. And this interview, I'm hoping will enable
(30:21):
people to understand that their nitrogen and they eat water
on the cantory plants has been there for a very
long time, long before dairy got there. So taking the
dairy cow away does not help hamish.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Long before the dairy cow got there. And your latest
column is available and goes into that big time for
the New Zealand dairy cow on this particular front. Right, yes, yes,
although there is something about an elephant at speed that
kind of like amused me and I've eventually got it
and I loved it. Yeah, yeah, oh well, I hope
(30:55):
people do.
Speaker 9 (30:56):
But I certainly remember my brother who was a few
years younger than me, how middle aster at this particular
joke and making everybody think, what, oh right, rethink, and
that's what we need to do about the dairy count.
Let's have a rethink and stop rehashing stuff that wasn't
right in the nineties. And we've got all the data
and we've got the evidence, and we've got people well
(31:19):
landcare when it was called landcare, scientists doing work in
the whitewarra Rapper saying, unless we understand the role of
gorse in producing nitrogen, we're going to be constraining agriculture unnecessarily,
and of course the constraint won't make any difference to
the water. So let's keep thinking what do we actually
(31:40):
want to achieve with water? Are we talking health issues
because nobody's really proved anything there. Are we talking the
little fishes the macro invertebrate index. Well, actually that tends
to be in most trouble on the coastal regions, which
is mostly to do with towns. So let's consider what
(32:00):
we're trying to do with beautiful New Zealand because the
tourists think it's lovely.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Yeah, oh goodness, there's so much of this sort of
I don't know, misinformation that seemed like it was a
thing and now it's not. But how do we change it.
It's like it feels like we're pushing a bit of
a proverbial uphill check all it at times.
Speaker 9 (32:18):
Well let's go back to that joke. But yes, you
need to keep going with it because of the snarks syndrome,
and every time somebody says something, it gets embedded and
some of the things that have said, when do you
know when everybody knows something, I spend time thinking about
why do we know that? And is it actually true?
And sometimes things are measured in ways that have now
(32:40):
been improved so that we get better understanding, better techniques,
better measurements, better understanding, and we can think actually needs
a complete overhaul, and the dairy cow in New Zealand
is supporting the economy and allowing us to do all
the other things famous like education that needs well Erica's
trying to do the overhaul, or the health system and
(33:03):
we need that to be functioning as a better level.
And let's do some more investment in research and development
because that's where we get the answers.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
They try doing all that in those sectors without the
faithful dairy gow right be.
Speaker 9 (33:17):
Able to do it at all.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yeah, Doctor Jacqueline Rath as always pleasure, Thank you very
much for joining us from the country. Pleasure to right
(33:50):
the country. Ms McKay coming today from the Auckland studio,
amshell out of the need and producer extraordinary. Great to
catch up with Neil wake Out o dairy farmer of course,
one of the brains trust behind the rural support trust
and a lot of blood, sweat and tears and great
outcomes from that magnificent organization that started twenty one years ago.
(34:13):
But great acknowledgment in the King's New Year's Honors List
for Neil Rollin, Ingrid Psmith out of Moriah Carker hole
in the Hawk's Bay there, Chuck all good to have
a chat to them. Of course, Ingland has the well.
She says it is a bit of a sight hustle,
but it's got a great following. The made up farmer
makeup business. I don't know whether she sort of practices
(34:33):
the lippy on Roland on a long day's sharing to
see if he's still got the red lippy, the rouge
lippy left at the end of the day. Not that
he does too much sharing these days. He has admitted
to that perhaps the made up farmer makeup business pays
for Rowley's next tractor. Summer of tennis in Auckland. You
might be watching a bit of the tennis, Michelle. Do
(34:53):
you watch a bit of the tennis? Do you like
the old tennis?
Speaker 8 (34:56):
The ASB not a huge fan of tennis, but Serena
and Venus a massive heroes of mine. A sportswoman, so
I made much And also Andre Agassi's autobiography my most
favorite autobiography of all time, but from a sportsperson. Yeah,
and anyone reading it if you hate tennis.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, I had all that stuff with Brookshields, you know,
like like some incredible stuff in there. That was a
good read. In fact, it's probably about twenty years since
I read that. Hey, we're going to catch up. We
were going to catch up today with Shane Becken, who's
doing the walk from Cape Bringer to the Bluff to
raise awareness about the aftermath of suicide. What is left,
(35:36):
the people left, the family's left, and now he's in Hunterville,
I think Huntable at the moment, heading south, and so
we were going to catch up with and we ruled tomorrow.
We'll catch up with Shane tomorrow. Say today teat your
horn stop and have a yarn and we'll put some
details up on the Facebook. Give a little page so
you can make a donation to that great cause there
(35:57):
with Shane walking the link the country Kate Bringer to
the Bluff. Also today Kate Ackland, chair of Beef and
lamb in Z. So much good news, as she said,
finishing up at the end of twenty twenty five. The
whole quota thing with China turns out that it might
not be too bad. We might have some sort of
advantage over Brazil and Australia and that sort of beef space,
(36:21):
especially in Kate's training for a har liron Man in
early March. Michelle, no doubt you'll be getting a call
from her to get a few more sort of hot
tips on training given the you know you are the athlete,
you know, yeah, right here. This has been the country
brought to you by Farmland's I'm Hamers McCay will do
it all again tomorrow and out with a bit of
(36:42):
Jimmy Curer in Simple Minds
Speaker 1 (37:00):
The Country with Hamish mackuye and Farmland's or advised to
turn your challenges into wins.
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