July 8, 2024 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Mack Dobson, Nathan Guy, Farmer Tom Martin, and Scott Duggan.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Fred You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
You got no Shine? Like to know you got no shine?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Geta New Zealand and Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay.
The show is brought to you by Brant Rock the Boat,
by the I think it's by the Hughes Corporation, Michelle
Chucktas and here a bit of a musical theme today
because continuing on from yesterday's theme on the show as
sort of a rowing rock the boat sort of theme, amazing,
seventy six year old Wire Rapp, a farmer judge of
(00:55):
the balance farm Environment towards Jamie Strang is attempting to
row across look straight to raise money for Farmstrong. What
a magnificent effort. We're going to go to Mack Dobson,
skipper of Black Pearl Fishing, and just attack. I'll tell
you who else is on the show today. We've got
Nathan Guy talking meat and Honey, my farming correspondent in
the UK, Farmer Tom Martin on what the new labor
(01:18):
government might mean for British farmers and why it always
reigns when Wimbledon's on. We're going to bid farewell to
a long time partner here on the country and Karen
Williams is a wire rapper, arable farmer. She's a mate
of Jamie Strang's, former vice president of Federated Farmers. She's
involved with the fmg who fund of course farm Strong
and we're going to talk a wee bit of farming
(01:40):
and how we can raise some money for farm Strong
courtesy the magnificent efforts of Jamie Strong. Let's see how
he's getting on right now, we can head to Nelly,
I think the middle of the cook straight. Mac Dobson,
skipper of Black Pearl Fishing Charters. How's he going, mack Hire.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
You mate, No, he's doing very well. We're almost at
the halfway point and he's yeah, he's just chugging along
like a little trooper.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well seventy six years of age. And I know he's
picked the weather perfectly. The cockstrait's nice and calm. It's
still a gutsy effort. How many kilometers does he have
to row?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Oh, we're looking about fourteen and a half nautical miles,
so it's pretty close to thirty kilometers.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, well, well that's a fair way. What sort of
swells has he got?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Just a light southerly swell at the moment. It's as
far as the Cookstrait goes. It's pretty perfect conditions.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Actually, so I'm assuming he's rowing what is he rowing
north to south or south to north.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Sort of we're going almost crossway west. Yeah, yeah, So
we left left macro Beach this morning at at ten
o'clock and it was only his zero degrees and he
took us top off fairly quickly and stripped the layer
because he's getting a bit warm. But we're in beautiful
sunshine and yeah, yeah, it's all going really well.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So what could possibly go wrong? From nothing or famous
last words, not nothing, but I mean, like, as long
as he hangs in there, he's going to get too.
I'm assuming the South Island. My question should have been,
as he going not north to south, but north to
South Island or south to north?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yes, yeah, So we're aiming for Pirano Head pretty much
tracking a beautiful straight line at the moment. There's a
little bit of tide pushing us north to south at
the moment, but we're tracking really well, very very straight.
So we've certainly got the shortest distance, and yeah, I
(03:43):
can't see anything that's going to change. The weather looks perfect,
and as long as he can hang in there, I
think it's fairly confident we're going to do it.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Hey, Mac, how long has this been in the planning?
Because he told me about it last year when I
was talking to him about the Balance Farm Environment Awards,
or earlier this year with us a judging Buddy Warwick Kaddo.
And then basically the only warning I got was a
text yesterday morning. And I think even he even surprised
Farm Strong. They had no idea that he was raising
(04:12):
money for their meath. So this is sort of secret
squirrel stuff.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Oh it was. These things take a little bit of planning,
but I swept first spoke to him. It would have
been late last year. But of course I'm very busy
over the summer with my charters, so finding a nice
day where I was free to get across was always
going to be a be an issue. And then I
went away. I got married in October and I went
(04:39):
away on my honeymoon, so I was away for six
weeks and got back a couple of weeks ago, and
thought right, that's put a plan in action. And yeah,
the weather this week's been absolutely perfect. So why wait, I.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Flew over the Mac. I flew over the cook Straight
last week. I'm glad he didn't attempt at then. Not
even not even the fairies could get across. Mind you,
that doesn't say much these days. Cooks Straight last week.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Yes, it's certainly been a very hard season for me.
With the weather. I'm probably this season has just been
extremely windy. But yeah, it's nice and settled in this
weather pattern.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Anyway, We're going to keep our eye on him and
see how he goes. Seventy six year old Jamie Strang
rowing across Cook Straight to raise money for Farmstrong Mac
because you have been kind enough to give us some
of your time while you're keeping an eye on them.
Skipper of Black Pearl Fishing Charters. If someone wants to
go fishing on the Cook Straight, they need good sea legs,
(05:41):
wouldn't they.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, a lot of my fishing is in close off
off the Manor coast. We launch it Manor, and yeah
we can certainly keep it relatively calm, even if there's
a wee bit of wind. But yeah, certainly a lot
of snapper and a lot of tearkey and kingfish and
things like that over the over the summer. I've actually
got a couple of rods here. We're going to see
if we can twist his arm when we get there
(06:06):
and catch a couple of blue CODs for dinner.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Maybe.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Oh brilliant.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Well.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Mac Dobson, skipper of Black Pearl Fishing Charters, thanks for
your time. We'll keep an eye on Jamie throughout the
rest of the hour. We'll get Michelle to give you
a ring a wee bit later in there, and we'll
just update the progress. So thank you very much for
your time.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Thank you, pleasure to talk.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
You will. Indeed, there we go, Mack Dobson. What a
great effort, right Michelle's in here. There is a give
a Little Page farm Strong. As I said, Michelle, good afternoon.
By the way, they were taken totally by surprise by
Jamie's fundraiser for farm Strong as well, so it's been
a bit of a rush job for them. But I
think they're in the process of getting a give a
Little page job.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
They are.
Speaker 7 (06:46):
Indeed, they're in the process of that right now. So
what we can do as we will share that link
as soon as it becomes fully live, So it'll be
some time, probably in the next half hour, i'd imagine,
before the show is finished, and you'll be about to find
it on a little and send in your donations for
his epic journey. But living a dream, catching blue cord
for dinner. I mean, Jamie, I think golf's the wrong
(07:08):
way to go. I think you know going in a
boat is the way you want to do it. Can
we talk you into rowing across the harbor here?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
No? No, no, I can't even hit a golf ball straight,
let alone rod straight, so I would be I would
be no good. Plus I get seasick. I get chronic
motion sickness when I was a kid, Michelle, this is
a really boring story. But when I was a kid,
we lived five cars sorry, five miles eight k's out
of Riversdale. I used to get carsick driving to Riversdale.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
And I know how straight that piece of road is, Jamie.
So yeah, well it's a bit.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Of a warm Well there you go. And it caused
me great embarrassment as a younger man when we used
to have a few bears in a vehicle as you
did back in the day. Thank goodness. The youth of
today are more sensible. Couldn't hold it down and I
got accused of all sorts of things. Anyhow, my problem
not yours. So you will update that give a little
page for us. What a great effort, What a great bloke.
(08:01):
I actually got a text from Warwick Kato who's in
a meeting. He's from Balance Agrinutrients, fellow judge of the
Balance Farm Environment Awards, and he says he hopes the
sharks are pekish. Those two are a great combination. They've
been traveling around the country for a number of years
together judging the Balance Farm Environment Awards. We're going to
take a break on the other side of it. Former
(08:23):
Minister of Agriculture just down the road away but from
Palmerston North is in horaf His name is a Nathan Guy,
current Chair of the Meat Industry Association and Apiculture Ian
z we'll have a look at the state of the
meat and honey industries in Blue. Nathan Guy is a
(09:01):
man who wears many hats in New Zealand agriculture of course,
a former Minister of Agriculture these days chair of the
Meat Industry Association and of Apiculture end Zed so We're
going to talk a wee bit of meat and honey
and maybe a wee bit of politics. Just to wrap
it up, Nathan, before we do all that, how are
things on the horror for newer dairy farm.
Speaker 8 (09:23):
I'll get a Jamie. I haven't caught up with you
since you got your honor very recently. Congratulations on that.
I don't know whether to call you Sue Jamie or
just Jamie the good bastard. I'll just shay, I just
stick with the latter.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, I'll take that, and then I'll humbly deflect or
pivot as they say, Nathan, and I'll move and I'll
move on to the subjects of my choice. Well, the
Meat Industry Association. You've got your Meat Industry conference coming
up later this month at Takena. I hope I got
that right where we had the primary industry somewhat in awards.
(09:57):
It's a brilliant venue.
Speaker 8 (10:00):
Your great Venue've been there a few times. And answer
your first question before we deflect and pivot. Things on
the farm going pretty well. We had a very dry
summer autumn, had some quite good rain through the winter,
but frost at the moment, covers are looking good and
carving starts next week. Then back on pivoting back on
to your other question. Yep, We've got our big red
meat sector conference. We do that in collaboration with Beef
(10:23):
and Lamb. It's in Wellington this time we move around
the country. We're looking like we've got about three hundred
coming to it and it is conference season at the moment.
Everyone seems to have a conference in about two months
over this window before things go crazy on farm. So
we're looking forward to a lot of people coming along
to our conference and it's going to be future focused
(10:45):
quite a bit on innovation and technology, international markets, with
Van Gallis coming along. Raysmith is going to be speaking
from MPI. Nikola Gregg is standing in for Minister Maclay
who's traveling somewhere around the world. So looking forward to
a pretty full on day.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
I'm reading from the press release it says Meat Industry
Association Chair Nathan Guy said this year's theme, from Our
Pasture to Your Plate, will cover emerging topics from across
the global red meat supply chain. Now, Nathan, this sounds
a wee bit like Rinson repeat to me, from our
(11:23):
Pasture to Your Plate? Haven't I heard that? Somewhere before
Oh you have, you have.
Speaker 8 (11:28):
Maybe we could have come up with a better title
or theme, But the reality is our farmers are up
against it at the moment. A lot of companies are struggling.
It's mainly on the back of China being a little
bit depressed in terms of their economic growth. As a
few green shoots appearing there now the US where Prime
Minister Luxem's up there this week. That's looking a bit
(11:50):
better for us now, particularly for beef. And when you
think about the two years of prolonged droughts that they've had.
I was reading the other day that they've had their
worst levels of beef culling since something like nineteen fifty one,
so seventy three years. They're going to take a long
time to rebuild. So that's going to be a positive
(12:12):
for beef farmers. I believe what.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Can you do for the sheep farmers, Nathan, because a
lot of my mates are still sheep farmers. They're telling
me this is as tough as the eighties.
Speaker 8 (12:25):
It was bloody tough. I've got a lot of mates
that are sheep farmers. Some of them farm on the
east coast of the North Art of the Mean smashed
with not only Cyclone Gabriel, but then another eight inches
of rain a couple of weeks ago. It's really tough.
Meat companies know it's tough. It all comes back to
well a couple of things. One is looking at markets
(12:48):
and we've just talked about China and we're going to
invest with beef and lamb and hopefully the government honor
in the country of origin regime out there, whereby we're
going to focus on our attribute because it's really competitive
in China. There's a lot more countries that have got
the equivalent of free trade access. Now our messaging is
(13:09):
lost in translation, so we need to be out on
the front foot. So we're looking forward to getting that
started later this year. In terms of the other issues
that farmers are facing, are these big headwinds of costs. Yes,
they had come back a little bit in terms of fertilizer,
wages have kept going up. There's a lot of also
(13:31):
costs coming out of local government now with rates rises
and also insurances on the back of Cyclone Gabriel and others.
So there's no silver bullet right now, Jamie, but it
will turn. It'll just take a bit longer than we'd
all hoped.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
How's agriculture end z going, how's the honey industry? I
understand tough times for the beekeepers as well.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
Yes, beekeepers are no different to our sheep farmers. Really,
it's certainly a real ruggle for them right now. Some
exporters are doing okay on the back of Manukah. We
came out with a strategy a couple of months ago
which was really Manuka focused. That's the biggest game in town.
And we know that we've got to work constructively with
(14:15):
other honeyes as well, and that's market opportunities. But really,
when you think about it, it's got to be Manukah first,
and a rising tide JFK. A rising tide floats all boats.
So if we can get the Manuka story right and
get deeper penetration and market, then there could well be
(14:35):
an opportunity for other honeys. But yep, it's tough right now,
and the uk FDA has helped honey. That's a small
and emerging market for us now that the tariffs have
been white so it's some upside there, but it's going
to take like red meat's going to take a bit
of a time, a bit of time for this to
(14:56):
turn as well.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Well, let's segue from JFK One of the great America
and presidents and pivot. It's such a terrible word, isn't it. Pivot.
It's like learnings. I hate it. But anyhow, we're pivoting
off to the election that's coming up this year. It's
going to be fascinating. It's like train wreck television watching
Fox TV. At the moment. Trump's going to waltz home
(15:18):
off the back of poor old Joe Biden, who was
a very good man in his day. He's lost the plot.
He's lost as marbles. He shouldn't be standing. This wouldn't
even happen in New Zealand.
Speaker 8 (15:30):
No interesting times, isn't it? In fact? Fascinating? Got a
wee way to go in November. Till November we see
if Kamala Harris comes in or not, if there's a change.
I think if I was heading down to the tab
I'd probably bet there is going to be a change
for the Democrats. And looks like yeah, Trump's riding high
(15:52):
at the moment, but we know that these campaigns are
long and anything could happen.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Hey Nathan guy, always good to catch up. Thanks for
your time on the country. Good on you man, Thanks Jamie,
thank you Nathan. It is twenty six after twelve. You're
with the country, brought to you by brand not a
bad shot actually from Blair Drysdale, arable farmer from Belfer
(16:20):
enemy territory. And you're a Bellcluther girl, so you'll know this. Michelle.
Belfer's just up the road from Riversdale very much, the
poor cousin of Riversdale and every aspect of life really.
But he said, be honest, it was the thought of
getting to Riversdale that major car sick. Not bad from you, blocker.
But all I can say about him is if you
(16:41):
count Andy Thompson as a friend, you probably haven't got
many mates anyhow. And someone else is correct correctly, correctly
admonishing me about cock strait.
Speaker 7 (16:52):
They are, indeed, Jamie, and I would like to let
listers know that I constantly have my grammar corrected. So
that's text sort of brings me a slight joy in
a way, just a slide.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
So what have I done wrong?
Speaker 7 (17:04):
Apparently it's cook straight, not the cook straight.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
I got to take that one on the chin, Thank you, listener.
And text it's like saying I've also got told off
saying the Hawk's Bay. It's not it's Hawk's Bay.
Speaker 7 (17:16):
You have got some bad habits as key.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Yeh, yeah, yeah, yeah we do. But I'm sure I'm
not the only one who says going across the Cook straight,
but I should have said going across Cook straight. Thank
you for the correction. Earlier this morning, I caught up
with farmer Tom Martin. Now, this guy's a big, big
social media influencer in British agriculture, got a hugely high profile.
(17:39):
He's good enough to be on our show every few weeks,
and talking about correcting. I had to correct him and
then he had to correct me. You're going to hear
all about it next on the Country. Before the end
of the hour, we're going to bid farewell to a
longtime partner here on the Country. But life goes on,
and Karen Williams up a farm a former vice president
(18:01):
of Federated Farmers These days, I think these days she's
with their FMG who are supporting farm Strong. So we're
gonna we're going to follow up on Jamie Strange's progress
as the attempts to row a boat across Cook straight,
not that Cook straight, Cook straight at the ripe old
age of seventy six. Whether she's cry He's a UK
(18:33):
correspondent farmer Tom Martin, based just north of London. Tom,
are you happy or depressed about your new government?
Speaker 6 (18:41):
Well, I don't know. I actually don't know. I'm sometimes
you know, you just please for a change. But there
is the chance of you know, big changes within farming,
so it could be a bit of a challenge. I
heard somebody, it's some old wag said the other day
farm and the labor diander the Conservatives. So yeah, I
think they might have a go at some of the
(19:02):
tax concessions. But but who knows, you know, maybe they'll
come out more in favor of UK production uh and
other infrastructure measures.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
So we'll have to see.
Speaker 6 (19:12):
We're really we're only four days in, Jaimie, so we'll
see how we get on.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Well, I'm reading about potential increases in capital gains text
or the removal of the a p R, which is
the agricultural property relief here. Yeah, so that that could
could that effect, could that, says, have a negative effect
on the price of land farm.
Speaker 6 (19:33):
Land, Yeah, it's I mean, it certainly could do. There
are people who are putting who have put money into
into farmland to pass it to the next generation. They've
also been looking at uh yeah, basically a land value
capture tax. So if you sell your land for building
(19:53):
or something, you know, you buy it as agricultural land
and sell it as something else. They you know that
there are a previous gu who would have you know,
who would have wanted a slice of that of that increase,
so you know, and that would that could definitely depress
LAMB prices. I mean it could also arrest building building
progress as well. And I have to say we've had
the very first talk speech today from our from our
(20:16):
new oh gosh in charge of finance, Finance Minister Treasurer
and uh Rachel Reeves, and actually she's very very pro building.
They're just set new house building targets which which actually
will probab yeah, hopefully be a good thing. We've we've
been a bit in the doldrums in the last fourteen
(20:37):
years with the Conservatives with house building. They've we've we've
had lots of ambitions and not a lot has happened.
So I don't know, we'll see sometimes the shakeups to
see a good thing.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
I thought you called your finance Minister, the Chancellor of
the Excheker of the exchecut. I'm having to correct you
in your own country.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
Tom, it's half us ten in the evening.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
You do ring me in these crazy times.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
I apologize getting wet. Of course, you're getting wet just
north of London. Wimbledon's on. Of course it's going to rain, Tom,
Even I know that on the other side of the world.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
The crops are all ripening. They're about a week off,
ready for harvesting. Yeah, you're right there. As soon as
they pitch a ball, and as soon as they said
the first punnet of strawberries at Wimbledon, the heavens open.
In fact, tonight we're forecasts three inches of rain on
the South coast and that will affect the farmers down there.
We've got an inch in the forecast up here in
the kind of East Midlands, if you call it, which
(21:27):
shouldn't do us too much harm. But yeah, three inches
of rain on standing crop just about ready for harvest
will cause some problems.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Well, Sir, Andy Murray's gone. I Redakan Who's gone? Courtesy
of air Kiwi Girl, A newly adopted Keywi girl. Look
just just one more on the politics before I moved
perhaps to farming and sport. Rushisuneck has gone. He fell
on his sword immediately. We're watching a really interesting documentary
here in New Zealand called The Rise and Fall of
Boris Johnson. Could he reinvent himself again for the Tory?
Speaker 6 (22:02):
I mean he was a very a very popular prime
minister or a very popular leader of the Conservative Party.
I mean, I wouldn't rule anything out, Oh sure he could.
But he was also became a bit of a laughing stock,
a bit of a buffoon. And I mean what you
guys saw over there, we saw over here, and it's
I don't know, it's hard to come back from that.
But then, you know, but then he did a great
(22:23):
job at getting the vaccines ready and out through COVID.
He you know, he was very good at setting the
the international response to Ukraine. So you know, he did
some good stuff. But he's also a bit of a
you know, a bit of a foppishlyn Formula one.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I see you've had a you've had a victory there,
Watson Lewis Hamil to me, Tom, we're one.
Speaker 6 (22:45):
The greatest champion of all time.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Okay, well one all on on mistakes or faux pas.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
One a fistful of Silverstone races of British Grand Prix,
which is I think he's won more Grand Prix in
one location then any other drivers won in one location.
So he's done well. But he called this this win
the most emotional because he's had very a very tough
time and had a real comeback to to take the
British Grand Prier must be a special moment to be
(23:13):
winning at home. So yeah, you've you've knocked Emma out
in in Wimbledon, but we've had we've had a good
time in the f one over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Well, if you and I are one always sound very
much a bit like the England football team and the Euros.
They're always drawing or getting mill aws. They're relying on
penalty shootouts. Can you do it? You have the Netherlands
and the semis Well, I mean.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
We've exercised the demon that is the penalty shootout and
we've had a few successive I think penalty shootouts on
the bounce and for a long long time that was
that was that was always what happened. England got through
to the semi finals and went out on penalties, normally
to Germany. But we'll see it's it's been. It's been
a bit lackluster. We've got a fantastic team on paper.
(23:56):
But you know, if they keep on not losing, I
say not losing rather than winning, because they've I think
they've won one game out of four. But if they
can keep on progressing, then who knows. They've got the talent,
they just need to put it together.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Well, you carry on keeping on not losing on paper.
Good luck to the three Lions. A farmer Tom, thanks
for standing out on the rain Wimbledon. Weak yarnt to
us on the country at ten thirty in the evening
your time. It is much appreciated.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Always a pleasure, neverick job, never great bloke.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Anyhow, we caught up with him a wee bit earlier
this morning. He was standing literally while standing out on
the rain because he gets better reception outside his house
than in to chat to us. Appreciate it. Up next,
we're going to have a look at the latest and
rural news with Michelle Watt. I'll have sports news for you.
We're going to farewell a longtime partner on the Country
(24:49):
but of a sad day and also Karen Williams, former
vice president of Federated Farmers. We're going to catch up
with her somewhere in the North Island. I think she
he is at a ball sale today, and we're going
to update Jamie Strange's efforts to row a boat across
Cook straight seventy six years of age to raise money
(25:10):
for Farmstrong. What a bloody champion bloke. Look. Sorry about
(25:33):
the wee bit of dead air there, totally my fault.
The reason was I was just pre reading the sports news,
which I should do more often, and I was there's
a week story in there about the Afghanistan having a
female sprinter and I was just checking whether it was
the same sprinter who was at Tokyo and I think
she finished dead last. She might have run and what
(25:54):
do you call the headcover helped me out here, Michelle,
something like that. Yeh. Anyhow, we'll try and get to
the bottom of this one. This is I don't want
to say the bottom of this one. When I'm playing
Billy Ocean and poor old Jamie strings rolling across an ocean.
So just to keep up with our nautical theme, a
wee bit of Billy Ocean, great eighties music. But anyhow,
(26:20):
here's Royal News with Michelle.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
The Country's World News with Coup Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn bower Bread. Visit steel for dot co
dot Nz for your local stockist.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
A Greenpeace campaigner says proposed RIMA reforms risk freshwater health.
MPs are hearing submissions on the second phase of reforms
and the bill, including proposals to remove some freshwater considerations
from resource consent applications and decisions will Alplebee says the
regulations ensure the health of freshwater ecosystems and community drinking supplies.
(26:54):
He says removing these regulations means we will all be
the cost of polluting air waters caused by extents of
farming practices.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Is that a Greenpeace story? Is that Greenpeace? Well, you're
quote in Greenpeace, aren't you? Did you not get the
memo when you joined the show? Obviously not about what
you're allowed to broadcast and what you're not if be
held up by the broadcasting standards authorities, which is me
in this particular case, Greenpeace stick to saving Wales. That's
(27:22):
just my thoughts on it. Has he got anything more
for us? I do?
Speaker 7 (27:25):
A struggling New Zealand dairy processor is reminding shareholders to
have their say as its future hangs in the balance.
There will be a vote on Thursday whether to accept
one hundred and thirty million dollar lifeline loan from a
major Chinese shareholder, four days before its debt deadline. Sinlay
cheer George Adams says he wants people to make sure
they voice their preference so there are no regrets on
(27:46):
Friday morning. He sees their shareholders own around forty one
percent of the business and if they don't go out
and vote and it's voted against, they only had themselves
to blat.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I didn't see them having any choice at all. Sin Lay.
The trouble at mill there, right, that's rural news. They're
and apologies to my sisters if they're listening. They're big
Greenpeace supporters, but yeah, I just think I just wish
they'd stick to their knitting and leave farming alone.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Sport with AFCO. Visit them online at AFCO dot co
dot nz.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
So thirty two year old winger full circle should I
say for footballer Marcus Rojas. The thirty two year old
winger has signed with the Phoenix for the A League season,
the first professional club he represented from two thousand and
nine to twenty eleven, back to where it all started.
Well done, and there's a story here. Seven time Wimbledon
(28:41):
champion Novak Jocobit will face ninth seed Alex Deminor. I'm
unsure of the pronunciation of that one. Normally they have
it written phonetically in brackets, they haven't in this case.
In the quarter finals. I don't even I don't know
if I even know the bloke, to be honest, and
I followed tennis, and this is the story that got
me the dead air at the beginning of the sweet segment.
(29:04):
Afghanistan will have a female presence at the Paris Olympics,
despite the Taliban rule. Twenty twenty one Tokyo flag bearer.
So she was at Tokyo. Kimia you, Sophie, I hope
I got that right again. Will attend her third games,
racing in the one hundred meters and Michelle, your job
before the end of the hour is to find out
(29:25):
where she finished. I'm sure she finished dead set last,
but got a great ovation from the crowd at Tokyo.
Good honor for going and good honor for defying the Taliban.
Up next, we bid farewell to a longtime partner of
us here on the country who's going.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
On a.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Bit of a sad day to day on the country
because we are bidding farewell to one of our long
time partners, Volkswagen. My relationship with VW goes back a
decade to twenty fourteen, when we ran a wonderful promotion
around a Springbok test at the Caketon and Wellington. From
literally hundreds of entries, we picked four farmers from the
(30:17):
North Island four from the South, chucked them in a
brand new, brand spanking new Amarock and told them both
to drive to Wellington and meet us there. We all
arrived in time for the test match. As an added bonus,
we got to rub shoulders with Richie mccaor at the
after match function. It was wonderful. I've been in radio
for thirty years and I would have to rate that
(30:37):
one is my third best ever radio promo that we've run.
Giving away a trip to the Rugby World Cup in
twenty fifteen worth forty six grand was pretty special, But
my best radio or our best radio promo was that
same year twenty fifteen giving away a brand new Amarok
worth sixty grand. So we've got a great, wonderful history
(30:58):
with the company. We are bidding each other farewell and
it's on the best terms. Scott dug And Commercial Manager,
National sales Manager for Volkswagen. I just want to thank
you and all your team, Rodney Gillard before you, Tom
Ruddenclaw who's now running power Farming. It's been a wonderful
relationship and I'll tell you what, You've got a wonderful product.
Good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
Yes, hi, Jamie, you're lovely to speak to you. So
it has been quite a rich and happy ten years.
So it's a bit of a said farewell, unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
But life goes on and life will go on for
both of us as well the motive vehicle industry at
the moment, it's challenging times. But I put it to
you and I'm banging on about this all the time
and people must get sick and be saying it. But
we just need we need the Reserve Bank to throw
us a bone. We need to drop that ocr even
by twenty five basis points before Christmas. Hopefully it will
(31:51):
happen and then it might encourage some sentiment in the
economy because things are really tough out there.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Most most interestings are down. Unfortunately, our industry is also
stop suffering. There is a few green shoots we're starting
to see, which is nice. So the end of last
month we did see a little bit of a pack up.
We measure a lot of not just sales, but inquiry
levels and just just people come through websites, So there's
a little bit more activity, but certainly feels very tough
(32:21):
out there. But as I said, coming through it said
all it needed a few changes and then then we'll
be back. So which kind of means it's never been
a better time to buy because there's there's plenty of
deals being done their dealerships now, so it could be
a good time to actually save some money.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
Well, you can absolutely negotiate a good deal at the moment.
I guess if we look back to twenty fourteen or
back in the past decade, Scott, I think the big
change has been the proliferation, if that's the correct word
of the four wheel drive utes.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
Yes it has, and you can see for the last
ten years the top five in cars New Zealand, three
of them have been utes. So suddenly that that ute love,
that key we have has really really flourished in the
last decade or so, so and it continues. You know,
am Rock is now the second biggest volume driver for
(33:17):
our group, so utes out cell hatchbacks, for Dan's, you
name it.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Well. They are a multi purpose vehicle. Absolutely, absolutely the Amrock.
I just can't say enough about it. It's a wonderful vehicle.
Have we seen the death of the evs or will
they come again?
Speaker 5 (33:35):
So they're starting to pick up. Obviously, there was a
huge spike at the end of last year because of
that that change the government regulation very slow to take off.
There was that hangover for the first three months. It's
starting to plane out now. There's still plenty of manufacturers
investing in EV technology and bringing new vehicles to market.
(33:57):
So it doesn't mean to say that our ice vehicles,
so our petrol and diesels are still going to be
extremely popular, but it's nice having that alternative fuel source
as a second option. A lot of R and D
going into hydrogen, so there's a few manufacturers leading the
charge with hydrogen. There's just a lot of infrastructure required
(34:19):
for them as alternative fuel sources. So that's a long
term plan. That's a ten to fifteen even twenty year
plan for new fuels. However, electric we kind of have
it here and now, and that technology is getting better
and better. We see the first electric van for our brand, Volkswagen,
(34:39):
coming at the end of this year, and the range
of those vehicles are over five hundred kilometers, so suddenly
the similar vehicles we were selling three or four years
ago only two or three hundred kilometers, So it is
getting better and better.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Hey, Scott Dugan, a national sales manager for Volkswagen, There's
never been a better time by way to go in
and negotiate a deal on one of the brand new
model Hammearrocks. Thank you very much for the association over
the past ten years. To you and Kirsty, She's been
wonderful to deal with as well. Good luck in the future,
my friend.
Speaker 5 (35:12):
Thank you, Jamie, to you and your team as well.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
All about the future, Thank you, Scott. Hey, some interesting
texts coming and should we start farming Wales with an
h that would give greenpeace a bit of a conundrum
from Dean. Good on you, Dean and mus regular text
to Muz said Jamie, I'd rather swim in any rural
bloody river than any damn river in the urban area.
(35:38):
I'm with you there, muzz The most poluted waterways in
this country aren't in a rural New Zealand. They're in
urban New Zealand. Green Peace sometimes just forget that anyhow. Yeah,
farming Wales, there's a good idea, but then the Japanese
might come down and start hunting them. Can I say that?
I don't know anyhow. Up next, we're going to wrap
it with Karen Williams. An update Jamie straan attempt to
(36:01):
row across Cook Strait to raise money for farm Strong
Who's God.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
From dead Man's Terms anchor.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Me Welcome back to the country. Brought to you by Brandt.
We just can't get a hold of Karen Williams. Will
try and get her on tomorrow's show. Former president Vice
president of Federated Farmer. She would have got the top
job if she'd stayed there, but she chose to pass
it over to Wayne Yolo Langford. He's doing a pretty
(36:39):
good job. Hey, that almost wraps us up. Michelle's wandered
out of the studio, I said to a whip out
and wring our man mac Dobson, skipper of Black Pearl
Fishing Charters. He's on the Cook Straight at the moment,
we're going to see how Jamie's going. He was nearing
the halfway point. This is seventy six year old Jamie Strang,
(37:03):
judge of the Balance Farm Environment Awards. Here she comes in, Ridio.
What's the update, Michelle? What do you got? What do
you got for me? Be quick?
Speaker 7 (37:11):
You're going fifteen? Just over fifteen. Ka's in and he's
doing really well. Just having some lunch, a bit of
a drink now and they're trying to convince him to
catch a blue cord for his dinner.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Well, there you go. So he's basically there's that kind
of halfway, is it?
Speaker 7 (37:23):
Well, just go over Halfway's just over halfway. He's doing awesome.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Yep, rightyo, Okay, there we go. So that's Jamie Strong.
Now does it? Give a little page? I've promised him
a hundred bucks as long as he doesn't drown, and
it doesn't look like he's going to drown. How do
you give money? Michelle?
Speaker 7 (37:36):
Just go to the give a Little Page. I'll put
the line up on her Facebook site so you can
find it shortly, or you can go to Farmstrong.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
Dot cod yes and just donate directly. Look, this is
a great fundraiser for farm Strong. Please support it. I
will be I will urge you to do the same
as well. That's us done and dust that. We'll catch
you back with the Acting Prime Minister tomorrow. Winston Anchor
men catch all the latest from the land.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
It's the Country podcast with Jamie mckaye Thanks to Brent
starkest of the leading agriculture brands,
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Fred You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
You got no Shine? Like to know you got no shine?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Geta New Zealand and Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay.
The show is brought to you by Brant Rock the Boat,
by the I think it's by the Hughes Corporation, Michelle
Chucktas and here a bit of a musical theme today
because continuing on from yesterday's theme on the show as
sort of a rowing rock the boat sort of theme, amazing,
seventy six year old Wire Rapp, a farmer judge of
(00:55):
the balance farm Environment towards Jamie Strang is attempting to
row across look straight to raise money for Farmstrong. What
a magnificent effort. We're going to go to Mack Dobson,
skipper of Black Pearl Fishing, and just attack. I'll tell
you who else is on the show today. We've got
Nathan Guy talking meat and Honey, my farming correspondent in
the UK, Farmer Tom Martin on what the new labor
(01:18):
government might mean for British farmers and why it always
reigns when Wimbledon's on. We're going to bid farewell to
a long time partner here on the country and Karen
Williams is a wire rapper, arable farmer. She's a mate
of Jamie Strang's, former vice president of Federated Farmers. She's
involved with the fmg who fund of course farm Strong
and we're going to talk a wee bit of farming
(01:40):
and how we can raise some money for farm Strong
courtesy the magnificent efforts of Jamie Strong. Let's see how
he's getting on right now, we can head to Nelly,
I think the middle of the cook straight. Mac Dobson,
skipper of Black Pearl Fishing Charters. How's he going, mack Hire.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
You mate, No, he's doing very well. We're almost at
the halfway point and he's yeah, he's just chugging along
like a little trooper.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well seventy six years of age. And I know he's
picked the weather perfectly. The cockstrait's nice and calm. It's
still a gutsy effort. How many kilometers does he have
to row?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Oh, we're looking about fourteen and a half nautical miles,
so it's pretty close to thirty kilometers.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, well, well that's a fair way. What sort of
swells has he got?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Just a light southerly swell at the moment. It's as
far as the Cookstrait goes. It's pretty perfect conditions.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Actually, so I'm assuming he's rowing what is he rowing
north to south or south to north.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Sort of we're going almost crossway west. Yeah, yeah, So
we left left macro Beach this morning at at ten
o'clock and it was only his zero degrees and he
took us top off fairly quickly and stripped the layer
because he's getting a bit warm. But we're in beautiful
sunshine and yeah, yeah, it's all going really well.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So what could possibly go wrong? From nothing or famous
last words, not nothing, but I mean, like, as long
as he hangs in there, he's going to get too.
I'm assuming the South Island. My question should have been,
as he going not north to south, but north to
South Island or south to north?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yes, yeah, So we're aiming for Pirano Head pretty much
tracking a beautiful straight line at the moment. There's a
little bit of tide pushing us north to south at
the moment, but we're tracking really well, very very straight.
So we've certainly got the shortest distance, and yeah, I
(03:43):
can't see anything that's going to change. The weather looks perfect,
and as long as he can hang in there, I
think it's fairly confident we're going to do it.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Hey, Mac, how long has this been in the planning?
Because he told me about it last year when I
was talking to him about the Balance Farm Environment Awards,
or earlier this year with us a judging Buddy Warwick Kaddo.
And then basically the only warning I got was a
text yesterday morning. And I think even he even surprised
Farm Strong. They had no idea that he was raising
(04:12):
money for their meath. So this is sort of secret
squirrel stuff.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Oh it was. These things take a little bit of planning,
but I swept first spoke to him. It would have
been late last year. But of course I'm very busy
over the summer with my charters, so finding a nice
day where I was free to get across was always
going to be a be an issue. And then I
went away. I got married in October and I went
(04:39):
away on my honeymoon, so I was away for six
weeks and got back a couple of weeks ago, and
thought right, that's put a plan in action. And yeah,
the weather this week's been absolutely perfect. So why wait, I.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Flew over the Mac. I flew over the cook Straight
last week. I'm glad he didn't attempt at then. Not
even not even the fairies could get across. Mind you,
that doesn't say much these days. Cooks Straight last week.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Yes, it's certainly been a very hard season for me.
With the weather. I'm probably this season has just been
extremely windy. But yeah, it's nice and settled in this
weather pattern.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Anyway, We're going to keep our eye on him and
see how he goes. Seventy six year old Jamie Strang
rowing across Cook Straight to raise money for Farmstrong Mac
because you have been kind enough to give us some
of your time while you're keeping an eye on them.
Skipper of Black Pearl Fishing Charters. If someone wants to
go fishing on the Cook Straight, they need good sea legs,
(05:41):
wouldn't they.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, a lot of my fishing is in close off
off the Manor coast. We launch it Manor, and yeah
we can certainly keep it relatively calm, even if there's
a wee bit of wind. But yeah, certainly a lot
of snapper and a lot of tearkey and kingfish and
things like that over the over the summer. I've actually
got a couple of rods here. We're going to see
if we can twist his arm when we get there
(06:06):
and catch a couple of blue CODs for dinner.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Maybe.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Oh brilliant.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Well.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Mac Dobson, skipper of Black Pearl Fishing Charters, thanks for
your time. We'll keep an eye on Jamie throughout the
rest of the hour. We'll get Michelle to give you
a ring a wee bit later in there, and we'll
just update the progress. So thank you very much for
your time.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Thank you, pleasure to talk.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
You will. Indeed, there we go, Mack Dobson. What a
great effort, right Michelle's in here. There is a give
a Little Page farm Strong. As I said, Michelle, good afternoon.
By the way, they were taken totally by surprise by
Jamie's fundraiser for farm Strong as well, so it's been
a bit of a rush job for them. But I
think they're in the process of getting a give a
Little page job.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
They are.
Speaker 7 (06:46):
Indeed, they're in the process of that right now. So
what we can do as we will share that link
as soon as it becomes fully live, So it'll be
some time, probably in the next half hour, i'd imagine,
before the show is finished, and you'll be about to find
it on a little and send in your donations for
his epic journey. But living a dream, catching blue cord
for dinner. I mean, Jamie, I think golf's the wrong
(07:08):
way to go. I think you know going in a
boat is the way you want to do it. Can
we talk you into rowing across the harbor here?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
No? No, no, I can't even hit a golf ball straight,
let alone rod straight, so I would be I would
be no good. Plus I get seasick. I get chronic
motion sickness when I was a kid, Michelle, this is
a really boring story. But when I was a kid,
we lived five cars sorry, five miles eight k's out
of Riversdale. I used to get carsick driving to Riversdale.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
And I know how straight that piece of road is, Jamie.
So yeah, well it's a bit.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Of a warm Well there you go. And it caused
me great embarrassment as a younger man when we used
to have a few bears in a vehicle as you
did back in the day. Thank goodness. The youth of
today are more sensible. Couldn't hold it down and I
got accused of all sorts of things. Anyhow, my problem
not yours. So you will update that give a little
page for us. What a great effort, What a great bloke.
(08:01):
I actually got a text from Warwick Kato who's in
a meeting. He's from Balance Agrinutrients, fellow judge of the
Balance Farm Environment Awards, and he says he hopes the
sharks are pekish. Those two are a great combination. They've
been traveling around the country for a number of years
together judging the Balance Farm Environment Awards. We're going to
take a break on the other side of it. Former
(08:23):
Minister of Agriculture just down the road away but from
Palmerston North is in horaf His name is a Nathan Guy,
current Chair of the Meat Industry Association and Apiculture Ian
z we'll have a look at the state of the
meat and honey industries in Blue. Nathan Guy is a
(09:01):
man who wears many hats in New Zealand agriculture of course,
a former Minister of Agriculture these days chair of the
Meat Industry Association and of Apiculture end Zed so We're
going to talk a wee bit of meat and honey
and maybe a wee bit of politics. Just to wrap
it up, Nathan, before we do all that, how are
things on the horror for newer dairy farm.
Speaker 8 (09:23):
I'll get a Jamie. I haven't caught up with you
since you got your honor very recently. Congratulations on that.
I don't know whether to call you Sue Jamie or
just Jamie the good bastard. I'll just shay, I just
stick with the latter.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, I'll take that, and then I'll humbly deflect or
pivot as they say, Nathan, and I'll move and I'll
move on to the subjects of my choice. Well, the
Meat Industry Association. You've got your Meat Industry conference coming
up later this month at Takena. I hope I got
that right where we had the primary industry somewhat in awards.
(09:57):
It's a brilliant venue.
Speaker 8 (10:00):
Your great Venue've been there a few times. And answer
your first question before we deflect and pivot. Things on
the farm going pretty well. We had a very dry
summer autumn, had some quite good rain through the winter,
but frost at the moment, covers are looking good and
carving starts next week. Then back on pivoting back on
to your other question. Yep, We've got our big red
meat sector conference. We do that in collaboration with Beef
(10:23):
and Lamb. It's in Wellington this time we move around
the country. We're looking like we've got about three hundred
coming to it and it is conference season at the moment.
Everyone seems to have a conference in about two months
over this window before things go crazy on farm. So
we're looking forward to a lot of people coming along
to our conference and it's going to be future focused
(10:45):
quite a bit on innovation and technology, international markets, with
Van Gallis coming along. Raysmith is going to be speaking
from MPI. Nikola Gregg is standing in for Minister Maclay
who's traveling somewhere around the world. So looking forward to
a pretty full on day.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
I'm reading from the press release it says Meat Industry
Association Chair Nathan Guy said this year's theme, from Our
Pasture to Your Plate, will cover emerging topics from across
the global red meat supply chain. Now, Nathan, this sounds
a wee bit like Rinson repeat to me, from our
(11:23):
Pasture to Your Plate? Haven't I heard that? Somewhere before
Oh you have, you have.
Speaker 8 (11:28):
Maybe we could have come up with a better title
or theme, But the reality is our farmers are up
against it at the moment. A lot of companies are struggling.
It's mainly on the back of China being a little
bit depressed in terms of their economic growth. As a
few green shoots appearing there now the US where Prime
Minister Luxem's up there this week. That's looking a bit
(11:50):
better for us now, particularly for beef. And when you
think about the two years of prolonged droughts that they've had.
I was reading the other day that they've had their
worst levels of beef culling since something like nineteen fifty one,
so seventy three years. They're going to take a long
time to rebuild. So that's going to be a positive
(12:12):
for beef farmers. I believe what.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Can you do for the sheep farmers, Nathan, because a
lot of my mates are still sheep farmers. They're telling
me this is as tough as the eighties.
Speaker 8 (12:25):
It was bloody tough. I've got a lot of mates
that are sheep farmers. Some of them farm on the
east coast of the North Art of the Mean smashed
with not only Cyclone Gabriel, but then another eight inches
of rain a couple of weeks ago. It's really tough.
Meat companies know it's tough. It all comes back to
well a couple of things. One is looking at markets
(12:48):
and we've just talked about China and we're going to
invest with beef and lamb and hopefully the government honor
in the country of origin regime out there, whereby we're
going to focus on our attribute because it's really competitive
in China. There's a lot more countries that have got
the equivalent of free trade access. Now our messaging is
(13:09):
lost in translation, so we need to be out on
the front foot. So we're looking forward to getting that
started later this year. In terms of the other issues
that farmers are facing, are these big headwinds of costs. Yes,
they had come back a little bit in terms of fertilizer,
wages have kept going up. There's a lot of also
(13:31):
costs coming out of local government now with rates rises
and also insurances on the back of Cyclone Gabriel and others.
So there's no silver bullet right now, Jamie, but it
will turn. It'll just take a bit longer than we'd
all hoped.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
How's agriculture end z going, how's the honey industry? I
understand tough times for the beekeepers as well.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
Yes, beekeepers are no different to our sheep farmers. Really,
it's certainly a real ruggle for them right now. Some
exporters are doing okay on the back of Manukah. We
came out with a strategy a couple of months ago
which was really Manuka focused. That's the biggest game in town.
And we know that we've got to work constructively with
(14:15):
other honeyes as well, and that's market opportunities. But really,
when you think about it, it's got to be Manukah first,
and a rising tide JFK. A rising tide floats all boats.
So if we can get the Manuka story right and
get deeper penetration and market, then there could well be
(14:35):
an opportunity for other honeys. But yep, it's tough right now,
and the uk FDA has helped honey. That's a small
and emerging market for us now that the tariffs have
been white so it's some upside there, but it's going
to take like red meat's going to take a bit
of a time, a bit of time for this to
(14:56):
turn as well.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Well, let's segue from JFK One of the great America
and presidents and pivot. It's such a terrible word, isn't it. Pivot.
It's like learnings. I hate it. But anyhow, we're pivoting
off to the election that's coming up this year. It's
going to be fascinating. It's like train wreck television watching
Fox TV. At the moment. Trump's going to waltz home
(15:18):
off the back of poor old Joe Biden, who was
a very good man in his day. He's lost the plot.
He's lost as marbles. He shouldn't be standing. This wouldn't
even happen in New Zealand.
Speaker 8 (15:30):
No interesting times, isn't it? In fact? Fascinating? Got a
wee way to go in November. Till November we see
if Kamala Harris comes in or not, if there's a change.
I think if I was heading down to the tab
I'd probably bet there is going to be a change
for the Democrats. And looks like yeah, Trump's riding high
(15:52):
at the moment, but we know that these campaigns are
long and anything could happen.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Hey Nathan guy, always good to catch up. Thanks for
your time on the country. Good on you man, Thanks Jamie,
thank you Nathan. It is twenty six after twelve. You're
with the country, brought to you by brand not a
bad shot actually from Blair Drysdale, arable farmer from Belfer
(16:20):
enemy territory. And you're a Bellcluther girl, so you'll know this. Michelle.
Belfer's just up the road from Riversdale very much, the
poor cousin of Riversdale and every aspect of life really.
But he said, be honest, it was the thought of
getting to Riversdale that major car sick. Not bad from you, blocker.
But all I can say about him is if you
(16:41):
count Andy Thompson as a friend, you probably haven't got
many mates anyhow. And someone else is correct correctly, correctly
admonishing me about cock strait.
Speaker 7 (16:52):
They are, indeed, Jamie, and I would like to let
listers know that I constantly have my grammar corrected. So
that's text sort of brings me a slight joy in
a way, just a slide.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
So what have I done wrong?
Speaker 7 (17:04):
Apparently it's cook straight, not the cook straight.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
I got to take that one on the chin, Thank you, listener.
And text it's like saying I've also got told off
saying the Hawk's Bay. It's not it's Hawk's Bay.
Speaker 7 (17:16):
You have got some bad habits as key.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Yeh, yeah, yeah, yeah we do. But I'm sure I'm
not the only one who says going across the Cook straight,
but I should have said going across Cook straight. Thank
you for the correction. Earlier this morning, I caught up
with farmer Tom Martin. Now, this guy's a big, big
social media influencer in British agriculture, got a hugely high profile.
(17:39):
He's good enough to be on our show every few weeks,
and talking about correcting. I had to correct him and
then he had to correct me. You're going to hear
all about it next on the Country. Before the end
of the hour, we're going to bid farewell to a
longtime partner here on the Country. But life goes on,
and Karen Williams up a farm a former vice president
(18:01):
of Federated Farmers These days, I think these days she's
with their FMG who are supporting farm Strong. So we're
gonna we're going to follow up on Jamie Strange's progress
as the attempts to row a boat across Cook straight,
not that Cook straight, Cook straight at the ripe old
age of seventy six. Whether she's cry He's a UK
(18:33):
correspondent farmer Tom Martin, based just north of London. Tom,
are you happy or depressed about your new government?
Speaker 6 (18:41):
Well, I don't know. I actually don't know. I'm sometimes
you know, you just please for a change. But there
is the chance of you know, big changes within farming,
so it could be a bit of a challenge. I
heard somebody, it's some old wag said the other day
farm and the labor diander the Conservatives. So yeah, I
think they might have a go at some of the
(19:02):
tax concessions. But but who knows, you know, maybe they'll
come out more in favor of UK production uh and
other infrastructure measures.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
So we'll have to see.
Speaker 6 (19:12):
We're really we're only four days in, Jaimie, so we'll
see how we get on.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Well, I'm reading about potential increases in capital gains text
or the removal of the a p R, which is
the agricultural property relief here. Yeah, so that that could
could that effect, could that, says, have a negative effect
on the price of land farm.
Speaker 6 (19:33):
Land, Yeah, it's I mean, it certainly could do. There
are people who are putting who have put money into
into farmland to pass it to the next generation. They've
also been looking at uh yeah, basically a land value
capture tax. So if you sell your land for building
(19:53):
or something, you know, you buy it as agricultural land
and sell it as something else. They you know that
there are a previous gu who would have you know,
who would have wanted a slice of that of that increase,
so you know, and that would that could definitely depress
LAMB prices. I mean it could also arrest building building
progress as well. And I have to say we've had
the very first talk speech today from our from our
(20:16):
new oh gosh in charge of finance, Finance Minister Treasurer
and uh Rachel Reeves, and actually she's very very pro building.
They're just set new house building targets which which actually
will probab yeah, hopefully be a good thing. We've we've
been a bit in the doldrums in the last fourteen
(20:37):
years with the Conservatives with house building. They've we've we've
had lots of ambitions and not a lot has happened.
So I don't know, we'll see sometimes the shakeups to
see a good thing.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
I thought you called your finance Minister, the Chancellor of
the Excheker of the exchecut. I'm having to correct you
in your own country.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
Tom, it's half us ten in the evening.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
You do ring me in these crazy times.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
I apologize getting wet. Of course, you're getting wet just
north of London. Wimbledon's on. Of course it's going to rain, Tom,
Even I know that on the other side of the world.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
The crops are all ripening. They're about a week off,
ready for harvesting. Yeah, you're right there. As soon as
they pitch a ball, and as soon as they said
the first punnet of strawberries at Wimbledon, the heavens open.
In fact, tonight we're forecasts three inches of rain on
the South coast and that will affect the farmers down there.
We've got an inch in the forecast up here in
the kind of East Midlands, if you call it, which
(21:27):
shouldn't do us too much harm. But yeah, three inches
of rain on standing crop just about ready for harvest
will cause some problems.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Well, Sir, Andy Murray's gone. I Redakan Who's gone? Courtesy
of air Kiwi Girl, A newly adopted Keywi girl. Look
just just one more on the politics before I moved
perhaps to farming and sport. Rushisuneck has gone. He fell
on his sword immediately. We're watching a really interesting documentary
here in New Zealand called The Rise and Fall of
Boris Johnson. Could he reinvent himself again for the Tory?
Speaker 6 (22:02):
I mean he was a very a very popular prime
minister or a very popular leader of the Conservative Party.
I mean, I wouldn't rule anything out, Oh sure he could.
But he was also became a bit of a laughing stock,
a bit of a buffoon. And I mean what you
guys saw over there, we saw over here, and it's
I don't know, it's hard to come back from that.
But then, you know, but then he did a great
(22:23):
job at getting the vaccines ready and out through COVID.
He you know, he was very good at setting the
the international response to Ukraine. So you know, he did
some good stuff. But he's also a bit of a
you know, a bit of a foppishlyn Formula one.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I see you've had a you've had a victory there,
Watson Lewis Hamil to me, Tom, we're one.
Speaker 6 (22:45):
The greatest champion of all time.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Okay, well one all on on mistakes or faux pas.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
One a fistful of Silverstone races of British Grand Prix,
which is I think he's won more Grand Prix in
one location then any other drivers won in one location.
So he's done well. But he called this this win
the most emotional because he's had very a very tough
time and had a real comeback to to take the
British Grand Prier must be a special moment to be
(23:13):
winning at home. So yeah, you've you've knocked Emma out
in in Wimbledon, but we've had we've had a good
time in the f one over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Well, if you and I are one always sound very
much a bit like the England football team and the Euros.
They're always drawing or getting mill aws. They're relying on
penalty shootouts. Can you do it? You have the Netherlands
and the semis Well, I mean.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
We've exercised the demon that is the penalty shootout and
we've had a few successive I think penalty shootouts on
the bounce and for a long long time that was
that was that was always what happened. England got through
to the semi finals and went out on penalties, normally
to Germany. But we'll see it's it's been. It's been
a bit lackluster. We've got a fantastic team on paper.
(23:56):
But you know, if they keep on not losing, I
say not losing rather than winning, because they've I think
they've won one game out of four. But if they
can keep on progressing, then who knows. They've got the talent,
they just need to put it together.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Well, you carry on keeping on not losing on paper.
Good luck to the three Lions. A farmer Tom, thanks
for standing out on the rain Wimbledon. Weak yarnt to
us on the country at ten thirty in the evening
your time. It is much appreciated.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Always a pleasure, neverick job, never great bloke.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Anyhow, we caught up with him a wee bit earlier
this morning. He was standing literally while standing out on
the rain because he gets better reception outside his house
than in to chat to us. Appreciate it. Up next,
we're going to have a look at the latest and
rural news with Michelle Watt. I'll have sports news for you.
We're going to farewell a longtime partner on the Country
(24:49):
but of a sad day and also Karen Williams, former
vice president of Federated Farmers. We're going to catch up
with her somewhere in the North Island. I think she
he is at a ball sale today, and we're going
to update Jamie Strange's efforts to row a boat across
Cook straight seventy six years of age to raise money
(25:10):
for Farmstrong. What a bloody champion bloke. Look. Sorry about
(25:33):
the wee bit of dead air there, totally my fault.
The reason was I was just pre reading the sports news,
which I should do more often, and I was there's
a week story in there about the Afghanistan having a
female sprinter and I was just checking whether it was
the same sprinter who was at Tokyo and I think
she finished dead last. She might have run and what
(25:54):
do you call the headcover helped me out here, Michelle,
something like that. Yeh. Anyhow, we'll try and get to
the bottom of this one. This is I don't want
to say the bottom of this one. When I'm playing
Billy Ocean and poor old Jamie strings rolling across an ocean.
So just to keep up with our nautical theme, a
wee bit of Billy Ocean, great eighties music. But anyhow,
(26:20):
here's Royal News with Michelle.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
The Country's World News with Coup Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn bower Bread. Visit steel for dot co
dot Nz for your local stockist.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
A Greenpeace campaigner says proposed RIMA reforms risk freshwater health.
MPs are hearing submissions on the second phase of reforms
and the bill, including proposals to remove some freshwater considerations
from resource consent applications and decisions will Alplebee says the
regulations ensure the health of freshwater ecosystems and community drinking supplies.
(26:54):
He says removing these regulations means we will all be
the cost of polluting air waters caused by extents of
farming practices.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Is that a Greenpeace story? Is that Greenpeace? Well, you're
quote in Greenpeace, aren't you? Did you not get the
memo when you joined the show? Obviously not about what
you're allowed to broadcast and what you're not if be
held up by the broadcasting standards authorities, which is me
in this particular case, Greenpeace stick to saving Wales. That's
(27:22):
just my thoughts on it. Has he got anything more
for us? I do?
Speaker 7 (27:25):
A struggling New Zealand dairy processor is reminding shareholders to
have their say as its future hangs in the balance.
There will be a vote on Thursday whether to accept
one hundred and thirty million dollar lifeline loan from a
major Chinese shareholder, four days before its debt deadline. Sinlay
cheer George Adams says he wants people to make sure
they voice their preference so there are no regrets on
(27:46):
Friday morning. He sees their shareholders own around forty one
percent of the business and if they don't go out
and vote and it's voted against, they only had themselves
to blat.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I didn't see them having any choice at all. Sin Lay.
The trouble at mill there, right, that's rural news. They're
and apologies to my sisters if they're listening. They're big
Greenpeace supporters, but yeah, I just think I just wish
they'd stick to their knitting and leave farming alone.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Sport with AFCO. Visit them online at AFCO dot co
dot nz.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
So thirty two year old winger full circle should I
say for footballer Marcus Rojas. The thirty two year old
winger has signed with the Phoenix for the A League season,
the first professional club he represented from two thousand and
nine to twenty eleven, back to where it all started.
Well done, and there's a story here. Seven time Wimbledon
(28:41):
champion Novak Jocobit will face ninth seed Alex Deminor. I'm
unsure of the pronunciation of that one. Normally they have
it written phonetically in brackets, they haven't in this case.
In the quarter finals. I don't even I don't know
if I even know the bloke, to be honest, and
I followed tennis, and this is the story that got
me the dead air at the beginning of the sweet segment.
(29:04):
Afghanistan will have a female presence at the Paris Olympics,
despite the Taliban rule. Twenty twenty one Tokyo flag bearer.
So she was at Tokyo. Kimia you, Sophie, I hope
I got that right again. Will attend her third games,
racing in the one hundred meters and Michelle, your job
before the end of the hour is to find out
(29:25):
where she finished. I'm sure she finished dead set last,
but got a great ovation from the crowd at Tokyo.
Good honor for going and good honor for defying the Taliban.
Up next, we bid farewell to a longtime partner of
us here on the country who's going.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
On a.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Bit of a sad day to day on the country
because we are bidding farewell to one of our long
time partners, Volkswagen. My relationship with VW goes back a
decade to twenty fourteen, when we ran a wonderful promotion
around a Springbok test at the Caketon and Wellington. From
literally hundreds of entries, we picked four farmers from the
(30:17):
North Island four from the South, chucked them in a
brand new, brand spanking new Amarock and told them both
to drive to Wellington and meet us there. We all
arrived in time for the test match. As an added bonus,
we got to rub shoulders with Richie mccaor at the
after match function. It was wonderful. I've been in radio
for thirty years and I would have to rate that
(30:37):
one is my third best ever radio promo that we've run.
Giving away a trip to the Rugby World Cup in
twenty fifteen worth forty six grand was pretty special, But
my best radio or our best radio promo was that
same year twenty fifteen giving away a brand new Amarok
worth sixty grand. So we've got a great, wonderful history
(30:58):
with the company. We are bidding each other farewell and
it's on the best terms. Scott dug And Commercial Manager,
National sales Manager for Volkswagen. I just want to thank
you and all your team, Rodney Gillard before you, Tom
Ruddenclaw who's now running power Farming. It's been a wonderful
relationship and I'll tell you what, You've got a wonderful product.
Good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
Yes, hi, Jamie, you're lovely to speak to you. So
it has been quite a rich and happy ten years.
So it's a bit of a said farewell, unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
But life goes on and life will go on for
both of us as well the motive vehicle industry at
the moment, it's challenging times. But I put it to
you and I'm banging on about this all the time
and people must get sick and be saying it. But
we just need we need the Reserve Bank to throw
us a bone. We need to drop that ocr even
by twenty five basis points before Christmas. Hopefully it will
(31:51):
happen and then it might encourage some sentiment in the
economy because things are really tough out there.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Most most interestings are down. Unfortunately, our industry is also
stop suffering. There is a few green shoots we're starting
to see, which is nice. So the end of last
month we did see a little bit of a pack up.
We measure a lot of not just sales, but inquiry
levels and just just people come through websites, So there's
a little bit more activity, but certainly feels very tough
(32:21):
out there. But as I said, coming through it said
all it needed a few changes and then then we'll
be back. So which kind of means it's never been
a better time to buy because there's there's plenty of
deals being done their dealerships now, so it could be
a good time to actually save some money.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
Well, you can absolutely negotiate a good deal at the moment.
I guess if we look back to twenty fourteen or
back in the past decade, Scott, I think the big
change has been the proliferation, if that's the correct word
of the four wheel drive utes.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
Yes it has, and you can see for the last
ten years the top five in cars New Zealand, three
of them have been utes. So suddenly that that ute love,
that key we have has really really flourished in the
last decade or so, so and it continues. You know,
am Rock is now the second biggest volume driver for
(33:17):
our group, so utes out cell hatchbacks, for Dan's, you
name it.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Well. They are a multi purpose vehicle. Absolutely, absolutely the Amrock.
I just can't say enough about it. It's a wonderful vehicle.
Have we seen the death of the evs or will
they come again?
Speaker 5 (33:35):
So they're starting to pick up. Obviously, there was a
huge spike at the end of last year because of
that that change the government regulation very slow to take off.
There was that hangover for the first three months. It's
starting to plane out now. There's still plenty of manufacturers
investing in EV technology and bringing new vehicles to market.
(33:57):
So it doesn't mean to say that our ice vehicles,
so our petrol and diesels are still going to be
extremely popular, but it's nice having that alternative fuel source
as a second option. A lot of R and D
going into hydrogen, so there's a few manufacturers leading the
charge with hydrogen. There's just a lot of infrastructure required
(34:19):
for them as alternative fuel sources. So that's a long
term plan. That's a ten to fifteen even twenty year
plan for new fuels. However, electric we kind of have
it here and now, and that technology is getting better
and better. We see the first electric van for our brand, Volkswagen,
(34:39):
coming at the end of this year, and the range
of those vehicles are over five hundred kilometers, so suddenly
the similar vehicles we were selling three or four years
ago only two or three hundred kilometers, So it is
getting better and better.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Hey, Scott Dugan, a national sales manager for Volkswagen, There's
never been a better time by way to go in
and negotiate a deal on one of the brand new
model Hammearrocks. Thank you very much for the association over
the past ten years. To you and Kirsty, She's been
wonderful to deal with as well. Good luck in the future,
my friend.
Speaker 5 (35:12):
Thank you, Jamie, to you and your team as well.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
All about the future, Thank you, Scott. Hey, some interesting
texts coming and should we start farming Wales with an
h that would give greenpeace a bit of a conundrum
from Dean. Good on you, Dean and mus regular text
to Muz said Jamie, I'd rather swim in any rural
bloody river than any damn river in the urban area.
(35:38):
I'm with you there, muzz The most poluted waterways in
this country aren't in a rural New Zealand. They're in
urban New Zealand. Green Peace sometimes just forget that anyhow. Yeah,
farming Wales, there's a good idea, but then the Japanese
might come down and start hunting them. Can I say that?
I don't know anyhow. Up next, we're going to wrap
it with Karen Williams. An update Jamie straan attempt to
(36:01):
row across Cook Strait to raise money for farm Strong
Who's God.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
From dead Man's Terms anchor.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Me Welcome back to the country. Brought to you by Brandt.
We just can't get a hold of Karen Williams. Will
try and get her on tomorrow's show. Former president Vice
president of Federated Farmer. She would have got the top
job if she'd stayed there, but she chose to pass
it over to Wayne Yolo Langford. He's doing a pretty
(36:39):
good job. Hey, that almost wraps us up. Michelle's wandered
out of the studio, I said to a whip out
and wring our man mac Dobson, skipper of Black Pearl
Fishing Charters. He's on the Cook Straight at the moment,
we're going to see how Jamie's going. He was nearing
the halfway point. This is seventy six year old Jamie Strang,
(37:03):
judge of the Balance Farm Environment Awards. Here she comes in, Ridio.
What's the update, Michelle? What do you got? What do
you got for me? Be quick?
Speaker 7 (37:11):
You're going fifteen? Just over fifteen. Ka's in and he's
doing really well. Just having some lunch, a bit of
a drink now and they're trying to convince him to
catch a blue cord for his dinner.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Well, there you go. So he's basically there's that kind
of halfway, is it?
Speaker 7 (37:23):
Well, just go over Halfway's just over halfway. He's doing awesome.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Yep, rightyo, Okay, there we go. So that's Jamie Strong.
Now does it? Give a little page? I've promised him
a hundred bucks as long as he doesn't drown, and
it doesn't look like he's going to drown. How do
you give money? Michelle?
Speaker 7 (37:36):
Just go to the give a Little Page. I'll put
the line up on her Facebook site so you can
find it shortly, or you can go to Farmstrong.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
Dot cod yes and just donate directly. Look, this is
a great fundraiser for farm Strong. Please support it. I
will be I will urge you to do the same
as well. That's us done and dust that. We'll catch
you back with the Acting Prime Minister tomorrow. Winston Anchor
men catch all the latest from the land.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
It's the Country podcast with Jamie mckaye Thanks to Brent
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