November 12, 2025 • 15 mins
The city is back mingling with the country at New Zealand's Royal A&P Show in Canterbury.
Thousands are set to descend on the Agricultural Park over the next three days.
This year’s event has re-gained its royal status for the first time since 2010.
Canterbury A&P Association chair Sir David Carter told John MacDonald that the Royal Agricultural Society approached them after they saw them put on last year’s show, and asked if they were prepared to run under the Royal Show status.
They agreed, he says, because it gives prestige to the show, and means livestock people are prepared to enter more animals and travel further to attend.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk z'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Why from the Royal Amp Show and so David Carter
will start again. Good morning, Good morning John. Tell you
what we'll blame. We'll blame the rain. Now, well we'll
go back to a bit of the history how we
got to the Royal Amp Show being what it is
today and how brilliant it is today. But first of all,
how are you feeling about the weather.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I'm delighted to have a wet day. As a North
Canterbury and Banks Peninsula farmer, every rain we get at
this time of years a real bonus. It's, of course,
really farmer's day, being the first day of the show.
So the cattle judging goes on, the sheep judging goes on.
The farmers actually have a good excuse to come off
the farm and come into the show today. What we
want is perfect weather tomorrow and Saturday, and the forecast
(00:52):
looks pretty good.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Look all right, in fact complaining they'd call me a warse,
wouldn't We wouldn't they? Because I mean you working all
sorts of weather on the lands, no problem.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
List We drives bones, big Parker jackets good hats on
the weather. It doesn't worry the farmer. But what we
want is the town people to be here and they've
got two opportunities Tomorrow being a public holiday here in Canterbury,
and of course Saturday, that's when we want the real
fine weather.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Let's go back to last year because I remember there
was that announcement that was back I think was April
last year, and I remember it because it was about
fifteen minutes before we were about to go on here
and we thought, Lord, there's not going to be an
AMP show. What happened then?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Well, we don't want to go back in the past
too much. But I got involved at about that time.
The show week for Canterbury is iconic right throughout New Zealand.
I know people who have come from Australia to come
to show week with the races and the show. You
can't have show week unless you have the show. So
I got involved in got a good team around us.
We said to the then board we'll have a guard running
(01:51):
the show. We actually took over in the early August.
We had ninety three days to put on a show.
Last year we successfully ran it a little bit reduced
on what we would have liked, but at least we
ran a show in twenty twenty four. We turned our
mind immediately to Show twenty and the successes out there
today with more exhibits, both livestock trade, et cetera, and
(02:13):
a crowd building even though the weather's.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Against us, yep exactly. So then you get to the
point where it's today and it's the Royal Show. What
happened between last year and this year for it to
become the Royal Show?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
The Royal Show status is controlled by the Royal Agricultural Society,
so they watched us put on a show in a
very short time last year. They came and had a look.
They then approached us and said would we be prepared
to run under the Royal Show status for Show twenty five.
We said yes for a couple of reasons. It gives
prestige to the show. It also means livestock people are
(02:47):
prepared to enter more animals and travel further because the
prestige of showing at a Royal Show and winning a
Royal ribbon really adds to their credibility their own breeding systems.
So it's been a successful round. It's good for the
Royal Agricultural Society, and from my point of view it's
good for Canterbury Amps Association.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Right, so as a town you have no idea what
really what that means? What pressures does that put on
you guys? To deliver a royal show as opposed to
any other show.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
There's more classes involved, so we've got to work in
collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society. They become almost partners
with us in putting up the livestock classes to which
people can then look at and decide whether they want
to enter. We've got to bide by their strict rules.
It gives a prestige, but it also brings a complication.
But provided you have a constructive relationship between the Canterbury
(03:40):
Amp Association and the Royal Agricultural Society, it's easy to manage.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Right. Can you remember the first time you came to
the show?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Probably when I was embarking on my Lincoln College in
those days science degree, so probably in the nineteen seventies,
very early yep.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
What I want. So you're saying you'd be like a teenager.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I'd have been late teens when I first came to
the show and have been coming since then. At one
stage I was a Semitel cattle breeder, so we used
to show livestock here. We came every year and showed
our Cemital cattle. So I've seen it from all aspects.
I've seen it from standing in the bar as a
teenager with a few of my mates who now wouldn't
want to remember those days. I've seen it as a
(04:23):
livestock exhibitor, and now I see it as chair of
the association.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I'm quite surprised that you it wasn't until he was
seventeen that you came to the show.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, I might have come earlier, but it would have
been with my mum and dadd You come all the
way back and you can't remember then, Well, I think
we probably did come, But of course it was a
different showgrounds. It was an Eddington in those days. It
wasn't out here. But I was certainly involved as they
worked their way and sold out of Eddington's site and
came onto the new Kennbury amp showgrounds.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Do you know what struck me arriving here this morning.
There's a truckload of land here.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
There's a huge amount of land now controlled by the
Christian City Council, so they're a close partner with us.
And some people complain about the relationships with the Christian
City Council. We've had an extremely good working relationship with
the Christian City Council to help us resurrect the show
and get it to where it is today.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Can you explain how that works? So was that a
buyout of land or what was it?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
It was a buyout of land and a debt that
became unsustainable. We also then had one hundred year lease
on a parcel of land which the City Council desperately needed.
Over negotiations, it was agreed that they'd buy that lease
out for five million dollars. A million of that was
owed back to the City Council, so the loan was
(05:38):
paid back. It left four million dollars which has gone
into a trust and the show can access the income
from that trust, but cannot access the capital, so it
becomes a true rainy day fund for the survival of
the Canterbury Amp into the future. It's been a good
deal both of the Christian City Council because they got
(06:00):
the land they needed. It's a good deal and it's
given financial stability to Canterbury Amp.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Association Settle reason that today's Farmers Day. What do farmers
get out of the show?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, farmers come for a couple of reasons. Hey, they
want to see the latest equipment. They want to see
the animals, see what progress people are making and breeding,
hare effort balls, some hotail bills, charwer at balls whatever.
They want to see the sheep that are available, the
stud breeders show their seep. They also want to socialize,
you know, they want to get off the farm where
they're working on their own most of the time. Many
of them will come to the show. They're walk into
(06:32):
mates who they probably haven't seen since they walked into
the same person at the Cannabary Amp show a year ago.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yeah, so's it's as much for them as it is
for the wider community.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Well, I'd say it's about bringing town and country together.
You know, Canterbury is an agricultural province. Christ Church needs
agriculture to survive.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Well we know that because people say all Canterburies bucking
the tree for the economy. But as we know why
that is, don't we have?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
It's because dairyes doing extremely well. It's had its straps
in every possible way. You've got the red meat sector
doing very well, but of a struggle for the air
rible guys they are still We've got to remember that
it's not all bearing skills for the arable guys. But
the main agricultural industries are doing pretty well after a
tough period. That brings real money into christ Church City
(07:21):
and it's one of the reasons christ Just City's booming
as opposed to both Auckland and Wellington.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So what happens to christ Church when the dairy isn't booming?
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It will suttter if dairy goes through that stage. I
actually have a lot of confidence in dairy. I think
Frontira has involved in Parliament at the time they put
Fonterra together. I think Frontira as an organization has taken
some time to really develop and reach its potential. I
think it's there now and provided the international demand for
(07:50):
dairy products remains high, I think the future for Terra,
for the dairy industry and therefore New Zealanders very bright.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
What do you think about the selling of the dairy brands?
Where were you on that one?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Well, that was for the Fonterra shareholders to decide.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I'm not a dairy we've all got opinions. I have, yeah,
I think they.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Probably don't a fairly good analysis of what it was,
the reasons for the selling. What Fronterra claimed it was
good at, what Fronterira claimed it wasn't good at. But
at the end of the day, that was a decision
commercially for them to make. In my industry, the sheep
and beef industry, we had a similar decision made recently
around the Alliance Meat Company. Again as a shareholder, I
have my vote, I have my opinion, and we move
(08:28):
on collectively. That's democracy within a cooperative.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Where do you think the futureize for wool because it's
taken a back seat, but there's a lot of work
going into promoting walls in there.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I've just come from the opening of one of the
most exciting pavilions we have on the showground this year,
called the Wool Expo. If people come out to the
show go and have a look at it. I've got
a huge faith in the future of wool. It's been
through the doldrums, I accept that, but it's a natural,
environmentally friendly product and people are starting to realize its attribute.
(08:59):
The competitor. Of course, it's the plastic industry with nine
on carpets, etc. People are our wing to see the
value of wall. What you've got internationally is a decline
in the number of sheep right around the world. America,
for example, is a title. Last time I looked a
five million sheep. That's all there is in America for
their sheep industry. So I think the future for sheep,
(09:22):
both red meat, sheep meat and for the woolen streets. Right.
But people have got to believe in the product and
have faith in it.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Are you worry wall today?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
You bet?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I bet you've got a wall jacket there, wall.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Jacket, wall trousers. Yeah, because I knew it was going
to be a tough day. I hope you're wearing water.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Well, there's a wall somewhere.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
There better be, otherwise you won't be welcome on the wall.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Expos got the wall and underpants ons. Don't worry about that.
I don't need to know that on a day. I
don't need to know on a day like today. So
we're talking about wall. So what about lamb in terms
of lamb meat? Because people say it's so expensive here?
What people just say they can't afford it?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Then listen the process is hot, the prices are high
at the moment. It's a bit like the argument around butter.
If New Zealand's going to I sell its product internationally
on a market, that international price establishes the price which
we've then got to pay domestically. So yes, I accept
that land meat is expensive, though so's beef car and
buy a piece of filled state it's expensive. But if
(10:21):
that is the international price, there was no argument in
the world why New Zealand farmer should then somehow sell
it cheaper to New Zealanders rather than sell it overseas.
The end of the day, it's about the money that
comes back into the country, that circulates around the country,
circulates around a city like christ Church, and we're all better.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
For it, right, Okay, So like it Olympic.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yep, No, like it. Make sure you eat like it
and like it, like joy it, like it and wear
it like it, wear it and eat it as well.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
All right, So what do you because you know, how
can I put this diplomatically? I mean you're at the
tailor of your life in agriculture.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
That was fairly diplomatic.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yep, I did say the agriculture, but which made all
the difference. So you're at the tailor tail end of that.
What is someone like you still get out of the
amp show? Well, because you must have seen it, attle bit.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I'm lucky, listen. I started farming in nineteen seventy two.
I then had an intermission, if you like, as a
political operative. For twenty six years, I'm back farming every day.
I was on the hills of banks pinitually yesterday, working
with sheep et cetera, working with my daughter on the
farm at Tennington. So I'm lucky. Will I do it forever?
I suspect no, probably not, But at the moment I'm
(11:35):
lucky to be fit enough to do it. I think
the future for agriculture is brilliant.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
There's a lot of talk about the mental health struggles
that farmers have. Would you say that that is more
of a relatively recently thing, or even back in seventy two,
did you struggle with even the loneliness of farming.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
I don't think I did struggle at all, But I'm
again maybe lucky. Listen. The wholess around mental health there's
a lot more prominence, and people talk about it now
more openly than they did in nineteen seventy two, and
that's a good thing. I don't think farming is any
different to any other industry than that regard, except that
you do work in isolation quite a lot. The main
(12:16):
thing is, if you're finding yourself down, then talk to people,
do something about it, come to the show, socialize, and
we talk about it now more openly, and I think
that's a good start.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
What about being sold as a career, because so difficult
to get into your own farm, even more difficult these days.
What's the future in terms of that getting young people
that might come to the show and thinking, actually, I'd
love to do that as a job. What are the
options for them these times?
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I don't buy the argument that it's more difficult to
get into a farm ownership situation now than it was.
It's always been tough at the time. If you look
at the dairy industry, they've got a brilliant model way.
What's people go sher milking, contract milking and move on
to some farm ownership For those who don't make farm
ownership doesn't mean to say you can't be in the industry,
(13:08):
And there's a lot of good equity partnership operations available
right across the agricultural industry where people can become well
employed managers on a farm. They don't actually need to
own an equity in the farm to be devoted to
that particular property and devoted to the job they do.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
You see one of the beefs I've got these days,
and it applies to a lot of professions that you
are expected to have a piece of paper formal qualifications.
Do you reckon that farming or the agriculture sector has
also gone too far down that track.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
No, I think it's a mixture. You've got people who
will come from town now they'll go on to a
dairy farm and they'll start work in the milking shed.
You don't need a degree for that. At the other
end of the scale, you've got people like yourself who
came from city, born and bred, wanted to be a farmer,
went to Lincoln University, did an agricultural science degree and
came in with that background. Farming's very diverse. You can
(14:01):
get into it in a number of ways. You don't
have to have a degree. If you have it, it
won't do you really are no.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So you came into it from the well, from the city,
from via the academic channel. Do you think it was
easier than in your day to actually become an owner
of a property compared to today. I mean, you're saying
there are still avenues open, but do you think it
was still easier in your day.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I think there's possibilities today that existed in my day.
I managed to get there. People have different ways of
getting there. I agree it's not easy, but if you're
determined to do it, and with a lucky break, you'll
manage to own your own farm.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Get into it right and as chair of the AMP
organization or AMP association, what are your responsibilities over the
next few days. You go around to make sure people
are doing stuff or.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
What be here to just help the show, support the team.
We've got a very small, dedicated staff that's worked extremely
hard over the last few months getting the show up
and operating. Listen, I'm the figurehead. It's the team that's
done it. I get a bit of praise for doing it.
It's not me. It's a small, dedicated team that works
very closely with our large group of volunteers. They're the
(15:11):
ones that make the show happy and make it work.
So I'll be here to support them over the next
two or three days.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Roll. It must see you and your wall jacket and
you walk trousers. You all everything said Abcarda, Thank you
very much, nice to meet you. Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Christchurch from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk z'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Why from the Royal Amp Show and so David Carter
will start again. Good morning, Good morning John. Tell you
what we'll blame. We'll blame the rain. Now, well we'll
go back to a bit of the history how we
got to the Royal Amp Show being what it is
today and how brilliant it is today. But first of all,
how are you feeling about the weather.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I'm delighted to have a wet day. As a North
Canterbury and Banks Peninsula farmer, every rain we get at
this time of years a real bonus. It's, of course,
really farmer's day, being the first day of the show.
So the cattle judging goes on, the sheep judging goes on.
The farmers actually have a good excuse to come off
the farm and come into the show today. What we
want is perfect weather tomorrow and Saturday, and the forecast
(00:52):
looks pretty good.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Look all right, in fact complaining they'd call me a warse,
wouldn't We wouldn't they? Because I mean you working all
sorts of weather on the lands, no problem.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
List We drives bones, big Parker jackets good hats on
the weather. It doesn't worry the farmer. But what we
want is the town people to be here and they've
got two opportunities Tomorrow being a public holiday here in Canterbury,
and of course Saturday, that's when we want the real
fine weather.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Let's go back to last year because I remember there
was that announcement that was back I think was April
last year, and I remember it because it was about
fifteen minutes before we were about to go on here
and we thought, Lord, there's not going to be an
AMP show. What happened then?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Well, we don't want to go back in the past
too much. But I got involved at about that time.
The show week for Canterbury is iconic right throughout New Zealand.
I know people who have come from Australia to come
to show week with the races and the show. You
can't have show week unless you have the show. So
I got involved in got a good team around us.
We said to the then board we'll have a guard running
(01:51):
the show. We actually took over in the early August.
We had ninety three days to put on a show.
Last year we successfully ran it a little bit reduced
on what we would have liked, but at least we
ran a show in twenty twenty four. We turned our
mind immediately to Show twenty and the successes out there
today with more exhibits, both livestock trade, et cetera, and
(02:13):
a crowd building even though the weather's.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Against us, yep exactly. So then you get to the
point where it's today and it's the Royal Show. What
happened between last year and this year for it to
become the Royal Show?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
The Royal Show status is controlled by the Royal Agricultural Society,
so they watched us put on a show in a
very short time last year. They came and had a look.
They then approached us and said would we be prepared
to run under the Royal Show status for Show twenty five.
We said yes for a couple of reasons. It gives
prestige to the show. It also means livestock people are
(02:47):
prepared to enter more animals and travel further because the
prestige of showing at a Royal Show and winning a
Royal ribbon really adds to their credibility their own breeding systems.
So it's been a successful round. It's good for the
Royal Agricultural Society, and from my point of view it's
good for Canterbury Amps Association.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Right, so as a town you have no idea what
really what that means? What pressures does that put on
you guys? To deliver a royal show as opposed to
any other show.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
There's more classes involved, so we've got to work in
collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society. They become almost partners
with us in putting up the livestock classes to which
people can then look at and decide whether they want
to enter. We've got to bide by their strict rules.
It gives a prestige, but it also brings a complication.
But provided you have a constructive relationship between the Canterbury
(03:40):
Amp Association and the Royal Agricultural Society, it's easy to manage.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Right. Can you remember the first time you came to
the show?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Probably when I was embarking on my Lincoln College in
those days science degree, so probably in the nineteen seventies,
very early yep.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
What I want. So you're saying you'd be like a teenager.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I'd have been late teens when I first came to
the show and have been coming since then. At one
stage I was a Semitel cattle breeder, so we used
to show livestock here. We came every year and showed
our Cemital cattle. So I've seen it from all aspects.
I've seen it from standing in the bar as a
teenager with a few of my mates who now wouldn't
want to remember those days. I've seen it as a
(04:23):
livestock exhibitor, and now I see it as chair of
the association.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I'm quite surprised that you it wasn't until he was
seventeen that you came to the show.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, I might have come earlier, but it would have
been with my mum and dadd You come all the
way back and you can't remember then, Well, I think
we probably did come, But of course it was a
different showgrounds. It was an Eddington in those days. It
wasn't out here. But I was certainly involved as they
worked their way and sold out of Eddington's site and
came onto the new Kennbury amp showgrounds.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Do you know what struck me arriving here this morning.
There's a truckload of land here.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
There's a huge amount of land now controlled by the
Christian City Council, so they're a close partner with us.
And some people complain about the relationships with the Christian
City Council. We've had an extremely good working relationship with
the Christian City Council to help us resurrect the show
and get it to where it is today.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Can you explain how that works? So was that a
buyout of land or what was it?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
It was a buyout of land and a debt that
became unsustainable. We also then had one hundred year lease
on a parcel of land which the City Council desperately needed.
Over negotiations, it was agreed that they'd buy that lease
out for five million dollars. A million of that was
owed back to the City Council, so the loan was
(05:38):
paid back. It left four million dollars which has gone
into a trust and the show can access the income
from that trust, but cannot access the capital, so it
becomes a true rainy day fund for the survival of
the Canterbury Amp into the future. It's been a good
deal both of the Christian City Council because they got
(06:00):
the land they needed. It's a good deal and it's
given financial stability to Canterbury Amp.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Association Settle reason that today's Farmers Day. What do farmers
get out of the show?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, farmers come for a couple of reasons. Hey, they
want to see the latest equipment. They want to see
the animals, see what progress people are making and breeding,
hare effort balls, some hotail bills, charwer at balls whatever.
They want to see the sheep that are available, the
stud breeders show their seep. They also want to socialize,
you know, they want to get off the farm where
they're working on their own most of the time. Many
of them will come to the show. They're walk into
(06:32):
mates who they probably haven't seen since they walked into
the same person at the Cannabary Amp show a year ago.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yeah, so's it's as much for them as it is
for the wider community.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Well, I'd say it's about bringing town and country together.
You know, Canterbury is an agricultural province. Christ Church needs
agriculture to survive.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Well we know that because people say all Canterburies bucking
the tree for the economy. But as we know why
that is, don't we have?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
It's because dairyes doing extremely well. It's had its straps
in every possible way. You've got the red meat sector
doing very well, but of a struggle for the air
rible guys they are still We've got to remember that
it's not all bearing skills for the arable guys. But
the main agricultural industries are doing pretty well after a
tough period. That brings real money into christ Church City
(07:21):
and it's one of the reasons christ Just City's booming
as opposed to both Auckland and Wellington.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So what happens to christ Church when the dairy isn't booming?
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It will suttter if dairy goes through that stage. I
actually have a lot of confidence in dairy. I think
Frontira has involved in Parliament at the time they put
Fonterra together. I think Frontira as an organization has taken
some time to really develop and reach its potential. I
think it's there now and provided the international demand for
(07:50):
dairy products remains high, I think the future for Terra,
for the dairy industry and therefore New Zealanders very bright.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
What do you think about the selling of the dairy brands?
Where were you on that one?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Well, that was for the Fonterra shareholders to decide.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I'm not a dairy we've all got opinions. I have, yeah,
I think they.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Probably don't a fairly good analysis of what it was,
the reasons for the selling. What Fronterra claimed it was
good at, what Fronterira claimed it wasn't good at. But
at the end of the day, that was a decision
commercially for them to make. In my industry, the sheep
and beef industry, we had a similar decision made recently
around the Alliance Meat Company. Again as a shareholder, I
have my vote, I have my opinion, and we move
(08:28):
on collectively. That's democracy within a cooperative.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Where do you think the futureize for wool because it's
taken a back seat, but there's a lot of work
going into promoting walls in there.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I've just come from the opening of one of the
most exciting pavilions we have on the showground this year,
called the Wool Expo. If people come out to the
show go and have a look at it. I've got
a huge faith in the future of wool. It's been
through the doldrums, I accept that, but it's a natural,
environmentally friendly product and people are starting to realize its attribute.
(08:59):
The competitor. Of course, it's the plastic industry with nine
on carpets, etc. People are our wing to see the
value of wall. What you've got internationally is a decline
in the number of sheep right around the world. America,
for example, is a title. Last time I looked a
five million sheep. That's all there is in America for
their sheep industry. So I think the future for sheep,
(09:22):
both red meat, sheep meat and for the woolen streets. Right.
But people have got to believe in the product and
have faith in it.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Are you worry wall today?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
You bet?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I bet you've got a wall jacket there, wall.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Jacket, wall trousers. Yeah, because I knew it was going
to be a tough day. I hope you're wearing water.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Well, there's a wall somewhere.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
There better be, otherwise you won't be welcome on the wall.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Expos got the wall and underpants ons. Don't worry about that.
I don't need to know that on a day. I
don't need to know on a day like today. So
we're talking about wall. So what about lamb in terms
of lamb meat? Because people say it's so expensive here?
What people just say they can't afford it?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Then listen the process is hot, the prices are high
at the moment. It's a bit like the argument around butter.
If New Zealand's going to I sell its product internationally
on a market, that international price establishes the price which
we've then got to pay domestically. So yes, I accept
that land meat is expensive, though so's beef car and
buy a piece of filled state it's expensive. But if
(10:21):
that is the international price, there was no argument in
the world why New Zealand farmer should then somehow sell
it cheaper to New Zealanders rather than sell it overseas.
The end of the day, it's about the money that
comes back into the country, that circulates around the country,
circulates around a city like christ Church, and we're all better.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
For it, right, Okay, So like it Olympic.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yep, No, like it. Make sure you eat like it
and like it, like joy it, like it and wear
it like it, wear it and eat it as well.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
All right, So what do you because you know, how
can I put this diplomatically? I mean you're at the
tailor of your life in agriculture.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
That was fairly diplomatic.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yep, I did say the agriculture, but which made all
the difference. So you're at the tailor tail end of that.
What is someone like you still get out of the
amp show? Well, because you must have seen it, attle bit.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I'm lucky, listen. I started farming in nineteen seventy two.
I then had an intermission, if you like, as a
political operative. For twenty six years, I'm back farming every day.
I was on the hills of banks pinitually yesterday, working
with sheep et cetera, working with my daughter on the
farm at Tennington. So I'm lucky. Will I do it forever?
I suspect no, probably not, But at the moment I'm
(11:35):
lucky to be fit enough to do it. I think
the future for agriculture is brilliant.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
There's a lot of talk about the mental health struggles
that farmers have. Would you say that that is more
of a relatively recently thing, or even back in seventy two,
did you struggle with even the loneliness of farming.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
I don't think I did struggle at all, But I'm
again maybe lucky. Listen. The wholess around mental health there's
a lot more prominence, and people talk about it now
more openly than they did in nineteen seventy two, and
that's a good thing. I don't think farming is any
different to any other industry than that regard, except that
you do work in isolation quite a lot. The main
(12:16):
thing is, if you're finding yourself down, then talk to people,
do something about it, come to the show, socialize, and
we talk about it now more openly, and I think
that's a good start.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
What about being sold as a career, because so difficult
to get into your own farm, even more difficult these days.
What's the future in terms of that getting young people
that might come to the show and thinking, actually, I'd
love to do that as a job. What are the
options for them these times?
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I don't buy the argument that it's more difficult to
get into a farm ownership situation now than it was.
It's always been tough at the time. If you look
at the dairy industry, they've got a brilliant model way.
What's people go sher milking, contract milking and move on
to some farm ownership For those who don't make farm
ownership doesn't mean to say you can't be in the industry,
(13:08):
And there's a lot of good equity partnership operations available
right across the agricultural industry where people can become well
employed managers on a farm. They don't actually need to
own an equity in the farm to be devoted to
that particular property and devoted to the job they do.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
You see one of the beefs I've got these days,
and it applies to a lot of professions that you
are expected to have a piece of paper formal qualifications.
Do you reckon that farming or the agriculture sector has
also gone too far down that track.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
No, I think it's a mixture. You've got people who
will come from town now they'll go on to a
dairy farm and they'll start work in the milking shed.
You don't need a degree for that. At the other
end of the scale, you've got people like yourself who
came from city, born and bred, wanted to be a farmer,
went to Lincoln University, did an agricultural science degree and
came in with that background. Farming's very diverse. You can
(14:01):
get into it in a number of ways. You don't
have to have a degree. If you have it, it
won't do you really are no.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So you came into it from the well, from the city,
from via the academic channel. Do you think it was
easier than in your day to actually become an owner
of a property compared to today. I mean, you're saying
there are still avenues open, but do you think it
was still easier in your day.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I think there's possibilities today that existed in my day.
I managed to get there. People have different ways of
getting there. I agree it's not easy, but if you're
determined to do it, and with a lucky break, you'll
manage to own your own farm.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Get into it right and as chair of the AMP
organization or AMP association, what are your responsibilities over the
next few days. You go around to make sure people
are doing stuff or.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
What be here to just help the show, support the team.
We've got a very small, dedicated staff that's worked extremely
hard over the last few months getting the show up
and operating. Listen, I'm the figurehead. It's the team that's
done it. I get a bit of praise for doing it.
It's not me. It's a small, dedicated team that works
very closely with our large group of volunteers. They're the
(15:11):
ones that make the show happy and make it work.
So I'll be here to support them over the next
two or three days.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Roll. It must see you and your wall jacket and
you walk trousers. You all everything said Abcarda, Thank you
very much, nice to meet you. Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Christchurch from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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