Jamie Mackay: The Country host on what the Canterbury A&P show reveals about the farming economy

Flocks of farm animals and food vendors are set to welcome thousands of people to Canterbury’s annual Agricultural & Pastoral Show, which is back with a more prestigious title.

The Royal A&P Show of New Zealand, hosted by the Canterbury A&P Association, is being held from Thursday to Saturday.

The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And with us now as Jamie McKay, host of the Country.
Hello Jamie, Hello, how's the show?

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah? Well, I'm at the day one of the Canterbury
amp Show and it's a royal show this year. And
while that might sound regal, the weather was anything but
it was a bit of a shocking day to be
perfectly honest, which wasn't aiding the people through the gates.
But tomorrow is a public holiday here in christ Church

(00:26):
where I am at the moment and there, and they're
expecting a high of twenty three and there's going to
be lots of people on Saturday. Again. The forecast is
very good. But I can tell you what from talking
to the farmers today and there was quite a few
of them at the show today, Heather, they're as happy
as Larry because it's been very very dry here and
they've had between twenty twenty five thirty mills of rain

(00:48):
that's like an inch and the old measure, imperial measure,
so most of the farmers were pretty happy with that.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
What are farmers telling you about how they're feeling about
the economy still feeling awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
I think they are feeling pretty good. I mean, like
any other people in business either their costs have ratcheted
up a whole lot. I mean, just look at the
dairy payout as a really good example, you know, would
look Fonterra is sitting at ten dollars. I would personally
doubt that whether we'll get that in this season. I
think it might be a bit softer than that. But

(01:20):
dairy en Z come out with a cost of production.
I think it's sitting at something like eight dollars sixty,
so there's not a huge amount of fat in there.
I would say that the red meat farmers are doing
very well at the moment, Lamb. I'm not quite so
sure on longer term, but certainly medium term beefs looking
very strong. So Honestly, as I said today to some

(01:43):
of the people about the government because we chadded to
Nikola Grigg, the Horticulture Minister on the show today, the
farmers are moaning about the prices or the government at
the moment. They are being moaners because both of them
have been pretty good to them.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
To be fair, have you seen anything you want to
spend your money on?

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Well, we were buying a coffee this morning, Heather, and
it was pissing down with rain for want of a
better word, And so we sheltered next door where they
had a store where they were making Italian coffee makers.
But I'm a bit of a klutz, so I don't
think I could actually work out how to make them.
But if I really wanted to splash out, and if

(02:22):
I was on a salary like yours, Heather, I would
have bought one of these Italian coffee makers for four grand,
just the bee sneeze. I would probably never figure out
how to work it, but it would just be a
statement in our house when came to the head that
they would say that guy's got a bit of class.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah. No, it's divorce material, because what happens is like
something that expensive you really have to look after. And
then when your partner leaves the you know, the Tampa
with all the coffee ground still in and starts rusting,
you'd you'd just be really angry all the time, wouldn't you.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Well, I don't know, I mean, or Barry dec has
to do what he's told. I know that, but does
he do that? Does he?

Speaker 1 (02:58):
And I don't want to tell any yarns, But you
like that would be annoying, wouldn't it? Jamie thank you
appreciate it. Jamie MacKaye hosts of the Country.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.