The Country 06/03/25: Warwick Catto talks to Jamie Mackay

Ballance's Science Strategy Manager has some tips for farmers for fertiliser management when the rain does come. The Ballance Farm Environment Regional Awards kick off tonight in Canterbury. What advice does the 1995 Young Farmer of the Year have for would-be winners? And the Wānaka Show starts tomorrow. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wrapping the show with a big one direction Fan Warwick Kadow,
former New Zealand Young Farmer of the Year way back
in nineteen ninety five, pips at the post, though by
his brother twin brother Grant, who won the title in
nineteen ninety two, the only twins to have ever won

(00:21):
the Young Farmer of the Year title. Mind you, we've
got a brother and sister as well, obviously, Warrick and
Emma Paul and Tim Danjin. I don't think the twins
thing's likely to be repeated, though.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Is it coven? Just one of us that won it twice?
Of course? But you were not that clever?

Speaker 1 (00:39):
No, but well, I used to have trouble. I used
to have trouble telling you apart. Do you realize that
when I was putting my run sheet together for the show,
I can't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning?
It's like old age. But I remembered your mobile phone
number by memory from like thirty years ago when I
used to ring you up weekly on the phone arming show.

(01:00):
Those were the days, Warwick who was the day?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah? And haveven things changed since there? Well?

Speaker 1 (01:07):
And truly well, we wouldn't get away with what we
got away with thirty years ago. But anyhow, let's go
to the present now the Balance Farm Environment Awards. You're
one of the judges along with the wonderful Jamie Strang.
The regional Awards are getting underway tonight and Canterbury. I'm
surprised you're not going to be there.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yes, well, I've got a head commitments. I've just been
visiting some farmers on the West Coast and I've got
the one of Kashow the next couple of days, so
that was really grabbed me there. But because I'm a
national judge, I tend to avoid the regional awards thing,
so there's never any temptation to be seen as.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Been beneath you. You only turned up to the big gig.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Well, I do you enjoy them? It'll be a great
event in Canterbury. There's a strong, strong number of entrants there,
and of course Hamish and Simon gild One Air Gordon
Stevenson Trophy steer from the Canterbury region. It's from High
Peak Station, so and I've been a fantastic ambassadors for us.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
The Wana Kashet or Uppercluther Amp Show, to give it
its correct title, is one of the biggest amp shows obviously, well,
Canterbury used to be the biggest. I think maybe Wanicle
or Uppercluth is the biggest one now, is it.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
I would think nationally outside the sort of southern field days,
in central northern field days, yeah, it's one of the biggest.
I haven't been to the Hawk's Bay. I'm not sure
what that's like, but certainly in the South Island it's
burg and very popular and at the time of the year,
you know, it's ideal. People know what their financial circumstances
are like, they've got three of time and it's a

(02:40):
great location to go to too.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Now I got an email from some marketing department somewhere
in Auckland and I normally ignore them, but your name
was on it, so I read the press release and
it was about you, a Balance agrenutrient science strategy manager,
offering a bit of advice for farmers when this drought
does break, and like, just give it to me in
one minute Warwick or less.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, well, when that rain comes, and some of us
have had a nice rain in the last twenty four hours,
don't rush to put nigen on. There's generally sufficient nigegen
in the soil you've got a couple of weeks to
do it. It's off on the second rain where you'll
get your best response. So don't worry about I must
get it on now. You've got be patient. You've got

(03:25):
a bit of time to get that nigegen on and
build those autumn covers.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Hey. It traditionally autumn is the time when you put
on your maintenance, fertilize your super phosphate on. That is
it a waste of time putting it on too dry pastures?
Now how long does it last or I mean we'll
eventually rain and just soak in.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Anyhow, Yes, it'll eventually eventually soak in, So it's fine.
Just make sure there's no residues on the leaf for
animal intake. And I guess one of the things with
the positive news and we're starting to see it and
as apply and our sales as with red meat being
a bit more bollish, you know, I guess air message

(04:07):
to farmers as it could be a strong season for
a company and making sure that you don't leave it
till the end of the season because it may be
difficult for it to get on the ground. And so yeah, and.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
There's a lot of catch up to be done around
the country, especially on sheep and beef farms. I've got
like thirty seconds left for it. Kado nineteen ninety five
Young Farmer of the Year. If you had one piece
of advice for these would be contestants, or would be
winners of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand
Final or contest, what would it be.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
You have twelve months in which to grow your brand
and take that opportunity.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah, and it's it's well, it's the cloak of knowledge,
but it's a cloak of honor. It's something that sticks
with you for the rest of your life.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah, and use it. Use it. It's part of career development.
So yeah, it's a great opportunity.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
All right, there we go. Warrant Cato out of a
balanced a grenutrients