July 14, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Damien O'Connor, Kate Acland, Todd Clark, and Mark de Lautour.
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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 Brent starkest of the
leading agriculture brands. We get in.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
When down, Get there again soon, Nacha Wild, Gavin bad.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Now, Sam and the.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Get a New Zealand Try turning a mic on Jamie McKay.
This is the Country. It's brought to you by Brandt.
I'm a bit ruffled, to be perfectly honest, because I've
got Damian O'Connor on hold him. We're going to play
nice today, a Labour's trade spokesperson, because we are going
to chat about the devastation in his electorate. Even though
(00:55):
he's no longer the electorate MP, it's still near and
dear to his own heart or West Coast Tasman, particularly
the Tasman Regent. And I said to him off air,
what can we argue about today? And we neither of
usk could think of anything. How tragic is that? Are
we going to talk to Kate Ackland, the chair of
Beef and Lamb New Zealand, on why we're importing beef
(01:17):
from Australia and yesterday's submissions Beef and Lambs Damien might
have been involved in this one as well to Parliament's
Environments Select Committee on Carbon Farming and the exemptions to
the December fourth announcement from last year. Todd Clark, Kentucky
based US farming correspondent. You are not going to believe
(01:37):
folks what they're paying for beef in America at the moment.
And no wonder they don't mind paying the tariffs because
they set a new state record in Kentucky earlier in
the week. Mark Delatour, chief executive of Open Country Dairy,
Yellow Gold. Yeah, butter and cheese. They're opening a new
butter factory Open Country Dairy. Is it going to make
(02:00):
butter or cheese for that matter cheaper in this country?
And if I can track them down before the end
of the hour. Jim Hopkins, Water politics and the politics
of water, Damien, I kind of joined us to kick
off the show. Damien, West Coast Tasman. You're old electorate.
It's truly tragic what's happened there. Have you had a
(02:20):
good look around it?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Yes, I've been up a couple of times and spent
a number of days as best I could get around.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
Of course, after the.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
First event went up and had a look down the
Monoaca Valley. Had to sneak in around a few roads,
but respectful of the road closures, of course, but they
did let me through a couple of them just to
talk to people. You know, rivers, huge amount of gravel
coming down, rivers that had just gone through the stock banks,
and you know, people hadn't seen anything like that. That
(02:50):
was the first event, and indeed in some areas, the
Motte Valley in particular, it was worse the other day.
And so it's pretty hard on people, you know, through
the homes, you know, literally washing away fences, washing away land,
hammering some of these areas of orchard, one pair orchard
there with a lot of infrastructure, framing, the very best
(03:12):
of technology, just getting hammered by the water.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
So a big shockol around for everyone.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
They're kind of sick of it, and everything saturated, and
it's going to take quite some time and there will
be expectations, I guess of government stepping up here. It's
not just roading, but actually it's hammered people in a
way that none of them could have prepared for.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Mind you, the government can't afford to keep on paying
for every natural disaster. We have as much sympathy as
we have for the good folk in your electorate. It's
not the first time and it definitely won't be the last.
Are people going to get hung out eventually to dry?
No bad pun intended by the insurance industry over these.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
No doubt.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
And there'll be some people affected by this last event
to events that aren't ensured at all, and for them
it's a tragic. To come back to the point. And
I know there's some discussion about it. You know, what
should people expect EQC? You know, it has its limits.
Councils may have approved, you know, building in certain areas.
(04:16):
You know, what should people expect by way of protection
through flood banks or stop banks? These are all quite
complex issues and there is I think an expectation from people.
Speaker 6 (04:26):
Who buy a place. You look at the limb. You
sometimes have to look at the local plan to work out.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
Whether you're in a high risk area, whether there's something
on the limb, and indeed, you know if it's been approved,
and if it has been approved, then I think there
is some obligation back on central and local government and
it might mean that they just got to be a
bit more careful before they kind of rush out and
sign off on everything. And actually that runs completely contrary
to what the present government is saying about. You know,
(04:54):
we'll just leave it to the market, take off the regulations.
You can just go for it. Unfortunately, that might mean
down the track that you're you know, you're left high
and dry.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Have we got it badly wrong when it comes to
extract and gravel from some of these rivers. That's a
common complaint I hear from farmers.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Yes we have. You know, New Zealander is basically rising
up out of the ocean. We're being washed down out.
Speaker 6 (05:16):
To sea, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
And what I hear is, of course you've got to
let the natural river flow, but it's within stopbanks often
and so the minute you put an intervention in place,
then you've got to you know, there are actions and
reactions and you've got to follow that up. And the
gravel the hills are being washed down. There is more
(05:39):
gravel in the vast majority of rivers and taking some
out won't prevent some of these events, but a stitch
in time saves nine. And there are many, many, many
examples in Tasman in particular, where people have asked for
sensible extraction they haven't been allowed and now they get
pretty pissed off. Look that extraction wouldn't have stopped the flooding.
(05:59):
But you know, it's it's a good bit of public
relations and it's sensible that we do what we can
when we.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Can absolutely adaptation versus mitigation. Do we just have to
learn to live with these climate events.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Well, a bit of both. So if we end up
at three degrees increase in global warming, it's going to
be disastrous. And so we do have to do what
we can to reduce global warming, and that's an international effort.
If you read some of the reports, they are quite
scary when it comes to ice caps and the poles,
and you know, these kind of acute events which we
(06:36):
were warned about many years ago are likely to be
more frequent, and so we have to do a bit
of both. We can't just give up and say there's
nothing we can do and we'll just have to mitigate,
you know, and adapt. We really have to try and
reduce our effect on global warming in sensible ways, which
is effectively more efficient use of hydrocarbons. And then we're
(06:58):
going to have to be very careful where we build.
Speaker 6 (07:00):
How we build, and you know what materials we build with.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
We can't finish this chat, though, man without arguing about something.
Maybe we can argue about climate change and the root
cause of it all. Man burning fossil fuels rather than
ruminants emitting methane because their numbers haven't increased. Will that
get a bite?
Speaker 6 (07:20):
Well, I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
You know, we certainly had a few more dairy house
and animals in New Zealand and was here then we're
here probably two hundred and fifty years ago, so you
know we have contributed. We've chopped down quite a bit
of bush if you might have noticed. And I guess
the question is should we all make an effort to
do what we can or should.
Speaker 6 (07:39):
We just give up and say, well, it's up to China.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
In the US, look, you know, the top ninety countries,
the ninety countries that produce, you know, relatively small amounts,
you know, add up to about thirty percent of global warming.
And so if we all do our bit, then we'll
make some progress. And it's not just cows, it's not
just transport, it's all of those things. Let's see what
we can do.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Ah.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
I sort of feel disappointed, I know, so so will.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
The listeners I'm sure I think they appreciate it a healthy,
robust debate, and I hope that people can respectfully have
their out around the community. Farming community in particular. You
don't like getting into an argument with your neighbor, but
if it's about something worthwhile and you do it respectfully,
then it's got to be productive.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
With your Irish background and heritage, you're not happy unless
you have an argument anyhow.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
Well, that's exactly that's why the Irish, you know, some
of the best educated people in the world. You know,
one of the oldest universities in the world, because they've
been doing it for a long time, and I'm proud.
Speaker 6 (08:40):
Of that heritage.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Damien, oh, kind of thanks for your time, be Shammy.
There we go, Damien O'Connor argument free today on the Country.
It's sixteen alfter twelve. Send us your feedback on five
double oh nine. I thought Damien covered off the flood's
flooding situation rather well, and that is his home patch.
He's been the electorate MP for a long long time,
(09:04):
so we'll I heard him seeing some of that damage
in the Tasman Region's region. Our thoughts go out to
you folk up next Kate Ackland. She was in Parliament
I think yesterday, presenting to Parliament's Environments Select Committee on
carbon farming and why the hell are we importing beef
from Australia. Before the end of the hour, you will
(09:26):
not believe what they're paying for beef. A new state
record in the sale yards in Kentucky with Todd Clark
and Mark delatour Open Country Dairy. They're opening a butter factory.
They're going to make butter and cheese cheaper in this country.
We'll tell you before the end of the hour.
Speaker 7 (09:42):
We like far now we'll have a favor you can down.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
Sudsday we get it.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Bang on twenty after twe here on the country. Kate
Ackland is the chair of Beef and Land New Zealand.
I'm going to talk carbon farming in a minute. That'll
get Dennis neil Neilson's blood boiling. But before we do that, Kate,
why are we importing beef from Australia? I presume the
answer is because we just can't produce enough of it
(10:19):
at home. Good afternoon, Hi Jamie.
Speaker 7 (10:22):
Yeah, look at the straight supply and demand thing. So
go through this winter there's been a bit of a
shortage in New Zealand, and Processes has been doing a
really great job of getting really good prices for our
products overseas. So it is a straight supply issue. I
think it's going to be short lived, but you know
acknowledge it's probably disappointing for some key we consumers wanting
(10:43):
to support local.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Exactly a bit later in the air, we're going to
talk to our US farming correspondent and the numbers I'll
keep my powder dry are eye watering, Kate, what they're
paying for beef in the US at the moment domestically,
and I guess that bodes well for US. With Trump's tariffs,
there's seemed to be as long as we start at
the base rate of ten percent, and who knows whether
we will, but at this stage it bodes well for
(11:07):
US exporting meat into the US.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
Well, look, there's I mean, we know there's a global
shortage of progem particularly be so you know it's a
really positive outlook for farmers.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Let's take it now.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Yesterday we've just talked to Damian O'Connor. I didn't get
a chance to mention it to him, but you were
presenting let me have a lot of submissions to Parliament's
Environments Select Committee effectively on carbon farming regarding the exemptions
to that December before announcement last year, and I discussed
this one on yesterday's show. Effectively I think, are we
(11:41):
closing the stable door after the horse has bolted a
bit here?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (11:46):
Look, we I mean, as you know, Beef and mansmen
leading the charge on this forestry issue, and initially we
were really supportive that the government was taking some action.
But you know, when we actually sat down and crunched
the numbers on this what the propos you know, although
it's a good first stiff, it's probably not going to
go far enough. And we're really concerned that even with
all of the proposed limitations, we're still going to see
(12:08):
really significant areas of good productive she can be farm,
go into trees.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Give me an example of what you don't like about
this proposed legislation.
Speaker 7 (12:17):
Well, the two issues really. The first one is around
the exemptions category. It's just loose as anything for that
needs to be tightened. But the main concern we've got
actually around the quota on land class six. And we
know from the research that we've done looking at the
whole farm conversions that have happened over the last five years,
eighty nine percent of those have been on land class
(12:39):
six to eight. So even with the proposed restrictions they
are putting in place, it's still going to be about
twenty five thousand heaptares a year of whole farm conversions
on top of the twenty five percent that people can
do on any land class. So you know, we're still
projecting a million heapdares of whole farm conversion by twenty fifty.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
But shouldn't we be encouraging the planting of trees on,
for instance, land class eight as long as it's not
too steep and it all doesn't get washed down the
gully and out the rivers during flooding.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
Look that there is absolutely issues with landcarslight, you know,
and it's all about getting the right tree in the
right spot. And I think what we like about that
twenty five percent rule that does put in place is
it actually allows for farmers to plant trees within their farms,
on the land where it makes sense for their property.
And you know, the foresters can win because they're still
(13:35):
planting trees, but we're actually planting them in the right spots.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Well, if you've given, and quite rightly property rights. Farmers
can plant up to twenty five percent of their farm.
We want to get rid of the blanket planting. Everyone
agrees on that, or nearly everyone does. But do we
still run the risk of a run on the bank
in terms of pastoral land, even even arable land that
(13:59):
we've got left in this country, Because if carbon credits
carry on their merry wades, probably more money in planting
trees than there is in farming livestock.
Speaker 7 (14:09):
Look, I think that's the fundamental issue, is that New
Zealand is the only country in the world apart from
cover Stone, but allows one hundred percent offsetting, and so
he has created this really sort of false economy that
is the ETS. I think the important thing to point
out too is there's no proposed restrictions on planting trees.
It's only on entering them into the ETS. So if
(14:30):
it still makes good sense to plant a forest for
production on land class seven or eight, there's nothing to
stop people doing that. All the proposals doing is removing.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
That sort of Yeah, but no one's going to plant
a tree unless they can get a carbon credit. You'd
be a mugnazu.
Speaker 7 (14:47):
Well, I think and this is the problem, right Jamie.
It's driving that sort of false economy and effectively subsidizing
the plant lot.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Logic would suggest the biggest issue is the one hundred
percent of setting.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
Absolutely agree, yep. So we need to get those settings right.
But in the meantime we need to get some urgent
restrictions in place because we know changes to the eats
are not going to happen quickly.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
How is things going or how are things going? Should
I say on the mid Canterbury Farm.
Speaker 7 (15:18):
Well, like myst of New Zealand, we're we're so. I'm
actually up in Marlble today and it's a beautiful sunny
day up here, but gosh, there's water lying everywhere. So
really feeling to the people over the hill have had
it even worse than Mailbriths.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Yeah, terrible, terrible scenes, but at least the sun is shining.
And Phil dunk And said yesterday they're going to have
a good week or ten days to aid in the recovery.
Heaven knows they need it. Hey, Kate Ackland, thanks for
some of your time at short notice. Appreciate it, great,
nice to talk there. We go Chair of Beef and
Lamb New Zealand, Kate Aklands, and I think we hit
(15:52):
the nail on the head there, didn't we The biggest
problem is what is it US and Kazzakistan. I don't
think I got that right either. The only countries in
the world that allow one hundred percent offsetting for exotic plantations.
Maybe therein lies the problem with the carbon farming. Up next,
you get a pen and paper out, or if you're
(16:13):
not a boomer, get your laptop or your iPad out,
or just remember these numbers if you're smart enough to.
We've been doing some calculations on how much American farmers
are getting paid for beef. Some of these numbers are
I watering. That's up next with Todd Clark in Kentucky.
(16:46):
He's a US farming correspondent. Todd Clark based in Bluegrass Country, Lexington, Kentucky.
And Todd, you sent me a wonderful video from the
Paris Stockyards, just northwest of Lexington, Kentucky, where an all
time state record was set for thousand pounds stairs. In fact,
(17:08):
they were one thousand and thirty eight pounds. They went
for three thousand and twelve US dollars per head. That
is enormous money. Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
It is. It is enormous money. And it's also good
news because as a farmer, where I was always holding
our breath to thinking that you know that this week
is the week the prices start to fall, and we're
hanging steady. It's not continuing to tick up just a
(17:42):
little bit. So it's it's uncharted waters for us to
receive the sort of money that we're receiving. But even
baby calves, well newborn calves, dairy calves, there's not a
lot of those in Kentucky, but those would be six
seven hundred dollars apiece. And that's just craziness to pay
(18:05):
that much for a two or three day old cash.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
And let's just remind people of the exchange rate, it's
sixty US cents to one New Zealand dollar. Todd. I
don't want to bore you with numbers, but I do
like numbers. I converted your one thousand and thirty eight
pounds to kilograms four hundred and seventy two kilograms live
weight across the scales and US dollars. That's six dollars
thirty eight a kilogram. But when I put in the
(18:29):
sixty cent exchange rate to give you a New Zealand equivalent,
it is New Zealand ten dollars sixty three live weight.
And then I've even gone one step further and I've
taken the yield, which you told me would be about
sixty percent. That equates to seventeen dollars seventy New Zealand
per kilogram on the hooks. That is huge money. It
(18:51):
is in the.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
A lot of agriculture in the US is having tough
times because of weather, in markets, and tariffs and in
all sorts of different things.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
But the.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
US beef farmers are we're trying to we're trying to
hide our enthusiasm because it's certainly our pay day and
we've we've waited years since the last time we had
a really good payday and we're having it now.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
And that's it's good news.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
It's keeping lots of farms afloat, that's.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
For sure, Hey Todd, No wonder US consumers can afford
to pay the tariffs. At the moment, we're on the
base rate of ten percent tariff. You guys just seem
to be quite happy to pay that because you desperately
need our beef for your hamburgers. Trump interestingly has threatened
Canada with thirty five percent, Mexico and the EU with
(19:49):
thirty percent, and there is talk of the base tariff,
which we're on at the moment of ten percent, maybe
going to fifteen or twenty percent. How are his tariffs
being received at home?
Speaker 2 (20:00):
For the most part, it's not felt except for a
few industries and so one, especially here in Kentucky is Bourbon,
and so the Bourbon industry nine percent of that product
is produced here in Kentucky, and tariffs have really caused
that to slow down. But as you pointed out, with
(20:22):
the beef, based on the prices we're receiving, it's it's
not a big deal to pay the tariff to get
beef from you all, and in other places it's still
probably a decent buy compared to what we're being paid here.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Unbelievable. You talked about the weather. We've seen the devastation
in Texas. Want to start with Kentucky and go down
to Texas. How some are treating you because you're like
in the height of summer.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Now we are, we're in the what I would call
the dog days of summer, so really long days and
it doesn't get dark until nine thirty or something like that.
And but just normal for us, but really hot. So
as we as we talk this evening, it's or evening
here in Kentucky, it's thirty thirty one degrees celsius and
(21:15):
that's just not unusual. So I think the feel like
temperature is more like thirty four or thirty five celsius.
We're continuing to get rain, so that's that's good. It
takes about an inch a week for us to maintain
our soil moisture. And the last time we talked, we
were getting close to a year's worth of rainfall in
(21:37):
six months, and we did surpass that. We've we've already
received our annual rainfall in at the end of June,
first part of July, and at this point it's continuing.
We'll see if it if the faucet turns off at
some point, but.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
We hope not todd really quickly to finish on it
could be with you could be in Tike.
Speaker 6 (22:01):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Thee and I know you all have had really bad
flooding in New Zealand as well, but in Texas it
was flash flooding and and I've lost track of how
many people have perished, but at one point between people
that had passed passed away that were found and people
that couldn't be found, it was over three hundred people.
(22:22):
And so just a really bad situation that happened very quickly,
and there is weather extremes and it just seems like
that every day is a different day with something else
that we have to battle weatherwise.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Todd Clark, thanks to your ton from Lexington, Kentucky. You
Americans keep paying those record prices for bait. We love
it and see you light up. T Jamis think Yeah,
I'm in twenty five y from one Gee you're getting
stuck in on the text line. Thank you for texting
us on five double O nine. Where do I start with?
(22:59):
Some of that Ossie beef is Brahman shite minus the
E writes the text. You can't cut it with your chainsaw.
WTF on us beef? Says Katrina. Just to follow up
on what Kate Acklan was talking about, the tree planting,
(23:21):
the carbon farming that's contributing to more habitat for feral
pests to breed out of control. So there goes your
predator free by twenty fifty. Ted that's actually a very
good point. Another text coming in about a contractor down
in Southland, large scale contractor running a conveyor for crutching
(23:41):
and tailing business based out of the Gore area. He's
lost thirty of his clients to trees. Here's another one
from Chris Damien. Even when he sounds reasonable, you get
stuck into him anyhow, Damien, But this is a fair comment.
(24:01):
Damien was also saying there are a lot more animals
around than there were two hundred and fifty years ago.
But Chris our texta rights all that flat land is
now farmed. It used to be swamp exuding methane by
the megaton. Good commentary. Right now, we've got our first
winner for the Storm Force Kaiwaker Parker as worn by
(24:24):
Scott Barrett, the All Black Captain, and it is Melissa
McCrae from Southland. Well done, Melissa. So if you would
like to win a Storm Force Parker from Kywalker, all
you need to do, Michelle Good afternoon is go to
our website and register.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Right.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's correct, kid too the country dot co dot MZ.
You'll see the picture of Scott Barrett there all the
little headline. Click on that follow the directions and fill
it out and.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
You could win a jacket or even better.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yeah, you want announce this one because it's quite big news.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Well no, it's not big news. We broke it yesterday.
I mean we've got the daily Consolation prize, minor prize,
the major premiership. Is you, one lucky listener and a
friend can join the Kiwaker crew on a fishing trip
along with their ambassador, Scott Barrett, who knows a thing
or two about fishing, grew up right beside the sea
coastal Taranaki there. So all you've got to do, as
(25:18):
Michelle said, is go to our website the country dot
co dot in zed and be like Melissa and register
and you are in the draw. So we've got it.
Doesn't matter where you are in the country. We've got flights, accommodation,
a couple of storm Force Parkers as well, and we'll
throw in two hundred and fifty dollars cash to cover
any odd expenses that might crop up. I can't think
(25:40):
of anything. I think you'll be fed and watered quite
nicely on the boat. So the website is the Country
dot co dot in Z. Go there and register. You
are in the drawer and we'll announce the winner of
the Kaiwaker Storm Force Parker on tomorrow's show. I would
like to pick someone, so all you people like the
Nelson Tasma region look, please enter today and we'll look
(26:03):
fondly upon your entry for tomorrow. But today's lucky winner
is Melissa McCrae from Southland. You can check out those
jackets by the way at Kywalker Clothing dot com. Up
next to the Latest and Rural News and sports news.
Before the end of the hour, Mark de Latour yellow
Gold butter. They're going to make it an open country dairy.
(26:24):
But will it make it any cheaper for you folks
out there? I will tell you before the end of
the hour, were again welcome back to the country, brought
to you by Brandt. Very shortly the latest and rural
news and sports news. But I want to talk about
something that I'm a big fan of personally and especially
(26:44):
in our farming operation, and that is fixing milk prices.
So milk prices they're up, they're down, Let's be honest,
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Speaker 1 (28:04):
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Speaker 4 (28:12):
Stockist seventeen away from one. Here's Michelle, What were the
latest and rural and news. What have you got drinking
milks good for you?
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Who didn't know that, Jamie. But anyway, some new researchers
come out of Australia supporting the role that milk plays
and improving cognitive function and quality of life and older
our adults with mild cognitive impairments. The A two Milk
company funded the work and it showed that the A
one protein free A one PF milk may provide this
age group with better outcomes. And the study, which was
(28:40):
published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, found
daily consumption of two serves of ordinary skim milk or
A one PF over three months was beneficial to a
bought broad range of cognitive measures. Of course, this was
a conductor over eighty eight Chinese adults age between sixty
five to seventy five, so quite a smallish study, but
you know, interesting outcomes there.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
Yeah, I hope Hopkins is drinking milk ahead of his
appearance on the show today.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
I bring you a big glass of milk every day,
don't I no cup of tea?
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Oh look, I'm a big milk drinker lover. Anyhow, that's it,
Federated Farmers if you can help out and Nelson Tasman,
what do you do?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, So if you can help out with all the
adverse weather events, they've got a fund set up just
call oh eight hundred farming and one hundred percent of
the support goes to the farmers up there. So if
you can help out, please do.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Sport were the avco Kiwi to the bone since nineteen
oh four, so you.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Might have heard him with Heather this morning. Scrum guru
Mike Kron admits the Wallabies are only an outside chance
of winning the first Test against the Lions and Brisbane
on Saturday. The former All Black set piece specialist is
working as an assistant to Australian coach Joe Schmidt. The
West Indies, bug of them have avoided sharing the mantle
with New Zealand for the lowest completed Test score innings
(29:55):
by one run. During the third match against Australia and Jamaica,
they were dismissed for twenty seven in the one hundred
and seventy six run loss. The country's Our country's record
of twenty six against England remains at seventy years. Not
out nice writing and Tactic's general manager Kate Agnew herself
(30:17):
the daughter of a former All Black Robin archer and
the husband of Big don Agnew sympathies, thoughts and prayers
for that one, Kate. But Kate believes reducing the length
of netballs A and Z Premiership has increased demand for tickets.
The season saw the number of rounds drop from three
to two and it's been quite entertaining. I must admit
I've enjoyed the A and Z Premiership this year when
(30:40):
I'll be watching it up next White white Gold. Let's
try yellow gold butter and cheese with Mark de Latour
from Open Country Dairy. Let's talk yellow gold butter and cheese.
I guess she's as yellow as a Ark de Lator,
(31:00):
chief executive of Open Country Dairy.
Speaker 8 (31:03):
Yeah, it is, it is. Certainly the cheese is gold
and the butter from New Zealanders is gold because we
grasped Jamie. So yeah, we're pretty excited here about the
commissioning of our butter plant.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
We've got a global dairy trade auctions and I want
to come back to that one. But when you guys
open your butter plant in the next few days, is
this going to provide more competition on the domestic front?
For butter and cheese because poor old Fonterra Mark, and
I know you'll be shedding tears for Fonterra getting it
in the neck at the moment about why butter and
cheese is so expensive in New Zealand.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Yeah, I guess some of the advantage of not having
Nikola willis visiting me on that, Jamie. But no, look,
our focus for our butter planters is export. You know,
Open Country are and export focused company, you know, and
that's quite frankly where the best returns are, Jamie. So
you know, I do feel a little bit for Miles
getting that phone call because he'll be struggling with the
(32:01):
fact that international butter prices are very very high. That's
where the best returns for farmers are and unfortunately for
New Zealand, we're kind of going to have to keep
up with those those numbers.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So you're telling me you can make more money exporting
it than you can selling it onto the domestic market.
Speaker 8 (32:18):
Yeah, Jane, I mean, and you know some of that
is economies of scale obviously. You know, you can be
doing dozens of containers internationally and your costs are lower
than servicing New Zealand. But you know that that's again
just economic reality where you know, natural fats butter are
demanding a premium. So the world's going going back to
(32:40):
that model now.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
One of the great promotions you guys at Open Country
do it Field days is for any suppliers they get
a block of a cheese or one kilogram block a
cheese or whatever, and it's brilliant. I don't know why
you don't sell it domestically because I'm sure you could
put a premium on it. That shit is to die for.
Speaker 8 (32:59):
Yeah, I'll take that one, Jamie. I'm the team at
Wahara do a great job on the cheese. Were just
actually won a Best New Zealand Cheese for our Cheddar
in the International Cheese Awards, So we do really well
in the New Zealand Awards, but we do enter our
cheese internationally as well, and we just got gold for
(33:21):
Best New Zealand Cheese for our Cheddar and so that
was both for the vintage and mild, so that's really good.
We're really proud of that. And you know, as our supplies,
you get to enjoy some of that, Jamie. Just you
know you will get some butter price relief this coming year. Jamie,
And for open country supplies, I'll get some of that butter.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Yeah, that's only if you're supplying open Country, which is
what less than twenty percent of the country's dairy farmers. Anyhow,
I got my block home, and before people accuse me
of being a bloodshet, I am a supplier. It's bloody
hard to get your cheese home because it always gets
pinched from the fridge in the house we stay at
in Hamilton.
Speaker 6 (33:58):
We joke it's a bit of a traded gar.
Speaker 8 (34:00):
See they're cheese. But I guess back to the serious stuff, Jamie,
it is you know, that's the international market at the moment.
You cheese, but those types of products are demanding in
a real premium and for the country, I guess along
that continue.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Yep, who needs bitcoin when you can have butter and cheese?
GDT auction tonight. But the guy I ring up every
Tuesday or every second Tuesday's Mike McIntyre at Jarden. He's
their futures, their derivative Sky. He's saying the auction's going
to be flat to down one percent. But interestingly, and
I'll get your comment on that mark, But interestingly, milk
(34:34):
futures currently sit for this coming season twenty five twenty
six at nine dollars eighty six. Considering we've had three
or four falls in a row, that that's an incredibly
strong number.
Speaker 8 (34:46):
Yeah, it is, it is, I think, Jenny, And I mean,
we've just completed our latest edition of Talk Milk, which
is a newsletter to supplies, and mathematically our milk price
over this coming season is sort of forecast just on
the that ten dollar mark at the moment, so around
the ten dollars, and we're sort of saying that that's
still outperforming futures. But you know, futures is a sentiment
(35:07):
type thing, and right now you've got to save a
few dark clouds on the horizon, Jomie, so sentiments down
a little bit.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
But you know, let's be honest.
Speaker 8 (35:17):
I think anywhere between say nine to fifteen ten dollars
season this coming season, following the last season's result, it
will be a good good outcompanies inland dairy farmers.
Speaker 4 (35:26):
So Mark Delator, tell me where open country dairy suppliers
will finish the twenty four twenty five season, the one
we've just finished. Because Fonterra and I hate to keep
throwing Fonterra at Fonterra at you mark that they don't
give a number until September. Have you you guys figured
yours out yet?
Speaker 8 (35:43):
Yeah, Well, we're just about to finalize our fourth period,
that last milk period for the four last seasons many
and at the moment, our forecast midpoint for that period
is ten dollars seventy last last period, so that would
mathematically give us a season average. We don't normally spend
(36:05):
too much time talking about the season average because it's
not how we pay, but we'd probably got a bit
ten oh seven type number ten oh eight maybe depending
on the region. But you know that ten seventy midpoints
a pretty strong way to finish last season. So we
tend to split that fourth season into two payments, Jamie.
(36:25):
It's due actually the end of August, but we pay
half of the milk solids in July because obviously at
this time of the year, cashload for farmers is pretty tight.
So we pay half of that last settlement in July
and then balance it out in the end of August
once we've washed everything up to the season.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
What a wonderful company to supply and you get a
block of cheese at Field days. Mark Tellerto thanks for
your time for a block of cheese. I'd do anything.
I can't wait for your butter see you later, be mate. Yep,
we'll run out of time to speak to Jim Hopkins.
I promised to get him on the show tomorrow. Drink
a bit of milk before you come on, Jim, but
up NeXT's going to wrap it with some of your
(37:03):
really good feedback back. Then it is so far away
from one wrapping it with some of your feedback. Remember,
go to our website The Country dot co dot nz
if you want to go fishing with all Black captains
Scott Barrett, Sharon Wrights. I only came in part way
through Damien's interview. He was actually talking some sense re
clearing out the rivers or was I imagining it? Getting
(37:26):
to more of your feedback, and there's lots of it,
I apologize, I can't get through it all. This is
the first time I've ever agreed with Damien. Feel like
I need a shower, says Muzz. Still a bitter and
twisted man, Muzz, but I love your feedback. Here's a
good one. We drove through the Kentucky state ten days
ago from Nashville to Chicago to watch a NASCAR NASCAR
(37:47):
Street race. Kentucky looked fantastic, by far the best looking
agricultural land we saw across eleven states in the US
that we visited. And you're dead right, I've been lucky
enough to beat a Todd's Place, Tucky Bluegrass. It is
farmland to die for. We'll catch you back with the
PM tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, your specialist in
John Deere machinery,
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Brent starkest of the
leading agriculture brands. We get in.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
When down, Get there again soon, Nacha Wild, Gavin bad.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Now, Sam and the.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Get a New Zealand Try turning a mic on Jamie McKay.
This is the Country. It's brought to you by Brandt.
I'm a bit ruffled, to be perfectly honest, because I've
got Damian O'Connor on hold him. We're going to play
nice today, a Labour's trade spokesperson, because we are going
to chat about the devastation in his electorate. Even though
(00:55):
he's no longer the electorate MP, it's still near and
dear to his own heart or West Coast Tasman, particularly
the Tasman Regent. And I said to him off air,
what can we argue about today? And we neither of
usk could think of anything. How tragic is that? Are
we going to talk to Kate Ackland, the chair of
Beef and Lamb New Zealand, on why we're importing beef
(01:17):
from Australia and yesterday's submissions Beef and Lambs Damien might
have been involved in this one as well to Parliament's
Environments Select Committee on Carbon Farming and the exemptions to
the December fourth announcement from last year. Todd Clark, Kentucky
based US farming correspondent. You are not going to believe
(01:37):
folks what they're paying for beef in America at the moment.
And no wonder they don't mind paying the tariffs because
they set a new state record in Kentucky earlier in
the week. Mark Delatour, chief executive of Open Country Dairy,
Yellow Gold. Yeah, butter and cheese. They're opening a new
butter factory Open Country Dairy. Is it going to make
(02:00):
butter or cheese for that matter cheaper in this country?
And if I can track them down before the end
of the hour. Jim Hopkins, Water politics and the politics
of water, Damien, I kind of joined us to kick
off the show. Damien, West Coast Tasman. You're old electorate.
It's truly tragic what's happened there. Have you had a
(02:20):
good look around it?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Yes, I've been up a couple of times and spent
a number of days as best I could get around.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
Of course, after the.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
First event went up and had a look down the
Monoaca Valley. Had to sneak in around a few roads,
but respectful of the road closures, of course, but they
did let me through a couple of them just to
talk to people. You know, rivers, huge amount of gravel
coming down, rivers that had just gone through the stock banks,
and you know, people hadn't seen anything like that. That
(02:50):
was the first event, and indeed in some areas, the
Motte Valley in particular, it was worse the other day.
And so it's pretty hard on people, you know, through
the homes, you know, literally washing away fences, washing away land,
hammering some of these areas of orchard, one pair orchard
there with a lot of infrastructure, framing, the very best
(03:12):
of technology, just getting hammered by the water.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
So a big shockol around for everyone.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
They're kind of sick of it, and everything saturated, and
it's going to take quite some time and there will
be expectations, I guess of government stepping up here. It's
not just roading, but actually it's hammered people in a
way that none of them could have prepared for.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Mind you, the government can't afford to keep on paying
for every natural disaster. We have as much sympathy as
we have for the good folk in your electorate. It's
not the first time and it definitely won't be the last.
Are people going to get hung out eventually to dry?
No bad pun intended by the insurance industry over these.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
No doubt.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
And there'll be some people affected by this last event
to events that aren't ensured at all, and for them
it's a tragic. To come back to the point. And
I know there's some discussion about it. You know, what
should people expect EQC? You know, it has its limits.
Councils may have approved, you know, building in certain areas.
(04:16):
You know, what should people expect by way of protection
through flood banks or stop banks? These are all quite
complex issues and there is I think an expectation from people.
Speaker 6 (04:26):
Who buy a place. You look at the limb. You
sometimes have to look at the local plan to work out.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
Whether you're in a high risk area, whether there's something
on the limb, and indeed, you know if it's been approved,
and if it has been approved, then I think there
is some obligation back on central and local government and
it might mean that they just got to be a
bit more careful before they kind of rush out and
sign off on everything. And actually that runs completely contrary
to what the present government is saying about. You know,
(04:54):
we'll just leave it to the market, take off the regulations.
You can just go for it. Unfortunately, that might mean
down the track that you're you know, you're left high
and dry.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Have we got it badly wrong when it comes to
extract and gravel from some of these rivers. That's a
common complaint I hear from farmers.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Yes we have. You know, New Zealander is basically rising
up out of the ocean. We're being washed down out.
Speaker 6 (05:16):
To sea, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
And what I hear is, of course you've got to
let the natural river flow, but it's within stopbanks often
and so the minute you put an intervention in place,
then you've got to you know, there are actions and
reactions and you've got to follow that up. And the
gravel the hills are being washed down. There is more
(05:39):
gravel in the vast majority of rivers and taking some
out won't prevent some of these events, but a stitch
in time saves nine. And there are many, many, many
examples in Tasman in particular, where people have asked for
sensible extraction they haven't been allowed and now they get
pretty pissed off. Look that extraction wouldn't have stopped the flooding.
(05:59):
But you know, it's it's a good bit of public
relations and it's sensible that we do what we can
when we.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Can absolutely adaptation versus mitigation. Do we just have to
learn to live with these climate events.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Well, a bit of both. So if we end up
at three degrees increase in global warming, it's going to
be disastrous. And so we do have to do what
we can to reduce global warming, and that's an international effort.
If you read some of the reports, they are quite
scary when it comes to ice caps and the poles,
and you know, these kind of acute events which we
(06:36):
were warned about many years ago are likely to be
more frequent, and so we have to do a bit
of both. We can't just give up and say there's
nothing we can do and we'll just have to mitigate,
you know, and adapt. We really have to try and
reduce our effect on global warming in sensible ways, which
is effectively more efficient use of hydrocarbons. And then we're
(06:58):
going to have to be very careful where we build.
Speaker 6 (07:00):
How we build, and you know what materials we build with.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
We can't finish this chat, though, man without arguing about something.
Maybe we can argue about climate change and the root
cause of it all. Man burning fossil fuels rather than
ruminants emitting methane because their numbers haven't increased. Will that
get a bite?
Speaker 6 (07:20):
Well, I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
You know, we certainly had a few more dairy house
and animals in New Zealand and was here then we're
here probably two hundred and fifty years ago, so you
know we have contributed. We've chopped down quite a bit
of bush if you might have noticed. And I guess
the question is should we all make an effort to
do what we can or should.
Speaker 6 (07:39):
We just give up and say, well, it's up to China.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
In the US, look, you know, the top ninety countries,
the ninety countries that produce, you know, relatively small amounts,
you know, add up to about thirty percent of global warming.
And so if we all do our bit, then we'll
make some progress. And it's not just cows, it's not
just transport, it's all of those things. Let's see what
we can do.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Ah.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
I sort of feel disappointed, I know, so so will.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
The listeners I'm sure I think they appreciate it a healthy,
robust debate, and I hope that people can respectfully have
their out around the community. Farming community in particular. You
don't like getting into an argument with your neighbor, but
if it's about something worthwhile and you do it respectfully,
then it's got to be productive.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
With your Irish background and heritage, you're not happy unless
you have an argument anyhow.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
Well, that's exactly that's why the Irish, you know, some
of the best educated people in the world. You know,
one of the oldest universities in the world, because they've
been doing it for a long time, and I'm proud.
Speaker 6 (08:40):
Of that heritage.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Damien, oh, kind of thanks for your time, be Shammy.
There we go, Damien O'Connor argument free today on the Country.
It's sixteen alfter twelve. Send us your feedback on five
double oh nine. I thought Damien covered off the flood's
flooding situation rather well, and that is his home patch.
He's been the electorate MP for a long long time,
(09:04):
so we'll I heard him seeing some of that damage
in the Tasman Region's region. Our thoughts go out to
you folk up next Kate Ackland. She was in Parliament
I think yesterday, presenting to Parliament's Environments Select Committee on
carbon farming and why the hell are we importing beef
from Australia. Before the end of the hour, you will
(09:26):
not believe what they're paying for beef. A new state
record in the sale yards in Kentucky with Todd Clark
and Mark delatour Open Country Dairy. They're opening a butter factory.
They're going to make butter and cheese cheaper in this country.
We'll tell you before the end of the hour.
Speaker 7 (09:42):
We like far now we'll have a favor you can down.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
Sudsday we get it.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Bang on twenty after twe here on the country. Kate
Ackland is the chair of Beef and Land New Zealand.
I'm going to talk carbon farming in a minute. That'll
get Dennis neil Neilson's blood boiling. But before we do that, Kate,
why are we importing beef from Australia? I presume the
answer is because we just can't produce enough of it
(10:19):
at home. Good afternoon, Hi Jamie.
Speaker 7 (10:22):
Yeah, look at the straight supply and demand thing. So
go through this winter there's been a bit of a
shortage in New Zealand, and Processes has been doing a
really great job of getting really good prices for our
products overseas. So it is a straight supply issue. I
think it's going to be short lived, but you know
acknowledge it's probably disappointing for some key we consumers wanting
(10:43):
to support local.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Exactly a bit later in the air, we're going to
talk to our US farming correspondent and the numbers I'll
keep my powder dry are eye watering, Kate, what they're
paying for beef in the US at the moment domestically,
and I guess that bodes well for US. With Trump's tariffs,
there's seemed to be as long as we start at
the base rate of ten percent, and who knows whether
we will, but at this stage it bodes well for
(11:07):
US exporting meat into the US.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
Well, look, there's I mean, we know there's a global
shortage of progem particularly be so you know it's a
really positive outlook for farmers.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Let's take it now.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Yesterday we've just talked to Damian O'Connor. I didn't get
a chance to mention it to him, but you were
presenting let me have a lot of submissions to Parliament's
Environments Select Committee effectively on carbon farming regarding the exemptions
to that December before announcement last year, and I discussed
this one on yesterday's show. Effectively I think, are we
(11:41):
closing the stable door after the horse has bolted a
bit here?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (11:46):
Look, we I mean, as you know, Beef and mansmen
leading the charge on this forestry issue, and initially we
were really supportive that the government was taking some action.
But you know, when we actually sat down and crunched
the numbers on this what the propos you know, although
it's a good first stiff, it's probably not going to
go far enough. And we're really concerned that even with
all of the proposed limitations, we're still going to see
(12:08):
really significant areas of good productive she can be farm,
go into trees.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Give me an example of what you don't like about
this proposed legislation.
Speaker 7 (12:17):
Well, the two issues really. The first one is around
the exemptions category. It's just loose as anything for that
needs to be tightened. But the main concern we've got
actually around the quota on land class six. And we
know from the research that we've done looking at the
whole farm conversions that have happened over the last five years,
eighty nine percent of those have been on land class
(12:39):
six to eight. So even with the proposed restrictions they
are putting in place, it's still going to be about
twenty five thousand heaptares a year of whole farm conversions
on top of the twenty five percent that people can
do on any land class. So you know, we're still
projecting a million heapdares of whole farm conversion by twenty fifty.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
But shouldn't we be encouraging the planting of trees on,
for instance, land class eight as long as it's not
too steep and it all doesn't get washed down the
gully and out the rivers during flooding.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
Look that there is absolutely issues with landcarslight, you know,
and it's all about getting the right tree in the
right spot. And I think what we like about that
twenty five percent rule that does put in place is
it actually allows for farmers to plant trees within their farms,
on the land where it makes sense for their property.
And you know, the foresters can win because they're still
(13:35):
planting trees, but we're actually planting them in the right spots.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Well, if you've given, and quite rightly property rights. Farmers
can plant up to twenty five percent of their farm.
We want to get rid of the blanket planting. Everyone
agrees on that, or nearly everyone does. But do we
still run the risk of a run on the bank
in terms of pastoral land, even even arable land that
(13:59):
we've got left in this country, Because if carbon credits
carry on their merry wades, probably more money in planting
trees than there is in farming livestock.
Speaker 7 (14:09):
Look, I think that's the fundamental issue, is that New
Zealand is the only country in the world apart from
cover Stone, but allows one hundred percent offsetting, and so
he has created this really sort of false economy that
is the ETS. I think the important thing to point
out too is there's no proposed restrictions on planting trees.
It's only on entering them into the ETS. So if
(14:30):
it still makes good sense to plant a forest for
production on land class seven or eight, there's nothing to
stop people doing that. All the proposals doing is removing.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
That sort of Yeah, but no one's going to plant
a tree unless they can get a carbon credit. You'd
be a mugnazu.
Speaker 7 (14:47):
Well, I think and this is the problem, right Jamie.
It's driving that sort of false economy and effectively subsidizing
the plant lot.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Logic would suggest the biggest issue is the one hundred
percent of setting.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
Absolutely agree, yep. So we need to get those settings right.
But in the meantime we need to get some urgent
restrictions in place because we know changes to the eats
are not going to happen quickly.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
How is things going or how are things going? Should
I say on the mid Canterbury Farm.
Speaker 7 (15:18):
Well, like myst of New Zealand, we're we're so. I'm
actually up in Marlble today and it's a beautiful sunny
day up here, but gosh, there's water lying everywhere. So
really feeling to the people over the hill have had
it even worse than Mailbriths.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Yeah, terrible, terrible scenes, but at least the sun is shining.
And Phil dunk And said yesterday they're going to have
a good week or ten days to aid in the recovery.
Heaven knows they need it. Hey, Kate Ackland, thanks for
some of your time at short notice. Appreciate it, great,
nice to talk there. We go Chair of Beef and
Lamb New Zealand, Kate Aklands, and I think we hit
(15:52):
the nail on the head there, didn't we The biggest
problem is what is it US and Kazzakistan. I don't
think I got that right either. The only countries in
the world that allow one hundred percent offsetting for exotic plantations.
Maybe therein lies the problem with the carbon farming. Up next,
you get a pen and paper out, or if you're
(16:13):
not a boomer, get your laptop or your iPad out,
or just remember these numbers if you're smart enough to.
We've been doing some calculations on how much American farmers
are getting paid for beef. Some of these numbers are
I watering. That's up next with Todd Clark in Kentucky.
(16:46):
He's a US farming correspondent. Todd Clark based in Bluegrass Country, Lexington, Kentucky.
And Todd, you sent me a wonderful video from the
Paris Stockyards, just northwest of Lexington, Kentucky, where an all
time state record was set for thousand pounds stairs. In fact,
(17:08):
they were one thousand and thirty eight pounds. They went
for three thousand and twelve US dollars per head. That
is enormous money. Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
It is. It is enormous money. And it's also good
news because as a farmer, where I was always holding
our breath to thinking that you know that this week
is the week the prices start to fall, and we're
hanging steady. It's not continuing to tick up just a
(17:42):
little bit. So it's it's uncharted waters for us to
receive the sort of money that we're receiving. But even
baby calves, well newborn calves, dairy calves, there's not a
lot of those in Kentucky, but those would be six
seven hundred dollars apiece. And that's just craziness to pay
(18:05):
that much for a two or three day old cash.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
And let's just remind people of the exchange rate, it's
sixty US cents to one New Zealand dollar. Todd. I
don't want to bore you with numbers, but I do
like numbers. I converted your one thousand and thirty eight
pounds to kilograms four hundred and seventy two kilograms live
weight across the scales and US dollars. That's six dollars
thirty eight a kilogram. But when I put in the
(18:29):
sixty cent exchange rate to give you a New Zealand equivalent,
it is New Zealand ten dollars sixty three live weight.
And then I've even gone one step further and I've
taken the yield, which you told me would be about
sixty percent. That equates to seventeen dollars seventy New Zealand
per kilogram on the hooks. That is huge money. It
(18:51):
is in the.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
A lot of agriculture in the US is having tough
times because of weather, in markets, and tariffs and in
all sorts of different things.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
But the.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
US beef farmers are we're trying to we're trying to
hide our enthusiasm because it's certainly our pay day and
we've we've waited years since the last time we had
a really good payday and we're having it now.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
And that's it's good news.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
It's keeping lots of farms afloat, that's.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
For sure, Hey Todd, No wonder US consumers can afford
to pay the tariffs. At the moment, we're on the
base rate of ten percent tariff. You guys just seem
to be quite happy to pay that because you desperately
need our beef for your hamburgers. Trump interestingly has threatened
Canada with thirty five percent, Mexico and the EU with
(19:49):
thirty percent, and there is talk of the base tariff,
which we're on at the moment of ten percent, maybe
going to fifteen or twenty percent. How are his tariffs
being received at home?
Speaker 2 (20:00):
For the most part, it's not felt except for a
few industries and so one, especially here in Kentucky is Bourbon,
and so the Bourbon industry nine percent of that product
is produced here in Kentucky, and tariffs have really caused
that to slow down. But as you pointed out, with
(20:22):
the beef, based on the prices we're receiving, it's it's
not a big deal to pay the tariff to get
beef from you all, and in other places it's still
probably a decent buy compared to what we're being paid here.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Unbelievable. You talked about the weather. We've seen the devastation
in Texas. Want to start with Kentucky and go down
to Texas. How some are treating you because you're like
in the height of summer.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Now we are, we're in the what I would call
the dog days of summer, so really long days and
it doesn't get dark until nine thirty or something like that.
And but just normal for us, but really hot. So
as we as we talk this evening, it's or evening
here in Kentucky, it's thirty thirty one degrees celsius and
(21:15):
that's just not unusual. So I think the feel like
temperature is more like thirty four or thirty five celsius.
We're continuing to get rain, so that's that's good. It
takes about an inch a week for us to maintain
our soil moisture. And the last time we talked, we
were getting close to a year's worth of rainfall in
(21:37):
six months, and we did surpass that. We've we've already
received our annual rainfall in at the end of June,
first part of July, and at this point it's continuing.
We'll see if it if the faucet turns off at
some point, but.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
We hope not todd really quickly to finish on it
could be with you could be in Tike.
Speaker 6 (22:01):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Thee and I know you all have had really bad
flooding in New Zealand as well, but in Texas it
was flash flooding and and I've lost track of how
many people have perished, but at one point between people
that had passed passed away that were found and people
that couldn't be found, it was over three hundred people.
(22:22):
And so just a really bad situation that happened very quickly,
and there is weather extremes and it just seems like
that every day is a different day with something else
that we have to battle weatherwise.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Todd Clark, thanks to your ton from Lexington, Kentucky. You
Americans keep paying those record prices for bait. We love
it and see you light up. T Jamis think Yeah,
I'm in twenty five y from one Gee you're getting
stuck in on the text line. Thank you for texting
us on five double O nine. Where do I start with?
(22:59):
Some of that Ossie beef is Brahman shite minus the
E writes the text. You can't cut it with your chainsaw.
WTF on us beef? Says Katrina. Just to follow up
on what Kate Acklan was talking about, the tree planting,
(23:21):
the carbon farming that's contributing to more habitat for feral
pests to breed out of control. So there goes your
predator free by twenty fifty. Ted that's actually a very
good point. Another text coming in about a contractor down
in Southland, large scale contractor running a conveyor for crutching
(23:41):
and tailing business based out of the Gore area. He's
lost thirty of his clients to trees. Here's another one
from Chris Damien. Even when he sounds reasonable, you get
stuck into him anyhow, Damien, But this is a fair comment.
(24:01):
Damien was also saying there are a lot more animals
around than there were two hundred and fifty years ago.
But Chris our texta rights all that flat land is
now farmed. It used to be swamp exuding methane by
the megaton. Good commentary. Right now, we've got our first
winner for the Storm Force Kaiwaker Parker as worn by
(24:24):
Scott Barrett, the All Black Captain, and it is Melissa
McCrae from Southland. Well done, Melissa. So if you would
like to win a Storm Force Parker from Kywalker, all
you need to do, Michelle Good afternoon is go to
our website and register.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Right.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's correct, kid too the country dot co dot MZ.
You'll see the picture of Scott Barrett there all the
little headline. Click on that follow the directions and fill
it out and.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
You could win a jacket or even better.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yeah, you want announce this one because it's quite big news.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Well no, it's not big news. We broke it yesterday.
I mean we've got the daily Consolation prize, minor prize,
the major premiership. Is you, one lucky listener and a
friend can join the Kiwaker crew on a fishing trip
along with their ambassador, Scott Barrett, who knows a thing
or two about fishing, grew up right beside the sea
coastal Taranaki there. So all you've got to do, as
(25:18):
Michelle said, is go to our website the country dot
co dot in zed and be like Melissa and register
and you are in the draw. So we've got it.
Doesn't matter where you are in the country. We've got flights, accommodation,
a couple of storm Force Parkers as well, and we'll
throw in two hundred and fifty dollars cash to cover
any odd expenses that might crop up. I can't think
(25:40):
of anything. I think you'll be fed and watered quite
nicely on the boat. So the website is the Country
dot co dot in Z. Go there and register. You
are in the drawer and we'll announce the winner of
the Kaiwaker Storm Force Parker on tomorrow's show. I would
like to pick someone, so all you people like the
Nelson Tasma region look, please enter today and we'll look
(26:03):
fondly upon your entry for tomorrow. But today's lucky winner
is Melissa McCrae from Southland. You can check out those
jackets by the way at Kywalker Clothing dot com. Up
next to the Latest and Rural News and sports news.
Before the end of the hour, Mark de Latour yellow
Gold butter. They're going to make it an open country dairy.
(26:24):
But will it make it any cheaper for you folks
out there? I will tell you before the end of
the hour, were again welcome back to the country, brought
to you by Brandt. Very shortly the latest and rural
news and sports news. But I want to talk about
something that I'm a big fan of personally and especially
(26:44):
in our farming operation, and that is fixing milk prices.
So milk prices they're up, they're down, Let's be honest,
they're pretty unpredictable, with Fonterra's latest forecast range ranging from
eight dollars to eleven dollars, so it's tough to plan
ahead with comm diference. That kind of volatility can make
a big impact on your bottom line. That's why Figured
(27:06):
the key we made farm financial software trusted by over
half of New Zealand's dairy farms, has introduced milk price Protection.
It's a proactive new tool that helps you take control
of your income by letting you lock in a minimum
milk price. If the market drops, you're protected, and if
prices go up, you still benefit from the higher return.
(27:28):
What do you got to lose? It's quick to set up,
simple to use, and directly integrated with your cash flow planning.
Whether you're familiar with price protection or brand new to it,
this tool is built with real farmers in mind. So
stop riding the milk price roller coaster, take control, plan
ahead and protect your income. Learn more at Figured dot
(27:51):
com slash or Forward slash Milk. That's Figured dot com
slash milk.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
The country's world views with coup Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn bower brand. Visit Steel for dot co
dots for your local.
Speaker 4 (28:12):
Stockist seventeen away from one. Here's Michelle, What were the
latest and rural and news. What have you got drinking
milks good for you?
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Who didn't know that, Jamie. But anyway, some new researchers
come out of Australia supporting the role that milk plays
and improving cognitive function and quality of life and older
our adults with mild cognitive impairments. The A two Milk
company funded the work and it showed that the A
one protein free A one PF milk may provide this
age group with better outcomes. And the study, which was
(28:40):
published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, found
daily consumption of two serves of ordinary skim milk or
A one PF over three months was beneficial to a
bought broad range of cognitive measures. Of course, this was
a conductor over eighty eight Chinese adults age between sixty
five to seventy five, so quite a smallish study, but
you know, interesting outcomes there.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
Yeah, I hope Hopkins is drinking milk ahead of his
appearance on the show today.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
I bring you a big glass of milk every day,
don't I no cup of tea?
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Oh look, I'm a big milk drinker lover. Anyhow, that's it,
Federated Farmers if you can help out and Nelson Tasman,
what do you do?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, So if you can help out with all the
adverse weather events, they've got a fund set up just
call oh eight hundred farming and one hundred percent of
the support goes to the farmers up there. So if
you can help out, please do.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Sport were the avco Kiwi to the bone since nineteen
oh four, so you.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Might have heard him with Heather this morning. Scrum guru
Mike Kron admits the Wallabies are only an outside chance
of winning the first Test against the Lions and Brisbane
on Saturday. The former All Black set piece specialist is
working as an assistant to Australian coach Joe Schmidt. The
West Indies, bug of them have avoided sharing the mantle
with New Zealand for the lowest completed Test score innings
(29:55):
by one run. During the third match against Australia and Jamaica,
they were dismissed for twenty seven in the one hundred
and seventy six run loss. The country's Our country's record
of twenty six against England remains at seventy years. Not
out nice writing and Tactic's general manager Kate Agnew herself
(30:17):
the daughter of a former All Black Robin archer and
the husband of Big don Agnew sympathies, thoughts and prayers
for that one, Kate. But Kate believes reducing the length
of netballs A and Z Premiership has increased demand for tickets.
The season saw the number of rounds drop from three
to two and it's been quite entertaining. I must admit
I've enjoyed the A and Z Premiership this year when
(30:40):
I'll be watching it up next White white Gold. Let's
try yellow gold butter and cheese with Mark de Latour
from Open Country Dairy. Let's talk yellow gold butter and cheese.
I guess she's as yellow as a Ark de Lator,
(31:00):
chief executive of Open Country Dairy.
Speaker 8 (31:03):
Yeah, it is, it is. Certainly the cheese is gold
and the butter from New Zealanders is gold because we
grasped Jamie. So yeah, we're pretty excited here about the
commissioning of our butter plant.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
We've got a global dairy trade auctions and I want
to come back to that one. But when you guys
open your butter plant in the next few days, is
this going to provide more competition on the domestic front?
For butter and cheese because poor old Fonterra Mark, and
I know you'll be shedding tears for Fonterra getting it
in the neck at the moment about why butter and
cheese is so expensive in New Zealand.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Yeah, I guess some of the advantage of not having
Nikola willis visiting me on that, Jamie. But no, look,
our focus for our butter planters is export. You know,
Open Country are and export focused company, you know, and
that's quite frankly where the best returns are, Jamie. So
you know, I do feel a little bit for Miles
getting that phone call because he'll be struggling with the
(32:01):
fact that international butter prices are very very high. That's
where the best returns for farmers are and unfortunately for
New Zealand, we're kind of going to have to keep
up with those those numbers.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So you're telling me you can make more money exporting
it than you can selling it onto the domestic market.
Speaker 8 (32:18):
Yeah, Jane, I mean, and you know some of that
is economies of scale obviously. You know, you can be
doing dozens of containers internationally and your costs are lower
than servicing New Zealand. But you know that that's again
just economic reality where you know, natural fats butter are
demanding a premium. So the world's going going back to
(32:40):
that model now.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
One of the great promotions you guys at Open Country
do it Field days is for any suppliers they get
a block of a cheese or one kilogram block a
cheese or whatever, and it's brilliant. I don't know why
you don't sell it domestically because I'm sure you could
put a premium on it. That shit is to die for.
Speaker 8 (32:59):
Yeah, I'll take that one, Jamie. I'm the team at
Wahara do a great job on the cheese. Were just
actually won a Best New Zealand Cheese for our Cheddar
in the International Cheese Awards, So we do really well
in the New Zealand Awards, but we do enter our
cheese internationally as well, and we just got gold for
(33:21):
Best New Zealand Cheese for our Cheddar and so that
was both for the vintage and mild, so that's really good.
We're really proud of that. And you know, as our supplies,
you get to enjoy some of that, Jamie. Just you
know you will get some butter price relief this coming year. Jamie,
And for open country supplies, I'll get some of that butter.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Yeah, that's only if you're supplying open Country, which is
what less than twenty percent of the country's dairy farmers. Anyhow,
I got my block home, and before people accuse me
of being a bloodshet, I am a supplier. It's bloody
hard to get your cheese home because it always gets
pinched from the fridge in the house we stay at
in Hamilton.
Speaker 6 (33:58):
We joke it's a bit of a traded gar.
Speaker 8 (34:00):
See they're cheese. But I guess back to the serious stuff, Jamie,
it is you know, that's the international market at the moment.
You cheese, but those types of products are demanding in
a real premium and for the country, I guess along
that continue.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Yep, who needs bitcoin when you can have butter and cheese?
GDT auction tonight. But the guy I ring up every
Tuesday or every second Tuesday's Mike McIntyre at Jarden. He's
their futures, their derivative Sky. He's saying the auction's going
to be flat to down one percent. But interestingly, and
I'll get your comment on that mark, But interestingly, milk
(34:34):
futures currently sit for this coming season twenty five twenty
six at nine dollars eighty six. Considering we've had three
or four falls in a row, that that's an incredibly
strong number.
Speaker 8 (34:46):
Yeah, it is, it is, I think, Jenny, And I mean,
we've just completed our latest edition of Talk Milk, which
is a newsletter to supplies, and mathematically our milk price
over this coming season is sort of forecast just on
the that ten dollar mark at the moment, so around
the ten dollars, and we're sort of saying that that's
still outperforming futures. But you know, futures is a sentiment
(35:07):
type thing, and right now you've got to save a
few dark clouds on the horizon, Jomie, so sentiments down
a little bit.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
But you know, let's be honest.
Speaker 8 (35:17):
I think anywhere between say nine to fifteen ten dollars
season this coming season, following the last season's result, it
will be a good good outcompanies inland dairy farmers.
Speaker 4 (35:26):
So Mark Delator, tell me where open country dairy suppliers
will finish the twenty four twenty five season, the one
we've just finished. Because Fonterra and I hate to keep
throwing Fonterra at Fonterra at you mark that they don't
give a number until September. Have you you guys figured
yours out yet?
Speaker 8 (35:43):
Yeah, Well, we're just about to finalize our fourth period,
that last milk period for the four last seasons many
and at the moment, our forecast midpoint for that period
is ten dollars seventy last last period, so that would
mathematically give us a season average. We don't normally spend
(36:05):
too much time talking about the season average because it's
not how we pay, but we'd probably got a bit
ten oh seven type number ten oh eight maybe depending
on the region. But you know that ten seventy midpoints
a pretty strong way to finish last season. So we
tend to split that fourth season into two payments, Jamie.
(36:25):
It's due actually the end of August, but we pay
half of the milk solids in July because obviously at
this time of the year, cashload for farmers is pretty tight.
So we pay half of that last settlement in July
and then balance it out in the end of August
once we've washed everything up to the season.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
What a wonderful company to supply and you get a
block of cheese at Field days. Mark Tellerto thanks for
your time for a block of cheese. I'd do anything.
I can't wait for your butter see you later, be mate. Yep,
we'll run out of time to speak to Jim Hopkins.
I promised to get him on the show tomorrow. Drink
a bit of milk before you come on, Jim, but
up NeXT's going to wrap it with some of your
(37:03):
really good feedback back. Then it is so far away
from one wrapping it with some of your feedback. Remember,
go to our website The Country dot co dot nz
if you want to go fishing with all Black captains
Scott Barrett, Sharon Wrights. I only came in part way
through Damien's interview. He was actually talking some sense re
clearing out the rivers or was I imagining it? Getting
(37:26):
to more of your feedback, and there's lots of it,
I apologize, I can't get through it all. This is
the first time I've ever agreed with Damien. Feel like
I need a shower, says Muzz. Still a bitter and
twisted man, Muzz, but I love your feedback. Here's a
good one. We drove through the Kentucky state ten days
ago from Nashville to Chicago to watch a NASCAR NASCAR
(37:47):
Street race. Kentucky looked fantastic, by far the best looking
agricultural land we saw across eleven states in the US
that we visited. And you're dead right, I've been lucky
enough to beat a Todd's Place, Tucky Bluegrass. It is
farmland to die for. We'll catch you back with the
PM tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, your specialist in
John Deere machinery,
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