The Country 06/05/25: Rick Ladd talks to Jamie Mackay

Brandt’s Director of Sales talks about Trump, tariffs, and tractors.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Trump and Tariff's two words we just can't escape from
these days. How's it going to affect New Zealand farmers
when it comes to imported farm machinery? Well, let's ask
Rick Lad. I love that name, director of sales at
Branda naming sponsors here on the country. Of course, the
countdown to field days has begun. It is business at

(00:20):
the front, party at the back. More about that later,
But Rick Lad, talk to me about the cost of
tractors because of Trump's tariffs? Are they getting more expensive?
Good afternoon, by the way.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, gooday, Jamie. The short answer is are they going
to get more expensive? Yes, you know, and directly from
the tariffs here and now we're not seeing that flow
through to pricing right now, but we believe that there
will be on the horizon, There's no doubt in it.
And you know, only thirty percent of our tractors that

(00:56):
we do source, which are the high horse spur attractives,
are actually and poured it out of our US factory
in Waterloo, the sevens eighth nine series tractors. However, the
other seventy percent are coming out of our German European
factory Manheim. So right now what's on the on the
floor is not going to get affected, and what's on

(01:17):
the water if mark pre sold. But there will be
price increases coming, there's no doubt about it.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
And of course you of course you sell green tractors,
John Dair tractors. As you said, thirty percent out of
the US, seventy percent out of Germany. I'm assuming the
German tractors won't be affected by the tariffs or indirectly
are they affected as well?

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well? Yeah, I guess in terms of the tariff no,
the stage however, you know, it's just really how that
tariff impacts the effects, you know, in terms of foreign exchange.
So you know, that's that's the bit that's daunting. You know,
that's the that's very volatile and unpredictable right now for US,
and and that's our big concern right now.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Has John Dare been moving factories back or production back
into the States as Trump.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Wants not for more of heard as yet you know
that said, what what what has happened? And this, you know,
COVID really brought this to the table, is the volatility
at the moment when it comes to supply chains or componentry.
So you know, we are very reliant on Ie China
bringing in some of this the componentry into the US.

(02:28):
Now where John, what John de have done is really
spread that risk more domestically, So now starting to rely
more on US suppliers to get that componentry to take
out that risk of shipping of course, and also the tariff.
Now it's all well and good, Jamie, but unfortunately that
does come at a cost as well. So yeah, I

(02:51):
don't think that's been brought through correctly myself personally, but
it does come at as cost.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
I reckon field days is going to be good this year,
and I say that because the returns for a lot
of the farming sectors are good. But there's also a
built up or a pent up demand because farmers haven't
been in a position in the last probably since COVID
for a lot of them to upgrade or update farm machinery.

(03:16):
What do you reckon?

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, no, I agree. Like, Hey, when we last spoke Jamie,
or we saw that first wave earlier in the year
that came through after January. That was really cool to see.
You know, as soon as that multi ten dollar payout happened,
we saw that react in the industry. You know, we're
not going to shy away from the fact. You know,
we understand that things have been pretty tough. You know,
there's a bit of debt recovery there that's needed. And
for us as a as a as attractor machinery supply,

(03:42):
what can we do to really soften that blow? You know,
how can we give a bit of consistency for them
and budgeting for the next few years. So you know,
we're going to get frelly aggressive at the field days
this year. We've got to attractive of five h ninety
five m and we're going to be and hey, I'll
sat here right now. If someone walks through the door
today wanted a field d special in a five h
ninety five m, we'll do it. So, yeah, we're going

(04:04):
to have a point ninety five percent finance on their
tractor for five years and we're going to put a
five year warranty together as well to support that tractor.
So that's going to give the farmer some consistency for
the next five years, helping out through a pretty tough
time and keep back to them what they're what they're
good at, and what they enjoyed.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
Good on you, Rick, lad I won't say what I
was going to say, because I always call you the
seventies porn star, and I know you get a bit
of stick from your mates when I say that, but
it just keeps going around in this head of mine,
which has no filter. Hey, great to catch up. Actually
you could have been from Days of Our Lives or
Dallas or Dynasty, one of those sort of seventy soap
operas with a name like that.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
I'll speak to what I'm going that, mate, Good to
what I'm doing.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
Good you stick to selling John Days. I'll behave myself,
promise to be I'm my best behavior at field Days.
Remember it is business at the front, party at the back.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
This year good stuff, awsn't Jamie