September 29, 2025 • 38 mins
Hamish McKay talks to Jack Fagan, Greg Gent, Scott Graham, and Rebecca Greaves.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckue. Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John dere machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Ah, good afternoon, welcome into the Country Board. To you
by Brandt. I'm Havius McKay one mackay in for another
bow Duke and for Luke Duke. You're good, say Jamie.
Off to Perth to watch the Moment of Truth serum
for the All Blacks. There's a reason behind who's got
(00:43):
a bit of barbaro strides and Barry Gibb will talk
about that in a moment with the one and only
Michelle Watt out of Dunedin. Hopefully the All Blacks will
go a little better than the New Zealand Secondary School
rugby team KEI with a thought out of the teams
that we had wrote to U Boys, High Fielding High School,
Park Boys, we might have got a team that might
have been a bit more competitive with the Wallaby Under
(01:04):
eight ans. They've beaten eighty one forty eight eighty one
points conceded by the New Zealand Secretary School team. Wallaby's
a bit bit tougher this weekend with Valentini and Skelton
back on that pack. They muscled up to us last weekend,
so we'll be keeping an eye on that, and we'll
be talking to Jamie from Perth, I'm sure on Friday
as well. Okay, coming up on the show, I'm going
(01:26):
to be talking to director Farmer, former director of Fonterra
A Greg Genter, is on the show to look at
this divestment proposal. It had the first meeting. We'll see
what goes on there. Your cop your vote. Leading Australian
agricultural educationalist Scott Graham joins us out of Sydney. But
right now I just have a quick chat with the
(01:47):
producer of the show, Michelle. Have we got you out
of dneed in there? Michelle whata hello?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
You have indeed? Heymus.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Oh it's clear as day. Look at that connection between
Dunedin and Palmers to North. Now. The reason we played
a bit of guilty there, Barbra Stroanne, Barry Gibb was
because you know, we don't want Jamie to be guilty
about you and I sort of forming a relationship while
he's away, if you know what I mean. I just
never actually.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Thought about that, like, have you tell us about it?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
No? No, I can't see him being jealous, to be
perfectly honest, But you know he's he goes away and
sends his best wishes, doesn't he wonderful man? And what
a great you know, he'll have a lot of fun
over there in Perth. Can you imagine some of the
late night antics.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Or even I might get to pull on those boots
and play for the All Blacks.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Injuries, Well, exactly what we're down if you want. The
Captain's out right, Scott Barrett's out.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
That's right, Yeah, as far as I know, only something.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, yeah, no, he's definitely out. So hey, there you go.
So we've got a big show coming up. Well, we'll
we'll talk to I just wanted to clarify the choice
of the music early on and the piece you know,
and we'll no doubt chat later on when we check
out a bit of news and sport, et cetera. Over
the over the over the over the course of the
show for the next hour here on the Country. Time
(02:59):
to talk, sheer. It's ten minutes past midday the country.
Alrighty ho, I think we're going to be joined now
by Well, he's been sort of spent a lot of
time he's been away most of the winter competing over
there in a Europe Jack Fagan, good afternoon, Jack, Good afternoon, Hammers.
Are you Oh, I'm great mate yourself. You just got
(03:21):
back what you competed in Perth on the way home
as well.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Yeah, I'm actually just out on the farm. Dad and
I are out spraying and I landed back from Perth
yesterday after competing at the Perth Royal Show on Saturday
and managed to get third, which was a pretty big,
big moment for me on a big marino competition. So yeah,
I'm all the same.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, good to get a few of those Wrinkley's done.
They you know, what are they like? In Perth?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
They were probably some of the better ones, will she
To be honest, they were pretty pretty plain marinos down
on the South Island up in the Central Otago. We
can get a few gnarly ones later on in the
season if there's a bit of snow in that around,
But now the ones in Western Australia are generally pretty
good too.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Have they bred to be better to share? Is that
something that's happened over the years with marinos.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I'd say definitely in the last forty fifty years, they've
got a lot plainer taking that, a lot of the
wrinkle out of them, and the wall's probably got a
little bit stronger in places too. But there's still a
lot of traditional farmers that argue that with skin and
wrinkle you're going to cut more wall and it's the
weight where they're making their margin. So I mean, the
average farmer in WA at the moment's making forty to
(04:29):
fifty dollars a fleece, whereas the ones that are actually
cutting a lot of waller getting up around eighty ninety
dollars a fleece.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, yeah, okay, well that's interesting. Yeah. Right. So we've
got and of course the regular ones down on Alexander
that's coming up. Was that this week?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Yeah, that's this week. We've got the big Wall Handling
and Team's event on Friday and then the Senior and
Open on the Saturday. So that's our first competition.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Of the New Zealand Sharing Circuit season, right and now culmination,
we've got what we've got World Champs coming up this year?
Is that right? Two come out early next year? Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
The five, six, seven, eight of March at the Golden
Shares and masted and so all the world teams will
be coming out straight after the New year, and we'll
get settled into a bit of work and some competitions
and it's going to be a pretty hard New Zealand
team to make it at the moment too.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, so how do we have Is it a two
person team in the World Champs.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yes, so arguably there'd be twenty top guys in the
country and only two sharers get to make the New
Zealand team. So we're doing a bit of a long
winded circuit At the moment. Tor Henderson is way out
in front of the circuit, and then there'll be a
second sharer selected at another final in early February.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So okay, so what do you have to do personally?
Where do you need to really shine out and show
your strength to make it?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
So I'm probably middle of the pack at the moment.
We've got another five competitions in our circuit, so practically
out of those five shows, I'm either going to have
to win a couple or at least get in the
finals and place well just to get some enough points
to make that big final in February.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I mean at the end of the day too,
the Golden shears. Magnificent event, I mean, the pinnacle in
many respects. But it'd be quite a hard watch, wouldn't it,
just knowing the World Champs are at the same time. Still,
I guess it's only two of about twenty as you say,
who could be contenders? Yeah, yeah, no, Now what else
(06:24):
we got coming up? So where do we go? Where
do we go after Alexandra? It's just pretty much full
on right through this, right through the late spring summer,
right through.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Yeah, right through until early December. So after alex we
go to Waimatti for the New Zealand Spring Sharing Champs.
We've also got a Winter Comb title there, which is
another marino competition. It's great for us to get another
one under our belt. The all these are a fair
bit stronger on marinos than kiwis traditionally, so the more
we can do, the better. And then we head up
to Gisbon the Great Rahania Show on the Hawk's Bay
(06:56):
one or two Whypuck, then down to christ Church Stratford
and then fung today. So fairbit up and down the country.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, fantastic though. Okay, so now how much sort of
time do you get for day to day shit sharing?
I mean there's a fair bit of travel involved in
all that, isn't there.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Yeah, pretty much working when it's the main season, working
during the weekdays, and then the weekends get away on
a plane or either a big trip in the car
with some mates and it's just for the weekend competing.
But there's there's a lot of camaraderie with getting on
the road with your mates. And I actually starting to
have a bit more to do with our local rugby
club with a speech here and I listened to all
(07:35):
the rugby boys talk about their travels and a few
parties and their camaraderie, and I thought, God, I've missed
out on all of this because I'm a sharer. And
then I flipped it and thought, actually we're exactly the
same in the sharing industry, which is pretty awesome, do.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know what? I jack as a boy and this
is just before David was on the scene, but John,
uncle John would have been on the scene there. I'd
pull up at these shows as a young kid and
I'd see Ivan Rosen, did you come? And his big
green falcon, and then Samson Hammerhona to Fotta and another
big you know and just and the camarade, you know,
how they'd all go around and shake each other's hands.
(08:08):
Furiously competitive on the board. But I reckon that camaraderie
is something that's been around, and I'm pleased to hear
that it still is. Is that sort of you know
when you're together at a big open show, you're all
you're all sort of like you know, you know, the blood,
sweat and tears that goes into this.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Absolutely, I mean pre final obviously things are going to
be pretty tense, and everyone likes to sit on their
own and just get in the zone and work out
what you get, what you got to do. But I
mean post presentations, when you want everyone's chilled out, having
a bear. By god, it can be fun and talk
about laughs, I reckon, We've got some of the funniest
characters in the world and the sharing industry, And even
(08:43):
if you talk to a few contractors, they'd probably say
the same.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, I reckon. I mean, I've got some magic times.
I mean, and I was known as the slowest sharer
and apity. I just tendency to sort of think about
other things. Jack was probably my problem. But when I
think back to some of the laughs used to have
with boy Manau and Dennis McKenzie and Marcus Cown and
some of the guys I worked with. Fantastic days and
(09:07):
long made that continue in the wallshed. Busy, big season
ahead for you. All the best Alexander this weekend, Jack
and qualifying for one of those two places, Yeah, I
imagine old tour is going to be quite hard to
haul and very quickly though. European So I know it's
a little while ago now the World Champs and everything
was going on up there, But how was the sort
of your your European sojourn.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
We had a great tour up through England, Wales, Ireland,
Scotland and France. We managed to win three out of
the six tests. Obviously disappointed we couldn't get six from six,
but yet we're still still learning and getting getting stronger,
and yeah, I'm thoroughly looking forward to getting back next year.
It's a hell of a fun tour.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, excellent a Jack, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm going
to take it on my shoulders. I want to see
more sharing in more mainstream. You can't get more mainstream
than than the country in terms of rural coverage and
getting it into the into the city as well, and
every time my cousin Jamie lets me on the show,
I'll make sure I give sheer as he does. I'll
(10:06):
make sure we give sheer in a good pump. Jack Fagan,
thanks very much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Dude, thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Thank you there he he's got to get back to
the spraying with the old man. Got to get back
to doing the work. Twelve seventeen. Habus mckaye with you
on the Country. Coming up, we're going to talk this
situation with Fonterra's divestment proposal. Twelve twenty twenty minutes after
(10:36):
twelve the Country. Hamus mckaye in for Jamie mckaye for
a well a couple of weeks. Jamie getting over to
Perth for the big Gar, the big rugby game on
the weekend, the second of the bletters Low Cup. Great
to have your company. We're going to talk that situation
with Fonterra and the divestment proposal, the meetings around the country.
(10:57):
You'll co op your vote of has just kicked off
the last night and Fong Array the latest on that.
Very shortly and just before I forget it was Ricky
Peevack was the other share of the late Ricky Peevack
who used to come from the wire rapper who turned
up in a big it's like a purple falcon at
the sharing competitions. You used to love that. Twelve twenty
(11:17):
one here on the Country, the Country right. Joining us
now on the show, Greg Jan former director of a
Fonterra and of course experienced director and farmer. Greg, welcome
onto the show.
Speaker 6 (11:33):
Thank you very much, good to be him.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, good to chat. Okay, So well, some pretty big
days are happening and continuing through to what the vote
starts and what October seventh I think for the whole.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
Divestment yep, as I understand it, yes.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yep, okay, So what's what's your role in this? Greg?
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Well, I guess my role is as a farmer, so
I get to vote as a farmer. And also I
cheered deary holding, so that's Fonteria's just shelder at about
one percent of its milk. So yeah, a couple of roles,
I guess yep.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
So look, these are both challenging and exciting times as well.
The road shows are underway, and I understand that the
Independent report document is with farmers, so they're getting plenty
of time to check this over.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
Yes, that's right. You know, attend to the font Roy
road show last evening, mess of attendance and seem very
positive and some good searching questions. It was a very
very good session.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
When you say good searching questions, can you give us
a couple of examples of those, Greg.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
One would be around the transfer price. Obviously to lectlanis
that you know we've got a good price for the product,
but we want to obviously be comfortable that you know
the prices are paying for Fonterra milk in the future
is where it should be. And I guess we got
that comfort and just I guess the overall of why
why divest it? They would being the two key thing
(13:00):
that would have come out.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
So if somebody asked you that question, what's a great
Gens answer? Why my answer?
Speaker 6 (13:08):
I've guess there's a couple of answers, And I guess
I've had this view for long before this. So first
one is that whole supermarket area, which is what we're
talking about, really fast moving consumer goods, has changed dramatically
over the years. Supermarkets are aggregator. As we know, large
players have become more dominant, so small capital can constrained
(13:29):
players like us. You know, it's not a place she
can you can get good returns, and we certainly aren't
getting good returns versus the rest of the business. I
also think there's not a great fit with a cooperative
model because these things are incredibly capital intensive. What we're
good at is the ingredients space, especially ingredients, and that's
where actually we were getting three quarters of our returns
(13:50):
today and that was something I probably learned last night.
I didn't realize that it had got to that level.
So selling this gets rid of a quarter of our
value added returns. But over the next three years, it's
projected that'll get back to status quo as especially ingredients
business gets more capital and more focus.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Ingredients seventy five percent. That's quite Yeah, I'm a little
bit taken aback by that number. That's actually at that point.
So farmers, the interested parties here are wanting to see
that that that the long term supply is what's locked.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
In long term. Yeah, yeah, two lackedalis, but also long
terms that don't disadvantage frontier, I guess. So, you know,
you can do a sweetheart dealer as far as the price,
but then on the other side you should from a
tame good deal as far as the milk price goes,
that hasn't happened. It looks looks as it should look,
which is great.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
The average number that a shareholder of farmers going to
get from this, what's the sort of I mean, it
seems like a decent old whack, but I guess it
could be consumed quite quickly, couldn't it in any farming environment.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Yep, So smaller farmers, the days are typically around one
hundred thousand milks. Solars just say that's two hundred thousand
dollars tax free, which I think we can't ignore. But
then the value of the shared technically no one knows,
should go down by two dollars as well. So it's
cash versus equity, if that makes sense. Your overall, your
overall financial position at the end of this should be
(15:21):
pretty neutral. But you're getting the cash, you haven't got
the equity.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Those who are not so keen did they have a
voice in fong Ray last night?
Speaker 6 (15:31):
I didn't actually hear one voice that wasn't keen. I
just had a lot of searching questions and you're sort
of can get a little bit of a feel of
the tone for the meeting. I think the tone was
that they were keen yep.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, and I'd expect that to continue. I guess it
seems like when you talk about that our ingredients is
seventy five percent of the business, that that theme will
continue of positivity.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
Yep. I agree. And I think Fontaine has kind of
probably got it quite jobs around the comms on that.
I think, you know, the few politicians have had to
say in things, and I don't think they quite realize
the scale of Fonterra's value add ingredients business. I think
there's a bit of work to be toun on that
to get New Zealand link over the line.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Yeah yeah, yeah, no, Okay, Well, and there's what three
or four more meeting but three or four more days
of meetings and then the vote starts October seventh, and
things will and then when do you sort of see
this all getting crunched.
Speaker 6 (16:24):
Out in the new year. The sort of indicative number
was around February. That deal might be the few things
to work through Commics Commission and the light but farmer
votes obviously the most crucial. So I guess they haven't
got a firm date when it'll go live, but I
think that the hope is fair nearly in the new year.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah, great, staff, Greg, thank you very much for joining us.
And what do you do? Do you get any time
to get back to your own farm or what do
you keep?
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Yes at the moment, as much as I can. That's
just my happy place. You're getting back to a little
old ruler.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
It's oh right up, geez, that's quite a way up north. Yeah, good, good, good.
No earthquake country too, apparently up north. Yeah, no earthquakes
and good fishing you can fantastic Greek. Thank you very much. Yeah,
I can't ask. No earthquakes, good fishing, good part of
the world. Rural I must have met. I'd be lying
(17:22):
if I said I'd actually been there. But I think
isn't that Normy Maxwell country up that way? Rural way
up in the far north? Right? Coming up, we're going
to talk to one of the leading Australian agricultural educationalists.
This guy has got young farmers of all you know,
of all shapes and sizes and ages at his heart.
(17:42):
The Toop Sydney science teacher who specializes in the ag world.
Bringing a team to New Zealand and later on the show.
We're going to go what's for lunch on the farm
while docking for you North Islanders and of course tailing
for your South Islands. I never quite work that one out.
What's for lunch over on Pongoraa On the day docking,
we're going to get our Rebecca Grees to climb a
(18:03):
big hill so she gets good cell phone reception. That's
all coming up on the Country twelve thirty on your
Tuesday The Country body by brad Artus McKay and for
(18:25):
Jamie McKay, a cross in the Tasman to talk to
a leading Australian agricultural education educationalists shortly and we're going
to head to the back block of the tartar Uha
over there in a pongoraa Rebecca Grees telling us what
they're going to have for lunch, amongst other things. I
don't know, why was it always so good to have
a good feed while you're out docking and not too
bad to weather in the monna we're too today. I
(18:46):
hope it's okay wherever you are, whatever you might be doing,
the Country twelve thirty one. The Country right heading across
the ditch, now across the Tasman, and we're joined by
a man who has a great focus on young people
in agriculture in particular, in fact, that's where his field
(19:09):
of study is and increasing enrollments engagements in both tertiary
and secondary education around agriculture and was awarded a couple
of years back the Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in
Science Teaching. Scott Graham joins us now Koday, Scott, how are.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
You hi much?
Speaker 7 (19:29):
Going great?
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Thank you good? Good good. So now your current role
you teach on a daily basis and you're still you're
involved in your PhD. And how's all that going? Yeah,
going good.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
I'm teaching full time had of Agriculture department at my
school and teaching students from years nine through to twelve,
so fourteen through to eighteen years old, and then also
doing part time PhD in agricultural education on the side.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
So you're at Barker College. Whereabouts is that?
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
So it's in the North Road of Sydney, so about
thirty kilometers north of Sydney.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Smity, Okay, so that's quite close into the city to
be and you have a good numbers involved in the
egg sector and the egg learning sector at your school. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
Absolutely. I mean we're surrounded by high rise apartments each
time story, so we're well and truly in the city.
But yeah, we have around up to four hundred students
studying agriculture from years nine to twelve currently.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Wow, that's remarkable because obviously you would have been aware
of what was happening here where there was sort of
a bit of a pullback on what we were going
to do at tertiary level with our students and agriculture,
but we swung back. Thankfully, things have been sort of reinstated.
But that that's remarkable because I was thinking thirty k's
north of Sydney will let you know, and as you say,
high rises and everything, what's a sort of a typical
(20:53):
agricultural program look for like for those students from the
year nine through to year twelve.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Yeah, say in the younger years and unite and ten,
we do units based around enterprises, so we might do
lamb production for a term. We might do meat chickens
for a term, might do vegetable production for a term.
Once you get to yet eleven and twelve and the
leaving certificate, the high school certificate, you're looking at broader
animal and plant production, the science behind the genetics, the
(21:22):
pests and diseases, the breeding, all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Really yeah, okay, so you know, like covering all I guess,
every sort of facet of agriculture and setting them up
for the future. Now you're bringing the team out to
New Zealand, is that right? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:42):
We are.
Speaker 7 (21:42):
So we've got thirty nine students coming over tomorrow and
we're heading over for eleven day tour. I guess we
call it a paddic to plate tour. It's an agriculture
but also an environment tour, so a little bit of
geology involved there as well, because New Zealand is such
a great place to see so much done so well
(22:04):
in such a small area in terms of being able
to travel between so many different things compared to Australia
obviously the bus distances. So yeah, we're heading into Auckland
about five days on the North Island, then heading to
the South Islands for six days and heading out of Queenstown.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
It sounds like it sounds terrible, sounds terrible, scott fantastic trip. Okay,
So I guess just pick out what you may foresee
has been a couple of highlights for these twenty nine
young people are going to have such a great trip here.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
So this is actually the third time we've run this trip,
and so I guess I've got a pretty good idea
of what I with personal highlights for me, and I'm
sure we'll be again. We'd do a lot of different things,
but some of them. You know, the gairy aspect is
obviously major in New Zealand and so seeing the Gary
Processing factory cheesemaking. We had an incredibly beautiful lamb property
(23:05):
down in the South Island, which you know, is amazing
for the kids to see. Of course, deer and venison
is a something that's quite large in New Zealand and
so that's definitely highlight. Keyw fruit this year we're going
to electric cherries in the South Island and the world's
first fully electric farm, so I think that'll be interesting. Yeah,
and then the Wai Mangu volcanic Valley and Rangetoto aren't
(23:31):
near Auckland, so the geology aspects as well for the students.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
That is going to be a fabulous trip. So I
think do they have to fundraise for a while and
what what would you be doing accommodation was is it
billeted or how are you doing that? How does that
work out?
Speaker 8 (23:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (23:46):
So the students kind of, you know, do a little
bit of their own fundraising, but the we're staying in
hostels along the way basically not do iting this time.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Yeah, no, no, so that looks fantastic here. So what
did you start out scott as somebody who did you
come from a farming background? How did you sort of
your science teaching and into agriculture. How did how did
that play out for somebody who's who's sounding listening to
this and going I'd love to do that? What's your
background and what was your journey? Yeah?
Speaker 7 (24:21):
So I grew up in Sydney and I had no
agricultural background. I guess I didn't know really much about
agriculture before I started it in year seven at school
because it was compulsory and I ended up just really
enjoying it, finding it really interesting, really important, and took
it through to the end of high school and ended
up doing agricultural science at university. And so I've just
(24:42):
always been quite passionate about it from that early high
school age, but no background before that. And I think
that's you know, there's such a need for metropolitan people
to go into agriculture, into the non production roles that
might that might be or regionally, but they also might
be city based. So I think I can kind of
(25:04):
relate to the students that we have at our school
who are all metropolitan students who don't have a background
in agriculture. So I think, you know, in Australia, and
I think the stats are pretty close in New Zealand,
but two thirds of Australians live in just five cities
and in metropolitan areas, and so I think that's really
(25:28):
an untapped market for student interest in agriculture.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, fantastic, And of course these will certainly on the
side of the teasman, but I know what I follow
on the other side of the these are quite boom
times in terms of farm gate returns, so I guess
one or two of them might be looking at the
go it's not a this might be quite a good future.
Speaker 5 (25:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (25:51):
Look, absolutely, we definitely have students who you know, have
grown up metropolitan and do end up going to work
on farms down the track, owning farms, so't they don't
have farms in their family, so they're not the type
of student that's going to get passed down a farm
in the future typically, but they definitely are willing to
(26:11):
go really and regionally. And I know some of them
do end up working in the production space, which is great.
If that's what they choose to do, it's fantastic, But
a lot of them also end up in that maybe
consultancy roles, those kind of support roles to production in
rural areas or in metropolitan areas in you know, whether
(26:34):
it's the science side of things or the agribusiness side
of things.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
We're joining to Scott Grime here to agriculture Barker College
in Sydney, just thirty k's north of the Sydney CBD.
Fascinating and Scott, I hope we can have a check
to you after the trip to get some of the
real takeouts from this trip for the from these youngsters
coming to New Zealand. That'd be great. I hope we
can do that.
Speaker 7 (26:56):
Yeah, we'd love to do Thanks, Amish.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Yeah, thank you very much. That was Scott Graham. Yes, interesting,
isn't it what's happening over there with the agriculture in
the classroom thirty k's north of Sydney CBD. So you
know that's as he said. Skyscrapers are very populated part
of town, so to speak. As Graham Brazyer might have
said in a famous New Zealand song a few years back.
(27:19):
But that's wonderful. What's happening. I couldn't think anything better
than being at Parmi Boys in the early eighties and
would have had an ad course. Maybe they thought they
knew Roger nomics and SMP removal and everything was going
to come and that they wouldn't be great days on
the land, which they weren't in the late eighties and
into the early nineties. Think goodness, things have recovered a
little bit. We're going to go to the farm later
on talk to Rebecca Greaves out of Tartaro, out of Pongarow.
(27:41):
But we'll take a break and when we come back
we'll look into a bit of news and a bit
of sports news with mw out of Duneaton Hamus mckuye
in for Jamie McKay for the next two and a
half weeks or so. The young fellow call on me.
He's just having a bit of a trip over to
watch the All Blacks play the Test of Truth serum
against the wall His team will have a couple of
very very powerful forwards coming back into their pack. If
(28:04):
that that scares you, it should. They will be a
lot better than they were. And they were pretty good
at Eden Park, weren't they the Wallabies under the very
fine lad from pi Here Tour, Joe Smith. What a
rugby coach that guy is, dear Idea, What I wouldn't
mind to have him back in the New Zealand coaching system.
We're going to head over that way to pi a tour,
(28:25):
but further over in the pealand over there to Polara
pi Here Tour to Polora not pee land as and
the letter P that's what I'm referring to there. We're
going to go out to the outbacks to a bit
of docking and talk to Rebecca Greaves. That is coming up.
But right now it's the time for a bit of
news and then a bit of sport. Twelve forty three
here on the Country.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
The Countries, World News with Cod Cadets, New Zealand's leading
right on Lawnbower Brand. Visit steel Ford dot Co dot
nzim for your locals doggist.
Speaker 8 (28:56):
When John is here, because he's got this thing against goats,
which I think, I don't know, maybe that's goatist, I
don't know. But anyway, this is a great story, great
story for you. Hamishka took, a hunter has set her
sights on a goat as a hunting companion. Gavin the
goat has been training since he was a kid to
join the hunt. Now they've trained this goat to carry
packs and everything. It's it sounds insane, but apparently it's
(29:17):
something that's quite common overseas and that's where they came
up with the idea. You can find more about that
story on our website The Country dot co dot en
z and I think we'll head into sport now Hamish.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Training sport with half go visit their new website at
halfco dot co dot in Zeed.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
You know, I'm the king of dad jokes, I think
you know. But training since he.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Was a kid, Yeah, that's great story for that line.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
For that line alone, that is absolutely Look, I've been
impressed with our guest today, but that has been the
highlight change since he was a sport. I really only
really want to comment on one big thing at the
moment too. Actually, all blacks have got a tough test
to head in Perth, and if anybody thinks we've recovered,
am I allowed to make this editorial because I'm actually
(30:06):
going to Yeah no, no, no, like the Sports News version
of editorial, the stuff I was told you can't do.
You have to report fact Hamish. Well, the fact of
the matter is here. We've got a very tough test
coming up in Perth this weekend. Second thing I'd like
to say to those ugly American fans, you are a
disgrace at the Ryder Cup. And I am pleased that
(30:29):
the gentleman that he is, the great Tom Watson, has
come out and berated those American fans who did all
those disgusting things and some of those charts and carrying on.
But you know what, the Europeans served it up to them,
didn't they who won? I guess that's what it's about,
you know, but you can't It's golf, golf. I've just
been invited to join a team for golf on Thursday night.
(30:51):
Business House in the matter with two I'm slowly cracking
in down here. You know that he impressed by that?
I mean, I must impress. I must be having some
cut through, you know what I mean?
Speaker 8 (31:00):
From my experience of business night golf. Back in the
old days, there was a fear not that much golf played.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
So how can you use a term like back in
the old days? I mean, mackay Jamie can use back
in the old days, I can, but not you.
Speaker 8 (31:16):
I'm sure getting up there, Hamish getting up there. So
what do we got next coming up on the show?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
We're going to We're going to take a break. We'll
head to pong a row. So Rebecca Grees Award winning
journalist outstanding farming but practical day to day farmer, and
her husband Rich has got her out docking today at
the back of the farm. So she's got to climb up,
clamber up a big hill sort of not quite like
Tunipo peek in the Ruhens, but clamber up a big hill.
(31:45):
So she'll get some reception and we'll catch up with
a few things with what is happening there, and then
I guess you and I'll come back together and sort
of mud over the water that's gone over under the
bridge over the last hour and talk about what's coming up.
How does that sound?
Speaker 3 (31:58):
That sounds great? We better heat off and find Rebecca.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yeah, let's do that. Twelve forty six on the country,
coming out to ten minutes away from one of the country.
We go to Pongura under the Hill Country. Rebecca grieves, Hello,
(32:23):
have we got you loud and clear? I know you've
had to clamber up a hill.
Speaker 5 (32:26):
Yeah, well, hopefully we'll be all right. It's having a
little bit breezy and there we had two lands and
calling out in the background. But yeah, we're here.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Gee. The line I had earlier today was perfect, but
as the old wind picked up over there in the
title ruers.
Speaker 5 (32:41):
Yeah, four casts through very wendy, as it has been
the last three while, which is why we're trying to
get some dockings mashed out today.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
You got a big crew there.
Speaker 5 (32:51):
Well, we had some helpers and now are down to
just Rich and I. I So he's just doing some other
jobs while I'm doing this, and then I'm going to
go back and I'm putting out in vaccinating and then
Hill do everything else. So it's a little bit of
a slow afternoon, but just getting it done.
Speaker 8 (33:06):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
The old husband and wife docking sometimes can fall apart
at the seams. I historically have some evidence of that.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
I don't know if you're referring to me, but no,
we're not very good. I don't know what happened with
your family home, bade I ever tried to job with Sarah.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
But yeah, yeah, no, no I've never tried. I never
based on the evidence of watching my parents, and no
I don't. I don't try and get my Auckland wife
out to do docking, although she just she'd hate, you know,
even though our practices today are so much better than
they were forty fifty years ago, yes, she'd still be
challenged by them. Look, just quick discussion on the farm.
(33:43):
Farm gate prices remain strong and look like they will
and even in the medium to long term. How much
is that affecting your day to day decisions on the
farm and how you're feeling about life in general and
going forward.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't know that it's really affecting our day to
day decisions too much, because we try to keep you know,
keep going and keep taking forward steps even when we
did have challenging prices. We just got some third going
on today, mate from terror holliworks here, so I had
a life and death experience this morning where I bought
my five year old horse, I rode him out to docking.
(34:17):
But the chopper was literally flying right beside him, more
over him while I was riding him this morning, and
I thought that I might just might hop off, But
I think it just every who makes it makes you
feel good though, I mean, it definitely gives you a
confidence bost. But I don't know that we've we haven't
gone out and purchased anything because we think that the
prices are good, but just trying to keep keep doing,
(34:41):
you know, keep doing all the right things and for
the farm and put it into the position to I guess,
capitalize and you know, make the most of a good
season and good prices.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Yeah, who's flying Hoo's flying the tower root chop of
to day?
Speaker 5 (34:55):
I actually know who's piloting it, but it was a
big one and it's seriously noisy. Recruiting my life choices
of deciding to ride a horse to work, especially a
five year old.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Yeah yeah, yeah, no exactly, Okay, right, there wouldn't be
more than one helicopter outfit and tarrua pie too, I
guess would be Alex Chillick, wouldn't it. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
I guess, you know, as Alex alexis who were dealing
with Yep.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, yeah, good tie, happy boy who made his way
to Parmers North Boys High and then christ College robbed
them of us anyway, Good lad as Alex Chernick, good stuff,
Hey Becks. We'll let you get back to the docking
there with Rich on the farm there at Oh he
didn't even get as far as discussing what was for lunch,
But if the crew's gone on space, it's not a
big lunch he had on the farm today for the docking.
That's Rebecca agrees out of the Tartar Pongoro region there
(35:44):
award winning journalists, and she would have seen last night
to that incredible story from Hillary Bowry on seven Sharp.
Rebecca and I worked together on an award winning peace
on and no credit for this because it was cyclone
Gabriel and the aftermath of that, but watching that heartbreaking
but heartwarming and healing. Still sorry last night. I hope
you got to see that, And if you haven't, go
and have a look at last night's edition of A
seven sharp for that story on the family who lost
(36:07):
their little girl in the floods on that day right
out twelve fifty three. Back to wrap it all up
shortly twelve fifty five, time to wrap up the country
for the Monday edition. Got me for the next thirteen
fourteen days, Jamie away, Michelle out of the need and
running the ship as always. I've got you there, Michelle.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Am I captaining the ship here?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Yeah? Captaining the ship? So what am I? Am? I
like the purser or what is Who's the sort of
two I see on a ship? Is the first mate,
first mate?
Speaker 3 (36:38):
No, someone will check.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Am I your first mate?
Speaker 3 (36:41):
You're my first mate?
Speaker 8 (36:42):
Butmie, if Jamie's listening, you're you're my best mate.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Jamie's the best mate, then I'm the first mate. That's great, hey,
Greg gent Not surprisingly, not too much opposition from farmers
last night in Final Array in the first of those meetings.
I guess that's a box that was always going to
be ticked. Mw. Yeah.
Speaker 8 (37:00):
So interesting stuff with that chat, dear, I think, and
if you missed it earlier on you can go catch
up with that on air podcast later on today as well.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
But it should be interesting to see what.
Speaker 8 (37:09):
Farmers think about that down the track, and I'm sure
we'll catch up with Fonterra a bit more about that
as well.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Oh yeah, plenty more water to go unto the bridge.
On that one. Scott Graham to educationalists out of Australia,
Jack Fagin, Rebecca Gree, Thank you very much everybody. We've
got nothing to be guilty of, nothing to be guilty of. Michelle.
Let's go out with a bit of Barry and Barbara.
Hey the Country. We'll do it all again tomorrow. Thanks
(37:35):
for your company, noneerful.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, you're specialist in
John Dear construction equipment.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckue. Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John dere machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Ah, good afternoon, welcome into the Country Board. To you
by Brandt. I'm Havius McKay one mackay in for another
bow Duke and for Luke Duke. You're good, say Jamie.
Off to Perth to watch the Moment of Truth serum
for the All Blacks. There's a reason behind who's got
(00:43):
a bit of barbaro strides and Barry Gibb will talk
about that in a moment with the one and only
Michelle Watt out of Dunedin. Hopefully the All Blacks will
go a little better than the New Zealand Secondary School
rugby team KEI with a thought out of the teams
that we had wrote to U Boys, High Fielding High School,
Park Boys, we might have got a team that might
have been a bit more competitive with the Wallaby Under
(01:04):
eight ans. They've beaten eighty one forty eight eighty one
points conceded by the New Zealand Secretary School team. Wallaby's
a bit bit tougher this weekend with Valentini and Skelton
back on that pack. They muscled up to us last weekend,
so we'll be keeping an eye on that, and we'll
be talking to Jamie from Perth, I'm sure on Friday
as well. Okay, coming up on the show, I'm going
(01:26):
to be talking to director Farmer, former director of Fonterra
A Greg Genter, is on the show to look at
this divestment proposal. It had the first meeting. We'll see
what goes on there. Your cop your vote. Leading Australian
agricultural educationalist Scott Graham joins us out of Sydney. But
right now I just have a quick chat with the
(01:47):
producer of the show, Michelle. Have we got you out
of dneed in there? Michelle whata hello?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
You have indeed? Heymus.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Oh it's clear as day. Look at that connection between
Dunedin and Palmers to North. Now. The reason we played
a bit of guilty there, Barbra Stroanne, Barry Gibb was
because you know, we don't want Jamie to be guilty
about you and I sort of forming a relationship while
he's away, if you know what I mean. I just
never actually.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Thought about that, like, have you tell us about it?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
No? No, I can't see him being jealous, to be
perfectly honest, But you know he's he goes away and
sends his best wishes, doesn't he wonderful man? And what
a great you know, he'll have a lot of fun
over there in Perth. Can you imagine some of the
late night antics.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Or even I might get to pull on those boots
and play for the All Blacks.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Injuries, Well, exactly what we're down if you want. The
Captain's out right, Scott Barrett's out.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
That's right, Yeah, as far as I know, only something.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, yeah, no, he's definitely out. So hey, there you go.
So we've got a big show coming up. Well, we'll
we'll talk to I just wanted to clarify the choice
of the music early on and the piece you know,
and we'll no doubt chat later on when we check
out a bit of news and sport, et cetera. Over
the over the over the over the course of the
show for the next hour here on the Country. Time
(02:59):
to talk, sheer. It's ten minutes past midday the country.
Alrighty ho, I think we're going to be joined now
by Well, he's been sort of spent a lot of
time he's been away most of the winter competing over
there in a Europe Jack Fagan, good afternoon, Jack, Good afternoon, Hammers.
Are you Oh, I'm great mate yourself. You just got
(03:21):
back what you competed in Perth on the way home
as well.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Yeah, I'm actually just out on the farm. Dad and
I are out spraying and I landed back from Perth
yesterday after competing at the Perth Royal Show on Saturday
and managed to get third, which was a pretty big,
big moment for me on a big marino competition. So yeah,
I'm all the same.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, good to get a few of those Wrinkley's done.
They you know, what are they like? In Perth?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
They were probably some of the better ones, will she
To be honest, they were pretty pretty plain marinos down
on the South Island up in the Central Otago. We
can get a few gnarly ones later on in the
season if there's a bit of snow in that around,
But now the ones in Western Australia are generally pretty
good too.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Have they bred to be better to share? Is that
something that's happened over the years with marinos.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I'd say definitely in the last forty fifty years, they've
got a lot plainer taking that, a lot of the
wrinkle out of them, and the wall's probably got a
little bit stronger in places too. But there's still a
lot of traditional farmers that argue that with skin and
wrinkle you're going to cut more wall and it's the
weight where they're making their margin. So I mean, the
average farmer in WA at the moment's making forty to
(04:29):
fifty dollars a fleece, whereas the ones that are actually
cutting a lot of waller getting up around eighty ninety
dollars a fleece.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, yeah, okay, well that's interesting. Yeah. Right. So we've
got and of course the regular ones down on Alexander
that's coming up. Was that this week?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Yeah, that's this week. We've got the big Wall Handling
and Team's event on Friday and then the Senior and
Open on the Saturday. So that's our first competition.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Of the New Zealand Sharing Circuit season, right and now culmination,
we've got what we've got World Champs coming up this year?
Is that right? Two come out early next year? Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
The five, six, seven, eight of March at the Golden
Shares and masted and so all the world teams will
be coming out straight after the New year, and we'll
get settled into a bit of work and some competitions
and it's going to be a pretty hard New Zealand
team to make it at the moment too.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, so how do we have Is it a two
person team in the World Champs.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yes, so arguably there'd be twenty top guys in the
country and only two sharers get to make the New
Zealand team. So we're doing a bit of a long
winded circuit At the moment. Tor Henderson is way out
in front of the circuit, and then there'll be a
second sharer selected at another final in early February.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So okay, so what do you have to do personally?
Where do you need to really shine out and show
your strength to make it?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
So I'm probably middle of the pack at the moment.
We've got another five competitions in our circuit, so practically
out of those five shows, I'm either going to have
to win a couple or at least get in the
finals and place well just to get some enough points
to make that big final in February.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I mean at the end of the day too,
the Golden shears. Magnificent event, I mean, the pinnacle in
many respects. But it'd be quite a hard watch, wouldn't it,
just knowing the World Champs are at the same time. Still,
I guess it's only two of about twenty as you say,
who could be contenders? Yeah, yeah, no, Now what else
(06:24):
we got coming up? So where do we go? Where
do we go after Alexandra? It's just pretty much full
on right through this, right through the late spring summer,
right through.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Yeah, right through until early December. So after alex we
go to Waimatti for the New Zealand Spring Sharing Champs.
We've also got a Winter Comb title there, which is
another marino competition. It's great for us to get another
one under our belt. The all these are a fair
bit stronger on marinos than kiwis traditionally, so the more
we can do, the better. And then we head up
to Gisbon the Great Rahania Show on the Hawk's Bay
(06:56):
one or two Whypuck, then down to christ Church Stratford
and then fung today. So fairbit up and down the country.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, fantastic though. Okay, so now how much sort of
time do you get for day to day shit sharing?
I mean there's a fair bit of travel involved in
all that, isn't there.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Yeah, pretty much working when it's the main season, working
during the weekdays, and then the weekends get away on
a plane or either a big trip in the car
with some mates and it's just for the weekend competing.
But there's there's a lot of camaraderie with getting on
the road with your mates. And I actually starting to
have a bit more to do with our local rugby
club with a speech here and I listened to all
(07:35):
the rugby boys talk about their travels and a few
parties and their camaraderie, and I thought, God, I've missed
out on all of this because I'm a sharer. And
then I flipped it and thought, actually we're exactly the
same in the sharing industry, which is pretty awesome, do.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know what? I jack as a boy and this
is just before David was on the scene, but John,
uncle John would have been on the scene there. I'd
pull up at these shows as a young kid and
I'd see Ivan Rosen, did you come? And his big
green falcon, and then Samson Hammerhona to Fotta and another
big you know and just and the camarade, you know,
how they'd all go around and shake each other's hands.
(08:08):
Furiously competitive on the board. But I reckon that camaraderie
is something that's been around, and I'm pleased to hear
that it still is. Is that sort of you know
when you're together at a big open show, you're all
you're all sort of like you know, you know, the blood,
sweat and tears that goes into this.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Absolutely, I mean pre final obviously things are going to
be pretty tense, and everyone likes to sit on their
own and just get in the zone and work out
what you get, what you got to do. But I
mean post presentations, when you want everyone's chilled out, having
a bear. By god, it can be fun and talk
about laughs, I reckon, We've got some of the funniest
characters in the world and the sharing industry, And even
(08:43):
if you talk to a few contractors, they'd probably say
the same.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, I reckon. I mean, I've got some magic times.
I mean, and I was known as the slowest sharer
and apity. I just tendency to sort of think about
other things. Jack was probably my problem. But when I
think back to some of the laughs used to have
with boy Manau and Dennis McKenzie and Marcus Cown and
some of the guys I worked with. Fantastic days and
(09:07):
long made that continue in the wallshed. Busy, big season
ahead for you. All the best Alexander this weekend, Jack
and qualifying for one of those two places, Yeah, I
imagine old tour is going to be quite hard to
haul and very quickly though. European So I know it's
a little while ago now the World Champs and everything
was going on up there, But how was the sort
of your your European sojourn.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
We had a great tour up through England, Wales, Ireland,
Scotland and France. We managed to win three out of
the six tests. Obviously disappointed we couldn't get six from six,
but yet we're still still learning and getting getting stronger,
and yeah, I'm thoroughly looking forward to getting back next year.
It's a hell of a fun tour.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, excellent a Jack, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm going
to take it on my shoulders. I want to see
more sharing in more mainstream. You can't get more mainstream
than than the country in terms of rural coverage and
getting it into the into the city as well, and
every time my cousin Jamie lets me on the show,
I'll make sure I give sheer as he does. I'll
(10:06):
make sure we give sheer in a good pump. Jack Fagan,
thanks very much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Dude, thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Thank you there he he's got to get back to
the spraying with the old man. Got to get back
to doing the work. Twelve seventeen. Habus mckaye with you
on the Country. Coming up, we're going to talk this
situation with Fonterra's divestment proposal. Twelve twenty twenty minutes after
(10:36):
twelve the Country. Hamus mckaye in for Jamie mckaye for
a well a couple of weeks. Jamie getting over to
Perth for the big Gar, the big rugby game on
the weekend, the second of the bletters Low Cup. Great
to have your company. We're going to talk that situation
with Fonterra and the divestment proposal, the meetings around the country.
(10:57):
You'll co op your vote of has just kicked off
the last night and Fong Array the latest on that.
Very shortly and just before I forget it was Ricky
Peevack was the other share of the late Ricky Peevack
who used to come from the wire rapper who turned
up in a big it's like a purple falcon at
the sharing competitions. You used to love that. Twelve twenty
(11:17):
one here on the Country, the Country right. Joining us
now on the show, Greg Jan former director of a
Fonterra and of course experienced director and farmer. Greg, welcome
onto the show.
Speaker 6 (11:33):
Thank you very much, good to be him.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, good to chat. Okay, So well, some pretty big
days are happening and continuing through to what the vote
starts and what October seventh I think for the whole.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
Divestment yep, as I understand it, yes.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yep, okay, So what's what's your role in this? Greg?
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Well, I guess my role is as a farmer, so
I get to vote as a farmer. And also I
cheered deary holding, so that's Fonteria's just shelder at about
one percent of its milk. So yeah, a couple of roles,
I guess yep.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
So look, these are both challenging and exciting times as well.
The road shows are underway, and I understand that the
Independent report document is with farmers, so they're getting plenty
of time to check this over.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
Yes, that's right. You know, attend to the font Roy
road show last evening, mess of attendance and seem very
positive and some good searching questions. It was a very
very good session.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
When you say good searching questions, can you give us
a couple of examples of those, Greg.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
One would be around the transfer price. Obviously to lectlanis
that you know we've got a good price for the product,
but we want to obviously be comfortable that you know
the prices are paying for Fonterra milk in the future
is where it should be. And I guess we got
that comfort and just I guess the overall of why
why divest it? They would being the two key thing
(13:00):
that would have come out.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
So if somebody asked you that question, what's a great
Gens answer? Why my answer?
Speaker 6 (13:08):
I've guess there's a couple of answers, And I guess
I've had this view for long before this. So first
one is that whole supermarket area, which is what we're
talking about, really fast moving consumer goods, has changed dramatically
over the years. Supermarkets are aggregator. As we know, large
players have become more dominant, so small capital can constrained
(13:29):
players like us. You know, it's not a place she
can you can get good returns, and we certainly aren't
getting good returns versus the rest of the business. I
also think there's not a great fit with a cooperative
model because these things are incredibly capital intensive. What we're
good at is the ingredients space, especially ingredients, and that's
where actually we were getting three quarters of our returns
(13:50):
today and that was something I probably learned last night.
I didn't realize that it had got to that level.
So selling this gets rid of a quarter of our
value added returns. But over the next three years, it's
projected that'll get back to status quo as especially ingredients
business gets more capital and more focus.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Ingredients seventy five percent. That's quite Yeah, I'm a little
bit taken aback by that number. That's actually at that point.
So farmers, the interested parties here are wanting to see
that that that the long term supply is what's locked.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
In long term. Yeah, yeah, two lackedalis, but also long
terms that don't disadvantage frontier, I guess. So, you know,
you can do a sweetheart dealer as far as the price,
but then on the other side you should from a
tame good deal as far as the milk price goes,
that hasn't happened. It looks looks as it should look,
which is great.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
The average number that a shareholder of farmers going to
get from this, what's the sort of I mean, it
seems like a decent old whack, but I guess it
could be consumed quite quickly, couldn't it in any farming environment.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Yep, So smaller farmers, the days are typically around one
hundred thousand milks. Solars just say that's two hundred thousand
dollars tax free, which I think we can't ignore. But
then the value of the shared technically no one knows,
should go down by two dollars as well. So it's
cash versus equity, if that makes sense. Your overall, your
overall financial position at the end of this should be
(15:21):
pretty neutral. But you're getting the cash, you haven't got
the equity.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Those who are not so keen did they have a
voice in fong Ray last night?
Speaker 6 (15:31):
I didn't actually hear one voice that wasn't keen. I
just had a lot of searching questions and you're sort
of can get a little bit of a feel of
the tone for the meeting. I think the tone was
that they were keen yep.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, and I'd expect that to continue. I guess it
seems like when you talk about that our ingredients is
seventy five percent of the business, that that theme will
continue of positivity.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
Yep. I agree. And I think Fontaine has kind of
probably got it quite jobs around the comms on that.
I think, you know, the few politicians have had to
say in things, and I don't think they quite realize
the scale of Fonterra's value add ingredients business. I think
there's a bit of work to be toun on that
to get New Zealand link over the line.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Yeah yeah, yeah, no, Okay, Well, and there's what three
or four more meeting but three or four more days
of meetings and then the vote starts October seventh, and
things will and then when do you sort of see
this all getting crunched.
Speaker 6 (16:24):
Out in the new year. The sort of indicative number
was around February. That deal might be the few things
to work through Commics Commission and the light but farmer
votes obviously the most crucial. So I guess they haven't
got a firm date when it'll go live, but I
think that the hope is fair nearly in the new year.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah, great, staff, Greg, thank you very much for joining us.
And what do you do? Do you get any time
to get back to your own farm or what do
you keep?
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Yes at the moment, as much as I can. That's
just my happy place. You're getting back to a little
old ruler.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
It's oh right up, geez, that's quite a way up north. Yeah, good, good, good.
No earthquake country too, apparently up north. Yeah, no earthquakes
and good fishing you can fantastic Greek. Thank you very much. Yeah,
I can't ask. No earthquakes, good fishing, good part of
the world. Rural I must have met. I'd be lying
(17:22):
if I said I'd actually been there. But I think
isn't that Normy Maxwell country up that way? Rural way
up in the far north? Right? Coming up, we're going
to talk to one of the leading Australian agricultural educationalists.
This guy has got young farmers of all you know,
of all shapes and sizes and ages at his heart.
(17:42):
The Toop Sydney science teacher who specializes in the ag world.
Bringing a team to New Zealand and later on the show.
We're going to go what's for lunch on the farm
while docking for you North Islanders and of course tailing
for your South Islands. I never quite work that one out.
What's for lunch over on Pongoraa On the day docking,
we're going to get our Rebecca Grees to climb a
(18:03):
big hill so she gets good cell phone reception. That's
all coming up on the Country twelve thirty on your
Tuesday The Country body by brad Artus McKay and for
(18:25):
Jamie McKay, a cross in the Tasman to talk to
a leading Australian agricultural education educationalists shortly and we're going
to head to the back block of the tartar Uha
over there in a pongoraa Rebecca Grees telling us what
they're going to have for lunch, amongst other things. I
don't know, why was it always so good to have
a good feed while you're out docking and not too
bad to weather in the monna we're too today. I
(18:46):
hope it's okay wherever you are, whatever you might be doing,
the Country twelve thirty one. The Country right heading across
the ditch, now across the Tasman, and we're joined by
a man who has a great focus on young people
in agriculture in particular, in fact, that's where his field
(19:09):
of study is and increasing enrollments engagements in both tertiary
and secondary education around agriculture and was awarded a couple
of years back the Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in
Science Teaching. Scott Graham joins us now Koday, Scott, how are.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
You hi much?
Speaker 7 (19:29):
Going great?
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Thank you good? Good good. So now your current role
you teach on a daily basis and you're still you're
involved in your PhD. And how's all that going? Yeah,
going good.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
I'm teaching full time had of Agriculture department at my
school and teaching students from years nine through to twelve,
so fourteen through to eighteen years old, and then also
doing part time PhD in agricultural education on the side.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
So you're at Barker College. Whereabouts is that?
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
So it's in the North Road of Sydney, so about
thirty kilometers north of Sydney.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Smity, Okay, so that's quite close into the city to
be and you have a good numbers involved in the
egg sector and the egg learning sector at your school. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
Absolutely. I mean we're surrounded by high rise apartments each
time story, so we're well and truly in the city.
But yeah, we have around up to four hundred students
studying agriculture from years nine to twelve currently.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Wow, that's remarkable because obviously you would have been aware
of what was happening here where there was sort of
a bit of a pullback on what we were going
to do at tertiary level with our students and agriculture,
but we swung back. Thankfully, things have been sort of reinstated.
But that that's remarkable because I was thinking thirty k's
north of Sydney will let you know, and as you say,
high rises and everything, what's a sort of a typical
(20:53):
agricultural program look for like for those students from the
year nine through to year twelve.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Yeah, say in the younger years and unite and ten,
we do units based around enterprises, so we might do
lamb production for a term. We might do meat chickens
for a term, might do vegetable production for a term.
Once you get to yet eleven and twelve and the
leaving certificate, the high school certificate, you're looking at broader
animal and plant production, the science behind the genetics, the
(21:22):
pests and diseases, the breeding, all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Really yeah, okay, so you know, like covering all I guess,
every sort of facet of agriculture and setting them up
for the future. Now you're bringing the team out to
New Zealand, is that right? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:42):
We are.
Speaker 7 (21:42):
So we've got thirty nine students coming over tomorrow and
we're heading over for eleven day tour. I guess we
call it a paddic to plate tour. It's an agriculture
but also an environment tour, so a little bit of
geology involved there as well, because New Zealand is such
a great place to see so much done so well
(22:04):
in such a small area in terms of being able
to travel between so many different things compared to Australia
obviously the bus distances. So yeah, we're heading into Auckland
about five days on the North Island, then heading to
the South Islands for six days and heading out of Queenstown.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
It sounds like it sounds terrible, sounds terrible, scott fantastic trip. Okay,
So I guess just pick out what you may foresee
has been a couple of highlights for these twenty nine
young people are going to have such a great trip here.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
So this is actually the third time we've run this trip,
and so I guess I've got a pretty good idea
of what I with personal highlights for me, and I'm
sure we'll be again. We'd do a lot of different things,
but some of them. You know, the gairy aspect is
obviously major in New Zealand and so seeing the Gary
Processing factory cheesemaking. We had an incredibly beautiful lamb property
(23:05):
down in the South Island, which you know, is amazing
for the kids to see. Of course, deer and venison
is a something that's quite large in New Zealand and
so that's definitely highlight. Keyw fruit this year we're going
to electric cherries in the South Island and the world's
first fully electric farm, so I think that'll be interesting. Yeah,
and then the Wai Mangu volcanic Valley and Rangetoto aren't
(23:31):
near Auckland, so the geology aspects as well for the students.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
That is going to be a fabulous trip. So I
think do they have to fundraise for a while and
what what would you be doing accommodation was is it
billeted or how are you doing that? How does that
work out?
Speaker 8 (23:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (23:46):
So the students kind of, you know, do a little
bit of their own fundraising, but the we're staying in
hostels along the way basically not do iting this time.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Yeah, no, no, so that looks fantastic here. So what
did you start out scott as somebody who did you
come from a farming background? How did you sort of
your science teaching and into agriculture. How did how did
that play out for somebody who's who's sounding listening to
this and going I'd love to do that? What's your
background and what was your journey? Yeah?
Speaker 7 (24:21):
So I grew up in Sydney and I had no
agricultural background. I guess I didn't know really much about
agriculture before I started it in year seven at school
because it was compulsory and I ended up just really
enjoying it, finding it really interesting, really important, and took
it through to the end of high school and ended
up doing agricultural science at university. And so I've just
(24:42):
always been quite passionate about it from that early high
school age, but no background before that. And I think
that's you know, there's such a need for metropolitan people
to go into agriculture, into the non production roles that
might that might be or regionally, but they also might
be city based. So I think I can kind of
(25:04):
relate to the students that we have at our school
who are all metropolitan students who don't have a background
in agriculture. So I think, you know, in Australia, and
I think the stats are pretty close in New Zealand,
but two thirds of Australians live in just five cities
and in metropolitan areas, and so I think that's really
(25:28):
an untapped market for student interest in agriculture.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, fantastic, And of course these will certainly on the
side of the teasman, but I know what I follow
on the other side of the these are quite boom
times in terms of farm gate returns, so I guess
one or two of them might be looking at the
go it's not a this might be quite a good future.
Speaker 5 (25:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (25:51):
Look, absolutely, we definitely have students who you know, have
grown up metropolitan and do end up going to work
on farms down the track, owning farms, so't they don't
have farms in their family, so they're not the type
of student that's going to get passed down a farm
in the future typically, but they definitely are willing to
(26:11):
go really and regionally. And I know some of them
do end up working in the production space, which is great.
If that's what they choose to do, it's fantastic, But
a lot of them also end up in that maybe
consultancy roles, those kind of support roles to production in
rural areas or in metropolitan areas in you know, whether
(26:34):
it's the science side of things or the agribusiness side
of things.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
We're joining to Scott Grime here to agriculture Barker College
in Sydney, just thirty k's north of the Sydney CBD.
Fascinating and Scott, I hope we can have a check
to you after the trip to get some of the
real takeouts from this trip for the from these youngsters
coming to New Zealand. That'd be great. I hope we
can do that.
Speaker 7 (26:56):
Yeah, we'd love to do Thanks, Amish.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Yeah, thank you very much. That was Scott Graham. Yes, interesting,
isn't it what's happening over there with the agriculture in
the classroom thirty k's north of Sydney CBD. So you
know that's as he said. Skyscrapers are very populated part
of town, so to speak. As Graham Brazyer might have
said in a famous New Zealand song a few years back.
(27:19):
But that's wonderful. What's happening. I couldn't think anything better
than being at Parmi Boys in the early eighties and
would have had an ad course. Maybe they thought they
knew Roger nomics and SMP removal and everything was going
to come and that they wouldn't be great days on
the land, which they weren't in the late eighties and
into the early nineties. Think goodness, things have recovered a
little bit. We're going to go to the farm later
on talk to Rebecca Greaves out of Tartaro, out of Pongarow.
(27:41):
But we'll take a break and when we come back
we'll look into a bit of news and a bit
of sports news with mw out of Duneaton Hamus mckuye
in for Jamie McKay for the next two and a
half weeks or so. The young fellow call on me.
He's just having a bit of a trip over to
watch the All Blacks play the Test of Truth serum
against the wall His team will have a couple of
very very powerful forwards coming back into their pack. If
(28:04):
that that scares you, it should. They will be a
lot better than they were. And they were pretty good
at Eden Park, weren't they the Wallabies under the very
fine lad from pi Here Tour, Joe Smith. What a
rugby coach that guy is, dear Idea, What I wouldn't
mind to have him back in the New Zealand coaching system.
We're going to head over that way to pi a tour,
(28:25):
but further over in the pealand over there to Polara
pi Here Tour to Polora not pee land as and
the letter P that's what I'm referring to there. We're
going to go out to the outbacks to a bit
of docking and talk to Rebecca Greaves. That is coming up.
But right now it's the time for a bit of
news and then a bit of sport. Twelve forty three
here on the Country.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
The Countries, World News with Cod Cadets, New Zealand's leading
right on Lawnbower Brand. Visit steel Ford dot Co dot
nzim for your locals doggist.
Speaker 8 (28:56):
When John is here, because he's got this thing against goats,
which I think, I don't know, maybe that's goatist, I
don't know. But anyway, this is a great story, great
story for you. Hamishka took, a hunter has set her
sights on a goat as a hunting companion. Gavin the
goat has been training since he was a kid to
join the hunt. Now they've trained this goat to carry
packs and everything. It's it sounds insane, but apparently it's
(29:17):
something that's quite common overseas and that's where they came
up with the idea. You can find more about that
story on our website The Country dot co dot en
z and I think we'll head into sport now Hamish.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Training sport with half go visit their new website at
halfco dot co dot in Zeed.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
You know, I'm the king of dad jokes, I think
you know. But training since he.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Was a kid, Yeah, that's great story for that line.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
For that line alone, that is absolutely Look, I've been
impressed with our guest today, but that has been the
highlight change since he was a sport. I really only
really want to comment on one big thing at the
moment too. Actually, all blacks have got a tough test
to head in Perth, and if anybody thinks we've recovered,
am I allowed to make this editorial because I'm actually
(30:06):
going to Yeah no, no, no, like the Sports News version
of editorial, the stuff I was told you can't do.
You have to report fact Hamish. Well, the fact of
the matter is here. We've got a very tough test
coming up in Perth this weekend. Second thing I'd like
to say to those ugly American fans, you are a
disgrace at the Ryder Cup. And I am pleased that
(30:29):
the gentleman that he is, the great Tom Watson, has
come out and berated those American fans who did all
those disgusting things and some of those charts and carrying on.
But you know what, the Europeans served it up to them,
didn't they who won? I guess that's what it's about,
you know, but you can't It's golf, golf. I've just
been invited to join a team for golf on Thursday night.
(30:51):
Business House in the matter with two I'm slowly cracking
in down here. You know that he impressed by that?
I mean, I must impress. I must be having some
cut through, you know what I mean?
Speaker 8 (31:00):
From my experience of business night golf. Back in the
old days, there was a fear not that much golf played.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
So how can you use a term like back in
the old days? I mean, mackay Jamie can use back
in the old days, I can, but not you.
Speaker 8 (31:16):
I'm sure getting up there, Hamish getting up there. So
what do we got next coming up on the show?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
We're going to We're going to take a break. We'll
head to pong a row. So Rebecca Grees Award winning
journalist outstanding farming but practical day to day farmer, and
her husband Rich has got her out docking today at
the back of the farm. So she's got to climb up,
clamber up a big hill sort of not quite like
Tunipo peek in the Ruhens, but clamber up a big hill.
(31:45):
So she'll get some reception and we'll catch up with
a few things with what is happening there, and then
I guess you and I'll come back together and sort
of mud over the water that's gone over under the
bridge over the last hour and talk about what's coming up.
How does that sound?
Speaker 3 (31:58):
That sounds great? We better heat off and find Rebecca.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yeah, let's do that. Twelve forty six on the country,
coming out to ten minutes away from one of the country.
We go to Pongura under the Hill Country. Rebecca grieves, Hello,
(32:23):
have we got you loud and clear? I know you've
had to clamber up a hill.
Speaker 5 (32:26):
Yeah, well, hopefully we'll be all right. It's having a
little bit breezy and there we had two lands and
calling out in the background. But yeah, we're here.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Gee. The line I had earlier today was perfect, but
as the old wind picked up over there in the
title ruers.
Speaker 5 (32:41):
Yeah, four casts through very wendy, as it has been
the last three while, which is why we're trying to
get some dockings mashed out today.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
You got a big crew there.
Speaker 5 (32:51):
Well, we had some helpers and now are down to
just Rich and I. I So he's just doing some other
jobs while I'm doing this, and then I'm going to
go back and I'm putting out in vaccinating and then
Hill do everything else. So it's a little bit of
a slow afternoon, but just getting it done.
Speaker 8 (33:06):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
The old husband and wife docking sometimes can fall apart
at the seams. I historically have some evidence of that.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
I don't know if you're referring to me, but no,
we're not very good. I don't know what happened with
your family home, bade I ever tried to job with Sarah.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
But yeah, yeah, no, no I've never tried. I never
based on the evidence of watching my parents, and no
I don't. I don't try and get my Auckland wife
out to do docking, although she just she'd hate, you know,
even though our practices today are so much better than
they were forty fifty years ago, yes, she'd still be
challenged by them. Look, just quick discussion on the farm.
(33:43):
Farm gate prices remain strong and look like they will
and even in the medium to long term. How much
is that affecting your day to day decisions on the
farm and how you're feeling about life in general and
going forward.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't know that it's really affecting our day to
day decisions too much, because we try to keep you know,
keep going and keep taking forward steps even when we
did have challenging prices. We just got some third going
on today, mate from terror holliworks here, so I had
a life and death experience this morning where I bought
my five year old horse, I rode him out to docking.
(34:17):
But the chopper was literally flying right beside him, more
over him while I was riding him this morning, and
I thought that I might just might hop off, But
I think it just every who makes it makes you
feel good though, I mean, it definitely gives you a
confidence bost. But I don't know that we've we haven't
gone out and purchased anything because we think that the
prices are good, but just trying to keep keep doing,
(34:41):
you know, keep doing all the right things and for
the farm and put it into the position to I guess,
capitalize and you know, make the most of a good
season and good prices.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Yeah, who's flying Hoo's flying the tower root chop of
to day?
Speaker 5 (34:55):
I actually know who's piloting it, but it was a
big one and it's seriously noisy. Recruiting my life choices
of deciding to ride a horse to work, especially a
five year old.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Yeah yeah, yeah, no exactly, Okay, right, there wouldn't be
more than one helicopter outfit and tarrua pie too, I
guess would be Alex Chillick, wouldn't it. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
I guess, you know, as Alex alexis who were dealing
with Yep.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, yeah, good tie, happy boy who made his way
to Parmers North Boys High and then christ College robbed
them of us anyway, Good lad as Alex Chernick, good stuff,
Hey Becks. We'll let you get back to the docking
there with Rich on the farm there at Oh he
didn't even get as far as discussing what was for lunch,
But if the crew's gone on space, it's not a
big lunch he had on the farm today for the docking.
That's Rebecca agrees out of the Tartar Pongoro region there
(35:44):
award winning journalists, and she would have seen last night
to that incredible story from Hillary Bowry on seven Sharp.
Rebecca and I worked together on an award winning peace
on and no credit for this because it was cyclone
Gabriel and the aftermath of that, but watching that heartbreaking
but heartwarming and healing. Still sorry last night. I hope
you got to see that, And if you haven't, go
and have a look at last night's edition of A
seven sharp for that story on the family who lost
(36:07):
their little girl in the floods on that day right
out twelve fifty three. Back to wrap it all up
shortly twelve fifty five, time to wrap up the country
for the Monday edition. Got me for the next thirteen
fourteen days, Jamie away, Michelle out of the need and
running the ship as always. I've got you there, Michelle.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Am I captaining the ship here?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Yeah? Captaining the ship? So what am I? Am? I
like the purser or what is Who's the sort of
two I see on a ship? Is the first mate,
first mate?
Speaker 3 (36:38):
No, someone will check.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Am I your first mate?
Speaker 3 (36:41):
You're my first mate?
Speaker 8 (36:42):
Butmie, if Jamie's listening, you're you're my best mate.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Jamie's the best mate, then I'm the first mate. That's great, hey,
Greg gent Not surprisingly, not too much opposition from farmers
last night in Final Array in the first of those meetings.
I guess that's a box that was always going to
be ticked. Mw. Yeah.
Speaker 8 (37:00):
So interesting stuff with that chat, dear, I think, and
if you missed it earlier on you can go catch
up with that on air podcast later on today as well.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
But it should be interesting to see what.
Speaker 8 (37:09):
Farmers think about that down the track, and I'm sure
we'll catch up with Fonterra a bit more about that
as well.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Oh yeah, plenty more water to go unto the bridge.
On that one. Scott Graham to educationalists out of Australia,
Jack Fagin, Rebecca Gree, Thank you very much everybody. We've
got nothing to be guilty of, nothing to be guilty of. Michelle.
Let's go out with a bit of Barry and Barbara.
Hey the Country. We'll do it all again tomorrow. Thanks
(37:35):
for your company, noneerful.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, you're specialist in
John Dear construction equipment.
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