The Country 20/05/25: Kate Acland talks to Jamie Mackay

The chairwoman of Beef + Lamb NZ  comments on her recent trip to Europe and the US, and on a good season, but a much-needed one, for sheep and beef farmers. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The last time we chatted to Kate Acklin's chair of
Beef and Lamb New Zealand, she was in Europe and Brussels.
No less, she's made away home via the US where
she's been or was meeting with some US cattleman Kate,
good afternoon, Welcome to the country from Wellington. Where you're
doing around the meetings today? Did you have to wear
a ten gallon hat into your meeting in Texas?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hi, Jamie, No, I didn't, but they did have very
cool hattholds at the door of their boardrooms, so I
thought that was quite good.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Now, that was just an assumption from me that the
meeting with the cattleman was in Texas, was it? No?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
No, no. I was in Washington, DC with the Cattleman's
Association and you know, their Meat Industry Association, and the
next meeting Exported Federation. So really good round of meetings,
just trying to cement those strong relationships we've got over there.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Now, you were saying to me that over there we're
kind of viewed as the good guys.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, look, we are very much viewed as one of
the good guys. I mean what I got an understanding
of it. It's very much in America first strategy in everything,
and so it's all about how can our exports to
America help America do better. And we're in a really
good position because we've seen a lot of lean beef
trim there that actually adds value to the US producer

(01:17):
sati or off cuts. So you know they do need
to import that lean beef trim and you know they
do see us as a good guy.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Sheep and beef farmers a wall aside have had a
really good season, no other way to describe it. Beef
is a record prices. It's been good all year. Lamb
far exceeded expectations as to what we might get for it.
Do you see that continuing into twenty five twenty six.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Look, it has been a good season and you know
we're probably to be Frank needed to continue and build
from here into twenty five twenty six. But you know
there is a global shortage of protein in Australia, EU,
UK all have sheep was continuing to drop like they
are in New Zealand. We know the US beef head
at seventy year low. So I think that global shortage

(02:07):
of protein will continue to see good outcomes.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
For US on farm sheep and beef. Farmers have voted
unsurprisingly to approve beef and lamb New Zealand signing an
operational agreement between the ag sector and the government on
foot and mouth disease readiness and response. You got an
overwhelming result ninety six percent voting in support of it.
But I would put it to U Kate that turkeys

(02:32):
don't vote for an early Christmas. You'd have to have
rocks in your head not to vote to do something
to prevent foot and mouth getting into this country.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Look, we were really pleased to get that strong support,
and you know it was quite a technical It was
quite a technical issues. Though it was really great that
we had other two thousand farmers sort of read and
understand it and vote on it. You know, it's important
that we have the ability to be part of the
decision making process if we get an upbreak. But probably

(03:01):
more importantly, this agreement is about the things we can
do to be ready and make sure that it doesn't
get here.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
On the first place, talking about the farming season, how's
your farming season going in Canterbury? Because one thing you
haven't lacked this season is moisture.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
We have had a great season in mid Canterbury. I
know not all of Canterbury has been the same, but
we've I think it started raining on the fifteenth of December.
It was looking a bit scary for a while, but
started raining on the fifteenth of December and it hasn't stopped.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Well long may it continue, perhaps not through the winter, though,
Let's hope for another grassy season in Canterbury next season.
Hey Kate Acklin, thanks for some of your time from Wellington.
Enjoy your round of meetings. Are sooner you than me.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Thanks Jamie must at all.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
And I'll see you at field Days.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Very good