December 9, 2025 • 39 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Christopher Luxon, Wayne Langford, Professor Will Happer, and Campbell Parker.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Brent, the starkest of
the leading agriculture brands.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Good afternoon, New Zealand. Welcome to the Country. The show
is brought to you by Brent. I'm Jamie McKay, Healthon
John and Dua Lipa and cold Heart. For one of
our guests, we're going to catch up at some stage
between now and one. We've just got to try and
track him down in christ Church. He's just landed there.
His name is doctor or Professor Wilhapper at the hest
(01:00):
of Groundswell. He's speaking around the country apparently really good
crowds turning up. He's a world renowned Princeton physicist, as
I said, Professor will Happer. But is he simply a
climate change denier? We will have a chat to him.
It's going to be interesting. Going to kick it off
with the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxeon's second last appearance in
(01:23):
twenty twenty five for him. Wayne Langford, the president of
Federated Farmers, will get his thoughts on the RIMA reforms.
I think they were pretty good, weren't they? And are
the countdown not the countdown to Christmas. We've got a
great price today. Tell you more about that one shortly. No,
this is the countdown the Fed's twelve pests of Christmas.
(01:44):
It's actually quite entertaining. And Campbell Parker, chief executive of
derry en Z. They've released their latest break even price
for milk production. I reckon it's got to have gone
down with interrast rates dropping and hot off the press.
The national lamming percentage. More about this and Rural News
with Michelle But the national lamming percentage is one hundred
(02:07):
and thirty one point one percent, up three point seven
percentage points on last year. The Prime Minister to kick
off the country for the penultimate time and twenty twenty
(02:35):
five the Prime Minister on the country on a Wednesday.
I want to start, Christopher Luxen with our free trade
agreement with India. Todd mcclay's doing great work. How close
are we?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
We're getting closer. I mean, you know, as you can imagine,
the Indians are really tough negotiated and you know it
all spoils down to a few issues at the end,
but you were making really good progress. In fact, Todd
will probably be heading up to India this week the
next couple of days again as well. So you know
we're getting to the business end of it. But you know,
I've done a lot of business India over the years,
(03:09):
and you know, one of the things that they are
outstanding negotiators. We're also really good too. We've got some
really great trade negotiators and we've got an outstanding trade minister.
But again, you know, I've spoken with you know, Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister and the Trade Minister myself, and
you know, we're all committed to doing the deal, but
we have to get something that is the best possible
deal we can be And what I'm interested in is
(03:29):
just beinging Australian. So that's my focus.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Could you get to the stage where you'd say this
is not good enough, I'm going to walk away from it,
or we just have to take what we're given.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I think you know, over the last year, you know,
the trading environment globally has actually incentivized parties to want
to work together, in particular India, which previously wasn't really
you know, we've worked really hard to build a relationship
to prioritize New Zealand ahead of the EU and other
bigger places. They are to see a country that's dealing
with a lot of pressure from the US and others.
(04:03):
So I've got an appetite to do a deal. We
want to do a deal. I don't like the fact
that today we are well behind Australia in some of
our categories that we trade in, and I think we
can do you get ourselves a really good deal on
a good basis and a starting point to move forward with.
So you know, we're going to do the best deal
we possibly can for New Zealand and for all our sectors.
(04:24):
And there's a lot of opportunity in India, you know, JB.
Since we started this conversation, I remember thinking, I'm going
to be the third biggest economy in twenty thirty, twenty
thirty one. It's going to happen in twenty twenty eight,
so in a couple of years. So you know that
is a major We've got to be a you know,
they just added in their growth an economy the size
of South Africa last year, so you know they are
(04:45):
growing fast and quickly and large, so there's a lot
of opportunity. Obviously, it's a country that's probably per person
about a fourth as wealthy as China. So China's moved
into middle income status over the period of our free
trade agreement, which is created opportunit. These guys are about
to go through that same ride, and we want to
get on that way early and ride that well.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Absolutely their most populous nation on Earth as well. Now, okay,
let's move on to yesterday's announcement from Chris Bishop, and
I think he's done a really good job on this,
on getting rid of the RMA, simplifying the consenting process
not only if you want to build a deck, but
also if you want to stay farming.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Oh yeah, I mean, this is something we've been focused
on from an opposition day. So that's why you've seen
us kill off the labors approach. Make sure we get
the fast track in place as quickly as possible to
get the show moving. And this is what our dreamers
is to get down to two very simple bills, planning bills,
Natural Environment Bill. We reckon forty six percent of consents
won't be needed going forward. We want the show radically
(05:42):
simplified because we've just become a country of bureaucrats, lots
of red tape, lots of green tape, not adding any
value endless meetings, lots of discussion, lots of debate, and
particularly for farmers, I mean, like I mean, I spent
a lot of time with farmers, as you know, and
you know, they tell me horrific stories of huge amounts
of money being spent on consenting every Tom Dick and
Harry consulting and having input into what they're doing. You know,
(06:05):
you've got property, it's your land. You should have property rights.
You should be able to crack on and get going with
what you need to go to. You still be a
couple of people who genuinely are affected by what you're doing.
But it shouldn't be what it's what it's been. So
I'm really excited about this, I reckon, you know, no
government's really taken this on, you know, and fundamentally reformed
it over the last twenty years or so, thirty years
(06:26):
or so, and it needed to be done and otherwise
we just carry on having all these meetings and red
tape and not doing stuff. And it costs us a lot.
I mean, it's been the cost continuing cost of increased
seventy percent. It's one point three billion a year. And
actually the time it takes together consent has increased one
hundred and fifty percent on the last time.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
How are you going to be brave enough Prime Minister
to stop EWE having an overbearing presence on the consenting process.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well, a lot of it is making sure that the
people who actually are consulted actually are going to be
impacted by the effects of what's happening, and that's where
it's got out of control, and so we are simplifying
all aspects of consultation. We need to honor treaty settlements.
But the other thing for you, Jamie, is a lot
of EWE have a lot of commercial interests across this
(07:12):
country and actually many of them are very pro this
because they are also recipients and have been frustrated by
the RAMA process themselves. So it's going to so we're
going to strip it all down, make it much simpler,
much clearer, and and as you've seen, the companion piece
of this is also then reforming local government and removing
regional council. So you know that's a key part of
(07:33):
what we're.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Going to do.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Hellelujah, Now the latest One News Varian poll, and I
know you'll trot out the old cliche I don't comment
on poles but you must be quite happy with this.
Were you smuggly looking at that when it came out
on Monday?
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Well, I don't comment on poles, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Can I ask you? Do you think Chippy is conflicted
over the collapse and that's a party mail revote because
it's a double edged sword for him. He gets to
party Maury winning all the Maori seats, he gets an overhang.
It makes it easier for him to get into Parliament.
But if they collapse completely, I think it will drive
some middle voters perhaps towards labor, thinking they're not going
(08:14):
to be such a crazy lot if to party Mary's
out of the mix.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Look, I mean, as you can see on our site,
you know, it's pretty solid and that's the that's solid
even in a really difficult economic part of the cycle.
But we're coming out of that. I you know, really
it's really for him. I mean, ultimately he wants to
be in business with the Greens for goodness sake, and
to party MARII. All I know is that just means
capital gains tax, wealth tax, death tax, inheritance tax tax, everything,
(08:43):
borrow everything, and that's what got us into this mess.
So you know, to be honest, Hipkins hasn't learned a
single thing in three years. He's going back to the
same failed radical economic tender of spending more, tax more,
borrow more. I'm telling it that ain't in the future
for New Zealand. That is not how we That's what
got us into this mess. That's what's caused the payness.
And But if he wants to horse around and muck
(09:03):
around with the Green Party and to party murray, you
know that's not what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Just finally, latest poll, not the one news Varian pole,
but the pole and what we're eating for Christmas? Lamb
beats ham this Christmas. Forty two percent say lamb. I
think thirty percent say ham Beef's probably too expensive. It's
only thirteen percent. What does the lux and household do?
Speaker 3 (09:23):
We're all in on ham. But the other weird thing
that we've thrown into the mixed since living in America
is turkey, you believe it or not. And so it's
been a bit hit and miss I'll be honest in
the luxe and household where the oven hasn't worked at
the right time on Christmas Day to cook the turkey.
So we've been but we have ham turkey and and
peas are actually our thing as well. There's a bit
(09:44):
of shelling of peas that goes on on Christmas Eve
as well, which is pretty cool. So and some new potatoes.
You got to get your potatoes in the mix as well.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
And a path. Hey Christopher Luxem, thanks for your time.
We've got one more show to do next week, and
I need you to put your thinking cap on because
Wednesday I'm going to ask you for your AG Person
of the Year.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Okay, Oh, there's some worthy candidates actually when I think
about that, okay, I'll think.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
About that over the week.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But mate, you have a great week.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
What do you take care?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
I will prime Minister. It is seventeen after twelve. Ag
Person of the Year. We'll get your thoughts on that.
That's next week's job. This week's job is the countdown
to Christmas. Now, don't enter now whause you're going to
clog up the text line and you'll be deq'ed. Okay,
we're going to give you a chance a wee bit
later in the hour, and it's the CBS co Op Today.
(10:39):
We'll tell you all about them and the prize. Well,
i'll let the cat out of the bag, So don't
enter because I will DQ you until we say we've
got one thousand dollars Bunnings gift card. How good would
that be for all you home handy men and women
out there? Over the Christmas break? Michelle's going to wander in.
(11:00):
He had to do rural news and an old who
sports news. After we chat to our next guest, Wayne
Langford from Federated Farmers and Shell announced the winner because
you guys went nuts yesterday on the Silver Fern Farms
meatpack and accessory. So we'll tell you who the lucky
two winners were. Then it's the countdown to Christmas and
(11:22):
tomorrow we give away one thousand dollars cash from Rabobank
to the charity of your choice, think of the Greater Good.
People are eagerly awaiting what Professor will Hafer has to say.
My old mate Steve whin Harris says he was that
extreme he got sacked by Trump. We'll ask him that here.
(11:45):
We're trying to catch him in Christchurch. I think his
planes just landed up. Next Wayne Langford on the Rima Reforms.
Here's the question, Jamie, was Damian O'Connor instrumental in us
having free trade agreements with Great Britain and the European
Union from Charlie and give credit where it's due. Charlie.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Yes he was.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
He wasn't always the best minister of agriculture. I've told
him that to his face, so I'm not being unkind,
but I think as a trade minister he did. Okay,
mind you. The bloke we've got at the moment, Todd McLay,
in my mind's doing a fantastic job. If he can
get an FDA across the board with India, that is
a real feather in his cap. Wayne Langford up next
(12:27):
key interview today Professor Wilhapper, and we're going to wrap
it with Campbell Parker. Are not federated farmers? Derry and
Zed have come out with their latest break even price
from milk.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
You're as cold as ice.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
You will need to sack the facer love Welcome back
to the country. Cold is the theme today because a
keynote interview coming up. I think he's in christ Church
Airport now as Professor will Happer. Is he a climate
(13:12):
change deny or does she? Does he make some good points?
You'd be the judge after you listen to him. One
man who should know a wee bit about Professor will
Happer is Wayne Langford, president of Federated Farmers, who had
dinner with them last night. What did you make of
the bloke, Wwayne?
Speaker 7 (13:28):
Yeah, Jamie, Yeah, good, good, many he was a physicist,
so jezu goes into a lot more detail than the
average farmer that I am knows. But but essentially he's here. No,
he's got a side to think and that's what he's
putting across.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Well, is it ground swell at sport him out? Or
is it you blokes that feeds not us?
Speaker 7 (13:47):
No, No, it seems to be ground swell or the
methane science accord or are they the same thing? I'm
not sure, but there's there's something in there.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Yeah, a ground swell and Federated Farmers now buddying up
for dinner dates.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
No, definitely not. But when there's feed on off and
you know I'm always there, so fair enough.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, we'll let the people be the judge, because we
will speak to Professor Wilhapper, who seems to be drawing
good crowds around the country. They can be the judge.
I want to talk to you about a couple of
things yesterday's RMA reforms that they've got to be good
for farming.
Speaker 7 (14:20):
They have got to be good. If anyone's talking about
not being good and we're talking about forty six percent
less consent in this country, how is that not a
good thing. Of course, it's a work in progress and
it's going to take a fever done wine the old thing,
but it'll be a good thing over time as we
work into this new situation.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Your mates at Groundswell said the reforms were too timid.
I don't know what pleases them sometimes yee.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
I hate to be bryceon Laurry's partners because I'm trying
to buy them a Christmas gift. They're never going to
be heavy.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Well, if we're to believe who was it earlier in
the week, Jane Smith, I mean Bryce and Laurie could
be partners.
Speaker 7 (14:59):
I'm not going there.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I'm not going there either. I'm only joking, lads, I'm
only joking anyhow. RMA reforms are all good and we
know the example that Federated Farmers have been pushing, and
that's your former executive member David Clark, former President of
Mid Canterbury, who had to go through the ridiculous farce
of trying to get a consent just to farm the
(15:21):
way he was, and he found that it was easier
to apply to be a dairy farmer he's an arable farmer,
by the way, than stick with his existing farming practice.
We've just got so out of.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Kilter, that's and that's the point, that's where we've got.
It's just completely out of wack and the needed reviewing.
I've had a few farmers ring me and say, hey, no, no,
it was all good for us, and a number of
occasions it's all good. But the problem is is that
for the majority it's gone way out of whack. And
this huge volumes of money. There's huge volums of money
(15:51):
that used to be being in our real communities and
used to be used to help fundraise and do all
that sort of thing that's been put into these contents
which you know, and achieving what they're hoping to serve
and ultimately aren't helping farmers to improve and what they
are doing either.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Hey, just a quick one to finish on, because I
know you've got a meeting with Minister a Tama Potarker,
Minister of Conservation at twelve thirty and you've got a scoop.
What sort of feedback are you getting from your big
billboard campaign in central Wellington there just down from the
beehive the Federated Farmer's Twelve Pets of Christmas.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
I mean, it's something that we've been working on. As
you mentioned, I'm about to catch up with Minister Potakers
and we'll be talking about peasant and the management of
some of the conservation landers.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
It is.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
It's a hot topic that we've got to keep keep
working on. We were hoping to get an announcement before Christmas,
but it looks like it's going to come later and
or sorry, earlier in the new year, and so we'll
keep plugging away on that. But you know, it's certainly
an issue that we've forgotten about and it's one we'll
keep working away with. But hey, getting getting contents rolled over,
you know, existing contents roll over two years, are getting
(16:55):
other contents you know, pushed out for another five or
six potentially more years as to one. And we're sull
be celebrating that for the farming sector and ultimately just
just good practice and a hole as a whole.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Wayne lanth And, President of Federated Farmers, We're going to
be on to you one more time, hopefully next week
as we wrap the farming here, and I want you
to think seriously and heart about your farming or ag
person of the Year. Okay, sounds good, Okay, then you
see it. Wayne Length for the doing the good, doing
the hard yards for New Zealand farmers. Now there's some
(17:28):
naughty people who are texting and already for the prize
you decared at the stage because I did say, I
did say, we can't have you entering early and getting
an unfair advantage on the field. But we will tell
you very shortly when Michelle wanders in here about today's
countdown to Christmas, and we'll tell you all about it
(17:48):
because we've got one thousand dollars Bunnings gift card to
give away, so failure boots, but not until we say so, okay,
the strict rules here before the end of the hour.
Ken interview with Professor Wilhapper and Campbell Parker out of
Dairy and z they've come up with a new break
even price for milk. Welcome back to the country. The
(18:24):
show's brought to you by Brandt. I'm Jamie McKay Shortley.
Michelle Watt with the latest and rural news. But first,
farmers and growers looking to score a win by getting
ahead of the game this summer. Well, farm One's has
got your back. Being prepared for a dry summer spell,
that's the one. Now's the time to invest in your
water infrastructure, you know, ensure tanks, troughs and fittings and
(18:44):
pipes are in good nick, preventing nasties like pests, weeds
and disease from eating away summer gains. That's a one too.
Scoring a healthier return because your animals were healthy, healthier
should I say another one? All possible with the right
animal management tools and products. Looking slick for the social season, Well,
that's just looking like a winner, isn't it. Scrub up
(19:06):
with new summer gear from Farmlands that will take you
from the paddock to the pub. The team at your
local farmland store or your Farmland's technical field specialist, they're thinking,
like you, what do I need to get sorted to
score a win this summer? So that's suit of chat
too to get some runs on the board head and store,
or order through Farmland's pro or talk to your rap
(19:27):
about Farmland's summer office.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
The Country's world US with cub Cadet New Zealand's leading
right on lawn bower brand. Is it steel for dot
cot dot NZD for your local stuckist.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, good afternoon, Michelle Watt. And I hope I haven't
cut your lunch because I did let the cat out
of the bag. That our lambing percentage, This is hot
off the press from Beef and lamb New Zealand. We
might seeven get Kate Ackland on tomorrow. Make a mental
note of that. Okay, mental note, good work. One hundred
and thirty one point one percent up three point seven
per percentage points from the air. But do you want
(20:01):
to expand on those numbers?
Speaker 8 (20:03):
Ah, you pretty much just cut my lunch. But anyway,
So yeah, the lambing percentages are It's great news. The
improved lambing outcome and more than offset the earlier expectations
of fewer lambs tailed following a one point nine percent
reduction in the number of breeding years, and all regions
reported a higher lambing percentage, except for the Northern North
Island where a dry summer autumn conditions affected the feed
(20:24):
levels and the new conditioning.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Yep, so less use more lambs, good results. So I
think we've got crop possessed that the crops estimated at
nineteen point sixty six million. That's a lift of one
percent or one hundred and eighty eight thousand more lambs.
But she in the seventies we had seventy thousand sheep
and we're almost producing the same weight of lamb meat.
(20:47):
It's a great production story the old sheep meat industry.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
And let's pivot.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Can we pivot? I you didn't like that. I hate
the word pivot. It's like journeys and process and outcome.
Learn or actually learnings is my most hated. Oh no,
camper van's my most hated. I shouldn't say that. Just
pull over if the six or seven cars behind you.
What do you got for the Dairy Industry Awards as of.
Speaker 8 (21:10):
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Association of justin now is
there extending the entry period for the New Zealandiry Industry
Awards to midnight the fourteenth of December. Remember there are
six award categories in total, which include Dairy Trainee of
the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year and Shearmilker of
the Year, plus the three other categories as well. The
total prize pool is valued at one million dollars plus
(21:31):
the chance to be part of very esteemed alumni if
you win, If you think you know someone that should enter,
or you are wanting to enter yourself, get those entries
in before midnight on the fourteenth at Dairy Industry Awards
dot co dot in on a www dot Dry Industry
Awards dot co dot NZ.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
You realize you don't need the www.
Speaker 8 (21:51):
We used to do Now, I'm happy we used to do.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
You're a boomer. We used to do that in the nineties.
Speaker 8 (21:55):
At the end of the end of the end of
the year. I'm losing already. We've got a couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
To go.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Sports on the country with AFCO invested in your farming success.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And apologies I've been a bit remiss not updating the cricket.
Let's have a look on the tally sixty six for two.
West Indies are batting. New Zealand chose to bowl and
in my sports news I see there's a story a
harsh introduction to test cricket for debutante fast bowl and
Michael Ray the thirty year old's first over against the
(22:28):
Windys the West Indies and the second Test at the
Basin reserve was flayed for eleven runs. Imagine that he's
waited all this time to get his debut for New Zealand.
He's probably about tenth choice. No disrespect to him, but
there's so many injury injuries and he gets melted for
eleven off his first over. The Windys were flying after
(22:48):
being sent in, but Blair Tickner has picked.
Speaker 6 (22:52):
Up to wickets.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
That is your sports news. Up next our keynote interview
for today. He's landed in christ Church. We're going to
talk to a professor Will Happer who's worked for two
American presidents.
Speaker 6 (23:08):
This is going to be fun.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Our next guest on the country is a very interesting character.
He's in the country at the moment on the speaking
tour at the behest I think of Groundswell. His name
is Professor Will Happer. Now he is a emeritus physics
professor from Princeton University. And Will. The thing that I
(23:43):
find fascinating about you before we get on to why
you're in New Zealand, is your background. You served under
two presidential administrations, George H. W. Bush and then the
first Trump administration. Tell us about your background.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
Well, I'm a assist and I've spent most of my
life doing physics in one way or another, but parts
of it have been in Washington, DC as a bureaucrat,
you know, doing scientific administration. So during Bush Senior's presidency,
(24:18):
I was the Director of Energy Research at the Department
of Energy, and so I was responsible for all of
the non weapons basic research there. And under mister Trump,
I served for a year in the National Security Council,
working with John Bolton, and my job there was to
(24:40):
help him on emerging technologies. But I only agreed to
go if they would let me try and get some
common sense into the climate issue. And so I spent
a year trying to get that to happen. And after
the deer was up and nothing happened, I returned to
Princeton on terms with our friends at the White House.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
But did Trump say you.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
No, no, certainly not. Yeah. He was a good friend
and very strong supporter. It was his his political advisors
who urged him not to touch this climate issue. They
thought it would cost him votes.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Who was the best Republican president out of George Bush
Senior or Trump?
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Well, they both had their strengths, you know. George Bush
Senior was much more a traditional Republican, you know, from
a wealthy family and sort of a country club Republican,
I guess you would call him, And mister Trump is
certainly not in that mold. He's also I think a
(25:49):
good president. Good presidents, you know, try to change things
and make things better, and Trump is trying to do that.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Now, the ground swell PI tells me that you're here
for a serious conversation around climate change policy. And I
know that you're a physics professor, but are you qualified
to speak about climate change? Are you a climate change denier?
Or conversely, does climate change actually exist?
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Well, I guess I deny that there is any climate emergency.
You know, that's certainly an absurd idea if you look
at the facts. As a physicist, you know, I'm probably
most famous for inventing the sodium guide star, which is
(26:41):
used at all astronomical sites on the ground today practically
to improve the scene of stars and galaxies. And that's
why I wasted invited to Washington the first time to
work for mister Bush was because I had solved an
important problem for the Star Wars effort under Reagan, so
(27:04):
they knew I knew how to solve technical problems but
that background on the atmosphere, and that's the key part
of climate. You know, most climate scientists know a lot
less than I do about how the atmosphere works.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Doctor or professor will happen with U see on a
speaking tour of New Zealand. Is the planet warming? Surely
you can't deny that.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
No, of course, I don't deny that the planet began
to warm around the year eighteen hundred, long before there
was any increase in carbon dioxide. Nobody's quite sure why.
But the previous several centuries was the Little Ice Age,
when the planet was unusually cold. And then you go
(27:47):
back a few additional centuries you come to the year
oney eleven hundred, when it was much warmer than today.
They were farming the south of Greenland. You can dig
up the old Norse farms today and find that we're
growing barley and other crops that you can't ripen there today.
The climate isn't warm.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
It out Methine emissions from ruminants the problem, because that's
where I have a bit of an argument against this,
isn't that part of the carbon cycle.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
Well, methane is absolutely essential to ruminants if they're going
to efficiently digest their food. They can't get maximum value
out of the forage that they eat without emitting methane
and carbon dioxide, and methane is indeed a greenhouse gas
(28:38):
like carbon dioxide or water vapor, which is by far
the most important. But the effects of methane are trivially small.
You know, if New Zealand, for example, reduces methane emissions
by fourteen percent, that will come at in an enormous
cost to the people of New Zealand, especially the farmers
(29:00):
will pick up the burden, and it will save a
temperature rise of point oh oh one centigrade one hundred
micro centigrade. You know, you can't measure that. It's too
small to measure, so it's all pain, no gain for
(29:23):
the environment. It's complete madness.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Are we all wasting at time? Enlist the likes of
you might Trump and the US and India and China
and Russia play ball on reducing emissions.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
Yes, of course you're wasting your time, you know, but
in the process many people are being enriched, you know,
with no benefit to the environment. Just look, you know,
the old advice follow the money is a good idea,
you know, look around to see who's benefiting from this.
Who you know, who is selling you know when turbines,
(29:58):
who's selling solar panels, you know who is selling bulluses
for cattle. Lots of people are very happy with this.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Professor will happen with us from Princeton University. Carbon credits
the Emperor's new clothes.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
Well, carbon credits is part of the scam. There is
no there is no emergency, there's no need for carbon credits.
If you look at the effects of carbon dioxide, the
only clear effect you can measure over the past fifty
years is everywhere on Earth it is greener than it
used to be. So carbon dioxide has very little effect
(30:36):
on the climate or on the weather, but it has
a big positive effect on growing things, on plants, because
we've been in a carbon dioxide famine for you know,
several million years now, and plants are breathing a sigh
of relief. Finally we're getting enough carbon dioxide, speaking as
(30:56):
a plant, you know, to grow better.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
When it comes to global warming and the inevitable things
like sea rise, and I don't think you can argue
against that. Are we better to mitigate or are we
better to adapt?
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Well, I think you have to adapt because nothing we
do about greenhouse gases will affect sea level rise. Sea
level rise began around eighteen hundred when the Earth began
to pull out of the last ice, the Little Ice Age,
and it had nothing to do with emissions of carbon
dioxide or methane. And it's going to continue no matter
(31:34):
what we do about those greenhouse gas.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
But surely, man, burning fossil fuels is the main problem,
and there's no argument that we're doing a hell of
a lot more of that now than we did, for instance,
in eighteen hundred.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
I don't see that burning fossil fuels is any problem
at all. It has made lifespans double and triple. It's
made people live today like kings used to live two
or three centuries ago. It's done no harm for the environment.
It's made the environment better. So I don't see any
problem with burning fossil fuels as long as we can
(32:09):
afford to extract them and use them.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
You realize some people listening to this, Professor Willhappa, will
call you a climate change denier out and out.
Speaker 5 (32:19):
Well, I don't know what they're talking about, because I
certainly don't deny that climate changes. What they're saying is
that I am interfering with their religious preaching about repentance
and for imaginary sins that don't even exist.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Professor will Happa, thanks for some of your time. I
know you've got speaking engagements over the next few days
in New Zealand. Safe travels home to the States, and
we'll watch with interest what happens to you mate Donald
Trump and brokering peace around the world, and perhaps of
more interest to us, what he does on trade tariffs
over the next year or so. Thank you very much
(32:58):
for your time.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
Thank you, Jamie, it was a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Campbell Parker is the chief executive at darien Z. We're
wrapping the air chatting to the industry. Good body, Campbell.
You've just released hot off the press, your latest econ tracker,
and this gives you a number of how much costs
to do business now. The cost the kilogram of milk
solids was eight dollars sixty six. But surely, Campbell, with
(33:29):
interest rates dropping and that is the biggest on farm cost,
that number must have come down.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Yeah, it has, Jamie.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Today we've announced that it's actually come back to eight
dollars fifty, so a drop around sixteen cents and as
you say, biggest cost reflection in there. Well, there's still
some upward pressure on input prices fertilizer etc. Interest costs
have come down significantly, so you know, when you look
at a brake even book price of eight dollars fifty
and a you know midpoint at nine dollars fifty and
(33:59):
reconfirmed by Fonterra last week, things are still in a
reasonably good space for our sector.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Is a dollar a kilogram or perk kelogram of milk
solids enough to make a meaningful profit?
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (34:10):
I think.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Look, the key thing I would say is, you know
there's always a range in terms of those costs, and
you know the most important thing for farmers that is
keep a tight control on costs, particularly when you you know,
when you see increased milk price, it's often easy for
the cost piece to get away and good farmers are
that passed to someone in Canterbury two weeks ago. You know,
(34:32):
people running at a very lean cost structure and producing
very good profit. So it's still achievable, but need to
need to keep tight control on costs.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Milk production has surged this year, or up three point
four percent on last season it'll be interesting to see
what a potentially dry season could mean for that production number.
But we're through the peak of the curve, so a
lot of that production for this season has already been banked.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Yeah, look, three point four percent up.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You know, nationally South Island is leaving the charts. They
are up five point seven percent. So that's to the
end of October, so we'll get the December the November
stats in December shortly. But yes, continuing to drive. I
think it reflects where milk price has been. We've also
seen a twenty percent lift in the likes of palm
kernel over the last twelve months, so you know, people
(35:22):
are taking that marginal milk and driving more production and
profit in these current times.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Just a couple to tick off before we bid you
farewell for twenty twenty five. Couple of wins when it
comes on the biosecurity and research fronts. I want to
start with biosecurity. We're absolutely in the home straight against
m bovus, and I know we didn't get it right
all of the time, right at the beginning, but my goodness,
MPI has done a good job there.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
I think collectively, the industry and MPI have and the
coordination around that. I actually sit on the Mbovus Governance Council,
which we've kind of transitioned now to the National Test
Management Plan, and you know, we will be the first
country to self declare eradication of BOBUS. But we've got
to keep the foot on the throat around that, keep
working through. You know, that could be earlier than the
(36:12):
twenty twenty eight target based on the tracking and the reporting,
but we keep a very close eyron on that. And
then the other one that I think has been a
highlight this year has been the Foot and Mouth Disease
Operational Agreement and the seven parties including MPI and the
livestock sectors coming to an agreement around that. That was
announced at Field Days this year on the chair of
(36:33):
the inaugural FMD Council, and we actually had a council
meeting yesterday. So we're making good progress around some of
the readiness activities, but we've got to keep working hard
on that.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, and a quick final word on research. I'm running
short on time here. I'm going to run myself out
of time before the end of the air campbell, but
away you go.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
Yeah, look, there's a lot of good work going on
in the research space, particularly in their missions for pasture
work around methane levels and some direct science around that. Also,
you know we announce Resilient Pastures, the programmer work that's
going to happen in Northland. There's other things happening around
dairy beef opportunities as well, so lots happening in the
research space and turning those into tangible tools that farmers
(37:12):
can adopt on farm.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Gampbell Parker, chief Executive of dairy en Zed, to you
and all the team. Have a merry Christmas and hopefully
a prosperous new farming here.
Speaker 6 (37:21):
See you next year.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
Thanks Jomie and now all the best to you. Hopefully
you get a few round of golf and over the
Christmas period.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Campbell park are from dairy en Zed. The Windys are
raighty eight for two at the Basin Reserve. The winner
of yesterday's Silver Fern Farms Meet voucher and Barbecue Kits
Mavis Wilkins and Ash Burton, David McKay and Masterton up
next your chance to win one thousand dollars Bunning's gift
card Welcome back to the Country. The countdown too. Christmas
(37:52):
continues today. It's the turn of the CBS co Op.
They give rural operators the same buying strength usually reserve
for big agric cultural and construction groups. Farmers grow as
rural contractors can access discounts of five to fifty percent
across more than thirty national supplies, helping cut supply costs,
unlock rebates, and stay competitive on and off the farm.
(38:15):
If you would like to win the thousand dollars, yes,
thousand dollar Bunnings gift card from CBS co Op, all
you need to do is text win. Sorry I didn't
let you enter earlier, but I didn't want you to
clog up the text machine. Text win and your name
and address to five double nine. Thank you so much,
CBS co Op. That is our countdown to Christmas tomorrow.
(38:39):
We will catch you tomorrow. Take care till then.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deare construction equipment
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Brent, the starkest of
the leading agriculture brands.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Good afternoon, New Zealand. Welcome to the Country. The show
is brought to you by Brent. I'm Jamie McKay, Healthon
John and Dua Lipa and cold Heart. For one of
our guests, we're going to catch up at some stage
between now and one. We've just got to try and
track him down in christ Church. He's just landed there.
His name is doctor or Professor Wilhapper at the hest
(01:00):
of Groundswell. He's speaking around the country apparently really good
crowds turning up. He's a world renowned Princeton physicist, as
I said, Professor will Happer. But is he simply a
climate change denier? We will have a chat to him.
It's going to be interesting. Going to kick it off
with the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxeon's second last appearance in
(01:23):
twenty twenty five for him. Wayne Langford, the president of
Federated Farmers, will get his thoughts on the RIMA reforms.
I think they were pretty good, weren't they? And are
the countdown not the countdown to Christmas. We've got a
great price today. Tell you more about that one shortly. No,
this is the countdown the Fed's twelve pests of Christmas.
(01:44):
It's actually quite entertaining. And Campbell Parker, chief executive of
derry en Z. They've released their latest break even price
for milk production. I reckon it's got to have gone
down with interrast rates dropping and hot off the press.
The national lamming percentage. More about this and Rural News
with Michelle But the national lamming percentage is one hundred
(02:07):
and thirty one point one percent, up three point seven
percentage points on last year. The Prime Minister to kick
off the country for the penultimate time and twenty twenty
(02:35):
five the Prime Minister on the country on a Wednesday.
I want to start, Christopher Luxen with our free trade
agreement with India. Todd mcclay's doing great work. How close
are we?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
We're getting closer. I mean, you know, as you can imagine,
the Indians are really tough negotiated and you know it
all spoils down to a few issues at the end,
but you were making really good progress. In fact, Todd
will probably be heading up to India this week the
next couple of days again as well. So you know
we're getting to the business end of it. But you know,
I've done a lot of business India over the years,
(03:09):
and you know, one of the things that they are
outstanding negotiators. We're also really good too. We've got some
really great trade negotiators and we've got an outstanding trade minister.
But again, you know, I've spoken with you know, Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister and the Trade Minister myself, and
you know, we're all committed to doing the deal, but
we have to get something that is the best possible
deal we can be And what I'm interested in is
(03:29):
just beinging Australian. So that's my focus.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Could you get to the stage where you'd say this
is not good enough, I'm going to walk away from it,
or we just have to take what we're given.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I think you know, over the last year, you know,
the trading environment globally has actually incentivized parties to want
to work together, in particular India, which previously wasn't really
you know, we've worked really hard to build a relationship
to prioritize New Zealand ahead of the EU and other
bigger places. They are to see a country that's dealing
with a lot of pressure from the US and others.
(04:03):
So I've got an appetite to do a deal. We
want to do a deal. I don't like the fact
that today we are well behind Australia in some of
our categories that we trade in, and I think we
can do you get ourselves a really good deal on
a good basis and a starting point to move forward with.
So you know, we're going to do the best deal
we possibly can for New Zealand and for all our sectors.
(04:24):
And there's a lot of opportunity in India, you know, JB.
Since we started this conversation, I remember thinking, I'm going
to be the third biggest economy in twenty thirty, twenty
thirty one. It's going to happen in twenty twenty eight,
so in a couple of years. So you know that
is a major We've got to be a you know,
they just added in their growth an economy the size
of South Africa last year, so you know they are
(04:45):
growing fast and quickly and large, so there's a lot
of opportunity. Obviously, it's a country that's probably per person
about a fourth as wealthy as China. So China's moved
into middle income status over the period of our free
trade agreement, which is created opportunit. These guys are about
to go through that same ride, and we want to
get on that way early and ride that well.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Absolutely their most populous nation on Earth as well. Now, okay,
let's move on to yesterday's announcement from Chris Bishop, and
I think he's done a really good job on this,
on getting rid of the RMA, simplifying the consenting process
not only if you want to build a deck, but
also if you want to stay farming.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Oh yeah, I mean, this is something we've been focused
on from an opposition day. So that's why you've seen
us kill off the labors approach. Make sure we get
the fast track in place as quickly as possible to
get the show moving. And this is what our dreamers
is to get down to two very simple bills, planning bills,
Natural Environment Bill. We reckon forty six percent of consents
won't be needed going forward. We want the show radically
(05:42):
simplified because we've just become a country of bureaucrats, lots
of red tape, lots of green tape, not adding any
value endless meetings, lots of discussion, lots of debate, and
particularly for farmers, I mean, like I mean, I spent
a lot of time with farmers, as you know, and
you know, they tell me horrific stories of huge amounts
of money being spent on consenting every Tom Dick and
Harry consulting and having input into what they're doing. You know,
(06:05):
you've got property, it's your land. You should have property rights.
You should be able to crack on and get going with
what you need to go to. You still be a
couple of people who genuinely are affected by what you're doing.
But it shouldn't be what it's what it's been. So
I'm really excited about this, I reckon, you know, no
government's really taken this on, you know, and fundamentally reformed
it over the last twenty years or so, thirty years
(06:26):
or so, and it needed to be done and otherwise
we just carry on having all these meetings and red
tape and not doing stuff. And it costs us a lot.
I mean, it's been the cost continuing cost of increased
seventy percent. It's one point three billion a year. And
actually the time it takes together consent has increased one
hundred and fifty percent on the last time.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
How are you going to be brave enough Prime Minister
to stop EWE having an overbearing presence on the consenting process.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well, a lot of it is making sure that the
people who actually are consulted actually are going to be
impacted by the effects of what's happening, and that's where
it's got out of control, and so we are simplifying
all aspects of consultation. We need to honor treaty settlements.
But the other thing for you, Jamie, is a lot
of EWE have a lot of commercial interests across this
(07:12):
country and actually many of them are very pro this
because they are also recipients and have been frustrated by
the RAMA process themselves. So it's going to so we're
going to strip it all down, make it much simpler,
much clearer, and and as you've seen, the companion piece
of this is also then reforming local government and removing
regional council. So you know that's a key part of
(07:33):
what we're.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Going to do.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Hellelujah, Now the latest One News Varian poll, and I
know you'll trot out the old cliche I don't comment
on poles but you must be quite happy with this.
Were you smuggly looking at that when it came out
on Monday?
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Well, I don't comment on poles, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Can I ask you? Do you think Chippy is conflicted
over the collapse and that's a party mail revote because
it's a double edged sword for him. He gets to
party Maury winning all the Maori seats, he gets an overhang.
It makes it easier for him to get into Parliament.
But if they collapse completely, I think it will drive
some middle voters perhaps towards labor, thinking they're not going
(08:14):
to be such a crazy lot if to party Mary's
out of the mix.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Look, I mean, as you can see on our site,
you know, it's pretty solid and that's the that's solid
even in a really difficult economic part of the cycle.
But we're coming out of that. I you know, really
it's really for him. I mean, ultimately he wants to
be in business with the Greens for goodness sake, and
to party MARII. All I know is that just means
capital gains tax, wealth tax, death tax, inheritance tax tax, everything,
(08:43):
borrow everything, and that's what got us into this mess.
So you know, to be honest, Hipkins hasn't learned a
single thing in three years. He's going back to the
same failed radical economic tender of spending more, tax more,
borrow more. I'm telling it that ain't in the future
for New Zealand. That is not how we That's what
got us into this mess. That's what's caused the payness.
And But if he wants to horse around and muck
(09:03):
around with the Green Party and to party murray, you
know that's not what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Just finally, latest poll, not the one news Varian pole,
but the pole and what we're eating for Christmas? Lamb
beats ham this Christmas. Forty two percent say lamb. I
think thirty percent say ham Beef's probably too expensive. It's
only thirteen percent. What does the lux and household do?
Speaker 3 (09:23):
We're all in on ham. But the other weird thing
that we've thrown into the mixed since living in America
is turkey, you believe it or not. And so it's
been a bit hit and miss I'll be honest in
the luxe and household where the oven hasn't worked at
the right time on Christmas Day to cook the turkey.
So we've been but we have ham turkey and and
peas are actually our thing as well. There's a bit
(09:44):
of shelling of peas that goes on on Christmas Eve
as well, which is pretty cool. So and some new potatoes.
You got to get your potatoes in the mix as well.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
And a path. Hey Christopher Luxem, thanks for your time.
We've got one more show to do next week, and
I need you to put your thinking cap on because
Wednesday I'm going to ask you for your AG Person
of the Year.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Okay, Oh, there's some worthy candidates actually when I think
about that, okay, I'll think.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
About that over the week.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But mate, you have a great week.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
What do you take care?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
I will prime Minister. It is seventeen after twelve. Ag
Person of the Year. We'll get your thoughts on that.
That's next week's job. This week's job is the countdown
to Christmas. Now, don't enter now whause you're going to
clog up the text line and you'll be deq'ed. Okay,
we're going to give you a chance a wee bit
later in the hour, and it's the CBS co Op Today.
(10:39):
We'll tell you all about them and the prize. Well,
i'll let the cat out of the bag, So don't
enter because I will DQ you until we say we've
got one thousand dollars Bunnings gift card. How good would
that be for all you home handy men and women
out there? Over the Christmas break? Michelle's going to wander in.
(11:00):
He had to do rural news and an old who
sports news. After we chat to our next guest, Wayne
Langford from Federated Farmers and Shell announced the winner because
you guys went nuts yesterday on the Silver Fern Farms
meatpack and accessory. So we'll tell you who the lucky
two winners were. Then it's the countdown to Christmas and
(11:22):
tomorrow we give away one thousand dollars cash from Rabobank
to the charity of your choice, think of the Greater Good.
People are eagerly awaiting what Professor will Hafer has to say.
My old mate Steve whin Harris says he was that
extreme he got sacked by Trump. We'll ask him that here.
(11:45):
We're trying to catch him in Christchurch. I think his
planes just landed up. Next Wayne Langford on the Rima Reforms.
Here's the question, Jamie, was Damian O'Connor instrumental in us
having free trade agreements with Great Britain and the European
Union from Charlie and give credit where it's due. Charlie.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Yes he was.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
He wasn't always the best minister of agriculture. I've told
him that to his face, so I'm not being unkind,
but I think as a trade minister he did. Okay,
mind you. The bloke we've got at the moment, Todd McLay,
in my mind's doing a fantastic job. If he can
get an FDA across the board with India, that is
a real feather in his cap. Wayne Langford up next
(12:27):
key interview today Professor Wilhapper, and we're going to wrap
it with Campbell Parker. Are not federated farmers? Derry and
Zed have come out with their latest break even price
from milk.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
You're as cold as ice.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
You will need to sack the facer love Welcome back
to the country. Cold is the theme today because a
keynote interview coming up. I think he's in christ Church
Airport now as Professor will Happer. Is he a climate
(13:12):
change deny or does she? Does he make some good points?
You'd be the judge after you listen to him. One
man who should know a wee bit about Professor will
Happer is Wayne Langford, president of Federated Farmers, who had
dinner with them last night. What did you make of
the bloke, Wwayne?
Speaker 7 (13:28):
Yeah, Jamie, Yeah, good, good, many he was a physicist,
so jezu goes into a lot more detail than the
average farmer that I am knows. But but essentially he's here. No,
he's got a side to think and that's what he's
putting across.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Well, is it ground swell at sport him out? Or
is it you blokes that feeds not us?
Speaker 7 (13:47):
No, No, it seems to be ground swell or the
methane science accord or are they the same thing? I'm
not sure, but there's there's something in there.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Yeah, a ground swell and Federated Farmers now buddying up
for dinner dates.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
No, definitely not. But when there's feed on off and
you know I'm always there, so fair enough.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, we'll let the people be the judge, because we
will speak to Professor Wilhapper, who seems to be drawing
good crowds around the country. They can be the judge.
I want to talk to you about a couple of
things yesterday's RMA reforms that they've got to be good
for farming.
Speaker 7 (14:20):
They have got to be good. If anyone's talking about
not being good and we're talking about forty six percent
less consent in this country, how is that not a
good thing. Of course, it's a work in progress and
it's going to take a fever done wine the old thing,
but it'll be a good thing over time as we
work into this new situation.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Your mates at Groundswell said the reforms were too timid.
I don't know what pleases them sometimes yee.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
I hate to be bryceon Laurry's partners because I'm trying
to buy them a Christmas gift. They're never going to
be heavy.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Well, if we're to believe who was it earlier in
the week, Jane Smith, I mean Bryce and Laurie could
be partners.
Speaker 7 (14:59):
I'm not going there.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I'm not going there either. I'm only joking, lads, I'm
only joking anyhow. RMA reforms are all good and we
know the example that Federated Farmers have been pushing, and
that's your former executive member David Clark, former President of
Mid Canterbury, who had to go through the ridiculous farce
of trying to get a consent just to farm the
(15:21):
way he was, and he found that it was easier
to apply to be a dairy farmer he's an arable farmer,
by the way, than stick with his existing farming practice.
We've just got so out of.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Kilter, that's and that's the point, that's where we've got.
It's just completely out of wack and the needed reviewing.
I've had a few farmers ring me and say, hey, no, no,
it was all good for us, and a number of
occasions it's all good. But the problem is is that
for the majority it's gone way out of whack. And
this huge volumes of money. There's huge volums of money
(15:51):
that used to be being in our real communities and
used to be used to help fundraise and do all
that sort of thing that's been put into these contents
which you know, and achieving what they're hoping to serve
and ultimately aren't helping farmers to improve and what they
are doing either.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Hey, just a quick one to finish on, because I
know you've got a meeting with Minister a Tama Potarker,
Minister of Conservation at twelve thirty and you've got a scoop.
What sort of feedback are you getting from your big
billboard campaign in central Wellington there just down from the
beehive the Federated Farmer's Twelve Pets of Christmas.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
I mean, it's something that we've been working on. As
you mentioned, I'm about to catch up with Minister Potakers
and we'll be talking about peasant and the management of
some of the conservation landers.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
It is.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
It's a hot topic that we've got to keep keep
working on. We were hoping to get an announcement before Christmas,
but it looks like it's going to come later and
or sorry, earlier in the new year, and so we'll
keep plugging away on that. But you know, it's certainly
an issue that we've forgotten about and it's one we'll
keep working away with. But hey, getting getting contents rolled over,
you know, existing contents roll over two years, are getting
(16:55):
other contents you know, pushed out for another five or
six potentially more years as to one. And we're sull
be celebrating that for the farming sector and ultimately just
just good practice and a hole as a whole.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Wayne lanth And, President of Federated Farmers, We're going to
be on to you one more time, hopefully next week
as we wrap the farming here, and I want you
to think seriously and heart about your farming or ag
person of the Year. Okay, sounds good, Okay, then you
see it. Wayne Length for the doing the good, doing
the hard yards for New Zealand farmers. Now there's some
(17:28):
naughty people who are texting and already for the prize
you decared at the stage because I did say, I
did say, we can't have you entering early and getting
an unfair advantage on the field. But we will tell
you very shortly when Michelle wanders in here about today's
countdown to Christmas, and we'll tell you all about it
(17:48):
because we've got one thousand dollars Bunnings gift card to
give away, so failure boots, but not until we say so, okay,
the strict rules here before the end of the hour.
Ken interview with Professor Wilhapper and Campbell Parker out of
Dairy and z they've come up with a new break
even price for milk. Welcome back to the country. The
(18:24):
show's brought to you by Brandt. I'm Jamie McKay Shortley.
Michelle Watt with the latest and rural news. But first,
farmers and growers looking to score a win by getting
ahead of the game this summer. Well, farm One's has
got your back. Being prepared for a dry summer spell,
that's the one. Now's the time to invest in your
water infrastructure, you know, ensure tanks, troughs and fittings and
(18:44):
pipes are in good nick, preventing nasties like pests, weeds
and disease from eating away summer gains. That's a one too.
Scoring a healthier return because your animals were healthy, healthier
should I say another one? All possible with the right
animal management tools and products. Looking slick for the social season, Well,
that's just looking like a winner, isn't it. Scrub up
(19:06):
with new summer gear from Farmlands that will take you
from the paddock to the pub. The team at your
local farmland store or your Farmland's technical field specialist, they're thinking,
like you, what do I need to get sorted to
score a win this summer? So that's suit of chat
too to get some runs on the board head and store,
or order through Farmland's pro or talk to your rap
(19:27):
about Farmland's summer office.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
The Country's world US with cub Cadet New Zealand's leading
right on lawn bower brand. Is it steel for dot
cot dot NZD for your local stuckist.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, good afternoon, Michelle Watt. And I hope I haven't
cut your lunch because I did let the cat out
of the bag. That our lambing percentage, This is hot
off the press from Beef and lamb New Zealand. We
might seeven get Kate Ackland on tomorrow. Make a mental
note of that. Okay, mental note, good work. One hundred
and thirty one point one percent up three point seven
per percentage points from the air. But do you want
(20:01):
to expand on those numbers?
Speaker 8 (20:03):
Ah, you pretty much just cut my lunch. But anyway,
So yeah, the lambing percentages are It's great news. The
improved lambing outcome and more than offset the earlier expectations
of fewer lambs tailed following a one point nine percent
reduction in the number of breeding years, and all regions
reported a higher lambing percentage, except for the Northern North
Island where a dry summer autumn conditions affected the feed
(20:24):
levels and the new conditioning.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Yep, so less use more lambs, good results. So I
think we've got crop possessed that the crops estimated at
nineteen point sixty six million. That's a lift of one
percent or one hundred and eighty eight thousand more lambs.
But she in the seventies we had seventy thousand sheep
and we're almost producing the same weight of lamb meat.
(20:47):
It's a great production story the old sheep meat industry.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
And let's pivot.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Can we pivot? I you didn't like that. I hate
the word pivot. It's like journeys and process and outcome.
Learn or actually learnings is my most hated. Oh no,
camper van's my most hated. I shouldn't say that. Just
pull over if the six or seven cars behind you.
What do you got for the Dairy Industry Awards as of.
Speaker 8 (21:10):
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Association of justin now is
there extending the entry period for the New Zealandiry Industry
Awards to midnight the fourteenth of December. Remember there are
six award categories in total, which include Dairy Trainee of
the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year and Shearmilker of
the Year, plus the three other categories as well. The
total prize pool is valued at one million dollars plus
(21:31):
the chance to be part of very esteemed alumni if
you win, If you think you know someone that should enter,
or you are wanting to enter yourself, get those entries
in before midnight on the fourteenth at Dairy Industry Awards
dot co dot in on a www dot Dry Industry
Awards dot co dot NZ.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
You realize you don't need the www.
Speaker 8 (21:51):
We used to do Now, I'm happy we used to do.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
You're a boomer. We used to do that in the nineties.
Speaker 8 (21:55):
At the end of the end of the end of
the year. I'm losing already. We've got a couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
To go.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Sports on the country with AFCO invested in your farming success.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And apologies I've been a bit remiss not updating the cricket.
Let's have a look on the tally sixty six for two.
West Indies are batting. New Zealand chose to bowl and
in my sports news I see there's a story a
harsh introduction to test cricket for debutante fast bowl and
Michael Ray the thirty year old's first over against the
(22:28):
Windys the West Indies and the second Test at the
Basin reserve was flayed for eleven runs. Imagine that he's
waited all this time to get his debut for New Zealand.
He's probably about tenth choice. No disrespect to him, but
there's so many injury injuries and he gets melted for
eleven off his first over. The Windys were flying after
(22:48):
being sent in, but Blair Tickner has picked.
Speaker 6 (22:52):
Up to wickets.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
That is your sports news. Up next our keynote interview
for today. He's landed in christ Church. We're going to
talk to a professor Will Happer who's worked for two
American presidents.
Speaker 6 (23:08):
This is going to be fun.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Our next guest on the country is a very interesting character.
He's in the country at the moment on the speaking
tour at the behest I think of Groundswell. His name
is Professor Will Happer. Now he is a emeritus physics
professor from Princeton University. And Will. The thing that I
(23:43):
find fascinating about you before we get on to why
you're in New Zealand, is your background. You served under
two presidential administrations, George H. W. Bush and then the
first Trump administration. Tell us about your background.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
Well, I'm a assist and I've spent most of my
life doing physics in one way or another, but parts
of it have been in Washington, DC as a bureaucrat,
you know, doing scientific administration. So during Bush Senior's presidency,
(24:18):
I was the Director of Energy Research at the Department
of Energy, and so I was responsible for all of
the non weapons basic research there. And under mister Trump,
I served for a year in the National Security Council,
working with John Bolton, and my job there was to
(24:40):
help him on emerging technologies. But I only agreed to
go if they would let me try and get some
common sense into the climate issue. And so I spent
a year trying to get that to happen. And after
the deer was up and nothing happened, I returned to
Princeton on terms with our friends at the White House.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
But did Trump say you.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
No, no, certainly not. Yeah. He was a good friend
and very strong supporter. It was his his political advisors
who urged him not to touch this climate issue. They
thought it would cost him votes.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Who was the best Republican president out of George Bush
Senior or Trump?
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Well, they both had their strengths, you know. George Bush
Senior was much more a traditional Republican, you know, from
a wealthy family and sort of a country club Republican,
I guess you would call him, And mister Trump is
certainly not in that mold. He's also I think a
(25:49):
good president. Good presidents, you know, try to change things
and make things better, and Trump is trying to do that.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Now, the ground swell PI tells me that you're here
for a serious conversation around climate change policy. And I
know that you're a physics professor, but are you qualified
to speak about climate change? Are you a climate change denier?
Or conversely, does climate change actually exist?
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Well, I guess I deny that there is any climate emergency.
You know, that's certainly an absurd idea if you look
at the facts. As a physicist, you know, I'm probably
most famous for inventing the sodium guide star, which is
(26:41):
used at all astronomical sites on the ground today practically
to improve the scene of stars and galaxies. And that's
why I wasted invited to Washington the first time to
work for mister Bush was because I had solved an
important problem for the Star Wars effort under Reagan, so
(27:04):
they knew I knew how to solve technical problems but
that background on the atmosphere, and that's the key part
of climate. You know, most climate scientists know a lot
less than I do about how the atmosphere works.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Doctor or professor will happen with U see on a
speaking tour of New Zealand. Is the planet warming? Surely
you can't deny that.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
No, of course, I don't deny that the planet began
to warm around the year eighteen hundred, long before there
was any increase in carbon dioxide. Nobody's quite sure why.
But the previous several centuries was the Little Ice Age,
when the planet was unusually cold. And then you go
(27:47):
back a few additional centuries you come to the year
oney eleven hundred, when it was much warmer than today.
They were farming the south of Greenland. You can dig
up the old Norse farms today and find that we're
growing barley and other crops that you can't ripen there today.
The climate isn't warm.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
It out Methine emissions from ruminants the problem, because that's
where I have a bit of an argument against this,
isn't that part of the carbon cycle.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
Well, methane is absolutely essential to ruminants if they're going
to efficiently digest their food. They can't get maximum value
out of the forage that they eat without emitting methane
and carbon dioxide, and methane is indeed a greenhouse gas
(28:38):
like carbon dioxide or water vapor, which is by far
the most important. But the effects of methane are trivially small.
You know, if New Zealand, for example, reduces methane emissions
by fourteen percent, that will come at in an enormous
cost to the people of New Zealand, especially the farmers
(29:00):
will pick up the burden, and it will save a
temperature rise of point oh oh one centigrade one hundred
micro centigrade. You know, you can't measure that. It's too
small to measure, so it's all pain, no gain for
(29:23):
the environment. It's complete madness.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Are we all wasting at time? Enlist the likes of
you might Trump and the US and India and China
and Russia play ball on reducing emissions.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
Yes, of course you're wasting your time, you know, but
in the process many people are being enriched, you know,
with no benefit to the environment. Just look, you know,
the old advice follow the money is a good idea,
you know, look around to see who's benefiting from this.
Who you know, who is selling you know when turbines,
(29:58):
who's selling solar panels, you know who is selling bulluses
for cattle. Lots of people are very happy with this.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Professor will happen with us from Princeton University. Carbon credits
the Emperor's new clothes.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
Well, carbon credits is part of the scam. There is
no there is no emergency, there's no need for carbon credits.
If you look at the effects of carbon dioxide, the
only clear effect you can measure over the past fifty
years is everywhere on Earth it is greener than it
used to be. So carbon dioxide has very little effect
(30:36):
on the climate or on the weather, but it has
a big positive effect on growing things, on plants, because
we've been in a carbon dioxide famine for you know,
several million years now, and plants are breathing a sigh
of relief. Finally we're getting enough carbon dioxide, speaking as
(30:56):
a plant, you know, to grow better.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
When it comes to global warming and the inevitable things
like sea rise, and I don't think you can argue
against that. Are we better to mitigate or are we
better to adapt?
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Well, I think you have to adapt because nothing we
do about greenhouse gases will affect sea level rise. Sea
level rise began around eighteen hundred when the Earth began
to pull out of the last ice, the Little Ice Age,
and it had nothing to do with emissions of carbon
dioxide or methane. And it's going to continue no matter
(31:34):
what we do about those greenhouse gas.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
But surely, man, burning fossil fuels is the main problem,
and there's no argument that we're doing a hell of
a lot more of that now than we did, for instance,
in eighteen hundred.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
I don't see that burning fossil fuels is any problem
at all. It has made lifespans double and triple. It's
made people live today like kings used to live two
or three centuries ago. It's done no harm for the environment.
It's made the environment better. So I don't see any
problem with burning fossil fuels as long as we can
(32:09):
afford to extract them and use them.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
You realize some people listening to this, Professor Willhappa, will
call you a climate change denier out and out.
Speaker 5 (32:19):
Well, I don't know what they're talking about, because I
certainly don't deny that climate changes. What they're saying is
that I am interfering with their religious preaching about repentance
and for imaginary sins that don't even exist.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Professor will Happa, thanks for some of your time. I
know you've got speaking engagements over the next few days
in New Zealand. Safe travels home to the States, and
we'll watch with interest what happens to you mate Donald
Trump and brokering peace around the world, and perhaps of
more interest to us, what he does on trade tariffs
over the next year or so. Thank you very much
(32:58):
for your time.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
Thank you, Jamie, it was a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Campbell Parker is the chief executive at darien Z. We're
wrapping the air chatting to the industry. Good body, Campbell.
You've just released hot off the press, your latest econ tracker,
and this gives you a number of how much costs
to do business now. The cost the kilogram of milk
solids was eight dollars sixty six. But surely, Campbell, with
(33:29):
interest rates dropping and that is the biggest on farm cost,
that number must have come down.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Yeah, it has, Jamie.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Today we've announced that it's actually come back to eight
dollars fifty, so a drop around sixteen cents and as
you say, biggest cost reflection in there. Well, there's still
some upward pressure on input prices fertilizer etc. Interest costs
have come down significantly, so you know, when you look
at a brake even book price of eight dollars fifty
and a you know midpoint at nine dollars fifty and
(33:59):
reconfirmed by Fonterra last week, things are still in a
reasonably good space for our sector.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Is a dollar a kilogram or perk kelogram of milk
solids enough to make a meaningful profit?
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (34:10):
I think.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Look, the key thing I would say is, you know
there's always a range in terms of those costs, and
you know the most important thing for farmers that is
keep a tight control on costs, particularly when you you know,
when you see increased milk price, it's often easy for
the cost piece to get away and good farmers are
that passed to someone in Canterbury two weeks ago. You know,
(34:32):
people running at a very lean cost structure and producing
very good profit. So it's still achievable, but need to
need to keep tight control on costs.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Milk production has surged this year, or up three point
four percent on last season it'll be interesting to see
what a potentially dry season could mean for that production number.
But we're through the peak of the curve, so a
lot of that production for this season has already been banked.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Yeah, look, three point four percent up.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You know, nationally South Island is leaving the charts. They
are up five point seven percent. So that's to the
end of October, so we'll get the December the November
stats in December shortly. But yes, continuing to drive. I
think it reflects where milk price has been. We've also
seen a twenty percent lift in the likes of palm
kernel over the last twelve months, so you know, people
(35:22):
are taking that marginal milk and driving more production and
profit in these current times.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Just a couple to tick off before we bid you
farewell for twenty twenty five. Couple of wins when it
comes on the biosecurity and research fronts. I want to
start with biosecurity. We're absolutely in the home straight against
m bovus, and I know we didn't get it right
all of the time, right at the beginning, but my goodness,
MPI has done a good job there.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
I think collectively, the industry and MPI have and the
coordination around that. I actually sit on the Mbovus Governance Council,
which we've kind of transitioned now to the National Test
Management Plan, and you know, we will be the first
country to self declare eradication of BOBUS. But we've got
to keep the foot on the throat around that, keep
working through. You know, that could be earlier than the
(36:12):
twenty twenty eight target based on the tracking and the reporting,
but we keep a very close eyron on that. And
then the other one that I think has been a
highlight this year has been the Foot and Mouth Disease
Operational Agreement and the seven parties including MPI and the
livestock sectors coming to an agreement around that. That was
announced at Field Days this year on the chair of
(36:33):
the inaugural FMD Council, and we actually had a council
meeting yesterday. So we're making good progress around some of
the readiness activities, but we've got to keep working hard
on that.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, and a quick final word on research. I'm running
short on time here. I'm going to run myself out
of time before the end of the air campbell, but
away you go.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
Yeah, look, there's a lot of good work going on
in the research space, particularly in their missions for pasture
work around methane levels and some direct science around that. Also,
you know we announce Resilient Pastures, the programmer work that's
going to happen in Northland. There's other things happening around
dairy beef opportunities as well, so lots happening in the
research space and turning those into tangible tools that farmers
(37:12):
can adopt on farm.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Gampbell Parker, chief Executive of dairy en Zed, to you
and all the team. Have a merry Christmas and hopefully
a prosperous new farming here.
Speaker 6 (37:21):
See you next year.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
Thanks Jomie and now all the best to you. Hopefully
you get a few round of golf and over the
Christmas period.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Campbell park are from dairy en Zed. The Windys are
raighty eight for two at the Basin Reserve. The winner
of yesterday's Silver Fern Farms Meet voucher and Barbecue Kits
Mavis Wilkins and Ash Burton, David McKay and Masterton up
next your chance to win one thousand dollars Bunning's gift
card Welcome back to the Country. The countdown too. Christmas
(37:52):
continues today. It's the turn of the CBS co Op.
They give rural operators the same buying strength usually reserve
for big agric cultural and construction groups. Farmers grow as
rural contractors can access discounts of five to fifty percent
across more than thirty national supplies, helping cut supply costs,
unlock rebates, and stay competitive on and off the farm.
(38:15):
If you would like to win the thousand dollars, yes,
thousand dollar Bunnings gift card from CBS co Op, all
you need to do is text win. Sorry I didn't
let you enter earlier, but I didn't want you to
clog up the text machine. Text win and your name
and address to five double nine. Thank you so much,
CBS co Op. That is our countdown to Christmas tomorrow.
(38:39):
We will catch you tomorrow. Take care till then.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deare construction equipment
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com