July 21, 2025 • 37 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Nathan Guy, Jane Smith, Jen Corkran, Brian Johnson, and Phil Duncan.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mcguy. Thanks to Brent the starkest of
the leading agriculture brands.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Somehow get amye Zealand and welcome to the Country. It
was brought to you by Brant. What's Michelle loaded me
up with? Now? Eighties power ballance? She needs to move
on anyhow, we might even go back to the seventies
and protesting a bit later in the hour with Jane Smith,
(00:44):
North Otago farmer, former owner of the Balance Farm Environment Awards.
She's a bit outraged over Paris and protests. A great story.
She's dug up about how to teach her Tiger University
students how to protest and what is she make of
the Commerce Commission not agreeing with fed farmers on net
(01:04):
zero banking. We're going to kick it off though, with
Nathan Guy, former Minister of Agriculture or Primary Industries. I
think it was under his watch. He is the chair
of the Meat Industry Association. It's the Red Meat Sector Conference.
They knock it out in one day. It's in christ
Church talking about red meat, record prices for red meat.
We're going to talk to Jen Corkran from Rabobank about
(01:28):
that and also avocados or is it avocado the plural?
Brian Johnson, we're continuing Innovation week here on the country.
This is a great story about a pharmacist who got
sick of working inside so he decided to become a
dairy farmer. Has got some wonderful new AI technology that
he has invented. And Phil Duncan on a great weather
(01:50):
for farm or great winter for many farmers around the
country if the excuse all the flooded regions, but certainly
we're getting a good spell of weather this week. Let's
rip straight into it with Nathan god former Minister for
Primary Industries. Nathan you as you are, as I said,
the chair of the Red Meat Sector conference, which is
going on as we speak. What's been the highlights this morning?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, good ay, Jamie. It's a lovely day in christ Church.
We went for a run around the park and we've
got about two hundred and eighty people here this morning
and we've had a really good start to the day,
quite positive and upbeat actually, and we've just released two reports.
The first one is around barriers to trade for our sectre.
We know it costs around one point five billion dollars
(02:34):
and non tariff barriers. These have been growing in recent times.
And also we've got a real focus on helping the
government on doubling the value of exports by twenty thirty four.
So there are two good reports that we've released today
to focus the minds. The size of the prize is huge,
and relatively speaking, everyone's pretty buoyant, hey.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Nathan, in terms of doubling export of values by twenty
thirty four. The red meat streets have taken giant steps
this season because it's probably lifted export receipts I'm guessing
by twenty twenty five percent anyhow, just off the back
of these record prices.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah, certainly well over a billion dollars of returns. A
lot of loads have flowed through to farmers, and it's
been a long time between drinks of farmers, hasn't it.
The last couple of years. The sheep and beef farm's
been very tough. So it's their time to shine in
the sun. Those that are doing well in processing are
actually doing quietly pretty well, and then there's others that
are struggling, and that's I guess always been the case.
(03:32):
But the mood here right now is pretty buoyant. I
guess the clouds are gathering a little bit. And we
just heard from Vangalis Fortalis, who's the chief negotiator trying
to deal with FDA's and get India moving and things
like that. He talked about the jungle is growing back
and the uncertainty that's created around the US regime at
(03:52):
the moment, and we all are waiting and bracing for
what announcements may come out on the first of August.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, he's always interesting, that guy, Evangeli. Is it Vangeli
or Vangelis van Gaalis Vangalis? Okay, you got his name.
I was sort of close.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
What did he have close?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Well, I was near enough, close enough. What did he
have to say about Trump and his tariffs?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Well, it's a day by day watch. Actually, no one knows,
he said pretty much. If anyone thinks they know, they're
talking bullshit. So m fat or all over it. They've
got a big strategy. They're working closely with the Republicans
up there. They're keeping an eye on what the private
sector is saying. But no one knows, Jamie. So you know,
(04:35):
Brazil is interesting. They've just been waking with a fifty
percent tariff, I'm asking himself what happens to that product,
because you know that a lot of that's going into
the US, does more of it going to China, does
more of it going to other markets that we're close to.
So that's just global uncertainty is rife at the moment,
and that's creating quite a bit of concern that could.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Play into our hands Trump slapping a greater tariff, because
it's all about where you sit relative to other countries
that are exporting into the US. If we're sitting at
ten percent, and we'll probably have to go above that,
but if the Brazilians are at fifty percent or whatever,
that's a huge competitive advantage for US.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yes, we'd to, of course, prefer to not go above
ten percent. My intel talking to companies is pushing that
right through to consumers, so they should. That's mainly because
the market is quite buoyant in the US at the moment.
Anything higher becomes problematic. So if it is higher on
the first of August, that means that companies will have
to think about wearing some of that pain, which is
(05:39):
not ideal for processes and not ideal for our farmers.
So let's hope that we can avoid that. And you know,
I think personally that certainly the grinding beef market is
very recession proof in the US, and we know that
we produce a quality product that brings their bug count
down and mixes up with some of their fatty feed
(06:01):
lots stuff. So we're in a sweet spot. Let's hope
we can avoid any more tariffs.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Now we're going to speak to Jane Smith shortly about
the Paris Accord slash Agreement. You don't have to be
a rocket scientist to figure out what she thinks about it.
You would have been in the government under John Key
that signed us.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Oh yes, and I've talked to you on your show
a few weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Jamie.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
It's ludacrous to think that, you know, anyone proposing to
pull out of Paris. I was pleased that the remits
fell over at fed Farmers. We should just move on
talk about and debate other topics. If we were to
pull out of Paris, that would cause the meat schedule
the milk price to drop. So ludacris for anyone to
(06:41):
be proposing that.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Should the banks be in the business of net zero banking?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Oh, I don't know. I see, that's a story this week.
It's bizarre to me. I mean, there's already green loans
out there you can get from bank various banks if
you do riparian planting and things. So yeah, I haven't
followed that one, Jamie. I'm not close to it, but
it's certainly a topic that's revved up the primary sector.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yeah, well, I reckon that's got to be done processor
level if there's a genuine premium out there for that
zero product, and I'm sure at some stage there will
be pay the farmers for it. Change the behavior that way,
rather than penalizing them at the bank level. Is that
a fair comment.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
That's what I would have thought makes prudent sense. And
I guess this whole climate discussion, you can debate it
for what it's worth, but in my mind, it's really
a ticket to the dance or a ticket to ride.
So we've got to continue to do play our place
in the world and keep focused on the environmental stuff.
Vangali Batali's our chief negotiation negotiator. He just gave an
(07:48):
example in the EU where they're so focused on it.
We saw that through the EU FDA. So it's going
to get harder and we can't just fall asleep at
the wheel. We've got to playing our part and we
are doing that.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yes, and the UK and the EU especially are becoming
increasingly important markets for us with the FDA no trade
barriers there. Nathan Guy, thanks for your time, Good luck
for the rest, Good luck for the rest of the
red Meat Sector conference. Good to see you knock it
out on one day.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Yeah, that's right. We're going to have a few drinks
tonight and celebrate the secrets forty years since the Meat
Industry Association was formed.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So good on you. Thanks so world under.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Everyone cheers, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
There we go, Nathan Guy and christ Church. Today it
has banged on a quarter past twelve. You are with
the Country eighties power ballads. Give us your feedback on
five double oh nine zes. This way to get a
hold of us. That's our text line up next Jane Smith.
(08:48):
I'm looking forward to this because she sent me a
story from the ODT which for some reason I hadn't
picked up over the weekend about the Otago University students
being taught how to protest. That's up next, Plus we'll
get her thoughts on Paris. Jen Corchran on record red
(09:09):
meat prices, the avocado growers, pleased to see them getting
a bit of a break. It's innovation week here on
the country. The pharmacist who invented an AI machine to
teat spray. It's an interesting story. And Phil Duncan on
the weather pretty settled around the country at the moment.
(09:37):
She is a North Otago farmer enjoying a lovely frosty
morning followed by a beautiful day on the farm. She's
also a former winner of the Balance Farm Environment Awards.
Her names Jane Smith. Now, Jane, I'm ready to be
outraged by climate liberation aart rower. Are you ready to
be outraged by us being still in the Paris Agreement
(10:00):
record and the fact that the Commerce Commission has dismissed
Federated Farmer's complaint on net zero banking? Where do you
want to start? What outrage do you want to begin with?
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Well, well, I guess I'm good afternoon, Jamie, Paris is
our friend. I think that's a really unpalatable line, especially
coming from anyone that does support the very good Save
Our Sheet campaign. Anyone that's a gasp about pine trees,
carbon farming, that taxonomy ban, cartols, all of those things
are actually symptoms of the bigger problem, and the bigger
(10:31):
problem is a Paris accord. But it seems to be
sort of had this holier than their drafting gates that
you know, supposedly our sole reason that the world allows
us to sell our wears on a global stage. And
I don't recall, you know, when we signed up to this,
and when was that about ten years ago? Isn't it
in betweeny fifteen our milk and meat prices you know,
(10:52):
magically going up? And can I remind both your listeners,
both urban and rule, that you know the Paris Agreement cough,
is at least a twenty four billion dollar commitment by
twenty thirty, which is just around the corner.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
No, but hang on, Jane, hang on, we're not going
to pay that. The government's already said we're not going
to part because we've got these targets to meet. We're
clearly not going to meet them by twenty thirty and
Emperor's New Clothes or whatever you want to call it,
Basically there will be no punishment other than a slap
over the wrist with a wet bus.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
Ticket exactly, Jamie. So that shows you that it's not
worth a paper it's written on. But actually for MPs
to say we won't need to you know, it'll be fine,
we won't need to pay that's weird because they've already
forked out six hundred and eighty five million dollars and
anyone could look that up and see that between twenty
twenty and twenty twenty three, so in the last few years.
(11:40):
But the bigger price of hey, Jamie, is as you know,
irreversible land use change, expense of renewable energy that's costly
and short term and you know, nothing like the nineteen
thirties dams wat damps built up the Waitechi Valley from
me here, Jamie. Power and food inflation, actually food inflation,
ladies and gentlemen. If you're thinking you're paying enough the
(12:02):
butter at the moment, then it's very expensive. We'll fasten
your seat belt because once we add the true cost
of the Paris Accord and there so all of these
supposes technology and initiatives that additors, boluses, pills, potions plus
land use change just to tick the paras box. Waiting
to see.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Well, okay, Jane, mind you, if we were to follow
what Bryce and Lurie from ground swell want and what
you want and what Winstant wants. And we pull out
of the Paris Accord slash agreement, we're going to lose
three dollars per kilogram on milk solids, so all of
a sudden we won't have to worry about the price
of butter and cheese.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
It's really interesting to see that figure plucked out of
the air because there is a country, Jamie I was
thinking about this this morning on the fun As a country,
we seem to be terrified of the wrong things. We
seem to be terrified of what highly subsidized, heavily populated
industrial countries think of us, more so than protecting and
promoting a natural competitive advantage, which actually is using our resources,
(13:00):
so water, our point feed water, our highly productive soils,
our hill country or high country to our advances regrass,
feed protein and actually, if we carry on this pathway,
we're going to end up like the UK and the EU.
I mean you look at the EU, they're currently paying
this land owners not to produce food and I repeat,
not to produce food. You look at the UK before
(13:22):
bricks that they were spending something like three point five
billion pounds a year on spamer subsidies. So that's per cow,
per sheep. Now after bricksit, they're supposedly not having subsidies,
but what they're doing is paying them not per cow,
per sheep, per acre, not to produce food, not to
produce food, noiause, you know, effectively retiring land that was
previously food producing. Similar to the Helen Clark land banking days.
(13:46):
What does she retire three point four million hi years
or the billion treats ESCO, And the only things that
happen with that is you decrease food production and increase
the costumes.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Okay, let's just move on. Commerce Commission dismissing Federated Farmer's
complaint on net zero banking. I have a lot of
sympathy for the feeds on this one, because I think
they made a good point one.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Hundred percent Jamie. And again this all feeds into this
is just another symptom of the bigger issue of Paris accord.
And again this is what I would call I don't
know if it's a real term or not, but selective
righteousness by the banks, you know, so and a weave
it like what we're seeing from the lights of McDonald's
and their stay et cetera, that that you know, whollier
than there, and farmers, you sure shall do better, and
(14:27):
you shall meet these criteria and keep jumping through these
hoops and a bit like you know what we're seeing
with university students attending and you mentioned it before, Jamie,
protest training. It's hard the university protest training, you know,
organized by the Climate Liberation at RAA and supposedly and
I quote you, to upskill and entice more university students
(14:51):
to protests. Well, actually, I believe their time would be
better spent in economics one O one lecture to usually learn.
Without taxpayer subsidies, university fees were to be at least double,
and ironically, those subsidies are underpinned by the very same
sectors that they're protesting against, Jamie. So you know, it's
all of this selective righteousness by protests, by banks, by
(15:13):
all of these corporate cartels that is actually going to
hold our country to ransom, Jamie. And we seem to
be very good at doing that ourselves. You know, instead
of facing this on the battlefield, we're sort of stuck
in the barracks finding one hundred ways to penalize their
own country.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Jamie, I wasted a lot of time at university. I've
got to be honest, Jane, but I never ever once
went to a protest skills night event organized by the
Climate Liberation ROA group. Thank god for it.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
I guess old John Minto were to be more your era, Jamie.
I'm sure you're probably pucked at a pub with him somewhere.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
No. I was very much pro the Springbok tour in
nineteen eighty one, but I was probably on the wrong
side of that argument. Maybe in twenty or thirty years time,
people like you and I j And if I'm still around,
we'll look back and we'll say the Climate Change Liberation
at ROWER group will bang on the money. Anyhow, we'll
ponder that one. Thanks for some of your time. I
love a bit of outrage on the country.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Thanks Shemmy.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Twenty five up to twelve. Thanks Jane, Yes, what are
your thoughts on the Climate Liberation ROA group. I suppose
students have always protested. I can't remember protesting against anything
when I was a student. I'll ask Michelle when she
wanders in here if she protested against anything when she
was a student. Some of your feedback, Hi, Jamie, I
(16:37):
get about getting great overseas payout or payouts for our
goods product for our good products, but how the hell
can we make very food affordable here in New Zealand.
That's a text from John, and this one's been thrashed
to death beat The simple answer is, John, as long
as international commodity prices stay where they are, that's where
(17:00):
the price of dairy products and meat for that matter,
will sit. Simply because as we heard from Mark Delatour
from Open Country Dairy the other day, that they're selling
nothing onto the domestic market, they can make more money
by selling it overseas. The flip side of the coin
is that it helps immeasurably our economy, which helps things
(17:22):
like interst rates and inflation be lower, which we all
benefit from. But I do have real sympathies for people
battling when they go to the supermarkets. Right up next,
avocado smashed avocado anyone, Millennials, We're going to talk about
avocado and record meat prices with Jen Corkran from Rabobank.
(17:46):
And oh here's another one coming. I just want to
read this one. Nathan guy didn't actually say what the
cost of pulling out of Paris is as usual from
those apologies. They are plucking figures out of the air.
No study has been on the cost Why Wayne Langford,
president of Federated Farmers, threw it out there, three dollars
per kilogram of milk solids if we pull out of Paris.
(18:09):
Make of that number? What you want up next? Gen Corkran.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
Every now and then I get ahead of it.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Jen Corkran is a Rabobank Research senior analyst. She's put
out a really interesting paper on the avocado industry and
industry that's had its fair share of troubles, it would
be fair to say over the past couple of years,
but looks like it's coming right. But first I want
to talk about your main area of interest, Jen, at Rabobank,
and that is a red meat which is going great
(18:43):
guns at the moment. Here's a question for you, a
starter for ten. Why aren't you at the red meat
sector conference in christ Church today?
Speaker 6 (18:50):
Hi, Jamie, I would love to be down there today.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to wrangle it, but I'll be
really interested to hear some of the feedback coming through, because,
by gosh, compared to this time twelve years ago, there's
suddenly a lot more positivity out there, isn't there In
the outlook over the next season, it is actually looking
(19:11):
really good for red meats, So I think there'll be
a lot of positive conversations coming out of that conference today.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Now we're going back twelve years or twelve months, I
reckon twelve months. Mind you. It's a lot better than
it was twelve years ago too as well. Gen.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Yeah, it almost suddenly is. And however cost er I'm
sure than they were twelve years ago, that's sure.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Well. Absolutely, we've been through a period of rapid on
farm inflation, especially from the COVID era onwards, and it's
really taken the shine off what are record price is? Okay,
well let's start with sheep because the wall side of
the equations not great, but the lamb side has really
come right. And no one picked this gen twelve months ago.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
No one practice, Jamie, that's right. And you know, we
did a we report I think it came out August
last year on you know, We're the sheet met was
that and where we thought it might be going. And
one of the things that we discussed in that was
that we expect there may be a swing back to
some of our traditional markets for lamb, especially which is
the European Union and the UK because what we saw
(20:14):
coming beer was a decline in their own numbers domestically,
but a real city demand, especially in some cultural groups
and also more traditionally in the UK first sheet meet
in lamb roasts and the like. And that's what we're
seeing at the moment. We've seen, you know, over the
last you know season, so the twenty four to twenty
five export season, we've seen a berg shift and the
(20:36):
volumes going to the United Kingdom and the European Union
and the value that we're getting for that, that everage
export value, and that is really driven up the farm
gate prices in terms of you know, that upside being
passed on to our producers, which is great news, and
we expect that to continue. We expect that demand in
this next season to continue.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
We're getting record prices for beef and it doesn't look
like stopping spite the teriff situation in the US.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
That's right, and the rebuilt of that herd in the
United States that's going to drive their imports for the
next couple of three years at least, is really driving
up those prices. So we're seeing record high everage export
values going into the United States for our beef, and
that's just driving you know, our record high fun cake
(21:25):
prices at the moment, and as you say, they're not
looking like that's slowing down, and we are seeing just
just that big demand based on a lack of supply.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Are we going to benefit from Trump lumping greater tariffs
on other countries compared to US, which obviously gives us
a competitive advantage and I'm looking at the likes of
the South American countries.
Speaker 6 (21:45):
Yeah, So Brazil's been exporting a lot of beef into
the United States of the last three months in particular,
and these, you know, the volumes that they've been sending
up have surged higher than any volumes sent in the
same three months of any other year in rencient history.
So we don't really know what's going on there, but
(22:06):
you know, the threat of a perhaps fifty percent tariff
on top of the twenty six percent tariff that they've
already got would really put a hold to that, Jamie.
And that would actually be an advantage for New Zealand
in terms of the import price at they're paying not
being sort of held steady by the fact that they've
got this big supply coming from Brazil. But we'll just
have to see how that plays out, because, as we know,
if the tariffs a lot of there's a lot of
(22:29):
uncertainty still going on there.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Well, no one knows about the tariffs, including Donald Trump.
What's going to happen there? Hey, just quickly on the avocado,
I mentioned that you put out a press release late
last week. I like this one. The avocado production expected
to lift this global market smashes and inverted commas past
the thirty billion dollar mark, no doubt. That is a
(22:51):
reference to the smashed avocado on toast that you millennials
like to eat.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Gem Oh, how.
Speaker 7 (22:57):
Good are that?
Speaker 6 (22:57):
Jamie? And I was pretty happy to help out with this.
This is the Global Fresh Produce team that put out
this one, and it's the Global Avocado Report, so looking
at global production basically. But I was very heavy to
help with this because avocados definitely tend to be one
of my favorite side interests outside of all things agriculture.
But it was a great report to help with. Basically,
(23:19):
the long and short of it is that global production
of avocados are strong and there's been a threefold growth
in avocados being produced globally over the last fifteen years,
and you know it's a popular fruit. But basically, you know,
the market value was close to thirty four billion New
Zealand dollars last year, and so this is driven by
(23:40):
Latin America and North America and Europe intendative consumption. But
the actual production of avocados is increasing. So we're going
to need lots of people to eat lots of avocados
over the next few years.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Now.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I'm keen for the avocado growers in New Zealand to
get a decent crack because the part prices have been
pretty poor in recent times and b you can't always
be guaranteed crop it. It's a fraught danger being an
avocado grower anyway, lovely to catch up. Gen Always appreciate
your time here on the country.
Speaker 6 (24:07):
Thanks Jay, great chat.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
That is twenty five away from one. The musical scene
today is eighties power ballads from females. We've got a
kind of a couple of power females on the show.
Jane Smith couldn't accuse her of not being powerful. Michelle
and of course Jen corkran good comment on I'm pleased
(24:30):
for the old avocado growers because they've had a real
tough time of it.
Speaker 8 (24:33):
Yeah, they've had a really tough season, and it's good
to hear that they're doing quite well. I like avocado, Jamie, by.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
The way, I hate it. Give me Kiwi fruit or
do you know what's great at this time of the year,
New Zealand oranges from the Gisbon region. Perfect. Did you
protest against anything when you were at university?
Speaker 8 (24:51):
No, I had no time for that. I'm just saying
to you I had lectures at eight am in the morning,
which apparently commerce students didn't know existed.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
I'm trying to think in nineteen seventy Yeah, I was
a commerce student and I had like eight hours a week,
so I was pretty useless. But I'm thinking what I protest.
I may have protested against the price of bear because
I think when I was at university in nineteen seventy
nine here at Otago, it ticked over one dollar a jug. Well,
(25:19):
I remember my old man saying he was a great
patron of the Riversdale pubby said if it goes past
a dollar, no one will ever buy a jug again. Dad,
you were wrong on that one. Up next to rural
news and sports news. Welcome back to the country. Twenty
(25:46):
away from one. I think this is my favorite power
ballad from female artists in the eighties, The Wilson's Sisters
and Heart and Alone. Some great feedback coming through on
the text line, I'm an avocado grower out of Caddy
Caddy and all around our area. Avocado grois have had
it really tough for the past few years. Years. Yes,
(26:07):
they have lots of properties went on the market, so hopefully,
writes our text, it could be a good year. Hopefully
no major storms ruin it though, and that is always
the problem. Oh, here we go. Can I read this one?
Bah bah blah blah. I was at Otago University doing
commerce in nineteen seventy nine. You are correct. A jug
(26:30):
was ninety nine cents, so I don't even know who
this person is. We may have been in the same class.
We didn't get eight am lectures till after until later
in the course for business law and professional studies are
not very exciting topics at eight am. I agree with that. Texter,
Text me your name and see if I recognize you.
We may have been in a tutorial or something together.
(26:52):
How exciting was that for me? Might have been someone
really famous.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
The countries world US with COM's New Zealand's leading right
on lawn bower brand visit Steel four dot cot on
In said for your local.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Stockerst and Michelle, I don't want to sound like a
complete booser, but a bear has played a good major
part in my life. I'm a Emerson's unofficial Emerson's brand ambassador.
But in those days, we just drank draft Bear by
the gallon, and you could talking about buy the gallon.
You could buy a four and a half keg four
and that's not four and a half liters, this is
four and a half gallons and you could buy it
(27:26):
for eight bucks from the Robbie Burns.
Speaker 8 (27:28):
Oh that's so cheap.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Those were the days. Those were the days. Anyhow, what's
in rural news?
Speaker 8 (27:33):
Okay, so in Rory's I'm sure everyone's aware of this,
that butter has doubled in price, according to the latest
stats from Stats. New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis is
set to query the high cost of butter with Fonterra today.
Apparently she's meeting with Miles Harrel tonight. She spoke to
Ryan Bridges.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
All that's a complete waste of time about this. Yeah,
it'll be interesting, Nicholas Virtual's signaling here. There's nothing Miles
can do. It's not Fonterra's job to subsidize dairy products domestic.
Speaker 8 (28:00):
No, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
The government wants them to be cheaper. Sorry for interrupting,
and we'll let them put a subsidy on.
Speaker 8 (28:05):
It's interesting because she's doing that whole supermarket thing as well, wasn't.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Oh no, the supermarket's a fair game.
Speaker 8 (28:10):
But you know, we'll chat to Chris Lucks and I
think about this tomorrow because he's been questioned about butter
as well. I think over the last few days. But
just interesting. I found that she was going to be
meeting with Miles. And that's what's happening in rural on
you as you can find more at the country dot
co dot NZ.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Sport with an Avco Kiwi to the bone since nineteen oh.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Four, Hayden says Pat Bennetta. We belong for female eighties
power ballad. I'm with you there, I'm with you there, Hayden.
We'll give that one a role for you rightio. What
I've got no idea what's happening in sport. I haven't
even read it. Let's have a lot silverfern farms, silverfern farms,
silver ferns. I'm just getting my sport and my farming
(28:48):
mixed up here. Silver Ferns. Captain Amelia and Ichiinazo Ichanazio,
good player. We'll miss the international netple season as she
takes a break to rejuvenate her hind, body and spirit
after the a n Z Premiership. Really the Breakers An
(29:08):
evolution rather than revolution is the mantra for new Chiefs
coach John o'gibbs. After two years as an assistant with
the franchise. He says the team only needs fine tuning
after making three Super Rugby finals in a row. Maybe
he can do what Clayton McMillan couldn't do. Good luck
John o'gibbs with the Chiefs my default side after the
(29:30):
Highlanders up next. It is innovation Week here on the Country.
Got a great story about a pharmacist who got sicker
being indoors, so he went dairy farming.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
Farming the future.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Innovation Week on the Country with herd Eye Daily scoring
of body condition powered by ni.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
It is Innovation Week here on the Country. It's brought
to you by herd Eye, a really smart AI company,
ideal for detecting cow lameness and body condition scoring. Yeah,
AI is the way of the future. So our innovative
product today is another AI product, and it's all about
(30:14):
teat spraying using AI and reducing mastitis. To tell us
more about it, a guy with a really interesting backstory,
Brian Johnson used to be a pharmacist. Brian, you decided
to go dairy farming in your fifties. Why was that in.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
A a bit of insanity? Probably Jamie. I got sick
of being inside. To be honest, I loved the pharmacy profession.
It was very rewarding. But you decided to get into
dairy farming. Always had lifestyle blocks and yeah, fell in
love with some land just out of fitty anger.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
And got into it.
Speaker 7 (30:51):
It took me about three years to feel reasonably comfortable.
It's quite a big jump.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
So you've come up with this AI product, but with
the help of another couple of people. One of them
is your son who studied mechanical AI engineering at Waikata University,
and the other one is a bloke with an electronic degree.
So tell me about your product.
Speaker 7 (31:14):
What we've done is we've started from scratch. We've built
it from the ground up, researching nozzle placements and all
that sort of thing. But the main point of difference
is our sensor device is an actual machine vision camera.
So like heard I, you know, we're both sort of
onto the same sort of check that when the sense
(31:36):
is up high, it doesn't get covered in crap, which
sort of negates any effect on the track.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Well, we'll excuse my ignorance here, but if the sensor
is up high and the camera's up high, how can
you tell what's going on down the bottom at the
teat area.
Speaker 7 (31:51):
Okay, So what happens is we've said in about somewhere
in the vicinity of fifty thousand odd images Jamie of towels,
all different colors, different lighting, all that sort of thing,
and we use a computer model to predict where the
other is. So you know, with that number of images,
(32:12):
we've we've got a pretty detailed picture of where that
utter is. So and the camera works at twenty five
frames a second, so no matter how fast the cows
run across it, or they bunch up, or you know,
there's all sorts of cow behavior as everyone knows, and
sometimes they'll stop over the unit then take off.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
But because the.
Speaker 7 (32:36):
Camera takes that many frames a second accurately, you can't
avoid the teeth spray. Our accuracy rates we're pushing up
towards ninety eight percent, So what's.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
The accuracy right? And in a typical non AI dairy shed.
Speaker 7 (32:53):
Other automatic teeth sprays have had a bit of a
bad rap over the years. Just you know, they're around
fifty or sixteen percent I think would be fair. You know,
a lot of vets are anti where anti auto teach
prayers and you know the purists will say that handspraying
still the best. But my way of thinking, you know,
and from experience, you know, you're on your.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
Four hundred or five hundredth cow of the day, you know,
trying to get all four barrels covered. Evenly Europe against it.
Speaker 7 (33:21):
But with this new technology which we've we're very very happy.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
With, you know, we're getting up to around ninety eight percent.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Well it sounds wonderful now for the great unwashed And
no pun intended there, Brian. Obviously the teat spraying is
to prevent mastitis, and the numbers around mastitis I think
according to Dry and Z mastitis in New Zealand brings
with it an average cost of one hundred and eighty
dollars per cow. If you can eliminate that or get
(33:49):
close to eliminating it, the payback on technology like this
would be pretty swift.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Yes, no, exactly, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
So not only do we you know, it's than definite
labor costs, saving roughly half an hour per milking, which
you know is a big deal. And we can also
trim up the amount of teeth spray used so you're
not wasting their precious chemical.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
And also you know, if.
Speaker 7 (34:18):
We can eliminate ten to fifteen mastatist cases a year,
it pays for itself well within a well within a season.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Yeah, okay, that's good. So if people want to have
a look at this, will get a hold of it.
I think you've licensed your product to a milk tech specialist, Gea,
so that's where you go. Is this thing going to
roll out globally as well?
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Yeah, yeah, Gea, Yeah, I've been absolutely brilliant to deal
with Ben Morris. Product managers trusted us and believed in US.
But yeah, no, there's an international rollout planned. We've got
a couple in Victoria, Australia, and yeah, we're going to
roll out new Zealand.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
Tech to the world.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Brian Johnson, Managing director of agri AI, Thanks for your time,
Good luck with you new product like herd Eye. It's
using AI for fantastic advancement in the dairy industry. Good
luck go well.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
Thank you very much. Jamie good talking to you. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yes, Pat Penatah, wasn't she good in the eighties? Right?
How are we going to wrap it with Phil Duncan
talking about the weather. I just got to get this
text out of the road from Ted on the West Coast.
It's a good one. I flipped then flopped within ten
minutes on your show today, j Mac taking liberties. There
are Ted listening to Nathan guy who we all respect.
I thought, hmm, okay, Paris. Then Jane Smith had her
(35:37):
say and girl, you sounded on the money stick, Paris,
says Ted. Okay. Phil Duncan, not much to talk about
on the weather front, because it's going to be a
very good week, very settled week around the country, which
is wonderful. A couple of things. I just want to
ask you about how wet I'm getting reports of how
wet it is in your home province, of Wykato sort
(35:57):
of King Country area.
Speaker 9 (36:00):
It's certainly been a fairly mild winter up until recently
for places like Waikato and northern areas, and fairly wet
as well as driving through there at the weekend, and
some farms underwater in the areas where you would expect
it to happen. But it does show you that, you know,
when the fences are underwater, that's a sign that there's
been a little bit too much rain and not as
(36:20):
many frosts. Except that's just changed in the past couple
of nights.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
We're during a brilliant winter at the bottom ends of
the South Islands for farming. Anyhow, I I don't want
to be the better of bad news on this one,
but for our friends in the Tasman Nelson region, how
are they looking. I've got twenty seconds.
Speaker 10 (36:39):
They've got really good weather for now, high pressure and
charge for a number of days to come. But next
week we are monitoring another northerly flow into the country.
It could bring some rain back to the north of
both of the islands.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Well, you know, I love you as a weather man,
but I hope you're wrong on that one. Thanks for
your time, Phil Duncan are wrapping the Country. We'll catch
you back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckaye. Thanks to Brent, you're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mcguy. Thanks to Brent the starkest of
the leading agriculture brands.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Somehow get amye Zealand and welcome to the Country. It
was brought to you by Brant. What's Michelle loaded me
up with? Now? Eighties power ballance? She needs to move
on anyhow, we might even go back to the seventies
and protesting a bit later in the hour with Jane Smith,
(00:44):
North Otago farmer, former owner of the Balance Farm Environment Awards.
She's a bit outraged over Paris and protests. A great story.
She's dug up about how to teach her Tiger University
students how to protest and what is she make of
the Commerce Commission not agreeing with fed farmers on net
(01:04):
zero banking. We're going to kick it off though, with
Nathan Guy, former Minister of Agriculture or Primary Industries. I
think it was under his watch. He is the chair
of the Meat Industry Association. It's the Red Meat Sector Conference.
They knock it out in one day. It's in christ
Church talking about red meat, record prices for red meat.
We're going to talk to Jen Corkran from Rabobank about
(01:28):
that and also avocados or is it avocado the plural?
Brian Johnson, we're continuing Innovation week here on the country.
This is a great story about a pharmacist who got
sick of working inside so he decided to become a
dairy farmer. Has got some wonderful new AI technology that
he has invented. And Phil Duncan on a great weather
(01:50):
for farm or great winter for many farmers around the
country if the excuse all the flooded regions, but certainly
we're getting a good spell of weather this week. Let's
rip straight into it with Nathan god former Minister for
Primary Industries. Nathan you as you are, as I said,
the chair of the Red Meat Sector conference, which is
going on as we speak. What's been the highlights this morning?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, good ay, Jamie. It's a lovely day in christ Church.
We went for a run around the park and we've
got about two hundred and eighty people here this morning
and we've had a really good start to the day,
quite positive and upbeat actually, and we've just released two reports.
The first one is around barriers to trade for our sectre.
We know it costs around one point five billion dollars
(02:34):
and non tariff barriers. These have been growing in recent times.
And also we've got a real focus on helping the
government on doubling the value of exports by twenty thirty four.
So there are two good reports that we've released today
to focus the minds. The size of the prize is huge,
and relatively speaking, everyone's pretty buoyant, hey.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Nathan, in terms of doubling export of values by twenty
thirty four. The red meat streets have taken giant steps
this season because it's probably lifted export receipts I'm guessing
by twenty twenty five percent anyhow, just off the back
of these record prices.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah, certainly well over a billion dollars of returns. A
lot of loads have flowed through to farmers, and it's
been a long time between drinks of farmers, hasn't it.
The last couple of years. The sheep and beef farm's
been very tough. So it's their time to shine in
the sun. Those that are doing well in processing are
actually doing quietly pretty well, and then there's others that
are struggling, and that's I guess always been the case.
(03:32):
But the mood here right now is pretty buoyant. I
guess the clouds are gathering a little bit. And we
just heard from Vangalis Fortalis, who's the chief negotiator trying
to deal with FDA's and get India moving and things
like that. He talked about the jungle is growing back
and the uncertainty that's created around the US regime at
(03:52):
the moment, and we all are waiting and bracing for
what announcements may come out on the first of August.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, he's always interesting, that guy, Evangeli. Is it Vangeli
or Vangelis van Gaalis Vangalis? Okay, you got his name.
I was sort of close.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
What did he have close?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Well, I was near enough, close enough. What did he
have to say about Trump and his tariffs?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Well, it's a day by day watch. Actually, no one knows,
he said pretty much. If anyone thinks they know, they're
talking bullshit. So m fat or all over it. They've
got a big strategy. They're working closely with the Republicans
up there. They're keeping an eye on what the private
sector is saying. But no one knows, Jamie. So you know,
(04:35):
Brazil is interesting. They've just been waking with a fifty
percent tariff, I'm asking himself what happens to that product,
because you know that a lot of that's going into
the US, does more of it going to China, does
more of it going to other markets that we're close to.
So that's just global uncertainty is rife at the moment,
and that's creating quite a bit of concern that could.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Play into our hands Trump slapping a greater tariff, because
it's all about where you sit relative to other countries
that are exporting into the US. If we're sitting at
ten percent, and we'll probably have to go above that,
but if the Brazilians are at fifty percent or whatever,
that's a huge competitive advantage for US.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yes, we'd to, of course, prefer to not go above
ten percent. My intel talking to companies is pushing that
right through to consumers, so they should. That's mainly because
the market is quite buoyant in the US at the moment.
Anything higher becomes problematic. So if it is higher on
the first of August, that means that companies will have
to think about wearing some of that pain, which is
(05:39):
not ideal for processes and not ideal for our farmers.
So let's hope that we can avoid that. And you know,
I think personally that certainly the grinding beef market is
very recession proof in the US, and we know that
we produce a quality product that brings their bug count
down and mixes up with some of their fatty feed
(06:01):
lots stuff. So we're in a sweet spot. Let's hope
we can avoid any more tariffs.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Now we're going to speak to Jane Smith shortly about
the Paris Accord slash Agreement. You don't have to be
a rocket scientist to figure out what she thinks about it.
You would have been in the government under John Key
that signed us.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Oh yes, and I've talked to you on your show
a few weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Jamie.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
It's ludacrous to think that, you know, anyone proposing to
pull out of Paris. I was pleased that the remits
fell over at fed Farmers. We should just move on
talk about and debate other topics. If we were to
pull out of Paris, that would cause the meat schedule
the milk price to drop. So ludacris for anyone to
(06:41):
be proposing that.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Should the banks be in the business of net zero banking?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Oh, I don't know. I see, that's a story this week.
It's bizarre to me. I mean, there's already green loans
out there you can get from bank various banks if
you do riparian planting and things. So yeah, I haven't
followed that one, Jamie. I'm not close to it, but
it's certainly a topic that's revved up the primary sector.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yeah, well, I reckon that's got to be done processor
level if there's a genuine premium out there for that
zero product, and I'm sure at some stage there will
be pay the farmers for it. Change the behavior that way,
rather than penalizing them at the bank level. Is that
a fair comment.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
That's what I would have thought makes prudent sense. And
I guess this whole climate discussion, you can debate it
for what it's worth, but in my mind, it's really
a ticket to the dance or a ticket to ride.
So we've got to continue to do play our place
in the world and keep focused on the environmental stuff.
Vangali Batali's our chief negotiation negotiator. He just gave an
(07:48):
example in the EU where they're so focused on it.
We saw that through the EU FDA. So it's going
to get harder and we can't just fall asleep at
the wheel. We've got to playing our part and we
are doing that.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yes, and the UK and the EU especially are becoming
increasingly important markets for us with the FDA no trade
barriers there. Nathan Guy, thanks for your time, Good luck
for the rest, Good luck for the rest of the
red Meat Sector conference. Good to see you knock it
out on one day.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Yeah, that's right. We're going to have a few drinks
tonight and celebrate the secrets forty years since the Meat
Industry Association was formed.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So good on you. Thanks so world under.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Everyone cheers, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
There we go, Nathan Guy and christ Church. Today it
has banged on a quarter past twelve. You are with
the Country eighties power ballads. Give us your feedback on
five double oh nine zes. This way to get a
hold of us. That's our text line up next Jane Smith.
(08:48):
I'm looking forward to this because she sent me a
story from the ODT which for some reason I hadn't
picked up over the weekend about the Otago University students
being taught how to protest. That's up next, Plus we'll
get her thoughts on Paris. Jen Corchran on record red
(09:09):
meat prices, the avocado growers, pleased to see them getting
a bit of a break. It's innovation week here on
the country. The pharmacist who invented an AI machine to
teat spray. It's an interesting story. And Phil Duncan on
the weather pretty settled around the country at the moment.
(09:37):
She is a North Otago farmer enjoying a lovely frosty
morning followed by a beautiful day on the farm. She's
also a former winner of the Balance Farm Environment Awards.
Her names Jane Smith. Now, Jane, I'm ready to be
outraged by climate liberation aart rower. Are you ready to
be outraged by us being still in the Paris Agreement
(10:00):
record and the fact that the Commerce Commission has dismissed
Federated Farmer's complaint on net zero banking? Where do you
want to start? What outrage do you want to begin with?
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Well, well, I guess I'm good afternoon, Jamie, Paris is
our friend. I think that's a really unpalatable line, especially
coming from anyone that does support the very good Save
Our Sheet campaign. Anyone that's a gasp about pine trees,
carbon farming, that taxonomy ban, cartols, all of those things
are actually symptoms of the bigger problem, and the bigger
(10:31):
problem is a Paris accord. But it seems to be
sort of had this holier than their drafting gates that
you know, supposedly our sole reason that the world allows
us to sell our wears on a global stage. And
I don't recall, you know, when we signed up to this,
and when was that about ten years ago? Isn't it
in betweeny fifteen our milk and meat prices you know,
(10:52):
magically going up? And can I remind both your listeners,
both urban and rule, that you know the Paris Agreement cough,
is at least a twenty four billion dollar commitment by
twenty thirty, which is just around the corner.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
No, but hang on, Jane, hang on, we're not going
to pay that. The government's already said we're not going
to part because we've got these targets to meet. We're
clearly not going to meet them by twenty thirty and
Emperor's New Clothes or whatever you want to call it,
Basically there will be no punishment other than a slap
over the wrist with a wet bus.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
Ticket exactly, Jamie. So that shows you that it's not
worth a paper it's written on. But actually for MPs
to say we won't need to you know, it'll be fine,
we won't need to pay that's weird because they've already
forked out six hundred and eighty five million dollars and
anyone could look that up and see that between twenty
twenty and twenty twenty three, so in the last few years.
(11:40):
But the bigger price of hey, Jamie, is as you know,
irreversible land use change, expense of renewable energy that's costly
and short term and you know, nothing like the nineteen
thirties dams wat damps built up the Waitechi Valley from
me here, Jamie. Power and food inflation, actually food inflation,
ladies and gentlemen. If you're thinking you're paying enough the
(12:02):
butter at the moment, then it's very expensive. We'll fasten
your seat belt because once we add the true cost
of the Paris Accord and there so all of these
supposes technology and initiatives that additors, boluses, pills, potions plus
land use change just to tick the paras box. Waiting
to see.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Well, okay, Jane, mind you, if we were to follow
what Bryce and Lurie from ground swell want and what
you want and what Winstant wants. And we pull out
of the Paris Accord slash agreement, we're going to lose
three dollars per kilogram on milk solids, so all of
a sudden we won't have to worry about the price
of butter and cheese.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
It's really interesting to see that figure plucked out of
the air because there is a country, Jamie I was
thinking about this this morning on the fun As a country,
we seem to be terrified of the wrong things. We
seem to be terrified of what highly subsidized, heavily populated
industrial countries think of us, more so than protecting and
promoting a natural competitive advantage, which actually is using our resources,
(13:00):
so water, our point feed water, our highly productive soils,
our hill country or high country to our advances regrass,
feed protein and actually, if we carry on this pathway,
we're going to end up like the UK and the EU.
I mean you look at the EU, they're currently paying
this land owners not to produce food and I repeat,
not to produce food. You look at the UK before
(13:22):
bricks that they were spending something like three point five
billion pounds a year on spamer subsidies. So that's per cow,
per sheep. Now after bricksit, they're supposedly not having subsidies,
but what they're doing is paying them not per cow,
per sheep, per acre, not to produce food, not to
produce food, noiause, you know, effectively retiring land that was
previously food producing. Similar to the Helen Clark land banking days.
(13:46):
What does she retire three point four million hi years
or the billion treats ESCO, And the only things that
happen with that is you decrease food production and increase
the costumes.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Okay, let's just move on. Commerce Commission dismissing Federated Farmer's
complaint on net zero banking. I have a lot of
sympathy for the feeds on this one, because I think
they made a good point one.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Hundred percent Jamie. And again this all feeds into this
is just another symptom of the bigger issue of Paris accord.
And again this is what I would call I don't
know if it's a real term or not, but selective
righteousness by the banks, you know, so and a weave
it like what we're seeing from the lights of McDonald's
and their stay et cetera, that that you know, whollier
than there, and farmers, you sure shall do better, and
(14:27):
you shall meet these criteria and keep jumping through these
hoops and a bit like you know what we're seeing
with university students attending and you mentioned it before, Jamie,
protest training. It's hard the university protest training, you know,
organized by the Climate Liberation at RAA and supposedly and
I quote you, to upskill and entice more university students
(14:51):
to protests. Well, actually, I believe their time would be
better spent in economics one O one lecture to usually learn.
Without taxpayer subsidies, university fees were to be at least double,
and ironically, those subsidies are underpinned by the very same
sectors that they're protesting against, Jamie. So you know, it's
all of this selective righteousness by protests, by banks, by
(15:13):
all of these corporate cartels that is actually going to
hold our country to ransom, Jamie. And we seem to
be very good at doing that ourselves. You know, instead
of facing this on the battlefield, we're sort of stuck
in the barracks finding one hundred ways to penalize their
own country.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Jamie, I wasted a lot of time at university. I've
got to be honest, Jane, but I never ever once
went to a protest skills night event organized by the
Climate Liberation ROA group. Thank god for it.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
I guess old John Minto were to be more your era, Jamie.
I'm sure you're probably pucked at a pub with him somewhere.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
No. I was very much pro the Springbok tour in
nineteen eighty one, but I was probably on the wrong
side of that argument. Maybe in twenty or thirty years time,
people like you and I j And if I'm still around,
we'll look back and we'll say the Climate Change Liberation
at ROWER group will bang on the money. Anyhow, we'll
ponder that one. Thanks for some of your time. I
love a bit of outrage on the country.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Thanks Shemmy.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Twenty five up to twelve. Thanks Jane, Yes, what are
your thoughts on the Climate Liberation ROA group. I suppose
students have always protested. I can't remember protesting against anything
when I was a student. I'll ask Michelle when she
wanders in here if she protested against anything when she
was a student. Some of your feedback, Hi, Jamie, I
(16:37):
get about getting great overseas payout or payouts for our
goods product for our good products, but how the hell
can we make very food affordable here in New Zealand.
That's a text from John, and this one's been thrashed
to death beat The simple answer is, John, as long
as international commodity prices stay where they are, that's where
(17:00):
the price of dairy products and meat for that matter,
will sit. Simply because as we heard from Mark Delatour
from Open Country Dairy the other day, that they're selling
nothing onto the domestic market, they can make more money
by selling it overseas. The flip side of the coin
is that it helps immeasurably our economy, which helps things
(17:22):
like interst rates and inflation be lower, which we all
benefit from. But I do have real sympathies for people
battling when they go to the supermarkets. Right up next,
avocado smashed avocado anyone, Millennials, We're going to talk about
avocado and record meat prices with Jen Corkran from Rabobank.
(17:46):
And oh here's another one coming. I just want to
read this one. Nathan guy didn't actually say what the
cost of pulling out of Paris is as usual from
those apologies. They are plucking figures out of the air.
No study has been on the cost Why Wayne Langford,
president of Federated Farmers, threw it out there, three dollars
per kilogram of milk solids if we pull out of Paris.
(18:09):
Make of that number? What you want up next? Gen Corkran.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
Every now and then I get ahead of it.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Jen Corkran is a Rabobank Research senior analyst. She's put
out a really interesting paper on the avocado industry and
industry that's had its fair share of troubles, it would
be fair to say over the past couple of years,
but looks like it's coming right. But first I want
to talk about your main area of interest, Jen, at Rabobank,
and that is a red meat which is going great
(18:43):
guns at the moment. Here's a question for you, a
starter for ten. Why aren't you at the red meat
sector conference in christ Church today?
Speaker 6 (18:50):
Hi, Jamie, I would love to be down there today.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to wrangle it, but I'll be
really interested to hear some of the feedback coming through, because,
by gosh, compared to this time twelve years ago, there's
suddenly a lot more positivity out there, isn't there In
the outlook over the next season, it is actually looking
(19:11):
really good for red meats, So I think there'll be
a lot of positive conversations coming out of that conference today.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Now we're going back twelve years or twelve months, I
reckon twelve months. Mind you. It's a lot better than
it was twelve years ago too as well. Gen.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Yeah, it almost suddenly is. And however cost er I'm
sure than they were twelve years ago, that's sure.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Well. Absolutely, we've been through a period of rapid on
farm inflation, especially from the COVID era onwards, and it's
really taken the shine off what are record price is? Okay,
well let's start with sheep because the wall side of
the equations not great, but the lamb side has really
come right. And no one picked this gen twelve months ago.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
No one practice, Jamie, that's right. And you know, we
did a we report I think it came out August
last year on you know, We're the sheet met was
that and where we thought it might be going. And
one of the things that we discussed in that was
that we expect there may be a swing back to
some of our traditional markets for lamb, especially which is
the European Union and the UK because what we saw
(20:14):
coming beer was a decline in their own numbers domestically,
but a real city demand, especially in some cultural groups
and also more traditionally in the UK first sheet meet
in lamb roasts and the like. And that's what we're
seeing at the moment. We've seen, you know, over the
last you know season, so the twenty four to twenty
five export season, we've seen a berg shift and the
(20:36):
volumes going to the United Kingdom and the European Union
and the value that we're getting for that, that everage
export value, and that is really driven up the farm
gate prices in terms of you know, that upside being
passed on to our producers, which is great news, and
we expect that to continue. We expect that demand in
this next season to continue.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
We're getting record prices for beef and it doesn't look
like stopping spite the teriff situation in the US.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
That's right, and the rebuilt of that herd in the
United States that's going to drive their imports for the
next couple of three years at least, is really driving
up those prices. So we're seeing record high everage export
values going into the United States for our beef, and
that's just driving you know, our record high fun cake
(21:25):
prices at the moment, and as you say, they're not
looking like that's slowing down, and we are seeing just
just that big demand based on a lack of supply.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Are we going to benefit from Trump lumping greater tariffs
on other countries compared to US, which obviously gives us
a competitive advantage and I'm looking at the likes of
the South American countries.
Speaker 6 (21:45):
Yeah, So Brazil's been exporting a lot of beef into
the United States of the last three months in particular,
and these, you know, the volumes that they've been sending
up have surged higher than any volumes sent in the
same three months of any other year in rencient history.
So we don't really know what's going on there, but
(22:06):
you know, the threat of a perhaps fifty percent tariff
on top of the twenty six percent tariff that they've
already got would really put a hold to that, Jamie.
And that would actually be an advantage for New Zealand
in terms of the import price at they're paying not
being sort of held steady by the fact that they've
got this big supply coming from Brazil. But we'll just
have to see how that plays out, because, as we know,
if the tariffs a lot of there's a lot of
(22:29):
uncertainty still going on there.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Well, no one knows about the tariffs, including Donald Trump.
What's going to happen there? Hey, just quickly on the avocado,
I mentioned that you put out a press release late
last week. I like this one. The avocado production expected
to lift this global market smashes and inverted commas past
the thirty billion dollar mark, no doubt. That is a
(22:51):
reference to the smashed avocado on toast that you millennials
like to eat.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Gem Oh, how.
Speaker 7 (22:57):
Good are that?
Speaker 6 (22:57):
Jamie? And I was pretty happy to help out with this.
This is the Global Fresh Produce team that put out
this one, and it's the Global Avocado Report, so looking
at global production basically. But I was very heavy to
help with this because avocados definitely tend to be one
of my favorite side interests outside of all things agriculture.
But it was a great report to help with. Basically,
(23:19):
the long and short of it is that global production
of avocados are strong and there's been a threefold growth
in avocados being produced globally over the last fifteen years,
and you know it's a popular fruit. But basically, you know,
the market value was close to thirty four billion New
Zealand dollars last year, and so this is driven by
(23:40):
Latin America and North America and Europe intendative consumption. But
the actual production of avocados is increasing. So we're going
to need lots of people to eat lots of avocados
over the next few years.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Now.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I'm keen for the avocado growers in New Zealand to
get a decent crack because the part prices have been
pretty poor in recent times and b you can't always
be guaranteed crop it. It's a fraught danger being an
avocado grower anyway, lovely to catch up. Gen Always appreciate
your time here on the country.
Speaker 6 (24:07):
Thanks Jay, great chat.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
That is twenty five away from one. The musical scene
today is eighties power ballads from females. We've got a
kind of a couple of power females on the show.
Jane Smith couldn't accuse her of not being powerful. Michelle
and of course Jen corkran good comment on I'm pleased
(24:30):
for the old avocado growers because they've had a real
tough time of it.
Speaker 8 (24:33):
Yeah, they've had a really tough season, and it's good
to hear that they're doing quite well. I like avocado, Jamie, by.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
The way, I hate it. Give me Kiwi fruit or
do you know what's great at this time of the year,
New Zealand oranges from the Gisbon region. Perfect. Did you
protest against anything when you were at university?
Speaker 8 (24:51):
No, I had no time for that. I'm just saying
to you I had lectures at eight am in the morning,
which apparently commerce students didn't know existed.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
I'm trying to think in nineteen seventy Yeah, I was
a commerce student and I had like eight hours a week,
so I was pretty useless. But I'm thinking what I protest.
I may have protested against the price of bear because
I think when I was at university in nineteen seventy
nine here at Otago, it ticked over one dollar a jug. Well,
(25:19):
I remember my old man saying he was a great
patron of the Riversdale pubby said if it goes past
a dollar, no one will ever buy a jug again. Dad,
you were wrong on that one. Up next to rural
news and sports news. Welcome back to the country. Twenty
(25:46):
away from one. I think this is my favorite power
ballad from female artists in the eighties, The Wilson's Sisters
and Heart and Alone. Some great feedback coming through on
the text line, I'm an avocado grower out of Caddy
Caddy and all around our area. Avocado grois have had
it really tough for the past few years. Years. Yes,
(26:07):
they have lots of properties went on the market, so hopefully,
writes our text, it could be a good year. Hopefully
no major storms ruin it though, and that is always
the problem. Oh, here we go. Can I read this one?
Bah bah blah blah. I was at Otago University doing
commerce in nineteen seventy nine. You are correct. A jug
(26:30):
was ninety nine cents, so I don't even know who
this person is. We may have been in the same class.
We didn't get eight am lectures till after until later
in the course for business law and professional studies are
not very exciting topics at eight am. I agree with that. Texter,
Text me your name and see if I recognize you.
We may have been in a tutorial or something together.
(26:52):
How exciting was that for me? Might have been someone
really famous.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
The countries world US with COM's New Zealand's leading right
on lawn bower brand visit Steel four dot cot on
In said for your local.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Stockerst and Michelle, I don't want to sound like a
complete booser, but a bear has played a good major
part in my life. I'm a Emerson's unofficial Emerson's brand ambassador.
But in those days, we just drank draft Bear by
the gallon, and you could talking about buy the gallon.
You could buy a four and a half keg four
and that's not four and a half liters, this is
four and a half gallons and you could buy it
(27:26):
for eight bucks from the Robbie Burns.
Speaker 8 (27:28):
Oh that's so cheap.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Those were the days. Those were the days. Anyhow, what's
in rural news?
Speaker 8 (27:33):
Okay, so in Rory's I'm sure everyone's aware of this,
that butter has doubled in price, according to the latest
stats from Stats. New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis is
set to query the high cost of butter with Fonterra today.
Apparently she's meeting with Miles Harrel tonight. She spoke to
Ryan Bridges.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
All that's a complete waste of time about this. Yeah,
it'll be interesting, Nicholas Virtual's signaling here. There's nothing Miles
can do. It's not Fonterra's job to subsidize dairy products domestic.
Speaker 8 (28:00):
No, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
The government wants them to be cheaper. Sorry for interrupting,
and we'll let them put a subsidy on.
Speaker 8 (28:05):
It's interesting because she's doing that whole supermarket thing as well, wasn't.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Oh no, the supermarket's a fair game.
Speaker 8 (28:10):
But you know, we'll chat to Chris Lucks and I
think about this tomorrow because he's been questioned about butter
as well. I think over the last few days. But
just interesting. I found that she was going to be
meeting with Miles. And that's what's happening in rural on
you as you can find more at the country dot
co dot NZ.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Sport with an Avco Kiwi to the bone since nineteen oh.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Four, Hayden says Pat Bennetta. We belong for female eighties
power ballad. I'm with you there, I'm with you there, Hayden.
We'll give that one a role for you rightio. What
I've got no idea what's happening in sport. I haven't
even read it. Let's have a lot silverfern farms, silverfern farms,
silver ferns. I'm just getting my sport and my farming
(28:48):
mixed up here. Silver Ferns. Captain Amelia and Ichiinazo Ichanazio,
good player. We'll miss the international netple season as she
takes a break to rejuvenate her hind, body and spirit
after the a n Z Premiership. Really the Breakers An
(29:08):
evolution rather than revolution is the mantra for new Chiefs
coach John o'gibbs. After two years as an assistant with
the franchise. He says the team only needs fine tuning
after making three Super Rugby finals in a row. Maybe
he can do what Clayton McMillan couldn't do. Good luck
John o'gibbs with the Chiefs my default side after the
(29:30):
Highlanders up next. It is innovation Week here on the Country.
Got a great story about a pharmacist who got sicker
being indoors, so he went dairy farming.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
Farming the future.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Innovation Week on the Country with herd Eye Daily scoring
of body condition powered by ni.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
It is Innovation Week here on the Country. It's brought
to you by herd Eye, a really smart AI company,
ideal for detecting cow lameness and body condition scoring. Yeah,
AI is the way of the future. So our innovative
product today is another AI product, and it's all about
(30:14):
teat spraying using AI and reducing mastitis. To tell us
more about it, a guy with a really interesting backstory,
Brian Johnson used to be a pharmacist. Brian, you decided
to go dairy farming in your fifties. Why was that in.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
A a bit of insanity? Probably Jamie. I got sick
of being inside. To be honest, I loved the pharmacy profession.
It was very rewarding. But you decided to get into
dairy farming. Always had lifestyle blocks and yeah, fell in
love with some land just out of fitty anger.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
And got into it.
Speaker 7 (30:51):
It took me about three years to feel reasonably comfortable.
It's quite a big jump.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
So you've come up with this AI product, but with
the help of another couple of people. One of them
is your son who studied mechanical AI engineering at Waikata University,
and the other one is a bloke with an electronic degree.
So tell me about your product.
Speaker 7 (31:14):
What we've done is we've started from scratch. We've built
it from the ground up, researching nozzle placements and all
that sort of thing. But the main point of difference
is our sensor device is an actual machine vision camera.
So like heard I, you know, we're both sort of
onto the same sort of check that when the sense
(31:36):
is up high, it doesn't get covered in crap, which
sort of negates any effect on the track.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Well, we'll excuse my ignorance here, but if the sensor
is up high and the camera's up high, how can
you tell what's going on down the bottom at the
teat area.
Speaker 7 (31:51):
Okay, So what happens is we've said in about somewhere
in the vicinity of fifty thousand odd images Jamie of towels,
all different colors, different lighting, all that sort of thing,
and we use a computer model to predict where the
other is. So you know, with that number of images,
(32:12):
we've we've got a pretty detailed picture of where that
utter is. So and the camera works at twenty five
frames a second, so no matter how fast the cows
run across it, or they bunch up, or you know,
there's all sorts of cow behavior as everyone knows, and
sometimes they'll stop over the unit then take off.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
But because the.
Speaker 7 (32:36):
Camera takes that many frames a second accurately, you can't
avoid the teeth spray. Our accuracy rates we're pushing up
towards ninety eight percent, So what's.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
The accuracy right? And in a typical non AI dairy shed.
Speaker 7 (32:53):
Other automatic teeth sprays have had a bit of a
bad rap over the years. Just you know, they're around
fifty or sixteen percent I think would be fair. You know,
a lot of vets are anti where anti auto teach
prayers and you know the purists will say that handspraying
still the best. But my way of thinking, you know,
and from experience, you know, you're on your.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
Four hundred or five hundredth cow of the day, you know,
trying to get all four barrels covered. Evenly Europe against it.
Speaker 7 (33:21):
But with this new technology which we've we're very very happy.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
With, you know, we're getting up to around ninety eight percent.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Well it sounds wonderful now for the great unwashed And
no pun intended there, Brian. Obviously the teat spraying is
to prevent mastitis, and the numbers around mastitis I think
according to Dry and Z mastitis in New Zealand brings
with it an average cost of one hundred and eighty
dollars per cow. If you can eliminate that or get
(33:49):
close to eliminating it, the payback on technology like this
would be pretty swift.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Yes, no, exactly, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
So not only do we you know, it's than definite
labor costs, saving roughly half an hour per milking, which
you know is a big deal. And we can also
trim up the amount of teeth spray used so you're
not wasting their precious chemical.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
And also you know, if.
Speaker 7 (34:18):
We can eliminate ten to fifteen mastatist cases a year,
it pays for itself well within a well within a season.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Yeah, okay, that's good. So if people want to have
a look at this, will get a hold of it.
I think you've licensed your product to a milk tech specialist, Gea,
so that's where you go. Is this thing going to
roll out globally as well?
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Yeah, yeah, Gea, Yeah, I've been absolutely brilliant to deal
with Ben Morris. Product managers trusted us and believed in US.
But yeah, no, there's an international rollout planned. We've got
a couple in Victoria, Australia, and yeah, we're going to
roll out new Zealand.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
Tech to the world.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Brian Johnson, Managing director of agri AI, Thanks for your time,
Good luck with you new product like herd Eye. It's
using AI for fantastic advancement in the dairy industry. Good
luck go well.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
Thank you very much. Jamie good talking to you. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yes, Pat Penatah, wasn't she good in the eighties? Right?
How are we going to wrap it with Phil Duncan
talking about the weather. I just got to get this
text out of the road from Ted on the West Coast.
It's a good one. I flipped then flopped within ten
minutes on your show today, j Mac taking liberties. There
are Ted listening to Nathan guy who we all respect.
I thought, hmm, okay, Paris. Then Jane Smith had her
(35:37):
say and girl, you sounded on the money stick, Paris,
says Ted. Okay. Phil Duncan, not much to talk about
on the weather front, because it's going to be a
very good week, very settled week around the country, which
is wonderful. A couple of things. I just want to
ask you about how wet I'm getting reports of how
wet it is in your home province, of Wykato sort
(35:57):
of King Country area.
Speaker 9 (36:00):
It's certainly been a fairly mild winter up until recently
for places like Waikato and northern areas, and fairly wet
as well as driving through there at the weekend, and
some farms underwater in the areas where you would expect
it to happen. But it does show you that, you know,
when the fences are underwater, that's a sign that there's
been a little bit too much rain and not as
(36:20):
many frosts. Except that's just changed in the past couple
of nights.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
We're during a brilliant winter at the bottom ends of
the South Islands for farming. Anyhow, I I don't want
to be the better of bad news on this one,
but for our friends in the Tasman Nelson region, how
are they looking. I've got twenty seconds.
Speaker 10 (36:39):
They've got really good weather for now, high pressure and
charge for a number of days to come. But next
week we are monitoring another northerly flow into the country.
It could bring some rain back to the north of
both of the islands.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Well, you know, I love you as a weather man,
but I hope you're wrong on that one. Thanks for
your time, Phil Duncan are wrapping the Country. We'll catch
you back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckaye. Thanks to Brent, you're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment
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