The Country Full Show: Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Jamie Mackay talks to Christopher Luxon, Mark Gunton, Jane Smith, and Claire Taylor.

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Episode Transcript

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 (00:32):
Get a New Zealand Welcome to the Country, brought to
you by Brandt boy Band. Wednesday, boys Own. I think
there's a good doco on Netflix about boys Own. Anyhow,
when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and
our first guest is having a bit of a tough
time of it at the moment, our Prime Minister Christopher

(00:52):
Lux I'm going to kick off the show with him.
Yesterday we were talking about this group of five high profile, profile,
high powered farmers who want to try and recapitalize the
Alliance group themselves. We are going to chat to one
of them, Mark Gunton, ironically the only one of the

(01:12):
five I don't know, and he owns Argyll Station down
in northern Southland, but he was also the developer of
Auckland's Westgate shopping center. He's a man who wears many hats.
Will get his take on that one. Jane Smith, regular
here on the Country, I should be sending her a
bill has just been elected to the Ravens down Board.

(01:34):
We'll get her thoughts on that, and also her thoughts
on the scientist Susan Harris who was on the show yesterday,
and our favorite Scottish Ossie Nuffield scholar Claire Taylor will
join us from Orange in New South Wales. It's all
on the country, very much as Wednesdays on the Country.

(02:17):
The fifteenth most effective Cabinet Minister in the Land kicks
off the show. He's also known as Prime Minister Christopher Luxeen.
Were you disappointed in how the boardroom rated you, Pm?

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Look, I think you know, you've got to acknowledge it's
been a pretty tough time and I think as you
look across any group of people and across society, there'll
always be some people who support the approach numbers that don't.
And yeah, something very much on board of what we're doing.
We've also been very much about pro competition and a
lot of sectors of the economy as well. But you know,
the one part of society we take feedback from every corner. Yep,

(02:49):
We've got to make sure that we continue to listen
and work with them as we create the conditions for growth.
It's those businesses that then create that growth. So you know,
look I appreciate its difficult time, but you know to
keep charging ahead and actually get the country turned around
the sort of now.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
I read an interesting piece on our n Z this morning,
Read Radio doing some good work here on how the
New Zealand economy is tracking after last week's gloomy GDP
figures crystalph luxon I don't know whether you've seen this,
but it ranked all the financial indices since you've taken
office and whether they've gone up or down, and let
me just run through these. Unemployment is a negative for you.

(03:25):
Inflations are positive, Retail volumes is a negative GDP negative,
manufacturing activities a big negative, construction a big negative. Interest
rates are positive for your current account deficit are positive.
Government deficit and negative. Exchange rate are positive, although that
isn't really necessarily in your control. Commodity prices obviously are positive.

(03:48):
Terms of trade off the back of those commodity prices
are positive as well, because when you took office in
late twenty twenty three, I bet you a dime to
a dollar that you ever thought it would be this tough.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
No I did. I mean I'd been talking about an
opposition when you lose control of inflation that has massive
consequences in economic history. You just go to go around
the world look at it, look at New Zealand's own history,
and that was the first time in thirty five years
we had a government actually you know, teenagers that were
basically running the joint of babysitters and they really lost
formation economically and as a result, when you don't manage inflation,

(04:24):
it has huge implications as you see, on interest rates,
on growth, and on employment. And that's why I always
keep saying, if you care about low and middleworking class
New Zealanders, you've actually got to manage the economy incredibly well.
So you know, the most important thing is to get
inflation gripped up and under the three percent band, which
we've done. As a result, that's bringing the inflation interest
rates down. That's what sparks growth. You've seen in the

(04:45):
back half of last year and early this year. Yes,
Q two was difficult because we had a real break
supplied with confidence and sentiment around the Trump tariffs, but
we're now growing again. Well, we're going to be growing
even stronger as we go into Christmas in that last
quarter and we've got ProDigi two more intest rate cuts
coming and more people getting their mortgages refixed. We've got

(05:06):
a lot of infrastructure investment coming, We've got tourism coming back.
You've had record years in primary industry. So you go
look at farmer confidence that's at all time high since
twenty seventeen.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
There's not many farmers who vote.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
Though business confidence.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
I'm just kidding, Yeah, I get those positives.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
From your list of metrics. To be honest, all right,
not all those metrics are equal.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Right, you know, I totally get that right. There's one
hundred and fifty chief executives took part in this boardroom
survey and they rated the top thirty three politicians. Well,
that's as far as my list goes, dominated not unsurprisingly
by a cent by the center right politicians. Interestingly, when
it comes to labor, Barbara Edmonds, who's a bit of

(05:47):
a standout, it would be fair to say she's at ten,
Karen mcinnulty at nineteen, Chris Hipkins at thirty one. Everyone's
putting the knife into you at the moment. Is Hipkins
under threat?

Speaker 4 (06:00):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Look back to acretion for them. I'm just going to
stay very focused on what we're doing. You know, we've
got the right long term plan. We've got a two
speed recovery happening right now. I know that's been difficult
for Auckland and for some of those businesses that the
CEOs are leading and the directors are involved with, but
you know, we've got to keep pushing on and actually
get the recovery now flowing through to Auckland and to
Wellington and people feeling it. And that's the real focus.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
Why is Winston dancing on the head of a pin?
Basically when it comes to recognizing Palestine, we're going to
do it, or assume we're going to do it. Why
are the big song and dance.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, again, we've been as we've been very clear about it.
We've said we've got in a process. We want to
be transparent about that. The cabinet's considering a range of things.
It's a very complex issue and you know he's in
you in week this week and you know, listening to
other world leaders and engaging with other leaders and foreign ministers,
and you know we've going to announce our position, you know,
on the weekend, which will be you know, as it

(06:54):
should be. But it's a you know, he's been leading
us through that process in a very considered way, very
cautious and comprehensive way to make sure that we get
to a decision that we think is the right decision.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
Hey, he's the second highest ranked cabinet minister, Erica Stanford,
who is a standout and on the face of it,
doing a very good job trying to reshape education. She's
a future National Party leader. You'll be hoping it's just
not too near in the future.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Oh look, Jamie, we've got a team.

Speaker 5 (07:24):
I just say to you.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
Look, you know, I'm proud of it. As the Prime Minister,
my job is to make sure I put the team together.
I make sure I've got the right people on the
right assignments with the right level of clarity and expectation
about what we expect them to deliver. And I'm actually
proud of what we've done, Proud of what we've done
and rebuilding a National Party which was pretty hopeless a
few years ago to where we are today. I'm also
very proud of the fact that we've made a coalition

(07:46):
work and given strong and stable government to New Zealand
at a very difficult account. Oh I am, I think
I'm pretty pleased about that.

Speaker 4 (07:52):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
And I'm pleased that Todd McLay, your Minister of Agriculture
and Trade, is sitting at four on the list because
he has done a good job.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
He's done a great job, as I keep saying, and
he's working incredibly hard as an a brilliant, brilliant job
and continues to do so. And again, Yeah, there's a
good example. You put the right person on the right
assignment to get on with it with a clear brief.
He and I work well together, you know. Em awhere
we go and make sure that we're doing the doesn't
swing Zealand and I think that'll be one of the
you know, we're on track to doubling our exports. If

(08:20):
you look at the progress of exports around the world
from New Zealand, we're in good shape. So you know
we've got to keep that going.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
And all we need to lift the mood of the
nation is an all Black victory at Eden Park. I'm
sure you'll be there. Enjoy your weekend. We'll catch you
back next week.

Speaker 3 (08:35):
Take care, Jamie, see ya bye.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
Sixteen after twelve you're with the country. Thank you, Prime Minister.
Up next, yesterday we heard from the Alliance Group chair
Mark Win, who said a group of farmers who wanted
to recapitalize the embattled meat processor one hundred percent farmer
owned cooperative largest sheep processor I think in the world.
The Alliance Group, they were abiding false hope to the

(09:02):
other farmer shareholders who have to vote for this on
October the twentieth. Up next farmer, an Auckland property developer.
He developed the Westgate shopping center, Mark Gunton. Before the
end of the hour, Jane Smith elected to the Ravenstown
Board and were heading to Orange in New South Wales
near Bathurst to catch up with Claire Taylor. So on

(09:41):
yesterday's show we heard that the Alliance Group chairman Mark
Wynn had all but shut down a letter penned by
a group of farmers, high profile farmers too, I might add,
wanting to recapitalize the embattled processor one hundred percent farmer
own cooperatives. He said they were providing false hope to
other shareholders as they a big vote happens on October

(10:02):
the twentieth. Let's talk to one of the five people
involved in that, Mark Gunton. Mark, I know the other
four farmers. You I haven't met. You're an Auckland property developer,
what are you doing chewing the air of the Alliance
group if you don't mind me asking.

Speaker 4 (10:17):
I'm an ex Lincoln Boy social engine needed to want
to be a farmer. Don't come from a money background, Jamie.
And as a consequence, I've had to have a day
job to warn up money to buy a farm so
I can watch it gets all over time. But I'm
have been farming for the last twenty three years in
the Waikai Valley over the road from Dave Pinkley Glen

(10:38):
area and have James Anderson and Await Terry station on
my back boundary.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
And the other two are Andrew Morrison, former chair or
president of Beef and Lamb New Zealand, and Mike Wilkins,
who owns or as part of a large farming conglomerate
in the in the Deep South. So there's five of you,
your large scale operators. You're all well heeled. Is this
rich boys throwing the toys?

Speaker 4 (11:03):
No, not at all, Jamie. This is you know, people
reflecting on eighty years of farmer ownership and recognizing that
the sector that we're involved with has from time to
time gone through these ructions before I mean more laterly
for Alliance and the I think the nineties Wint Paul
was charged with rescuing the business. You know, there's been

(11:27):
a right sizing need in the industry since the peak
sheep of nineteen eighty two, and it's starting to happen.
In all credit to the Alliance board in terms of
what they've achieved so far. It just seems a pity
that on the back of the steps they put in
place with you know, the Smithfield sale with or closed

(11:47):
down will stay. Assume we'll add twenty million dollars a
year debadar the eighty five million dollars they've spent on
their computer system that are now in a position where
we've got to sell a business recover those costs.

Speaker 2 (12:01):
Why would a smart man like you, a property developer
you developed Auckland's Westgate shopping center, want to invest in
a meat company because it's a tough business. Mark Gunton,
that's losing tens of millions. Even one hundred million dollars
a year would be a bit of a bad bet,
wouldn't it.

Speaker 4 (12:18):
The information we've been provided in respect of the notice
immedian scheme book work suggests in the Northington report that
the company in fact will will turn a profit this
year to the sum of circa eighty six million dollars
in terms of EBADA, of which I think forty two

(12:39):
million is contributed from associates. But they've done remarkably well
to turn that around, and we just feel that there
is still opportunity to improve further on that performance. And
it would be a shamed given the metrics of the
deal that are being undertaken, to see it disappear from
our ownership. In terms of my person won Triss Jamie,

(13:01):
it's simply I've got son, a son that's picked up
Argyle Stasia. He wants his future in that sector of
the industry, and I think it's essential that we have
a Fonterra style cooperative within the red meat sector just
to keep everybody honest.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
For one of a phrase, my understanding is that the
Alliance Group has to repay two hundred million dollars of
its working capital facility almost immediately or it's going to
be closed down by Christmas.

Speaker 4 (13:31):
Well, everybody's got this understanding, but is that actually the
commercial reality right? Everybody's walking around goodly saying there's an
understanding this has to be repaid by I think the
extended dating is now in December the twenty fifth. According
to Mark one, we are looking to the farming community,
to the existing owners, the existing shields, those who actually

(13:51):
own the business rather than represent theator, to have an
opportunity to actually recapitalize the business. Now, the came to
us on PDS format eighty months ago, and you will appreciate, Jamie,
the market for red meat was pretty subdued at that
point in time. Certainly there's been a turnaround in the
fortunes of the farming community. How long that might go onfore,

(14:14):
we're not sure, but we certainly hope that will last
several years. But we don't think now as a group collective,
we don't think the right move now is to sell
the family silver.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
When we look at the average Alliance shareholder, I think
their average investment is something like fifty thousand dollars. They're
going to have to front up with another fifty thousand dollars.
As you pointed out, you tried to capital raise last year,
didn't work. Prices have improved a lot. Are you reading
the room here? Is there an appetite from shareholders or
is it just you large shareholders?

Speaker 4 (14:46):
Well, this is exactly what we're trying to explore. Right,
and in Ordington Report Jamie, they suggest that there's no appetite.
It'd be really interesting to know who they more laterly
canvassed on that opinion. But interesting in Jamie, you look
at prinstances the tie to a group of farmers, right,
they have a significant investment outside the farm gate. That's
the tie to Gary Coup and Wakata Fonterra Shielders have

(15:10):
a reasonably significant investment outside the farm gate in terms
of their shares. Right in our particular situation, Traga Station,
I think we've hold two hundred and eighty three thousand
shares and alliance which represents about zero point zero zero
four percent of our enterprise value. So you know, to

(15:31):
put some more money into the kitty to maintain what
hasn't necessarily been the best performing business and usual in
terms of the Redmen syctem, but has actually sustained four
and a half thousand kiwis are there or thereabouts the
last eighty years in terms of employment. Is no bad
thing to have to do.

Speaker 2 (15:50):
I would have thought, are you leaving your run a
bit late? Because the farmer vote, the farmer's shareholder votes
happening on October the twentieth. How can you pull a
deal together between now and then and convince the farmer
shareholders to vote in your favor.

Speaker 4 (16:03):
Arguably we are leaving it late, Jamie, but better late
than never, right. I think it's a valid, valid commentary
from you. But our point would be that we have
been waiting on and trying to get information from the
company for some time. I mean, when they went through
this process to source capital, they prepared an im right
information memory, and we have as sharholders, have not been

(16:24):
privy to any of that information. Now more laterly Marked
when has come out in terms of the correspondents that
we've put to the newspapers, we're living in fantasy land
or some such. Rather than paying that. We would love
to see the information that he provided in the im
What was his five year outrun in terms of performance
of the company?

Speaker 2 (16:44):
Can I just quote Mark one back to you? He says.
If the vote fails on October the twentieth, Dawn Meets
could end up purchasing of the Alliance Group in an
insolvency process. That's he says, the most probable outcome. That's
the Alliance Group's shot sold should I say at a
firesale price. That would be a disservice to the shareholders.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
Not to put too fine a point on it. The
big word that sentence is good. Right. The reality, Jamie,
is that we've we've already done effectively three hundred million
dollars worth of equity since twenty twenty two on a
farmer's side of the Leiger right. If you go back
to the twenty twenty two accounts, farmer's equity in the
business unrealizable, I believe. But the equity stated in the

(17:29):
accounts was four hundred and forty seven million dollars as
a September thirty last year was two hundred and eighty
three million or two hundred eighty eight million. Rather, on
the back of this deal, it'll be down to one
hundred and thirty five million. We'll have thirty five percent
shares of a company over which we have no effect
of control. But basically the farmer's abrogating all their rights.
We have no right to redeem our shares. We have

(17:51):
no right, no rights whatsoever. In terms of the Culperative
Companies Act ninety ninety six, they've all been it's a
born right. So you would argue that one hundred and
thirty five million of equality that we've got left, they're
picking it up for free. They don't have to rely
on us for anything. Arguably right. The controls are so limited,

(18:13):
so we've already done out though right.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
It is a very interesting debate. Both sides of it
will eagerly await the outcome. Of course, that big vote
coming up on October twenty. Hey, Mark Gunton, thank you
very much for your time today on the country.

Speaker 4 (18:27):
Thank you, Jamie. Take care.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
It is twenty nine after twelve. What do you think
Our text line is five double oh nine, Especially if
you're an Alliance Group shareholder. Are you going to have
to make your mind up between now and October the twentieth?
Mind you this Ginger Group if you want to call them,
that have got a pull a deal together and a
proposal together before then? As I said to Mark Gunton,

(18:51):
are you running out of rope? Has some feedback coming
in Jamie blue Sky that's so Southland based smaller meat
company got tourn around and is now profitable against his bill.
Another text has said, are they worried? This is the
for five high profile large shareholders. Are they worried about
their sweetheart large supplier deals disappearing. Well that's a bit

(19:14):
tough anyhow, we will send us your feedback through up
next we are going to have rural news Michelle and
sports news. I might have Greg Cornelson on the show tomorrow.
He once stayed at my place. Those of you with
good memory will remember Greg Cornelson scored four tries against
the All Blacks at Eden Park in nineteen seventy eight.

(19:38):
We'll have sports news before the end of the hour.
Jane Smith newly elected to the Ravenstown Bard and we're
heading to Orange, New South Wales to catch up with
Clear Taylor. Explain where aren't you a boy band? A Wednesday? Hey,

(20:00):
they did some reasonable covers Ronan Keating and boys Own.
This is eld Cat Stevens classic father and son. Michelle's
in here. We're going to do rural news very shortly,
but before we do that, we want to tell you
what one of our one of our other off siders
has been up to, my old mate, Hamish MacKaye. So
here you go. No matter how many years you've been
on the land, there are always new tools and skills

(20:23):
you can learn to help you work smarter, not harder,
and you can improve results on your farm when it
comes to stock management. Episode two of our podcast series
brought to you by Beef and Lamb New Zealand, looks
into body condition scoring. It's an art in itself, a
simple management tool that can help get the most out
of stock performance and ultimately improve your bottom line. And

(20:46):
that's what it's all about. Hamish Mackay, my offsider Will
has joined an episode two by farmers Bevan Prophet. It's
a good name for a farmer who's trying to make
a buck, isn't it and Steve Nickel to explain what
body condition scoring is and how to implement it as
part of an action plan. After all, you can't manage
what you can't measure. A find Episode two Body Condition

(21:10):
Scoring brought to you by Beef and Lamb, New Zealand
on the Country's Podcasts or on the Country's podcast You
can find us on iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.
I'd recommend iHeart. Here's Michelle with the latest and rural news, What.

Speaker 1 (21:26):
The Country's world News with Cob Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower Brand visit steel Ford dot cot
on ZIM for your local Stogust.

Speaker 6 (21:35):
And New Zealand's milk production has set a new record
for August milk collections across the country. We're up two
point five percent. You're on year last month, with farmers
producing nearly one hundred and twenty seven million kilos of
milk solids and August alone. The data from day Company's
Association showed it's the fourth consecutive monthly record and put
the season twenty five to twenty six to date four

(21:58):
point two percent ahead of last The lift has been
driven by a poyant milk price, affordable feed and stronger
than average pasture grows. Some good news there, well.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
It is good news, but my little man who's sitting
in a high office a high rise in Beijing or
Shanghai will be looking at that and thinking more production.
Do I need to pay as much for the milk.
It'll be interesting to see what effect, if any, it
does have on the next a GDT auction.

Speaker 1 (22:23):
Here's sport sport with the ath go Kiwi to the
bone since nineteen oh four.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
The launch of the world's first portable brain scanner is
set to revolutionize concussion diagnoses for rugby players. Now approved
for use in New Zealand after seven years of development.
The device can detect head injuries in just two minutes
and will be rolled out in early twenty twenty six.
And sticking with the footy theme ahead of the big

(22:50):
game this weekend, all Blacks prop to Mighty Williams believes
he's getting back to his best after two months out
with a torn moniscus in his knee and reckons the
recovery was a real test of his character. In the
Australian camp key outside back Andrew Callaway and he ain't
bad either. Has been ruled out of Saturday's Bledislow Test

(23:11):
Bledisload Cup test in Auckland with a calf strain. Can't wait.
It's going to be a cracker of a game. And
as I said, thanks to Shane mcmanaway who's over in
Australia at the moment. Hopefully Greg Cornelson either tomorrow or Friday.
He actually has a good farming background as well. Up next,
Jane Smith. What you believe? She's taking time off the

(23:38):
lambing beat on a North Otago farm to talk to us.
Her name is Jane Smith. She is a former owner
of the Balance Farm Environment Awards and now a director
of the Ravens down Board. Jane, is this like the
first step in your relentless march to Wellington?

Speaker 3 (23:55):
Good afternoon, Jamie.

Speaker 7 (23:56):
I think not, Jamie. I think, as I've said before
or last about five minute, some politics, because I like
to get things done and I am am quite an
impatient person. So yeah, politics would not be for me, Jamie.
But look, I'm just a cooperative that I'm passionate about
and has you know that let's set there has some
real challenges and opportunities, particularly for both of our co ops,

(24:17):
and they're going to have to be slit and number
in order to move forward. So I'm open minded about
what the seat looks like, Jamie, and I'm just pleased
to I guess serve my sect to Jamie.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
You well, you're not only a farmer shareholder of Ravenstown,
used to work for them in your youth.

Speaker 7 (24:31):
Yes, I mean, I guess I've got some a degree
of institutional knowledge in terms of how the sector works, Jamie.
But yeah, again, so I know that's vastly different to governance.
But again I'm really passionate about. I guess the fight
that farmers had back in the nineteen seventies to develop
Raven Down and really want to go from strengths to strengths, Jamie,

(24:53):
so dealize the challenge.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
Well, that gives that is the beauty of the cooperative.
It gives farmers in a lot of ways ultimate control.
What do you make about the troubled cooperative down the road.
While it used to be based in Southland, HQ is
now in christ Church, the Alliance Group. We've spoken already
to Mark Gunton on the show, and I know you
haven't heard the interview, but are these five high profile
farmers peeing into a northern Southland northwester Well.

Speaker 7 (25:19):
It's just interesting, Jammie. I guess what's in and I
haven't followed it really closely, but what has been put
in front of shareholders is a bit of a Hobson's choice.
So they really have been painted into a corner and
I have no doubt that and it has been grossly undervalued.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
So good on.

Speaker 7 (25:34):
Those farmers are standing up. Hopefully it's not too late.
But again any discussion, especially in a cooperative is healthy
and so I hope that has aired and it's to
be good to hear head that interview with Mark, Jamie,
did you hear.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
The scientist Susan Harris on the show yesterday. I'd never
heard of her before, and then I read something online
and I thought or she'd be an interesting yarn. And
she's saying, we just need to take natural livestock emissions
out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and I'm thinking Jane
Smith will be jumping up and down on an North
Otago farm, going yes.

Speaker 7 (26:08):
Yeah, I did actually catch the end of that, Jamie,
and it was really interesting to hear what Susan had
to say in terms of just a I guess a
new voice into that discussion. And you know, I guess
even Susan would say, you don't require a doctorate or
degree that any rational New Zealander would see the fiscal
fast and chasing me sane. And then we're edging towards
a billion dollars a taxpayers money that you know, hunting

(26:31):
down solutions for something that that is ameasurable. And you've
got to remember, at worst, it'd be four millionths of
a degree over time that we would be potentially at
worse again even if you don't take in the seven
and a half million hectares of native bush and in
our fine country, four millionths of a degree, so that's
zero point zero zero zero zero zero four. So when

(26:53):
I went to school, that many zeros after a decimal
point rounds to zero Jamie. So you know, again, we've
been very cat to have a sentenceing by politics instead
of a trial by science and fact in regards to
the methane science are called. We're working with some you know,
and I've mentioned this previously, the Will Sustainable Livestop for
them to actually look at a proposal in terms of

(27:14):
amend in Paris. So we're hoping we'll have a couple
of announcements to make in the next month or sign
that Jamie.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
I thought one of her interesting comments was a better
investment for New Zealand would be to develop some diplomatic
bottle as she labeled it, and lead the sixty eight
nations involved into lobbying the IPCC to remove natural livestock
emissions from the Paris Climate Agreement. And I couldn't help
but agree with her on that one. Rather than sacrificing

(27:42):
ourselves on the altar of climate change, we can.

Speaker 7 (27:44):
Be the leaders, absolutely, Jamie. And we need to move
really quickly on this action before any more land is lost,
both here and globally and perpetuity to food producing land
lost forever and I guess wearing my global farm a
round table hat. I've continuously been asked by my peers
off shore to say, you know, New Zealand should be

(28:06):
leading this as a leading room in a free rate
pasteral based sector. We really need to leave the charge
on this, and so again we're not waiting around any longer. Again,
our sector has been very quick to look at the
symptoms of the Paris Accord, such as the food producing
land taxonomy, energy and fuel costs, wind farm sold of farms,

(28:28):
But strangely hecedent to call out that the Paris Accord
is not fit for purpose.

Speaker 3 (28:32):
But that's what we want to focus on.

Speaker 2 (28:33):
Jam Just to finish on, you've taken time out the chat.
You're going to grab a bite a lunch, then back
out to the landing beat. You've been pretty dry, and
also go how are you faring?

Speaker 7 (28:43):
Yeah, I know, it was very welcome yesterday, Jamie. Actually
we've had no rain to turn a half month, no
miserable rain and we got twenty mills yesterday, so it
was fantastic out tagging stud lambs. We've got to twenty
eight hundred lambs we need to tag, but at quality time,
clear and the rain, so for once we're both actually
smiling and no, it's very very welcome. So I think

(29:05):
it was reasonably isolated, though Jamie and I further up
the way Techy Valley didn't get it. So we do
need a bit of recharge in the headwaters. And there
is a dusting of snow in our hells this morning,
so that was actually welcome.

Speaker 3 (29:15):
That game.

Speaker 7 (29:16):
You want the season and the rightful place, Jamie, so
that's all we can ask for.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Jane Smith, thanks for your time, congratulations on being elected
onto the Ravens down board and another one of our
correspondents I should be sending you both an invoice Doctor
Jack Willin Roweth elected unopposed as the North Ireland director,
so well done you too.

Speaker 7 (29:37):
Thanks Jamie, and thanks again to NICKI and Rebecca that
also ran. So it's good to see again positive commitment
to the co ops.

Speaker 2 (29:45):
Indeed, thank you Jane. It is sixteen away from one
lots of feedback coming in about the Alliance Group. As
someone who's taking a pragmatic a view of that, perhaps
the potential sale to Irish company Dawn meets the Irish
won't be so they love a pint, good music, rugby
and are generally Catholic. I can't see a problem, writes
one text. On a more serious note, Mark Gunton spoke

(30:09):
very well. I thought he did too. Obviously they've put
him up because he's reasonably eloquent. The trouble we will
be convincing Southland's and it's not only Southland, but the
Alliance Group started down there. Southland's average sized farmers to
return to their Alliance Group after being robbed for years
would have to have a full refresh of the present

(30:30):
board who have let us down. Another one is the
big boys aren't liking the threat of their alliance sampit
becoming a level playing field for all burn. And here's
a good one on Greg Cornelson. Prof White. We all
remember profite from our Lincoln days, those of us who
are old enough. Prof White took our Lincoln under nineteen

(30:53):
team to watch that game on his Color TV to
watch Greg Cornelson score those four tricks and smoke the Avs.
Great memory. A quick question to ponder, Jamie. I know Landcorp.
Have been the largest supplier to the Alliance Group. Do
we know how large their shareholding is, says Brian. I

(31:14):
don't know, Brian, but I'll try and find out for you.
We're off to Orange in New South Wales next, Clear
Taylor what you Believe? Love You? She is our favorite
Scottish Ossy Scottish slash Ozzy Nuffield scholar. Her name is

(31:37):
Claire Taylor. Claire, it was lovely to catch up with
you in Christchurch recently at the Primary Industry Awards. Do
you get sick of travel and speaking and MCing, because
I know you do lots of it.

Speaker 5 (31:50):
I mean, I've been very lucky that I've been able
to travel to so many amazing parts of New Zealand
and Australia since moving out here. And it's a great week.
I guess different parts of agriculture and meet some amazing
people and inspiring speakers. But it's a lot of travel.
And when you live in Australia and you live in
a country town, you realize how much more travel it involves.
So spending a little bit time at home and the

(32:12):
farm is something I'm welcoming at the moment.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
Well, you're farming just outside of Orange, which is a
sort of central New South Wales. To give people an
odd Ea, it's just up the road away bit in
Ozzie terms, not in New Zealand terms. From Bethurst, your
husband or your partnershould I signed much hard a former
winner of the Zenda McDonald Awards. You've just taken on
a new farming operation. What's happening there?

Speaker 3 (32:35):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (32:35):
We have.

Speaker 5 (32:36):
The last two weeks we've just moved to, like you say,
outside Orange, a place called re's If Farm. We've been
so excited about this. It's about five hundred acres and
they're moving. Some of our our angus are actually arriving tomorrow.
We've got about one hundred and thirty thousand calfs arriving
on the place and we've just been getting settled in.
We're so lucky and it's it's the most it's the
most beautiful farmer right wedged in between a beautiful national

(32:59):
park called born Arcads. So in terms of the wildlife
on the farm, the undulating land, I am loving it
because parts of it feels about like home because they've
got all the beautiful green, helly landscapes. But then it's
got all the gorgeous native trees everywhere. And it's been
my first forry into Australian farming. So we're just loving it.

Speaker 2 (33:17):
Well, I'm glad you haven't lost your Scottish lilt. It's
so much nicer to listen to than on Nusie Twang.
You just keep your eggcent So your partner, Mitch, I
think you just dropped them off at the Orange airport.
I didn't even realize there was an airport at Orange.
And he's off with my mite, Shane mcmanoway, to longreach

(33:37):
for the induction of the Zenda McDonald Awards into the
what the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame or something like that.
I might not have got that totally correct, but that's
where he's going, isn't he It is.

Speaker 5 (33:48):
He's very excited. He's off for a few days. He's
got a Quantus, a small Quantus plane. I wish I
knew the name of it. I should know that since
he flies planes. So he's very excited. They're all up
there for a few days. Think Saturday night or Friday
night is a big dinner that you've got some You've
got some former finalists, winners, and they've also got the
two finalists from this year that are on their Australian trip.

(34:11):
Right now, so he's off to meet them, so he's
very excited. And Nancy Crashaw, who everyone will know very well,
I think she's joining them as well. So they've got
a wonderful few days celebrating what is a really amazing award.
And I'm very glad because obviously I met Mitch through
when I moved to Australia as well.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
Talk about the couple of businesses you've set up this year,
because you're never on home, I don't know how you
run them.

Speaker 4 (34:36):
Well.

Speaker 5 (34:36):
My Advocacy Consulting I set that up in February and that,
like you say, you asked me at the start Jamie
about all my MCing and everything. I've been so busy
traveling around the place doing a lot of my MCing,
speaking about my new field and that's been a real
focus of that part of my business and really sharing
learnings around that, and that is all about raising the
profile of farming in a really positive way and sharing

(34:57):
advice to individuals and how we can get more collective
than that. And that's been amazing and I'm actually taking
some time to reflect in some of that work just now.
And then in July we launched Unstoppable World. When I
say we, there's four founding members from around the world
and it's basically a Resilience in Leadership initiative that is

(35:18):
starting in Zimbabwe and South Africa and it's all about
taking people on immersive tours in really profound locations and
we've organized some phenomenal tours. The first one is going
to be in South Africa in February and that comes
a a bit off the back of my net field,
but really to organize something we can offer that isn't
part of a scholarship, but anyone can apply and take

(35:40):
part in these amazing kind of out of farm experiences,
but get them as well. As part of that, there's
all these different learning modules incorporated. So we're so excited.
So that's something I'm full hog one at the moment.

Speaker 2 (35:51):
Hell's the farming season treating you in Orange, New South Wales.

Speaker 5 (35:56):
We've been very lucky the last few weeks we got
there was a period there weighed about sixty mile of
rain in two days. So it's come at a really
good time because of temperatures lifting, so we've had this
sort of spring flash. The grasses really the pastures had
a massive boost and we've rested the farm for months
between the last tenants and us coming on and when
the cattle arrived tomorrow. We've got to be a bit

(36:17):
careful because we've had so much grass coming in, so
we've had to getting quite a bit of kind of
roffage to sort of help their guts moving in.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
So it's a bit of an.

Speaker 5 (36:24):
Operation to go from what had been drought earlier in
the year to now having a lot of rain and
having everything coming back to life and being very green.
But I've got to not take it. I've got to
take it a pinch of salt because I know it
can change very quickly here, but at the moment, it's
luscious and beautiful out there.

Speaker 2 (36:40):
Clay Tyler, always good to catch up with you on
the country. Keep up the great work. You are a
f FIVRTE officially Scottish Australian not field scholar. I can't
think of any other Scottish Australian field scholars are now,
so you're definitely the fiber. Thanks for you, Tar, Thanks Jamie,
thank you Claydon. You just love that exit. We're going
to take a break on the other side of it,

(37:01):
wrap it with some of the lot of feedback that's
coming around the Alliance groups right, Wrapping the Country with
some of your feedback. On tomorrow's show, By the way,
we'll have Miles Hurrell. It's Fonterra Annual results Day. We'll
find out how much you're going to get paid for

(37:23):
the season just finished and what the updated forecast is
for this season. Also hopefully Greg Cornelson, great bloke former
with a good, good agg background. Just a text here
from Ben Dooley. Are the YouTube farmer down in Southland?
As a small Alliance supplier two hundred and fifty hec
there's twenty four hundred US sixty beefies holding roughly fifty

(37:45):
thousand shares. How is the average shareholding only fifty thousand?
I'm sure the average sheep farming operation in New Zealand
is far bigger than two four hundred years and sixty
beef cattle. Does the issue lie in Low's shareholding by
too many supplies? Cheers been Dolly, good thoughts. Okay, that's
us done and Dustin thanks for your contribution today. Will

(38:07):
catch you back tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
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