The Country 11/03/25: Jerry Buttimer talks to Jamie Mackay

Earlier this morning we caught up with the Irish Minister for Rural Transport and Community Development, who was a guest at the Rural Games over the weekend in Palmerston North. What does he make of New Zealand Agriculture and how do we compare to Ireland? What farming issues do we have in common?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rural Games in Palmerston, North Up and over the weekend
Rowena Duncan was there representing the country and she ran
into this guy. His name is Jerry Btima. He is
the Minister of State at the Department of Rural and
Community Development. That's a big title, isn't it, But he's
basically an Irish politician. He was there wandering around with
Mark Patterson, Todd McLay and Andrew Hoggard and Welcome to

(00:23):
the Country our radio show. Welcome to the Country, Jerry,
what do you make of New Zealand agriculture.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's absolutely fantastic to be here, and thank you to
having me in the program and congratulations to all involved
in the Rural Games and Saturday Sunday in Parmiston not
We had a fantastic time. It really made me feel
at home. It was a typical Irish agricultural source. You
called him a field days well at home and I
suppose for me as a city dweller who grew up

(00:51):
in a farm with my grandparents' farm, it reinforces the
common and the similar value that we have with you
and the importance of parish, in the importance of country
community and other farming and an Agraian society. And let
me just give your listeners a small bit of stupid
statistics if I can. We have four point five million

(01:13):
acres head acres of agricultural land, eight hundred thousand hectare
of forestry, one hundred and thirty three thousand farms, and
you know, one hundred and seventy one thousand people involved
in agriculture and the farming sector you know workforce. So
that just shows you the importance towards the farming and
the agri food sector. And it's great to be here

(01:36):
and you know, it's wonderful to have the reception to
engage with your three ministers last weekend and again this week.
It just shows you that we have a lot of
similarities as countries.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Irish farmers facing and I know the answer to this one,
but are they facing the same problems if you want,
regarding a missions profile, because when it comes to agricultural nations,
you're one of the most similar ones to us.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Farmers are are concerned about the you know, the imposition
as they see in some cases on them around climate change.
And we spend the morning in Wellington today with Frontera
just discussing many different issues around that, but the Nitros
directive in Europe is a big challenge for farmers who
have embraced change, who have made you know, farming different

(02:22):
than in a globalized world. We we must look at
how the sector can move forward in a dynamic and
innovative way, embracing change yet being true to the values
that farmers have in terms of the quality of the
product they care, they have for their animals, and the
pride they having in whether it's beeper, sucker or shape
or tillage sector that we can make sure that they

(02:44):
are in a world that is you know, looking to
the challenges, accepting that we must embrace the need to
do things differently. And I will always make the point
and our government's policy is farmers cannot go green if
they in the red. And that's why I think Ireland
and New Zealand have very similar attitudes and very similar

(03:04):
ways of you know, walking the land together. And we
as a country case huge proud about what we do,
but we also learn from you, for example, the whole
area of retention of young farmers and young people keeping
farming as a career. Very proud of the fact that
you know, Minister's Patterson bowed and McLay met with us

(03:26):
and every humus this week because it just shows the
importance of strength of partnerships.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Hey, Jerry, look, I could check to you all day.
Love that Irish accent. By the way, looking forward to
Saint Patty's Day on Monday. I know you've got another
meeting to run to and Wellington. Thanks for some of
your time, Thanks for fronting up at the Rural Games.
They tell me you were a bit of a hurt
with the fans.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Good well, can I just say it was a fantastic
event and as we say now Benetteina followed the glare
happy say Patters say to all of your listeners. I
was comparing me due around to Maury Screaminium houggs. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
I caught up with Jerry away bit earlier this morning.
I had no idea what that last meant. It was
something to do with Saint Patrick's Day. Anyhow, it was
good to catch up with them.