April 27, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Phil Duncan, David Seymour, Riley Kennedy, Adam Thomson, Craig Hickman, and Bryce McKenzie.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks to Brent.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're specialist in John Deer construction equipment.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Get a New Zealand. Welcome to the Country, Jamie McKay
back on the job. I feel like a stranger to
this studio. I've been all over the country quite literally
in the past few weeks. But I'm here for a
few days hopefully. Anyhow, Hey, we're going to kick it
off with Phil Duncan. This is Banana Rama by the way.
Phil Duncan talking about the weather. It's the North Island
(00:54):
drought over. I spent last week in the Bay of
Plenty and it was looking picture but my knee were dropt.
Matt still tells me it's quite dry in parts of
the North Island, getting late for an autumn recovery.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
David Seymour shock horror I read on the Herald this morning.
He's defending the banks. Are you allowed to do that?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Or are the.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Bank's innocent victims? And our topic de jure today. Our
topic they're going to concentrate on is dairy conversions. Riley
Kennedy from Business Desk a really interesting column this morning
on another potential wave of dairy conversions. We'll discuss that
with our farmer panel. Adam Thompson in the Waycatto region.
(01:34):
Is the drought over, I guess we can ask him.
And Craig Hickman is in mid Canterbury. They're dairyman. I
wonder if there are dairy conversions happening in his neck
of the woods. And Bryce McKenzie's the co founder of Groundswell.
A couple of things Groundswell are on about now. One
is well, one is leaving the Paris Accord. They're banging
(01:56):
on about that, and the other one is giving it
big time to agriz their own New Zealand. We'll talk
to Bryce so West Otago dairy farmer about that as well.
But Phil Duncan, it is your turn to kick off
the show today. Good to chat to you, mate. Is
the North Island drought over?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Okay mate, Yeah, it's mostly over, but we are still
seeing some areas that are dry, especially around the sort
of central part of the North Island down to parts
of Hawk's Bay wided up. That kind of central southern
part of the North Island is still leaning drier than
average in some places, but many other parts of the
country are back to normal now, which is great to
(02:33):
have that relief.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Finally, here my neew Were Drought Index map, which was
last updated on Anzac Day Friday. Of course, the driest
part of the country, if you believe this map, is
kind of like the Waikato region or South Waikato region.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, the Komo Rangers, the Motherku Rangers out to their
east block a lot of the northeast rain. And you know,
my family live in Tiadaha right on the edge of
the Kaimai Rangers on the other side cutting and it
can be pouring with rain there. And you go a
few kilometers out to the plains in Mourrinsville and there's
not a drop of rain. So a bit like the
Canterbury Plains sys a reverse instead of a northwester, it's northwester.
(03:11):
It's the nor'easter for us in the north. But that
dry area goes from South Wacoto down to about one
and Newis parts of Muna. We're two parts of southern
Hawks Bay and also wide it up there. So hopefully
there'll be a bit of relief in those areas.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
This week.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
We do have some rain from another low and more
subtropical weather coming down over the next couple of days
for the North Island and that we'll get down to
probably even Canterbury with some rain there. Getting are set
in for a time.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, and we've got a bit of a cold snap
coming up from the bottom of the country as well,
which is I guess very timely with duck shooting. I'd
better correct myself. Duck hunting season opening day on Saturday morning. Film.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yeah, and the week.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Kend is actually looking pretty good. But there's a cold
snap all right. You're going to be cold on Thursday
with a high of eight in Dunedin at this stage
it might go up to ken if you're out of
the wing, got a bit of sun on you. But yeah,
cold change coming through this week. The North Island doesn't
get as much of that. But basically by the time
we get to Saturday and going into Sunday, massive high
(04:10):
pressure zoned from Australia, stretching from West Australia down to
the Southern Ocean up to the tropics. It's a really
big high and it's coming in for the first weekend
of May.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Well the ducks might be very thankful for that.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
Film.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, I think it's a forecast that's usually pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Well, good for the ducks, not for the hunters. I mean, yeah,
well look I can only speak for the South, and
I've got a pond down there, even though I'm a
retired duck hunter fell but there's too many ducks down there,
so I just do hope the shooters can get on
top of the population.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Absolutely, yeah, it's going to be.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
There's a reason we had this, absolutely all right. Phil. Hey, thanks,
I'm great to chat to you again.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
My pleasure.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Have a good week, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Oh well that is twelve after twelve the Country, brought
to you by Brent. We've got a great new promotion starting.
We're going to tell you about that shortly. Perfect timing,
Perfect timing for you guys and girls out in the
my eyes. Up next David Seymour defending the banks. Riley
(05:12):
Kennedy Business Desk. A young guy is doing a great
job as their primary sector journalist or writer always comes
up with an interesting angle, and he's got one today
on Business Desk on another potential wave of dairy conversions.
As I said, The Farmer Panel Adam Thompson and Craig
Hickman and Bryce Mackenzie from Groundswell, the co founder. It's
(05:37):
all on the country and as I said, it's brought
to you by Brant David Seymour as the act Party
(06:00):
leader soon to be Deputy Prime Minister. We talked to
him a couple of weeks ago and suggested that he
might want to get out of the naughty chair and
be a good boy when he gets the second top
job in the country. David, I want to start with
Banks if I can, before I talk about the topic
du jour, which is dairy conversions shock horror headline on
the Herald website this morning. Seymour sides with Banks. Is
(06:24):
that like Trump siding with Putin?
Speaker 6 (06:28):
No. I think the fact that you'd compare New Zealanders
who work in the banking sector with a murderous dictator
probably tells you everything you need to know.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I was being facetious. I was being facetious.
Speaker 6 (06:44):
You are, but it's interesting that's the comparison you chose,
and I think we all got to take a deep
beef here. I mean, first of all, not many people
will have read the article because it only came out
an hour ago and a lot of people have to
work a lot of our supporters anyway, and basically says
is I asked the Ministry for Regulation, what's your take
(07:04):
on banking capital rules. They came back with a whole
lot of frankly rubbish that it was all nothing to
see here, and it's fine. I talked to a few
people who happen to know a bit more about it,
and they said, well, I can see why they'd say that,
but here's what they're missing. So I told the Ministry
to go back and talk to some people that know
(07:24):
a bit more about it. And occasionally the bureaucrats are wrong,
in fact, actually quite frequently, and my job is ultimately
the buckstops of me to tell them that's all there
is to the story, as far as the politics goes.
As far as the practicalities, these capital ratios, particularly on
some lending too high. They're a product of the Adrian
(07:46):
War era. They need to be made lower. And that's
exactly what Nicola Willis, our Minister of Finance, is now doing.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
And apologies to the banks for comparing them. To putin, Yes,
those capital holding requirements are too high and that needs
to be changed. Okay, I'll stick with Trump for a moment.
Do you think he's going to walk back this tariff
trade war.
Speaker 6 (08:08):
Well, what he does is obviously up to him. I'm
always careful to make the point. I'm not here to
tell and other countries elected government what to do. But
I mean, it seems to me that the most powerful
force in the world right now is the markets. And
it's a good reminder that you'll catch off flies with
honey than vinegar. You can lead a horse to water
(08:30):
that you can't make them drink. Ultimately, any government needs
to govern in a way that maintains confidence for investors
in their economy. This applies to the New Zealand government too.
If you do crazy things like just suddenly banning oil
and gas exploration, or cracking down on farmers with crazy
winter grazing laws, or whatever it is that you're doing,
(08:52):
then people lose their confidence to invest in, including in
government bonds. And when the US Treasury build rate is
up from four percent to half a percent, well it
doesn't sound like much, but when you've got ten trullion
worth off dear, then half a percent quite quite expensive,
(09:12):
and they, of course will be We're pretty worried about that.
So I suspect that will have an effect on any
leader in any economy.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Okay, topic is your topic of the day. What does
Act have to say about more dairy conversions, because that
is being floated at the moment. You are the Party
of Free Enterprise.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
David Seymour, Well, my first question is who owns the land.
If it belongs to you and you've got the water rights,
I think you should be able to do it. Of course,
you know, we're replacing the Resource Management Act with the
laws that will set environmental bottom lines. You're not going
to get away with it from that and an out
(09:55):
of who's in government. But basically, if you own the
land and you can comply with the regulations, which are
going to be a lot more straightforward under the new REMA,
then I think you should be allowed to do it. Frankly,
I don't think it's a politician's job to tell people
what they should be doing. If I knew what kind
(10:15):
of farming to invest in, or if I knew what
to invest in, generally, probably wouldn't be doing this job.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
The COVID inquiry, we got it badly wrong, didn't we not?
The initial response. I think everyone agrees that was pretty good,
or as good as it could be. We didn't have
a blueprint for that, but come twenty twenty one we
cocked it up completely. When I say we, J, just
Cinder and Co. And Grant Robertson, especially when it came
to locking down Auckland.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
Yeah, well, I was just going to pull you up
on your use of misuse of pronouns there, J. It
wasn't you me or your good listeners. It was those
muppets in the New Zealand, first Greens and Labor and
then ultimately just the Labor government who really had no
sense of where the boundary was between COVID problems and
(11:04):
other problems like education and mental health and businesses being
able to operate, and they were totally disproportionate in their
use of force. They did things that didn't actually make sense.
They weren't portioned to the risk. They didn't take up
new technologies rapidly, so when rapid entergen testing came out,
for example, not only did they not adopt it, they
actually banned people from importing technologies that could have been helpful.
(11:29):
And then they trampled all over civil liberties because COVID
just became everything, almost in obsession. And of course eventually
we got to the stage where there were two countries
in an isolation block, the only two countries left in isolation.
One of them was a communist dictatorship, and the other
(11:49):
one was called China.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Okay, all right, David Seymore, thank you very much for
your time. But we were kind while we were doing it.
Now I'm duly scolded for being mean to the banks.
We'll take that one on the check and thanks for
your time.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Hey, no worries, Jamie. And it's a good point where
you know, you start pulling down the banks then and
then it's the supermarkets, and it just reminds me of
when everyone was pulling down the farmers. If you have
that attitude, it's only a matter of time before it
comes back to you.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
No, the banks and the supermarkets are richer than the farmers.
Only it's at that David.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
Erih real tall poppy echoe later.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
See good on you, David. Here's a text coming in.
You got your butt handed to you today by Minister Seymour.
Probably your worst outing in a while. You always say
you're most likely to lose your job while away in radio.
Well you're dead right, Texter. You've got to be careful
in this industry. It's rather cutthroat. You go away in
(12:44):
my case, and I might tell you why a bit later,
for very good reason. And there's someone younger, smarter, and
most importantly cheaper.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Well, that's a nice way to talk about me, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I wasn't well apart from the cheaper part. Well, I
hope I'm getting well. Are you getting paid more than me?
Speaker 5 (13:01):
I don't think so. I think I'm pretty low on
the food chain chrysalis, remember, like you know, waiting.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
To yeah, food chain. Well, I mean, if you hang
around for long enough, you get closer to the top
than the bottom. But I'm not I mean look at
the top. I mean, look at Hosking. That's what you've
got to aim for. If you can get his pay,
we'd all be doing very well. We can increase the
gross domestic product of New Zealand if we all got
Hoskings pay. But none of us work as hard as him.
To be fair, okay, look we'll take that one. See more.
(13:28):
Not necessarily agreeing with that, but I say the banks,
I wouldn't feel too sorry for the banks, especially the
Assie banks. They're making a fortune, and they're making a
fortune farmers and business people and homeowners at your expense. Okay, Now,
we've got a great promotion coming up this week with
Kaiwalker and the Kiwalker Ambassador is none other than All
(13:50):
Blacks Captain Scott Barrett. I think we've got him on
the show on Wednesday. Now, this is a perfect lead
in to duck shooting slash hunting season because we've got
Michelle a Kiwalker jacket to give away a real flash
one one a day all this week.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
Yeah, they're really nice jackets. If you want to check
them out, you can head to the website at Kaiwaker
Clothing dot com. They've got some fantastic year. How do
they win that? Jamie?
Speaker 7 (14:17):
Have you got that there?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Well, yes I have, as you just handed me a
piece of paper with it on. Thank you for prompting me, Michelle.
So this week on the Country, we want you to
tell us how many seasons you've been farming for. For example, obviously,
nine years equals thirty six seasons. Nine times four equals
thirty six four seasons in a year. This is because
Kiwalker Clothing is celebrating two hundred seasons. That's fifty years
(14:42):
of protecting Kiwis from the elements. To be in the
in to win a Kiwalker Storm Force jacket. And these
things are worthwhile, like five hundred bucks some more, aren't they?
They're great jackets. Text the keyword win and how many
seasons you've been farming to our text number five double O.
Don't forget your name and where you're from. So the
(15:03):
Kiwalkers Storm Force jackets are designed to keep you protected
no matter how much wind and rain and snow and hail.
I added all that mud and muck comes your way.
Check them out. As Michelle said at Kywalker Clothing dot com.
Scott Barrett on the Show on Wednesday, he just grinds
(15:23):
out eighty minutes. I know he was getting criticized Michelle
for not playing well at the beginning of the season,
but I was just watching him for the Crusaders, those
annoying Crusaders who will probably win Super Rugby if not
the Chiefs. And Scott Barrett just grinds out eighty minutes
every week. He's indestructible, that bloke.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
He's a hard work or two, isn't he?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Oh hesograph runs in the Barrett family jeans anyhow, So
there you go. Scott on the show on Wednesday. Remember
text five double nine, tell us how many seasons text
the word win and tell us how many seasons you've
been farming? Don't forget your name and you're from up Next.
Riley Kennedy from Business Desk growed a really interesting story
(16:04):
this morning on another wave of dairy conversions. Is it
going to happen? We'll ask him next. He describes himself
(16:26):
as just a journalist, but he's far more than that.
His name is Riley Kennedy and he does a lot
of the rural stuff on Business Desk. Go to his
site every morning. Riley, you're one of my go to
guys and you've written a really interesting piece on Business
Desk this morning about dairy conversions. Are we going to
have another dairy boom?
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Well?
Speaker 8 (16:48):
It's amazing what a ten dollars milk price can do
to convert the struggling sheep and beef farmers to reconcert
their options, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Well, I would have thought the government obviously wants to
double x income in the next decade, and a dairy's
the biggest industry, it has to do some heavy lifting.
But I would have thought environmental constraints would have been
a problem for expansion of the dairy industry.
Speaker 8 (17:12):
Well you would think so, but it doesn't appear to
be stopping people at least considering it. I mean, he
can have had quite a rise and people looking at it.
I mean since the start of the year they've granted
three consents in the Canterbury area to convert, so people
are definitely looking at it and taking it quite seriously.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Well, three conversions as a drop in the ocean, to
be perfectly honest. But I'm hearing that there could be
fifty conversions coming up in Canterbury. Any truth to that.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
Well, I've heard at least up to twenty five about
a month ago the South olm Field days, and that
this kept coming up, that there was conversions happening. I
was talking to at least one farm who was seriously
considering it after battling with low land prices for a
long time. But it depends that you talk to. But
there could be fifty, there could be twenty five. But
(18:03):
there's definitely going to be a lot more milk and
Canterbury by the sound of it.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Yeah, and not only Canterbury, also interests in Otago and
South London, some regions in the North Island. You've spoken
to all the processes. I'm assuming they would welcome expansion.
Speaker 8 (18:18):
All the processes like more milk, and of course it's
a good opportunity for them to say that they've got
more milk than the rest of them. But Fonterra has
said that there's a number of conversions and restarts joining
them in the currencies and has reached double digits, didn't They,
which of course only just retain their current milk supply,
claim to be signing up some for not this season
(18:38):
coming but in twelve months time, so that there's definitely
a lot of interest for the processes. The cost of
milk for them is so high and it's so competitive
now with all the independent processes, but they'll be looking
to get as much milk in the can as possible.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well, some of these potential conversions maybe look to supply.
The likes of Sinlay or Open Country Dairy are simply
because there is no share entry requirement.
Speaker 8 (19:05):
Yeah, you would think for some of those, maybe younger farmers,
that may be more of an attractive option because of
the cost of buying the shoes and in the shoe
price is quite high at the frontier at the moment,
which is good for the current farmers, there's no doubt
about that, but there may be some particularly in the
Canbury area or south and that are looking at those
independent processes thinking well we can get the premiums and
match the milk price and not have to.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Buy the Sheares Dairy.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Conversions of Riley Kennedy are not a one way street
because in recent times we've had conversions going the other way,
especially in horticultural areas such as the Bay of Plenty. Incidentally,
where I was our last week, we're seeing dairy farms
going to Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 8 (19:44):
Yeah, I remember asking, well, I was harrel about this
at the half year result that we're probably still nipped
down on dairy farms because a lot of those dairy
farms and the bad plenties have gone to Kiwi fruit.
So across the board were possibly still down on. But
in Canterbury you've got the TNG and Superbund farm that
(20:05):
are ripping out the dairy farm and they're going to
plant apples and the Canbury so there is definitely a
movement the other way as well in certain parts of
the country.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Are the regulations going to be no bad pun intended
watered down to make this easier.
Speaker 8 (20:19):
Well, yeah, I mean there's probably a question for the
for the government, but I've forgotten what it's called. You
stuff on the head, but that was the National Farm
Shot what it's called, but there was removed from from
January one, which essentially makes it easier for people to convert.
I've just forgotten what that's called.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Well, now I forget about these regulations all the time.
Don't worry about that, Riley. You're not alone there. But
you know, I'm considering like intensive beef operations going to dairying.
Effectively you've got cattle. What's the difference exactly.
Speaker 8 (20:53):
But as a speed pointed out to me that this
is not just a broad people have been quite targeted
about it, and not just rapping out the wallsheds and
putting up a cosh. Some of them may be looking
at having an intentive beef operation that complements a dairy operation.
So it's not a broad sweep, it's more of a
targeted you changing their land.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yes, all right, Riley Kennedy from Business TESK, thanks for
some of your time. I did accuse you our fear
of being a latte sipping Aucklander, and I know you
used to be down here in Dunedin at the ODT.
But you're in Northland today a bit wet.
Speaker 8 (21:29):
I'm north of the Auckland border for a change. It
is the sun's just come out, but it definitely has
been raining.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Well good on you, hey, thanks for some of your time.
Keep up the good work on Business Desk. You're doing a.
Speaker 8 (21:40):
Great job, thanks Jamie.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Good on you, Riley yet subscribe to Business Desk. It
is a really good publication. Get a lot of info
from there. You're all coming in thick and fast with
how many seasons you've been farming. Remember it's seasons, not years,
So get your years and multiply it by four and
send in. So the text number is five double oh nine.
(22:05):
You need to text us the word win and how
many seasons you've been farming? Two five double o nine.
Don't forget your name and where you're listening from as
it stands at the moment, Michelle, I think, and this
doesn't matter at all. You can be farming for one season,
but the two hundred and sixty seasons is our record.
Do the maths on that's that's sixty five years of farming.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
That's almost as old as you, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
She well, it is, that's what I am. I haven't
been farming for sixty five years. Well, well, mind you.
I was reliving my youth last night. I watched online
because you couldn't get anywhere on Sky or anything. I
watched the London Marathon from the beginning to the end
and relived my past glories. Now you're a good runner, yeah,
(22:49):
was well, No, you're a good runner. You should run
the London Marathon. Seriously, I'd love to history. You're just
running past history. You know you're finishing, You're running past
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, you'd take a loop at Buckingham
Palace and finish three hundred and eighty five yards up
the Mail. It's wonderful and it.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
Was amazing line up there too, wasn't there.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Yeah, a couple of young guns. There was a young
bloke who I've forgotten his name, Kip Cloma or something
like that, who holds the world half marathon record at
something like fifty seven or fifty eight minutes for a
half marathon. They thought he might break two hours. He didn't,
but he finished second in his first ever marathon. So
it's just a magnificent thing to do. There you go
(23:33):
so keep sending your entries in for the Kiwaker Jackets
up next, Rural news and sports news before the end
of the year. The Farmer Panel and Bryce Mackenzie from
Groundswell Welcome back to the country. Twenty two away from
(23:56):
one in response a text and in response to the
dairy conversions, forestry is still marching on. That's the biggest
land use change going full steam in Hawks Bay before
the new rules kicking you. I didn't understand that from
the government. If they were determined to stop carbon farming
eating up good pastoral land, why didn't they kick the
(24:17):
new regulations in a wee bit earlier?
Speaker 6 (24:20):
Might do?
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Some might ask the Prince of the Provinces, Shane Jones,
the billion tree man, on that one on the show tomorrow.
But here's Michelle with the latest and rural news.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
The country's world news with Cob Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co
dot nz for your local stockist.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
The government's considering the future of financial support for farmers
and many parts of the North Island and the Upper
South Farmers struggling due to recent drought conditions can apply
for Rural Assistant payments from today. Applications can be made
with local Rural Support Trusts until late October, and Mark
Peterson sees that payments like these may have to become
(25:00):
more frequent over time. Of course, that drought causing massive
issues up in the North Island, isn't.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
It And it's not over? No, I don't think it is.
We're going to ask Adam Thompson, he's incado next on
the Country on our Farmer Panel. But I better do
sports news first.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Sports with AFCO Kiwi to the bone.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Since nineteen oh four, the Japan's male Sigo has reigned
supreme after a five way playoff to win the first
women's golf major of the year. Last year's LPGA Rookie
of the Year has prevailed after making birdie on the
replay of the eighteenth after the quintet or after a
(25:42):
quintet finished all at seven under one. Want to say,
poor Olidia, She's done really well. She was way off
the pace in that one. And Alexander Usik's rematch with
Daniel Dubois, who had a strange belt of illness before
he was due to fight. Joseph Parker has been set
down to decide boxing's undisputed heavyweight world champion set down
(26:06):
for July. That's gonna be good that you'd back the
Ukrainian on that one. Up next to the farmer panel.
Remember if you want the Kaiwaker jacket, this is stunning
piece of garment. Does that make sense? Ahead of duck
shooting duck hunting? Just text us on five doub nine
text the word how many seasons you've been farming? Your
(26:28):
name and where you're from? Up next to the farmer panel. Oh,
the eighties banana rama and shy boy, which wouldn't be
a very apt description for either of these two. The
farmer panel today Adam Thompson from Restore Native out of
(26:49):
the White Kaddow region and Craig Dairyman Hickman social media
star out of Mid Canterby. I'll start with you, dairy man.
Are you being bombarded in your area with new dairy conversions?
Is there another wave happening?
Speaker 9 (27:06):
I've there certainly another wave coming. The figures i've heard
have been about thirty five nationwide and thirteen to fifteen
in the Eken catchment. But it'll be nothing like the
early two thousands. I'm assuming that there'll be environmental controls
this time, and if people aren't allowed to increase their
nutrient loading from their existing land use, then it should
(27:26):
all be hunky dory. We'll just wait and see what
the exact regulations are.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yeah, if it doesn't harm the environment, let's go for it.
But yeah, we don't want sort of unadulterated expansion like
we had in the early two thousands. So got out
of control.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
There, it did.
Speaker 9 (27:40):
And of course, I mean all of the factories want,
all the processes want the extra milk. But back in
the early two thousands, Fonterra was forced to take the milk.
You could build a dairy farm anywhere you like in
the country, as inaccessible as you like, and Fonterra had
to take your milk. Those rules have changed, so I
think any conversions will be a lot more considered than
(28:00):
they were in the early two thousands.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Yep, the cowboy era has gone. Hey you in the
North Island. Adam Thompson former Xander MacDonald finalist finalist Adam No, Look,
so I didn't mention it. I didn't mention your lost
Terese Roberts. Look, someone's got to be second. What I
think happens to me golf on Saturdays. I always finished second.
Speaker 7 (28:24):
I won't say too much about that, but.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Radio any anyhow, talk to me about the drought. Is
it over?
Speaker 7 (28:31):
Yeah, Actually, it's funny. It's just pouring with rain now,
just in the last few minutes. It's just picked up.
But it's greened up. We got a little bit of
rain early April, most of the white out on me
quite a bit throughout easter period. So everyone's pretty happy.
You know, we had a really strong spring last year,
so I don't think production will be overall too affected,
but I think everyone sent in happy see. But the
(28:52):
green grass they got all the maze off, all that
was dry for most people. And yeah, where she's setting
up pretty well for winter warm.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
There's probably nowhere else in the Waycatto region where you
can put a dairy farmer.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
Is that well, it's pretty interesting.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
You know, there's horticulture you're talking about that earlier, putting
a bit of pressure on land use. Obviously lostyle blocks
and stuff as well. And you know Cray mentioned the
suppliers sort of scrapping for the milk. Well, you know
you've got the likes of Osi pop up down and
took it are and they've got over one hundred suppliers
now open country collecting sin Lay's milk and they're keen
to secure that, so there's probably more a competition around
(29:26):
actually getting supply up here.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Today, you want to talk about the community aspect of
the North Island drought, including the recovery and how that
ties in with a Kiwi project you're launching when on Wednesday,
and this is a protect Kiwi project.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
Yeah, so there's probably a bit of a slightly tenuous link,
but it has been awesome the way you know, we
come in adverse times and as raal communities who will
stick together, which is awesome. And it hasn't been a
terrible drought this year, just dry is it probably expecting
the wikido but.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
But yeah, we're doing.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
A skill project in our local area and tomorrow just
out of Cambridge there and we've got about four and
a half thousand hectares that we're looking to put pro
to control across and eventually get kiwi back into our backyard.
So yeah, pretty cool seeing the community come together. It's
a number of farms you're going to have traps across them,
and yeah, it's a great bunch of people and it's
just that these rural communities pulling together that you know,
(30:18):
just makes many farmers and meet you just realize how
much they do just aside from producing meat and milk.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
But how do you protect the kiwi's from the predators
when some of those predators are domesticated animals like dogs
and cats.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
Yeah, it's a bit of a journey and we're sort
of on a five year journey to make this the reality,
and it's going to come down to the buy and
of everyone in the community. You know, they've done a
great job in Wellington with the capital Kiwi and you know,
once people get into that heaven kiwi in the backyard,
they're little bits and pieces of keeping your dog tied
up or looking after your cat a bit better become
pretty simple. So it's pretty amazing what they've achieved. And
(30:52):
I think a community ca knock it out of the
park too.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
Okay, and Craig dairy Man Hickman out of mid Canterbury.
I don't know how much you're making out of your
YouTube videos on social media. I probably enough to retire,
i'd imagine, But you're farming. What are you going to
do with all your money this year? With your ten
dollars plus.
Speaker 9 (31:08):
You asked me that last tand well, sorry, I can't
think pretty quickly, didn't I?
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah, but you're steering down the barrel of ten dollars
and as long as Trump calls his jets or web
on tariffs, it could easily be ten dollars plus in
the coming season.
Speaker 9 (31:23):
Cos a is still rising. What I've got to add
another ten percent on my budget for my electricity bill
this year, I mean I irrogate my power cost me
twenty eight cents a kilo. That's going to be over
thirty cents next year. So obviously got somebody coming out
on Wednesday, Weather Permitting to give us a quote to
solar panels and we'll see if we can invest some
of that money in in mitigating further cost rises and
(31:46):
just future proofs of farmer bit. So we've done collars,
we've done auto drafting, We've done and said feeding solar
is the next on the agenda.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
So you'll get to the stage where your farm will
be that automated. You'll a better sit on your lazy
boy in do YouTube videos. Everything will be run, but
everything will be run from your app on your phone.
Speaker 8 (32:07):
Log.
Speaker 9 (32:08):
Hope you were talking about Mike Hosking before. We don't
forget that no matter how successful people get, their man
still have to bacum his own mother Ardi. So I'm
sure I'll find something.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
I have to do.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Yeah, well he's worse than you dairy farmers are. I
think he gets out of bed at two point fifteen
to prep for a six o'clock show. I mean that's
a work.
Speaker 9 (32:25):
Ethic, absolutely, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Okay, just to finish on Adam, what are you up to?
Speaker 7 (32:35):
Yeah, we're just about to start putting trees in the ground,
which is awesome bit of moisture round. We've just finished
carving on the farm, so we order to carve our
little beef food. So nice to have a little bit
of green grass to put him too. But yeah, the
next few months are all going to be about planting trees.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Yeah, saving him, saving, saving the planet. And Craig, what
are you up to?
Speaker 9 (32:55):
We've got eighty millimeters of rain pourgout over the next
couple of days, so we'll be practicing something we don't
do very often in mid genery, which is wet weather farming.
We will be drawing the cab off and sitting back
in the lazy boy counting the money I guess got
on you.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Hey, thanks for your time today, guys, and it's good
to hear that that North Island drought is almost coming
to an end. Craig Pickman and Adam Thompson Today's Farmer
Panel take a break. On the other side of it,
the co founder of Groundswell, Bryce McKenzie, who's he got
in his sites Agri zero n Z plus the government.
(33:31):
He wants us out of the Paris Accord. This is
banana rama. And I heard a rumor. I heard a rumor.
This is me, not Banana rama. I heard a rumor
(33:51):
that Bryce McKenzie and Lurie Patterson, the co founders of
ground Swell, will not be getting a Christmas card from
Wayne McNee and team at Agri Zero n Z. Bryce,
hang on, let me turn. I've got to work out
how to drive this thing again. You might go, I
mean your faders are now apologies away.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
You go, yeah, I know it's a bit of a
disaster really us not getting a Christmas card from them,
But however, we don't go around looking to get Christmas
cards from feoble any Jamie.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Are you just trying to make yourself relevant on being
playing devil's advocate here because Feds. It's interesting. There was
a really good story in the Herald over the weekend
and I read on my way back about you know,
the battle that's happening within the Coalition government and how
the advent of you guys, Groundswell and twenty twenty made
the FEDS take a stronger line and to be fair
(34:41):
to Federated farmers, Bryce, and you've got to take some
of the credit for this. I reckon they've shown them,
they've bared their teeth awe, but in recent years, and
that's exactly what we want.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Yeah, you did, right, Jamie, and you have to congratulate them.
I'm actually starting to really stand up. That's been long
over due and it's great to see.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Okay, So go back to Agri zero n Z. You're
saying they're taking their taxpayer funded Wasiste global.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Yeah exactly. I mean the whole thing is, Jamie, we
need to put everything in perspective and New Zealand is
only responsible for zero point one seven percent of world
of missions and here we are spending millions trying to
cut ours while you've got countries with the likes of China,
and I mean their target for twenty thirty is to
(35:30):
peak their COE two missions. I mean, that's the target,
is to try and peak it. And apparently the way
behind that target and here we are looking at cutting
ours by fifty percent. The whole thing's just a rule.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Yeah. But Bryce, you know what the government will say
about this, because I know that you guys at Groundswell
and the feeds are questioning whether we should be in
the Paris Accord. And now you've even got the likes
of ACT in New Zealand first, who are perhaps disagreeing
with the National led government on whether we should be
in or out.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
Yeah. Look, I can see it becoming quite an election
issue because it's just a tip of the iceberg, all
these agreements. I mean, we're going to be up for
if we fail, we could be up for something like
twenty four billion. Well, goodness, gracious me, where's that going
to come from. I know some of the politicians are saying, oh, no, no,
we won't have to pay it. Well, we don't have
(36:20):
to pay it. Why on earth do we have assign
an agreement?
Speaker 3 (36:24):
You're talking far too much common sense their Bryce.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Well, nobody's questioning it, Jamie. But you know, I think
what we need to look at is people are getting
more and more annoyed about the charges and the increase
of products and services that are going on. And we
know what happens with those. There's somebody on the board
or somebody on some committee and they decide to give
(36:51):
some of the profits or even in some cases some
of the losses to some do good organization to stand
on our behalf. Well, boy, they take the credit for
it when we've made the sacrifice. But what gives these
people the idea that they know how to spend our
money better than what they do. We've got people contacting
(37:12):
us that can't book meals on the table, and here
they are expecting these blooming great rate rises. I mean,
I've got our subject a wee bit, Jamie, but it's
along those lines, and all this money's given into these
too good or projects.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Hey, talking about money, what are you going to do
with all yours? This year? You're a west Otago dairy
farmer and you've had a pretty good season down there,
and west Otago is a great farming area, used to
be the sheep farming capital of the country.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Just quickly, yeah, look, Jamie, it has been a good
season production wise, that's been the best with experience, so
it has. That's been really kind to us once we
got through the spring, and we have a lot of
feed ahead of us even now, so we've got a
lot to be grateful for. I don't think we have
the trouble, but let the money's going to go. There's
(37:58):
lots of people here with their hands out, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Indeed, and yes, indeed, including people wanting to pay carbon
credits overseas. There we go, Bryce Mackenzie, Groundswell co founder.
We'll catch you back tomorrow. Prince of the Province of
Shane Jones on the show.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Catch all the Latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks to Brent.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're specialist in John Deer construction equipment.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Get a New Zealand. Welcome to the Country, Jamie McKay
back on the job. I feel like a stranger to
this studio. I've been all over the country quite literally
in the past few weeks. But I'm here for a
few days hopefully. Anyhow, Hey, we're going to kick it
off with Phil Duncan. This is Banana Rama by the way.
Phil Duncan talking about the weather. It's the North Island
(00:54):
drought over. I spent last week in the Bay of
Plenty and it was looking picture but my knee were dropt.
Matt still tells me it's quite dry in parts of
the North Island, getting late for an autumn recovery.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
David Seymour shock horror I read on the Herald this morning.
He's defending the banks. Are you allowed to do that?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Or are the.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Bank's innocent victims? And our topic de jure today. Our
topic they're going to concentrate on is dairy conversions. Riley
Kennedy from Business Desk a really interesting column this morning
on another potential wave of dairy conversions. We'll discuss that
with our farmer panel. Adam Thompson in the Waycatto region.
(01:34):
Is the drought over, I guess we can ask him.
And Craig Hickman is in mid Canterbury. They're dairyman. I
wonder if there are dairy conversions happening in his neck
of the woods. And Bryce McKenzie's the co founder of Groundswell.
A couple of things Groundswell are on about now. One
is well, one is leaving the Paris Accord. They're banging
(01:56):
on about that, and the other one is giving it
big time to agriz their own New Zealand. We'll talk
to Bryce so West Otago dairy farmer about that as well.
But Phil Duncan, it is your turn to kick off
the show today. Good to chat to you, mate. Is
the North Island drought over?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Okay mate, Yeah, it's mostly over, but we are still
seeing some areas that are dry, especially around the sort
of central part of the North Island down to parts
of Hawk's Bay wided up. That kind of central southern
part of the North Island is still leaning drier than
average in some places, but many other parts of the
country are back to normal now, which is great to
(02:33):
have that relief.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Finally, here my neew Were Drought Index map, which was
last updated on Anzac Day Friday. Of course, the driest
part of the country, if you believe this map, is
kind of like the Waikato region or South Waikato region.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, the Komo Rangers, the Motherku Rangers out to their
east block a lot of the northeast rain. And you know,
my family live in Tiadaha right on the edge of
the Kaimai Rangers on the other side cutting and it
can be pouring with rain there. And you go a
few kilometers out to the plains in Mourrinsville and there's
not a drop of rain. So a bit like the
Canterbury Plains sys a reverse instead of a northwester, it's northwester.
(03:11):
It's the nor'easter for us in the north. But that
dry area goes from South Wacoto down to about one
and Newis parts of Muna. We're two parts of southern
Hawks Bay and also wide it up there. So hopefully
there'll be a bit of relief in those areas.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
This week.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
We do have some rain from another low and more
subtropical weather coming down over the next couple of days
for the North Island and that we'll get down to
probably even Canterbury with some rain there. Getting are set
in for a time.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, and we've got a bit of a cold snap
coming up from the bottom of the country as well,
which is I guess very timely with duck shooting. I'd
better correct myself. Duck hunting season opening day on Saturday morning. Film.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yeah, and the week.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Kend is actually looking pretty good. But there's a cold
snap all right. You're going to be cold on Thursday
with a high of eight in Dunedin at this stage
it might go up to ken if you're out of
the wing, got a bit of sun on you. But yeah,
cold change coming through this week. The North Island doesn't
get as much of that. But basically by the time
we get to Saturday and going into Sunday, massive high
(04:10):
pressure zoned from Australia, stretching from West Australia down to
the Southern Ocean up to the tropics. It's a really
big high and it's coming in for the first weekend
of May.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Well the ducks might be very thankful for that.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
Film.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, I think it's a forecast that's usually pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Well, good for the ducks, not for the hunters. I mean, yeah,
well look I can only speak for the South, and
I've got a pond down there, even though I'm a
retired duck hunter fell but there's too many ducks down there,
so I just do hope the shooters can get on
top of the population.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Absolutely, yeah, it's going to be.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
There's a reason we had this, absolutely all right. Phil. Hey, thanks,
I'm great to chat to you again.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
My pleasure.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Have a good week, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Oh well that is twelve after twelve the Country, brought
to you by Brent. We've got a great new promotion starting.
We're going to tell you about that shortly. Perfect timing,
Perfect timing for you guys and girls out in the
my eyes. Up next David Seymour defending the banks. Riley
(05:12):
Kennedy Business Desk. A young guy is doing a great
job as their primary sector journalist or writer always comes
up with an interesting angle, and he's got one today
on Business Desk on another potential wave of dairy conversions.
As I said, The Farmer Panel Adam Thompson and Craig
Hickman and Bryce Mackenzie from Groundswell, the co founder. It's
(05:37):
all on the country and as I said, it's brought
to you by Brant David Seymour as the act Party
(06:00):
leader soon to be Deputy Prime Minister. We talked to
him a couple of weeks ago and suggested that he
might want to get out of the naughty chair and
be a good boy when he gets the second top
job in the country. David, I want to start with
Banks if I can, before I talk about the topic
du jour, which is dairy conversions shock horror headline on
the Herald website this morning. Seymour sides with Banks. Is
(06:24):
that like Trump siding with Putin?
Speaker 6 (06:28):
No. I think the fact that you'd compare New Zealanders
who work in the banking sector with a murderous dictator
probably tells you everything you need to know.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I was being facetious. I was being facetious.
Speaker 6 (06:44):
You are, but it's interesting that's the comparison you chose,
and I think we all got to take a deep
beef here. I mean, first of all, not many people
will have read the article because it only came out
an hour ago and a lot of people have to
work a lot of our supporters anyway, and basically says
is I asked the Ministry for Regulation, what's your take
(07:04):
on banking capital rules. They came back with a whole
lot of frankly rubbish that it was all nothing to
see here, and it's fine. I talked to a few
people who happen to know a bit more about it,
and they said, well, I can see why they'd say that,
but here's what they're missing. So I told the Ministry
to go back and talk to some people that know
(07:24):
a bit more about it. And occasionally the bureaucrats are wrong,
in fact, actually quite frequently, and my job is ultimately
the buckstops of me to tell them that's all there
is to the story, as far as the politics goes.
As far as the practicalities, these capital ratios, particularly on
some lending too high. They're a product of the Adrian
(07:46):
War era. They need to be made lower. And that's
exactly what Nicola Willis, our Minister of Finance, is now doing.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
And apologies to the banks for comparing them. To putin, Yes,
those capital holding requirements are too high and that needs
to be changed. Okay, I'll stick with Trump for a moment.
Do you think he's going to walk back this tariff
trade war.
Speaker 6 (08:08):
Well, what he does is obviously up to him. I'm
always careful to make the point. I'm not here to
tell and other countries elected government what to do. But
I mean, it seems to me that the most powerful
force in the world right now is the markets. And
it's a good reminder that you'll catch off flies with
honey than vinegar. You can lead a horse to water
(08:30):
that you can't make them drink. Ultimately, any government needs
to govern in a way that maintains confidence for investors
in their economy. This applies to the New Zealand government too.
If you do crazy things like just suddenly banning oil
and gas exploration, or cracking down on farmers with crazy
winter grazing laws, or whatever it is that you're doing,
(08:52):
then people lose their confidence to invest in, including in
government bonds. And when the US Treasury build rate is
up from four percent to half a percent, well it
doesn't sound like much, but when you've got ten trullion
worth off dear, then half a percent quite quite expensive,
(09:12):
and they, of course will be We're pretty worried about that.
So I suspect that will have an effect on any
leader in any economy.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Okay, topic is your topic of the day. What does
Act have to say about more dairy conversions, because that
is being floated at the moment. You are the Party
of Free Enterprise.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
David Seymour, Well, my first question is who owns the land.
If it belongs to you and you've got the water rights,
I think you should be able to do it. Of course,
you know, we're replacing the Resource Management Act with the
laws that will set environmental bottom lines. You're not going
to get away with it from that and an out
(09:55):
of who's in government. But basically, if you own the
land and you can comply with the regulations, which are
going to be a lot more straightforward under the new REMA,
then I think you should be allowed to do it. Frankly,
I don't think it's a politician's job to tell people
what they should be doing. If I knew what kind
(10:15):
of farming to invest in, or if I knew what
to invest in, generally, probably wouldn't be doing this job.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
The COVID inquiry, we got it badly wrong, didn't we not?
The initial response. I think everyone agrees that was pretty good,
or as good as it could be. We didn't have
a blueprint for that, but come twenty twenty one we
cocked it up completely. When I say we, J, just
Cinder and Co. And Grant Robertson, especially when it came
to locking down Auckland.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
Yeah, well, I was just going to pull you up
on your use of misuse of pronouns there, J. It
wasn't you me or your good listeners. It was those
muppets in the New Zealand, first Greens and Labor and
then ultimately just the Labor government who really had no
sense of where the boundary was between COVID problems and
(11:04):
other problems like education and mental health and businesses being
able to operate, and they were totally disproportionate in their
use of force. They did things that didn't actually make sense.
They weren't portioned to the risk. They didn't take up
new technologies rapidly, so when rapid entergen testing came out,
for example, not only did they not adopt it, they
actually banned people from importing technologies that could have been helpful.
(11:29):
And then they trampled all over civil liberties because COVID
just became everything, almost in obsession. And of course eventually
we got to the stage where there were two countries
in an isolation block, the only two countries left in isolation.
One of them was a communist dictatorship, and the other
(11:49):
one was called China.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Okay, all right, David Seymore, thank you very much for
your time. But we were kind while we were doing it.
Now I'm duly scolded for being mean to the banks.
We'll take that one on the check and thanks for
your time.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Hey, no worries, Jamie. And it's a good point where
you know, you start pulling down the banks then and
then it's the supermarkets, and it just reminds me of
when everyone was pulling down the farmers. If you have
that attitude, it's only a matter of time before it
comes back to you.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
No, the banks and the supermarkets are richer than the farmers.
Only it's at that David.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
Erih real tall poppy echoe later.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
See good on you, David. Here's a text coming in.
You got your butt handed to you today by Minister Seymour.
Probably your worst outing in a while. You always say
you're most likely to lose your job while away in radio.
Well you're dead right, Texter. You've got to be careful
in this industry. It's rather cutthroat. You go away in
(12:44):
my case, and I might tell you why a bit later,
for very good reason. And there's someone younger, smarter, and
most importantly cheaper.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Well, that's a nice way to talk about me, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I wasn't well apart from the cheaper part. Well, I
hope I'm getting well. Are you getting paid more than me?
Speaker 5 (13:01):
I don't think so. I think I'm pretty low on
the food chain chrysalis, remember, like you know, waiting.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
To yeah, food chain. Well, I mean, if you hang
around for long enough, you get closer to the top
than the bottom. But I'm not I mean look at
the top. I mean, look at Hosking. That's what you've
got to aim for. If you can get his pay,
we'd all be doing very well. We can increase the
gross domestic product of New Zealand if we all got
Hoskings pay. But none of us work as hard as him.
To be fair, okay, look we'll take that one. See more.
(13:28):
Not necessarily agreeing with that, but I say the banks,
I wouldn't feel too sorry for the banks, especially the
Assie banks. They're making a fortune, and they're making a
fortune farmers and business people and homeowners at your expense. Okay, Now,
we've got a great promotion coming up this week with
Kaiwalker and the Kiwalker Ambassador is none other than All
(13:50):
Blacks Captain Scott Barrett. I think we've got him on
the show on Wednesday. Now, this is a perfect lead
in to duck shooting slash hunting season because we've got
Michelle a Kiwalker jacket to give away a real flash
one one a day all this week.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
Yeah, they're really nice jackets. If you want to check
them out, you can head to the website at Kaiwaker
Clothing dot com. They've got some fantastic year. How do
they win that? Jamie?
Speaker 7 (14:17):
Have you got that there?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Well, yes I have, as you just handed me a
piece of paper with it on. Thank you for prompting me, Michelle.
So this week on the Country, we want you to
tell us how many seasons you've been farming for. For example, obviously,
nine years equals thirty six seasons. Nine times four equals
thirty six four seasons in a year. This is because
Kiwalker Clothing is celebrating two hundred seasons. That's fifty years
(14:42):
of protecting Kiwis from the elements. To be in the
in to win a Kiwalker Storm Force jacket. And these
things are worthwhile, like five hundred bucks some more, aren't they?
They're great jackets. Text the keyword win and how many
seasons you've been farming to our text number five double O.
Don't forget your name and where you're from. So the
(15:03):
Kiwalkers Storm Force jackets are designed to keep you protected
no matter how much wind and rain and snow and hail.
I added all that mud and muck comes your way.
Check them out. As Michelle said at Kywalker Clothing dot com.
Scott Barrett on the Show on Wednesday, he just grinds
(15:23):
out eighty minutes. I know he was getting criticized Michelle
for not playing well at the beginning of the season,
but I was just watching him for the Crusaders, those
annoying Crusaders who will probably win Super Rugby if not
the Chiefs. And Scott Barrett just grinds out eighty minutes
every week. He's indestructible, that bloke.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
He's a hard work or two, isn't he?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Oh hesograph runs in the Barrett family jeans anyhow, So
there you go. Scott on the show on Wednesday. Remember
text five double nine, tell us how many seasons text
the word win and tell us how many seasons you've
been farming? Don't forget your name and you're from up Next.
Riley Kennedy from Business Desk growed a really interesting story
(16:04):
this morning on another wave of dairy conversions. Is it
going to happen? We'll ask him next. He describes himself
(16:26):
as just a journalist, but he's far more than that.
His name is Riley Kennedy and he does a lot
of the rural stuff on Business Desk. Go to his
site every morning. Riley, you're one of my go to
guys and you've written a really interesting piece on Business
Desk this morning about dairy conversions. Are we going to
have another dairy boom?
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Well?
Speaker 8 (16:48):
It's amazing what a ten dollars milk price can do
to convert the struggling sheep and beef farmers to reconcert
their options, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Well, I would have thought the government obviously wants to
double x income in the next decade, and a dairy's
the biggest industry, it has to do some heavy lifting.
But I would have thought environmental constraints would have been
a problem for expansion of the dairy industry.
Speaker 8 (17:12):
Well you would think so, but it doesn't appear to
be stopping people at least considering it. I mean, he
can have had quite a rise and people looking at it.
I mean since the start of the year they've granted
three consents in the Canterbury area to convert, so people
are definitely looking at it and taking it quite seriously.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Well, three conversions as a drop in the ocean, to
be perfectly honest. But I'm hearing that there could be
fifty conversions coming up in Canterbury. Any truth to that.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
Well, I've heard at least up to twenty five about
a month ago the South olm Field days, and that
this kept coming up, that there was conversions happening. I
was talking to at least one farm who was seriously
considering it after battling with low land prices for a
long time. But it depends that you talk to. But
there could be fifty, there could be twenty five. But
(18:03):
there's definitely going to be a lot more milk and
Canterbury by the sound of it.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Yeah, and not only Canterbury, also interests in Otago and
South London, some regions in the North Island. You've spoken
to all the processes. I'm assuming they would welcome expansion.
Speaker 8 (18:18):
All the processes like more milk, and of course it's
a good opportunity for them to say that they've got
more milk than the rest of them. But Fonterra has
said that there's a number of conversions and restarts joining
them in the currencies and has reached double digits, didn't They,
which of course only just retain their current milk supply,
claim to be signing up some for not this season
(18:38):
coming but in twelve months time, so that there's definitely
a lot of interest for the processes. The cost of
milk for them is so high and it's so competitive
now with all the independent processes, but they'll be looking
to get as much milk in the can as possible.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well, some of these potential conversions maybe look to supply.
The likes of Sinlay or Open Country Dairy are simply
because there is no share entry requirement.
Speaker 8 (19:05):
Yeah, you would think for some of those, maybe younger farmers,
that may be more of an attractive option because of
the cost of buying the shoes and in the shoe
price is quite high at the frontier at the moment,
which is good for the current farmers, there's no doubt
about that, but there may be some particularly in the
Canbury area or south and that are looking at those
independent processes thinking well we can get the premiums and
match the milk price and not have to.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Buy the Sheares Dairy.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Conversions of Riley Kennedy are not a one way street
because in recent times we've had conversions going the other way,
especially in horticultural areas such as the Bay of Plenty. Incidentally,
where I was our last week, we're seeing dairy farms
going to Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 8 (19:44):
Yeah, I remember asking, well, I was harrel about this
at the half year result that we're probably still nipped
down on dairy farms because a lot of those dairy
farms and the bad plenties have gone to Kiwi fruit.
So across the board were possibly still down on. But
in Canterbury you've got the TNG and Superbund farm that
(20:05):
are ripping out the dairy farm and they're going to
plant apples and the Canbury so there is definitely a
movement the other way as well in certain parts of
the country.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Are the regulations going to be no bad pun intended
watered down to make this easier.
Speaker 8 (20:19):
Well, yeah, I mean there's probably a question for the
for the government, but I've forgotten what it's called. You
stuff on the head, but that was the National Farm
Shot what it's called, but there was removed from from
January one, which essentially makes it easier for people to convert.
I've just forgotten what that's called.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Well, now I forget about these regulations all the time.
Don't worry about that, Riley. You're not alone there. But
you know, I'm considering like intensive beef operations going to dairying.
Effectively you've got cattle. What's the difference exactly.
Speaker 8 (20:53):
But as a speed pointed out to me that this
is not just a broad people have been quite targeted
about it, and not just rapping out the wallsheds and
putting up a cosh. Some of them may be looking
at having an intentive beef operation that complements a dairy operation.
So it's not a broad sweep, it's more of a
targeted you changing their land.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yes, all right, Riley Kennedy from Business TESK, thanks for
some of your time. I did accuse you our fear
of being a latte sipping Aucklander, and I know you
used to be down here in Dunedin at the ODT.
But you're in Northland today a bit wet.
Speaker 8 (21:29):
I'm north of the Auckland border for a change. It
is the sun's just come out, but it definitely has
been raining.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Well good on you, hey, thanks for some of your time.
Keep up the good work on Business Desk. You're doing a.
Speaker 8 (21:40):
Great job, thanks Jamie.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Good on you, Riley yet subscribe to Business Desk. It
is a really good publication. Get a lot of info
from there. You're all coming in thick and fast with
how many seasons you've been farming. Remember it's seasons, not years,
So get your years and multiply it by four and
send in. So the text number is five double oh nine.
(22:05):
You need to text us the word win and how
many seasons you've been farming? Two five double o nine.
Don't forget your name and where you're listening from as
it stands at the moment, Michelle, I think, and this
doesn't matter at all. You can be farming for one season,
but the two hundred and sixty seasons is our record.
Do the maths on that's that's sixty five years of farming.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
That's almost as old as you, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
She well, it is, that's what I am. I haven't
been farming for sixty five years. Well, well, mind you.
I was reliving my youth last night. I watched online
because you couldn't get anywhere on Sky or anything. I
watched the London Marathon from the beginning to the end
and relived my past glories. Now you're a good runner, yeah,
(22:49):
was well, No, you're a good runner. You should run
the London Marathon. Seriously, I'd love to history. You're just
running past history. You know you're finishing, You're running past
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, you'd take a loop at Buckingham
Palace and finish three hundred and eighty five yards up
the Mail. It's wonderful and it.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
Was amazing line up there too, wasn't there.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Yeah, a couple of young guns. There was a young
bloke who I've forgotten his name, Kip Cloma or something
like that, who holds the world half marathon record at
something like fifty seven or fifty eight minutes for a
half marathon. They thought he might break two hours. He didn't,
but he finished second in his first ever marathon. So
it's just a magnificent thing to do. There you go
(23:33):
so keep sending your entries in for the Kiwaker Jackets
up next, Rural news and sports news before the end
of the year. The Farmer Panel and Bryce Mackenzie from
Groundswell Welcome back to the country. Twenty two away from
(23:56):
one in response a text and in response to the
dairy conversions, forestry is still marching on. That's the biggest
land use change going full steam in Hawks Bay before
the new rules kicking you. I didn't understand that from
the government. If they were determined to stop carbon farming
eating up good pastoral land, why didn't they kick the
(24:17):
new regulations in a wee bit earlier?
Speaker 6 (24:20):
Might do?
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Some might ask the Prince of the Provinces, Shane Jones,
the billion tree man, on that one on the show tomorrow.
But here's Michelle with the latest and rural news.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
The country's world news with Cob Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co
dot nz for your local stockist.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
The government's considering the future of financial support for farmers
and many parts of the North Island and the Upper
South Farmers struggling due to recent drought conditions can apply
for Rural Assistant payments from today. Applications can be made
with local Rural Support Trusts until late October, and Mark
Peterson sees that payments like these may have to become
(25:00):
more frequent over time. Of course, that drought causing massive
issues up in the North Island, isn't.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
It And it's not over? No, I don't think it is.
We're going to ask Adam Thompson, he's incado next on
the Country on our Farmer Panel. But I better do
sports news first.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Sports with AFCO Kiwi to the bone.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Since nineteen oh four, the Japan's male Sigo has reigned
supreme after a five way playoff to win the first
women's golf major of the year. Last year's LPGA Rookie
of the Year has prevailed after making birdie on the
replay of the eighteenth after the quintet or after a
(25:42):
quintet finished all at seven under one. Want to say,
poor Olidia, She's done really well. She was way off
the pace in that one. And Alexander Usik's rematch with
Daniel Dubois, who had a strange belt of illness before
he was due to fight. Joseph Parker has been set
down to decide boxing's undisputed heavyweight world champion set down
(26:06):
for July. That's gonna be good that you'd back the
Ukrainian on that one. Up next to the farmer panel.
Remember if you want the Kaiwaker jacket, this is stunning
piece of garment. Does that make sense? Ahead of duck
shooting duck hunting? Just text us on five doub nine
text the word how many seasons you've been farming? Your
(26:28):
name and where you're from? Up next to the farmer panel. Oh,
the eighties banana rama and shy boy, which wouldn't be
a very apt description for either of these two. The
farmer panel today Adam Thompson from Restore Native out of
(26:49):
the White Kaddow region and Craig Dairyman Hickman social media
star out of Mid Canterby. I'll start with you, dairy man.
Are you being bombarded in your area with new dairy conversions?
Is there another wave happening?
Speaker 9 (27:06):
I've there certainly another wave coming. The figures i've heard
have been about thirty five nationwide and thirteen to fifteen
in the Eken catchment. But it'll be nothing like the
early two thousands. I'm assuming that there'll be environmental controls
this time, and if people aren't allowed to increase their
nutrient loading from their existing land use, then it should
(27:26):
all be hunky dory. We'll just wait and see what
the exact regulations are.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yeah, if it doesn't harm the environment, let's go for it.
But yeah, we don't want sort of unadulterated expansion like
we had in the early two thousands. So got out
of control.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
There, it did.
Speaker 9 (27:40):
And of course, I mean all of the factories want,
all the processes want the extra milk. But back in
the early two thousands, Fonterra was forced to take the milk.
You could build a dairy farm anywhere you like in
the country, as inaccessible as you like, and Fonterra had
to take your milk. Those rules have changed, so I
think any conversions will be a lot more considered than
(28:00):
they were in the early two thousands.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Yep, the cowboy era has gone. Hey you in the
North Island. Adam Thompson former Xander MacDonald finalist finalist Adam No, Look,
so I didn't mention it. I didn't mention your lost
Terese Roberts. Look, someone's got to be second. What I
think happens to me golf on Saturdays. I always finished second.
Speaker 7 (28:24):
I won't say too much about that, but.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Radio any anyhow, talk to me about the drought. Is
it over?
Speaker 7 (28:31):
Yeah, Actually, it's funny. It's just pouring with rain now,
just in the last few minutes. It's just picked up.
But it's greened up. We got a little bit of
rain early April, most of the white out on me
quite a bit throughout easter period. So everyone's pretty happy.
You know, we had a really strong spring last year,
so I don't think production will be overall too affected,
but I think everyone sent in happy see. But the
(28:52):
green grass they got all the maze off, all that
was dry for most people. And yeah, where she's setting
up pretty well for winter warm.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
There's probably nowhere else in the Waycatto region where you
can put a dairy farmer.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
Is that well, it's pretty interesting.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
You know, there's horticulture you're talking about that earlier, putting
a bit of pressure on land use. Obviously lostyle blocks
and stuff as well. And you know Cray mentioned the
suppliers sort of scrapping for the milk. Well, you know
you've got the likes of Osi pop up down and
took it are and they've got over one hundred suppliers
now open country collecting sin Lay's milk and they're keen
to secure that, so there's probably more a competition around
(29:26):
actually getting supply up here.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Today, you want to talk about the community aspect of
the North Island drought, including the recovery and how that
ties in with a Kiwi project you're launching when on Wednesday,
and this is a protect Kiwi project.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
Yeah, so there's probably a bit of a slightly tenuous link,
but it has been awesome the way you know, we
come in adverse times and as raal communities who will
stick together, which is awesome. And it hasn't been a
terrible drought this year, just dry is it probably expecting
the wikido but.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
But yeah, we're doing.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
A skill project in our local area and tomorrow just
out of Cambridge there and we've got about four and
a half thousand hectares that we're looking to put pro
to control across and eventually get kiwi back into our backyard.
So yeah, pretty cool seeing the community come together. It's
a number of farms you're going to have traps across them,
and yeah, it's a great bunch of people and it's
just that these rural communities pulling together that you know,
(30:18):
just makes many farmers and meet you just realize how
much they do just aside from producing meat and milk.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
But how do you protect the kiwi's from the predators
when some of those predators are domesticated animals like dogs
and cats.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
Yeah, it's a bit of a journey and we're sort
of on a five year journey to make this the reality,
and it's going to come down to the buy and
of everyone in the community. You know, they've done a
great job in Wellington with the capital Kiwi and you know,
once people get into that heaven kiwi in the backyard,
they're little bits and pieces of keeping your dog tied
up or looking after your cat a bit better become
pretty simple. So it's pretty amazing what they've achieved. And
(30:52):
I think a community ca knock it out of the
park too.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
Okay, and Craig dairy Man Hickman out of mid Canterbury.
I don't know how much you're making out of your
YouTube videos on social media. I probably enough to retire,
i'd imagine, But you're farming. What are you going to
do with all your money this year? With your ten
dollars plus.
Speaker 9 (31:08):
You asked me that last tand well, sorry, I can't
think pretty quickly, didn't I?
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah, but you're steering down the barrel of ten dollars
and as long as Trump calls his jets or web
on tariffs, it could easily be ten dollars plus in
the coming season.
Speaker 9 (31:23):
Cos a is still rising. What I've got to add
another ten percent on my budget for my electricity bill
this year, I mean I irrogate my power cost me
twenty eight cents a kilo. That's going to be over
thirty cents next year. So obviously got somebody coming out
on Wednesday, Weather Permitting to give us a quote to
solar panels and we'll see if we can invest some
of that money in in mitigating further cost rises and
(31:46):
just future proofs of farmer bit. So we've done collars,
we've done auto drafting, We've done and said feeding solar
is the next on the agenda.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
So you'll get to the stage where your farm will
be that automated. You'll a better sit on your lazy
boy in do YouTube videos. Everything will be run, but
everything will be run from your app on your phone.
Speaker 8 (32:07):
Log.
Speaker 9 (32:08):
Hope you were talking about Mike Hosking before. We don't
forget that no matter how successful people get, their man
still have to bacum his own mother Ardi. So I'm
sure I'll find something.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
I have to do.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Yeah, well he's worse than you dairy farmers are. I
think he gets out of bed at two point fifteen
to prep for a six o'clock show. I mean that's
a work.
Speaker 9 (32:25):
Ethic, absolutely, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Okay, just to finish on Adam, what are you up to?
Speaker 7 (32:35):
Yeah, we're just about to start putting trees in the ground,
which is awesome bit of moisture round. We've just finished
carving on the farm, so we order to carve our
little beef food. So nice to have a little bit
of green grass to put him too. But yeah, the
next few months are all going to be about planting trees.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Yeah, saving him, saving, saving the planet. And Craig, what
are you up to?
Speaker 9 (32:55):
We've got eighty millimeters of rain pourgout over the next
couple of days, so we'll be practicing something we don't
do very often in mid genery, which is wet weather farming.
We will be drawing the cab off and sitting back
in the lazy boy counting the money I guess got
on you.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Hey, thanks for your time today, guys, and it's good
to hear that that North Island drought is almost coming
to an end. Craig Pickman and Adam Thompson Today's Farmer
Panel take a break. On the other side of it,
the co founder of Groundswell, Bryce McKenzie, who's he got
in his sites Agri zero n Z plus the government.
(33:31):
He wants us out of the Paris Accord. This is
banana rama. And I heard a rumor. I heard a rumor.
This is me, not Banana rama. I heard a rumor
(33:51):
that Bryce McKenzie and Lurie Patterson, the co founders of
ground Swell, will not be getting a Christmas card from
Wayne McNee and team at Agri Zero n Z. Bryce,
hang on, let me turn. I've got to work out
how to drive this thing again. You might go, I
mean your faders are now apologies away.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
You go, yeah, I know it's a bit of a
disaster really us not getting a Christmas card from them,
But however, we don't go around looking to get Christmas
cards from feoble any Jamie.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Are you just trying to make yourself relevant on being
playing devil's advocate here because Feds. It's interesting. There was
a really good story in the Herald over the weekend
and I read on my way back about you know,
the battle that's happening within the Coalition government and how
the advent of you guys, Groundswell and twenty twenty made
the FEDS take a stronger line and to be fair
(34:41):
to Federated farmers, Bryce, and you've got to take some
of the credit for this. I reckon they've shown them,
they've bared their teeth awe, but in recent years, and
that's exactly what we want.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Yeah, you did, right, Jamie, and you have to congratulate them.
I'm actually starting to really stand up. That's been long
over due and it's great to see.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Okay, So go back to Agri zero n Z. You're
saying they're taking their taxpayer funded Wasiste global.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Yeah exactly. I mean the whole thing is, Jamie, we
need to put everything in perspective and New Zealand is
only responsible for zero point one seven percent of world
of missions and here we are spending millions trying to
cut ours while you've got countries with the likes of China,
and I mean their target for twenty thirty is to
(35:30):
peak their COE two missions. I mean, that's the target,
is to try and peak it. And apparently the way
behind that target and here we are looking at cutting
ours by fifty percent. The whole thing's just a rule.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Yeah. But Bryce, you know what the government will say
about this, because I know that you guys at Groundswell
and the feeds are questioning whether we should be in
the Paris Accord. And now you've even got the likes
of ACT in New Zealand first, who are perhaps disagreeing
with the National led government on whether we should be
in or out.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
Yeah. Look, I can see it becoming quite an election
issue because it's just a tip of the iceberg, all
these agreements. I mean, we're going to be up for
if we fail, we could be up for something like
twenty four billion. Well, goodness, gracious me, where's that going
to come from. I know some of the politicians are saying, oh, no, no,
we won't have to pay it. Well, we don't have
(36:20):
to pay it. Why on earth do we have assign
an agreement?
Speaker 3 (36:24):
You're talking far too much common sense their Bryce.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Well, nobody's questioning it, Jamie. But you know, I think
what we need to look at is people are getting
more and more annoyed about the charges and the increase
of products and services that are going on. And we
know what happens with those. There's somebody on the board
or somebody on some committee and they decide to give
(36:51):
some of the profits or even in some cases some
of the losses to some do good organization to stand
on our behalf. Well, boy, they take the credit for
it when we've made the sacrifice. But what gives these
people the idea that they know how to spend our
money better than what they do. We've got people contacting
(37:12):
us that can't book meals on the table, and here
they are expecting these blooming great rate rises. I mean,
I've got our subject a wee bit, Jamie, but it's
along those lines, and all this money's given into these
too good or projects.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Hey, talking about money, what are you going to do
with all yours? This year? You're a west Otago dairy
farmer and you've had a pretty good season down there,
and west Otago is a great farming area, used to
be the sheep farming capital of the country.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Just quickly, yeah, look, Jamie, it has been a good
season production wise, that's been the best with experience, so
it has. That's been really kind to us once we
got through the spring, and we have a lot of
feed ahead of us even now, so we've got a
lot to be grateful for. I don't think we have
the trouble, but let the money's going to go. There's
(37:58):
lots of people here with their hands out, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Indeed, and yes, indeed, including people wanting to pay carbon
credits overseas. There we go, Bryce Mackenzie, Groundswell co founder.
We'll catch you back tomorrow. Prince of the Province of
Shane Jones on the show.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Catch all the Latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
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