The Country 11/06/25: Mike Casey talks to Jamie Mackay

The innovative Central Otago cherry orchardist says Fieldays is a “dream come true” and his favourite day of the year. He talks about encouraging farmers to farm energy through solar panels, and an “epic” cherry season.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What a legend Richie McCaw Monty Beetham, Dame Valerie Adams.
And this is almost anti climactic. I shouldn't say that,
should I? Mike No, No, I know my plan. I know, Mike,
Mike Casey, the electric cherry Man. It could be worse.
I could get the MP for Northland up. He wants
to get up here. I love the MP for Northland.

(00:20):
He's happy to be the MP for Northfold. Hey mate,
there's a big announcement coming from Environment Minister Simon Watts
at one o'clock. You're gonna let us in on the secret.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
I actually don't know what that announcement is yet. Grant's
been filling me in a little bit, but it's happened
at two o'clock today, heading over to the Advuracy tent
next to find out exactly what there are going to
be offering farmers on solar. But it's been an absolutely
massive field days for us with the announcement of ASP
zero percent loan Farmland's coming together with new turnkey solutions
for farmers.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
It's pretty much for me, well literally like a pig
and muck at the moment, aren't.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
You one hundred percent? This is my favorite day of
the year. And finally some of the stuff that we've
been asking for is getting delivered on which is epic.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Does I feel sorry for missus Casey, because when you're
that wrapped up on solar panels, you'll probably forget about her.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Rebecca looks at how much we invoice contact energy every month.
She's an accountant. She changes her mind pretty quick on
that front.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Okay, I see you on social media all the time,
Mike Casey encouraging farmers to farm power, farm energy farm.
You know, solar panels. How good is it? How easy
is it?

Speaker 2 (01:20):
It's getting a lot easier now thanks to farmlands, thanks
to ASB and hopefully these announcements coming up. Main thing
is it's just proven to be so economical on farm.
We can generate aultricity really cheaply, we can sell it
back to the grid at much higher prices. I just
think it's another revenue stream for farmers, and more importantly
than that, I think farmers are going to do a
lot to bring down the ultriacy price of everyone in
the country. And that's what I'm pretty pumped about.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
To be honest, you're also pumped about your cherries, your
organic cherries, your solar energy powered cherries. How was the season?

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Season was epic. Yeah, we had a full first food
production year and I have to say we're in the black,
which was lovely. Where committed to helping that the government
are double export revenues through cherries, and I think the
cherry industry has done their part, which has been awesome.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
So horticulture, I mean we talk about and Grant and
his mates at the National Party talk about doubling export
revenue in the next decade, and I think dairy is
going to have to do some of the lifting, but
probably the easiest one would be horticulture.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Where we're here to help as best we can with
the small industry that we've got and can't wait to
just keep growing our space really well.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Mike Casey, thank you very much. I'll look for you
to Jamie. I'll look forward to the announcement at two
o'clock from Simon, Environment Minister