June 11, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Ray Smith, Miles Hurrell, Chris Hipkins, Todd McClay, Todd Charteris, Samuel Whitelock, Kate Scott, Mike Green, and Hugh Jackson.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Brent. You're specialist in
John Dee machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
God, Oh my God, Gaday news Ellen, Welcome to the Country.
My headset is too loud. That is Dennis Brian Wilson.
Should I say from the beach boys. God only knows?
(00:34):
Of course, he passed away at the ripe old age
of eighty two, And I guess that's a nice segue
into our first guest on the Country today. He is
the director General of MPI. His name is Ray Smith,
and Ray, I'm going to say to you, God only
knows what we would do without the primary sector. Do
you like what I did there?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, Asu, Jamie has some pretty good vibrations in the
primary seat. Usually right at the moment. What an absolute blockbus.
That's announcement. We've got nearly sixty billion dollars in export innings,
three billion dollars more than we could have forecast, a
twelve percent growth rate, and almost across all categories of
the primary sectors.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
So look, I think a lot of.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Growers, producers, farmers, big processing companies, people working in market think,
if you're really proud to be a key today knowing
that the world wants our products.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hey, when I was a kid growing up, there said
program on TV, we're doing nostalgia. Here are called the
six million dollar man. I really wanted to call you
the sixty billion dollar man, but you just came up short.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Look, we really pushed our economists there to try and
find that last little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
So look, you know, if we could have just.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Got a little bit more out of the wine industry,
we would have been okay. I mean, they've had a
bit of a tough year, to be fair to them.
But look, everyone, look, once we get to the final focus,
you never know, we might just get across that sixty
billion dollar line.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Well, god on you. So fifty nine point nine billion
for the year end of June thirty, twenty twenty five.
Here's an interesting number, sixty five point seven billion by
twenty twenty nine. That is four years away. Now, the
government has ordered you, right as a government servant, a
servant to double export primary sector exports in a decade.
(02:14):
You're going to have to do a bit better than that.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Look, I think we've got to try and raise it
up to one hundred and six billion by twenty thirty four,
So we're looking about another twenty five percent lift and
performance across that.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Period of time.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
But if you if you think about it, another two
billion people are going to join the world between now
and twenty fifty.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
New Zealand has a temperate climate.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
You know, climate change will affect everyone, but it will
affect us less than almost everybody else.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
We're going to have great growing conditions.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
And look, I think the world's going to want our
products more of the countries, the sort of middle income
un in countries, their wealth is growing, they want to
eat the things they want to consume the things that
we produce. I'm very confident that the way New Zealand
produces protein and amazing fruit products. You know, even even
if you get down to wool, you know will on
a bit of a resurgence and if you hear it
(03:01):
field days, you want to get downe and have a
look at the wool site because there's just so many
more things we can do with New Zealand's natural products.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
We're going to be talking to Miles Hurrald, chief executive
of Fonterra, and just a tick. They're doing a lot
of the heavy lifting. The dairy industry. Of that sixty
billion twenty seven billion, nearly half of it belongs to
the dairy sector. And I we're going to talk to
Miles about that one. But I put it to you,
if you are to double these exports in the next decade,
(03:28):
I think you're going to have to look to horticulture.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Well, I think what New Zealand will do is it'll
do more of what it's best in the world at.
And what New Zealand's best in the world at is
growing protein. So you know, we've got amongst the best
farming capabilities in the world. We've got a climate in
Swirls that are amazing for growing product. So I think
we'll do more dairy farming. I think we'll do more
(03:52):
she can beef farming. I think we'll grow horticulture. If
you look at kiwifruit, it's now nearly four billion dollars,
it's grown by a billion in a year.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
That's that's that's phenomenal growth.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
But you know you see twelve percent growth in dairy production,
just sixteen percent in just in one year. The world
wants those products will keep growing in the things that
we're best in the world out jamming.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Now dairy has been number one for quite a while.
Meat and wall mainly meat, let's be honest, has been
a solid number two. Horticulture and forestry used to be
dead even at third equal. Horticulture has stolen a jump
on forestry, but it was good to see forestry jumping
back nine percent to be up to six point three billion,
because it's been tough for that industry.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yeah, it's been pretty hard in the forestry sector. I
mean forestry. You know, fifty two percent of all of
our kind of forestry wood process products go into China,
into that China market. So we're very dependent on what's
happening in the China market, and we know that building
and construction has been flat there as they've looked to
kind of stimulate the economy. Now we've sent a bit
of a lift in finished wood products, just over a
(04:57):
billion dollars in Actually that's been helped by pen Impact
getting its millback up and running in the Hawk's Bay
following the big cyclone.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Interesting of all the slides, you showed it your wonderful
presentation there this morning to the industry. Our export markets,
China still dominates. We're sending thirty one percent of what
we export to China. The United States has taken over
a second, Australia's third, just ahead of the EU. It's
not that long ago that Australia was number one.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well that's right, but that free trade agreement that was
signed up with China some years back now has really
unleashed the huge potential of New Zealand's growers to get
into a market that's.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Really now very mature.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Our relationships and look I when I was in China
just a month or so ago, My relationships with my
counterpart agencies in China.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Is very warm.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
We can work through all sorts of market access issues together.
The logistics of trading between New Zealand and China are
well established. Our companies have huge representation in China. I mean,
I think Fonterra has something like seven hundred people based
in China, and other companies have a large presence in China.
So it's a really critical market to us, and we
have a particular trade architecture with China which I think
(06:09):
will guarantee that you'll see products going there and US
getting good returns off them for many years to come.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, Ray Smith, I know it's been a very good
day for the primary sector. Well done. This is the
bloke who's running MPI, Ray Smith. Well let's talk about dairy.
We'll bring him up to the podium. Here at Mystery Creek,
day two, sun shining out there by the way, if
you're wondering where that to turn up. And this man is,
of course the chief executive of Fonterra, I'm going to
(06:35):
ask you to start with miles, how did you How
did you get to Mystery Creek this morning? Did you
walk across the Whitecado River because it appears to me
that you're walking on water at the moment. There you go.
How's that for an opening?
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Good afternoon, Jamie. It looks great to be here.
Speaker 6 (06:49):
No I drove here like everyone else, put up the traffic,
but I was here early this morning. We hosted the
Prime Minister actually in our team, which is great.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So let's have a look at these numbers. Derry export
revenue lifting sixteen percent to reach a record twenty seven billion.
We've been talking, we talked to Ray about doubling export
or primary sector export income in the next decade. We're
gonna have to go. We're gonna have to improve things
a week. But how much can dairy do well.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
I think what you've seen in the last two or
three years in particular, is that the demand for New
Zealand protein New Zealand dairy continues to grow, and at
the same time you've seen a retrenchment from some of
the markets. We see Europe not not exporting as much
as they once did. We've seen North America slow down
on the back of probably decent, decent beef prices actually
from a so therefore, from a dairy perspective, we've not
seen a lot of milk out of North America, so
(07:39):
that leaves that the market in a pretty good state
from our perspective. We've seen China re emerge from a
from a demand perspective, and they're nowhere near back to
where they were in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 5 (07:48):
So I think you see China pick up to.
Speaker 6 (07:50):
Where they were with that that supply not coming through
at the rates that we'd seen previously, I think the
outlook's very good for dary.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Can I ask you about Trump's tariffs, because I know
that with the red meat industry, particularly with grinding beef
heading into the US, the Americans just seem to be happy. Well,
they haven't got much choice that is paying the ten percent,
and it's the customer over there that's paying. What about
the dairy industry.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
Yeah, very much the same story.
Speaker 6 (08:17):
You know, at a macro level, no one likes to
see tariffs put on their products. And you know, we're
certainly advocates of free trade in this part of the world.
But you know, at the end of the day, if
there's a ten percent tariff that goes on all products
from all markets, we're all back.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
To a level playing field, and therefore we can manage that.
Speaker 6 (08:31):
And I think for the last couple of months our
team have done a pretty good job that said. You know,
we don't like to see these embedded for the long term,
and it just creates uncertainty. And as you say, the
end consumer in North America is actually starting to pay
for this, and we'll probably see that retrenchment in that
North American market as a result.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
That's the more worrying sign I think.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Okay, let's talk about improved productivity or improved increased production
out of the dairy industry. I know it's a bit
of a well, it's a bit of a hoary chestnut, really,
isn't it. Dairy con since they're back on the table.
I understand that could be twenty or thirty or more
in Canterbury. What are you hearing?
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Yeah, I was certainly hearing sort of either around the ten.
Ten to twelve I think is the number I've picked
up this year, But it is moving a little bit
and we may see a few more conversions next year.
And I think there's some people out there that are
questioning is this the right thing to do? But I
think if you go back to that significant conversions in
the early two thousand and twenty ten, we know a
heck of a lot more now than what we did
(09:27):
back then, and we know how to farm, and our
farmers do a fantastic job, and so let's learn from
the things that we've done on in the past few years.
And we've got great technologies you see here at Field
Days that can help us on that. So now we're
certainly supportive of seen that growth. If we're going to
see this new Zealand economy step up to the plate,
I think it's important that that dairy and the agricultural
(09:48):
sector as a whole leads the way.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Okay, final question for you, how enthusiastic boyant are those
Fonterra Farmer shareholders in your tent there, Oh look at it.
It's actually more than a tent. It's a small village.
Speaker 7 (09:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Well, I don't want to get ahead of himself in
this game. But look, the conversations we've had the last
couple of days have been phenomenal and the huge support
for the cooperative. We're undertaking significant change, as a number
of you will know, and just to see the momentum
and the support and you know, we'll get on and
do what we can in those markets. But at the
end of the day it comes back to the great
milk that our pharmachyholders provide.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
So thank you for all the support that's out there.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Well done, Miles Hurrell, you and the team at Fonterra
doing a great job. I'm desperately looking around for Chippy
Chris Hipkins. Oh there he goes. So we're going to
take a break here on the country. We're going to
talk to Chris Hipkins, of course, labor leader. We'll see
what sort of reception he's been getting at field days.
Todd mcclay's the Minister of Agriculture and Trade. He's on
the show. Yesterday we had Richie mccare one hundred and
(10:44):
forty eight tests for the All Blacks today the bloke
who went a few better Samuel Whitelocke one hundred and
fifty three farmstrong. Ambassador Todd Charter is from Rabobank, Kate
Scott from the Buoyant Horticulture Industry, Chief Executive of bor
To Culture, New Zealand. And if I can find a
Mike Green, the man behind the Rural Support Trust dinner
(11:04):
last night, and he's over there. That raised an excess
of three hundred thousand dollars. So all that to come
before the end of the hour on the Country. It's
eighteen after twelve, twenty one after twelve on the Country,
brought to you by Brent beach Boy Beach Boys musical
(11:25):
theme today. Just before I forget, we had Monty Betham
on the show yesterday from One New Zealand. He was
here with One New Zealand for the Warriors and we
gave out a couple of tickets. Were the chance to
win a couple of tickets to the sold out game
against the Panthers reigning premieres on June the twenty first,
just a couple of weeks away, and the winner is
Dennis Latham in Piro. You enjoy your day out at
(11:48):
go Media Stadium, Dennis, Thanks for listening. We appreciate it.
Chris Hipkins, Labor leader, leader of the Opposition. What sort
of reception are you getting here at field days, Chris?
Because it'll be fair today than fair to say. Should
I say the Nats are absolutely swarming this is their
home patch?
Speaker 7 (12:05):
Well?
Speaker 8 (12:05):
Yeah, I mean, look, you know, I think we still
get a lot of support from rural communities and the
reception has been really positive farmers, even those who don't
vote for us, and there's a lot of them still
pretty appreciative of the fact that we hear.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Do you get any grief while you're wandering around? And
the reason I ask you that I was at the dinner,
the Rural Support Trust inner last night and I was
sitting on the table beside one of Christopher Luxon's security people,
and he was here about two or three years ago
when Jacinda copped all that grief completely wrongly and absolutely
showing no respect for the office of Prime minister, whether
you like the Prime minister or not. Do you get
(12:41):
any of that grief?
Speaker 8 (12:42):
No, it's been pretty great, actually, I mean generally speaking
like I said, even people who disagree with you will
come up and they're still pretty respectful and that's really good.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Good to see Labour spokes for Joe Luxton here, Hello Joe.
But when you and I say this to her all
the time, and she says to just be patient. But
when you guys to come out with some agg policy.
Speaker 8 (13:02):
You'll see agriculture policy from Labor probably early next year.
The reason that we're not doing it now is we
are reviewing a lot of our agriculture policy and we
want to make sure that we're keeping up with what
the government are doing. We're not going to cancel things
that they're doing that are sensible that we agree with.
So as they announce new stuff, if it's sensible, if
we agree with it, then we'll continue with that. So
(13:22):
probably early next year you'll see some clear assigns from
us about things that we might do differently.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Well, the government has taken agriculture out of the ETS,
so are you going to follow suit? There is that
a sensible policy.
Speaker 8 (13:33):
So that's one of the things that we've gone under
review at the moment is issues around climate change and farming,
and there's a lot of active discussion around methane, the
difference where the methane should be treated differently to carbon.
So we're following the science there pretty closely, and we've
had a lot of discussion with the farming community about that.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
If you want to win the treasury benches, you've got
a couple of problems to Party Mari and the Greens
in my mind, but anyhow, that's just me. The other
thing is you're not going to convince the primary sector.
I don't think to vote for a center left government.
Speaker 8 (14:05):
I think the reality is, regardless of who you vote for,
the government of the day needs to have a working
relationship with the primary sector. Even if there are plenty
of people in the primary sector who vote a different way,
if there's a labor government or a government led by labor,
we've still got to have a positive working relationship, and
I think we can do that. So, you know, I've
always been realistic in my engagement with the farming community
(14:27):
around you know, whether or not we're here to get votes,
were certainly here to generate good will so that we
can work together.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
When you took over from Jacinda Ardann in what early
twenty twenty three, wasn't it, Yeah, after her shock resignation.
It was for a lot of us. Anyhow, you came
out and openly said that Labor had made the Labor
government had made a lot of mistakes when it came
to dealing with agriculture.
Speaker 8 (14:49):
Yeah, I don't think we had the strength of relationships
that you need to have. And again, I'm realistic about
the fact that you have to work with people who
you disagree with, and you have to work with people
who don't necessarily vote for you. But you've got to
have a good work relationship. And I think by the
beginning of twenty twenty three, it's clear that our working
relationship with the primary sector wasn't where we needed it
to be.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Is that why you're seeing Joe out there? Because she's nice.
Speaker 8 (15:10):
I think Joe's been very very well received by the
farming community.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well compared to Damien was like a red rag to
a ball.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Well.
Speaker 8 (15:17):
Look, and actually Damien is here at Field Days two
and still has a great relationship across the primary sector
as well. And you know, a lot of the you know,
meeting people here through at field Days they say, look,
we see Damien here every year. He has been coming
every year for twenty plus years. And they do appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Okay, the final question for you, and hopefully you heard
Ray Smith and Miles Hurrell talking nearly sixty billion dollars
from the primary sector. We are in an economic hole.
The only way out. You might argue otherwise, but a
lot of us think the only way out is these
guys the primary sector. Do you buy into that, well,
I think, well.
Speaker 8 (15:52):
Certainly the primary sector is critical to New Zealand's economy,
but we've also got to recognize that the primary sector
is going to go through significant change in the couple
of decades, whether we like it or not, so following
the science is really really important. I'm off to Denmark
over the weekend to look at what they're doing there
because the food technology around the world is changing the
nature of farming and we've got to make sure in
(16:14):
New Zealand that we're keeping up with that. The last
thing we want is for the Golden Goose, our primary sector,
to get left behind. So we've got to make sure
we're keeping up with science. We're going to make sure
we're keeping up with technology and innovation, and I do
think the government needs to partner with the primary sector
to make sure that happens.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Okay, Chris Hitkins, thank you very much for your time.
I appreciate it. There we go, Chris Hipkins Labor. Actually,
Todd McLay, if you just wander up here, Agriculture and
Trade Minister, because I know he's a busy man and
he's got so many events to get to and go
to very shortly. By the way, Samuel Whitelocke, the farm
Strong Ambassador. Farmstrong turns ten years old. Sam Whitelock's been
(16:51):
with them for nine of those years. Todd, good to
see you, mate. It's unusual for you not to be
or to be in New Zealand these days.
Speaker 9 (16:57):
Well, I'm normally on airplane with my red bands on
your right me clean them at the border. But good
to be here, Jamie. There is a fantastic feeling around
the show at the moment, and I think it's because
and I did like some of the things Chris Hipkins
just said. Actually, across our Parliament you have got people
celebrating the hard work of men and women in primary
New Zealander, and that's a New Zealand that's a really
(17:19):
good thing.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I think Chris Hipkins is a bit of a pragmatist.
He's probably more farmer friendly than previous labor leaders. But
his problem, as I pointed out to him, is not
his Labor party, it's his coalition partners.
Speaker 9 (17:31):
I think that's one of a number of problems you're
going to have.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
But you're right.
Speaker 9 (17:34):
The next government, if he's going to lead, it will
have the Maori Party and the Green Party, and there
it doesn't matter what he says on the stage with you,
they are going to make it hard for him to
do anything good for provincial New Zealand for our farmers.
But I did hear him this week say that they
were having a look at their climate change policy, and
I have an offer for him. If he wants to
be sensible, then I'm willing to work with labor because
(17:56):
what the primary sector needs is certainty, not in this
term of parliament, but for decades to come. You are right,
they are, you know, from the grassroots, rebuilding our economy.
Actually that always happens, and so we're going to find
a way between our parties to stop bickering and do
what's right for our farmers. Get some good common sense
rules in place so they could just get on a farm.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, you had some bipartisan approach courtesy of James Shaw.
What a shame He's still not with the Greens around
the zero carbonate.
Speaker 9 (18:24):
They well, we're going to have to do some hard
work on that because we took agriculture out of the
emissions trading scheme. We have to meet our international obligations,
no question, but we have to do that without shutting
down farms or sending jobs and production overseas.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Chris was right.
Speaker 9 (18:41):
There are opportunities to use innovation and it's as simple
as this. The last government set a target a ten
percent reduction of mess owing by twenty thirty. We're on
track to do that, but we can't do another ten
percent of the same way because that came at the
expense of sheep and beef farmers from planting trees. And
you will have seen that I have introduced to Parliament
this week the ban on full forest conversions and then
(19:02):
ultimately we can use technology to do the rest, but
we cannot put farmers out of business to achieve that.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
So I said this to the through this at the
Prime Minister yesterday. You know, are you shutting the stable
door after the horse has bolted? With the carbon farming?
Speaker 9 (19:18):
No we're not, although two hundred and fifty thousand hat
dares of predominantly sheepland was planted since the etist came
into effect. The rules the new law will be passed
by October of this year. It'll take effect from December
fourth of December last year, and all it says is
that farmers can plant if they want to, but we're
(19:38):
going to put risks, very very clear restrictions on that
because we must produce this high quality, safe food that
the world wants and we have to protect our rural communities.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Hey, just to finish on these numbers that came out
this morning on the soapy, the Situation and Outlook report
from the MPI outstanding.
Speaker 9 (19:55):
Absolutely outstanding.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Not surprising.
Speaker 9 (19:57):
Comes on the back of a couple of good seasons
of grass growth, which is really good for dairy. But
we're seeing sheep and beef numbers up, horticulture up across
the board, so we're producing more. Farmers are working harder
for that, but we're getting better access to markets around
the world, and I think that actually the figures in
there for years to come will be surpassed by the
(20:18):
hard work of a farmers on behalf of the government,
all three parties. There can I thank them for their
hard work and say we recognize what they're doing. They
are rebuilding the economy. They deserve every news end of
recognizing that and thanking them for it.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
There you go, Todd McCay, Minister of Agriculture and Trade,
doing a really good job. Okay, we're going to take
a break. On the other side of it, I'm looking.
I'm scanning the horizon for someone who's about six inches
taller than everybody else, namely Sam Whitelock. But I can't
see him. Is he here? Have we got them? Okay,
he's outside, So we'll try to get Samuel Whitelock. After
(20:52):
the break, we might have Rowena with rural news, and
we've got a bit of sports news for you as well.
It's spang On twelve.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
To thirty news with lawn Maaster helping you muster your
lawns for over seventy five years. Visit steel Ford dot
co dot nz for your local stock guest.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Okay, Mark Kelly doing an excellent job of paneling in Auckland.
What happened to the beach boys? Mark? Straight into the
rural new sting. That means Rowena duncan Well.
Speaker 10 (21:17):
The government's back expanding the voluntary nature credits scheme. It
rewards farmers, EWE and conservation groups caring for their land.
Speaking at field Day's Associate Education Minister, I think that's
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard sayes international and domestic investors
want high quality nature and carbon credits that meet global standards.
(21:38):
He says New Zealand companies spent millions last year on
nature and carbon credits, mainly offshore. Privately funded pilot projects
are underway to test how nature credit markets might work
in New Zealand. And just while I've got the microphone here, Jamie, look,
if you're out there and you're thinking about breeding, you hoggits,
or maybe you're already doing it and want better results.
(21:58):
Episode two our podcast series Optimizing Lamb Survival is out now.
It's brought to you by Beef and Lamb New Zealand,
hosted by me and In it, I catch up with
Professor Paul Kenyon, professor of sheep Husbandry and head of
Agriculture and Environment at Massi University, and also Riveton farmer
Jordi Eid. Now they unpack everything from selecting the right
(22:20):
hoggits to feed, planning through pregnancy and lactation, and how
to avoid the common pitfalls, plus how much of a
difference does breeding hoggits really make to overall lamb numbers
in New Zealand. So look, whether you're out in the yards,
you're on the tractor kicking back after a long day,
make sure you tune into Optimizing Lamb Survival. You'll find
it on the country's podcast stream wherever you get your podcasts,
(22:43):
and the link is also up on our Facebook page.
That is your rural news and my little added bit
as well. Here's Mark Kelly with Sports.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Sport with AFCO key We to the Bone since nineteen
oh four.
Speaker 11 (22:55):
Yes thank you Rowe. Former New Zello means seven Sevensteen
flo SELESSI Rayasi is inching closer to a Test debut
with Fiji. The Wellington born winger, who scored thirty one
tries for the Hurricanes across six seasons, has been named
in Fiji's thirty two players squad digitized matches against Australia
and Scotland. The twenty eight year old is set to
(23:17):
follow in the footsteps of his father Felipe, who made
thirteen appearances for Fiji between ninety four and ninety seven.
Back to mister Creek.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Here, thanks Mark Kelly out of Auckland's twenty five Away
from One. I don't see Samuel Whitelocke, but we have
got Todd Charteris and hopefully Kate Scott, also Chief Executive
of Horticulture New Zealand, and before the end of the hour,
I hope to catch up with Mike Green, the bloke
who raised organize the DOO that we were at last night,
raising an excess of three hundred thousand dollars for the
(23:47):
Rural Support Trust. We'll take a break back on the
other side of it with somebody skysurfing. Now everybody is
learning how come two away from one on the country?
Brought to you by Brandt going by a big green tractor.
If you don't want to do that, go and buy
a little green tractor. They've got them there for the
kids and the big kids. Okay, this's a big kid
in front of me now, Samuel Whitelock, a rugby great.
(24:09):
We couldn't quite get him onto the stage in time.
He's next up to the batter's box. So we went
with another rugby great, the West Coast rugby captain from
nineteen ninety six and nineteen ninety seven. Perhaps more famous
these days for being the chief executive of Rabobank, Todd
charteris those were the days, Todd.
Speaker 7 (24:26):
Those were the days you learned a lot but moved
on from there.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah, okay, we you're very brief about your footy career.
Speaker 12 (24:33):
Well, it actually was Philly brief. We played a Renfilly
Shield game which was pretty cool. But that against we
played Auckland. Actually they came down on the way, played
Kenbury on the weekend, played us on Tuesday and went
on to play O Targo and we did a lot
of tackling that day.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
So well, they would have been sort of a Carlos
Spencer team, was it.
Speaker 12 (24:53):
He was in I remember Shaun Fitzpatrick was on the bench,
Zim Zen was on the bench, but the other had
our team stacked with all blacks in front row that
Olo Brown played hooker actually, so it was interesting experience.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Okay, this morning we went to the Rabobank breakfast. She
had Finance Minister Nikola Willis speaking along with your chief
economist or your senior macro straatea just whatever you call them.
We've been picked in Great Bloke from Sydney, but I
thought Nicola Willis spoke really well and she had a
clear vision for not only New Zealand but the primary sector.
Speaker 12 (25:26):
Now, look, I think I think Nichola was did an
outstanding job and I agree she answered the questions really directly.
But her vision is very clear and it's about building
economic growth and prosperity and it starts in the rural sector.
And so I think a message was well received and
I think you know, we've we've heard it for the
last couple of days around the field days it's been
(25:46):
it's been really positive.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And the other big announcement she made this morning was
the fact that Koger Aura has announced it will use
wall carpet and news State homes from July. Initially they
put out a tender, they didn't include wall in there.
They're going to now and apparently the wall carpet industry
came to the party and we're competitive, just as competitive
price wise with the synthetic carpets.
Speaker 7 (26:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (26:09):
Look, it's an outstanding announcement and really positive for the
industry and not before time, Jamie, but let's move forward.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
It's great, absolutely fantastic announcement. Now, bankers interest rates, you've
been under. The banks have been under a bit of hate,
mind you, I must say, and you must be pleased
about this with all these numbers that Federated Farmers are
coming out with around their banking survey, you guys, and
I suppose you should because you only bank Farmers came
out pretty well. In fact, they probably came out best.
Speaker 7 (26:38):
Yeah. Look, we did come out pretty well.
Speaker 12 (26:41):
There's always work to do, but you know, when you
see some of the measures around communication and how banks
communicate with clients, it was really positive. And I think
the other thing, and I know you're always going on
about overdraft rates. Ours was consistently lower because of our
all in one product, which is a standout in the
market as well, so it's pre please do.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, there is a bit of an issue there, to
be fair to me having a crack at the banks
on overdraft rates because some of them are profiteering.
Speaker 12 (27:07):
Well, yeah, I can only talk about ours watch in
the survey was significantly lower than the others, So yeah,
maybe it's a question for others.
Speaker 7 (27:14):
Jamie.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Good on you Todd, thank you very much for hosting
us for breakfast this morning. You do a great job.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
And thanks for all the work you do and you're
great to catch up.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Cheers, there we go. Todd charteris East Coast No West
Coast rugby player in nineteen ninety six and ninety seven.
There's a bloke who played one hundred and fifty three
tests for the All Blacks. He's the farm Strong Ambassador,
Samuel Whitelock. Next on the country is Kate Scott. I'm
just looking around if Rowena wasn't too busy gassing, see
if you can find Kate Scott at some stage. She's here, right, Okay,
(27:44):
So we're going to take a break and back on
the other side of it. Samuel Whitelock bang on caught
her away from one. Well, we've finally got our man,
our farm strong Ambassador, Samuel Whitelock. I had Richie McCall
on the show yesterday, Samuel. He played one hundred and
forty eight tests for the All Blacks. People said that
(28:06):
would never be beaten, while you went about five better.
I think you're finished on one fifty three.
Speaker 13 (28:11):
Right, Yeah, yeah, I managed to get a couple more
in the other than him, But yep.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
That was always part of your master plan. I remember
talking to you about two or three years before you
were going to that final World Cup and you said, no, no,
that's on the sites. That's what I wanted to do.
And you're kind of indestructible as a rugby player. You
never seem to miss many games.
Speaker 13 (28:30):
Yeah, I know that was something and Richie was awesome.
He helped me a lot in those last couple of
years around the challenges that come when you get a
little bit older. And some of the guys that are
potentially could be your children that are playing alongside you,
So there's some cool things there. And our kids at
the same age so know each other pretty well and
got to chew the fat over a cup of coffee
(28:53):
and all those things.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
We had Richie and Dame Valerie Adams on the show
yesterday and they were talking about their bodies post their
sporting career. You still look very lean and in shape.
How is the body?
Speaker 13 (29:05):
Yeah, I'm roughly the same way as I was as
a player. It's probably just gone south a little bit.
But I just got to make sure I don't eat
too much and train a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Probably, you're a farmer. You're a bit of a rarity. Well,
you're a former All Black, but in recent times, I
mean in the nineteen sixties when Pine Tree, meads and
and Kirkpatrick and all those guys, Brian Lahaw of course,
the great bj Law. The entire Ford Pack was farmers.
These days you're a real rarity. You're one. Andrew Hare
(29:35):
was one, Tony Woodcock was one, but they're few and
far between. What opportunities does that afford you as a
former All Black and most capped All Black in terms
of a corporate life after farming.
Speaker 13 (29:47):
Yeah, when I was playing rugby, I really enjoyed the
balance of getting away from rugby and talking farming and
doing a little bit on the side. But now it's
completely reversed, so it was like this an era of
changed it over. And it's really nice to have some
rugby still in my life. And I'm helping out a
couple of teams coaching, the key one being my son's
(30:08):
under nine team. I think I'm the assistant assistant assistant
coach so very much hold a tackle bag and just
help out where needed. And they love playing bullrush, so
it's quite cool to see them doing what we did.
It's good.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Farm Strong celebrates ten years in existence this year. It's
the tenth birthday. Nige is giving me the big thumbs up. There. You,
I'm told have been with Farm Strong and some shape
or another since twenty sixteen. That's nine of those ten years.
Speaker 13 (30:34):
Yeah, hopefully I get to have some of that ten
ten year birthday cake that's going to come out in
a couple of hours. But no, it's a very very
humbling thing to be a part of, to see and
experience some of the things that you get to experience here.
I've had people come up to me tears in the
eyes and shake my hand and just say thank you,
and you know that they've either been or going through
(30:56):
something really challenging and coming out the other side of it.
Really nice to know that some of the things that
we do as a wellness program absolutely helping our farmers
and grows.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah, and over the years of what I've been chatting to,
You've got to know you are we But you're more
animated when you talk about Farmstrong than you are about Rugby,
because I know what it's like. We're in an all black,
long term all black. You probably get sick of answering
questions about rugby.
Speaker 13 (31:21):
I've had a lot of comments around Super rugby and
what happened. Obviously, we're in Hamilton. A few chief supporters
are not too heavy about the Blues, so I've had
that question of it today and they've all asked who's
going to win on Friday. So I'm actually going to
go to the game, which is the first Crusados game
I've been too since I've played, so hopefully I'm not
pacing too much up and down the sideline.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Those bloody Crusaders are going to take a bit of
beating now that they've got the home advantage, very quickly
to finish on because I do need to go to
a break. How's the farm and Hawks Bay.
Speaker 13 (31:50):
Yeah, we're tracking along quite nicely. Had a bit of
an interesting introduction through spring and summer, but had a
very nice autumn. So we've got a little bit of
grass in front of us. We're we have to start
someone to crops, so I'll get home and we'll start
that next week.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Give us a look at those hands, sam Samuel's a
week harder than they used to be. Anyhow, Thank you
very much for doing God's work as a farmstrong ambassador,
Samuel Whitelock. We're going to take a break, Kate Scott's here.
I think where is she? Or there? She goes from Horticulture,
New Zealand, and I do want to speak to where
is my man? He's over here, the bloke who raised
(32:25):
three hundred grand last night for the Rural Support Trust.
That's of course Mike Green. And is Hugh Jackson here?
Hugh Jackson. We're going to We're just going to finish
it with a bit of a slapstick session that comes
up next. Let's bang on ten away from one, and
I need a drink wrapping the country on day two
of four here at Mystery Creek Ate away from one.
(32:48):
She's the new, relatively new chief executive of Horticulture in
New Zealand, Kate Scott. Horticulture export revenue grew by an
impress of nineteen percent, reaching eight point five billion. We
fruit three point nine billion, apple and pears over a billion. Now,
I reckon, if we're to double our export income in
the next decade, Kate, you guys at horticulture are going
(33:10):
to have to do some fairly heavy lifting.
Speaker 9 (33:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 14 (33:12):
Look, it's a pretty exciting celebration for horticulture today to
recognize all the hard work of our growers over what
has been a tough couple of years.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
So we're really proud of the.
Speaker 14 (33:23):
Hard work that they do every day going out to
grow New Zealand's fresh fruit and vegetables.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
So is the sky the limit for Kiwi fruit? And
I asked that because we've produced a hell of a
lot more trays than we did last year. Admittedly last
year was a bit of an aberration, but we've found
a home for all that Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 14 (33:38):
I know, isn't that impressive? So well done to Zespri
and all the Kiwi fruit growers. I think not only
producing that much extra fruit, but finding the home for
it is actually the hard part. And you know they've
obviously worked really hard to find markets and a home
for that. And look, everyone loves Kiwi fruit absolutely. Look
at the new varieties that are out there. You know
who loves a red Kii fruit? I love a red
Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Now I'm a I'm a gold guy. I used to
like the green, but now of transition. Yeah, gold's pretty good. Yeah,
it's pretty good. A couple of those for breakfast keeps
the doctor away. What's the next big thing in horticulture?
Speaker 14 (34:07):
Look, I think we've got so many wonderful crops in horticulture.
So we talk about our big ones Kiwi fruit, apple
and pears, but we've also you know, our vegetable exports
were up at seven to seventy million this year, which
is great. Onions do a great job of export in
that space. But also when we look across crops such
(34:27):
as cherries, avocados, they've all actually had a pretty good
uplift in the last twelve months, and I think, you know,
that's fantastic. What's the new look? There's so much work
going on in that plant variety space. I think everyone's
looking for a new but look, we've had some wonderful
in seasoned Personmon's on our stand and so if you
haven't tried a person them in, you might be able
to find one or two left on the horticulture stand.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
There we go, Kate Scott, Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand.
It also helps that you didn't have a cyclone Gabriel right.
I want to get this guy up on stage, Mike Green,
the man behind the Rural Port Trust. In a last
night that raised an excess of three hundred thousand dollars.
They said it couldn't be done, Mike. They said, you'll
never get a crowd and your case, five hundred and
(35:10):
forty three people at Claudland's Events center last night. You
packed the place. Someone played paid eighty five grand for
a magnificent piece of art. You must have woken up
this morning and thought, oh, I'm glad that's over, but
what a great effort.
Speaker 15 (35:24):
Yeah, you're pretty happy about the whole thing. Jamie kicked
it off back in December.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 15 (35:30):
There are a lot of doubters amongst it.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Including Peter Nation. Yep, he told me it was.
Speaker 15 (35:34):
About exactly mate. He is put against this, trying to
hijack the field days.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Or he's not going to host it out here. He's
kind of got a full house out here exactly.
Speaker 7 (35:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 15 (35:42):
So no, Look, it's it's been really great with the
industry getting behind it and right across the industry. That's
what we wanted to do. It's an industry issue. It's
not just a few companies involved, it's across everywhere.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Okay, it was a roaring success last night. Is it
going to be an annual event?
Speaker 15 (36:01):
Yeah, it's certainly being annual with I think I've already
got six sponsors confirmed on board for three year contracts.
Verbally no one said no yet, So by Tom we'll
leave here, will have it all tucked up.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
The game and I've got like thirty seconds. Give a
shout out to that young guy, that young farmer who
donated the piece that raised all that money.
Speaker 15 (36:21):
Jamie Thomas from JT Sculptures. He had two sculptures up
Rocking a Hard Place which got eighty five thousand, as
you said, and the other one was mercurou Wood Pidgeon
that raised fifteen hundred k. He gave donated a thirty
year old young fella who's just a great supporter of
the cause and been through a few issues himself and
family members.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Had wonderful well done. Pleasure to meet you last night, Mike,
you found a job. I just want to get this
young man on a Young Farmer. He's the finalist in
the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final which
will be on down and in the Cargo early next month.
His name is Hugh Jackson. He's going to be on
the muster if you listen on iHeartRadio to Hokanui just
(37:02):
after one. But I said I'd give you a shout
out today, Hugh, because you've got a big party in
the tron tomorrow night for young farmers.
Speaker 16 (37:10):
Thank you, Jamie yere, we sure do. Hamilton City Young
Farmers Club. We're having a fundraiser at the Billy Mulligan's
Bar Irish bar there in Hamilton Town, so it be
awesome to see you guys come along celebrate what's been
a good field days. We're kicking off at seven pm.
Everyone's welcome. We've got a mechanical ball there and we're
going to have prizes for the longest ride and the
(37:31):
best dress up as well, so cowboy cow girl theme.
Ten dollar entry and five dollars to ride the ball
as many times as you like. So look forward to
seeing you all there.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Well, I hope you don't ride the ball because you
can't afford to injure yourself ahead of the Grand Final,
and imbericargol and don't drink too much. You're in training
young man.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
Yeah, thanks Jamie, and now will have a go.
Speaker 16 (37:48):
And there's nice soft padding around the ball, so it'll
be good to see you all there.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Okay, there we go. Hugh Jackson one of the seven
finalists and the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final,
which is happening in and Bicago and early July. That's
us done and dusted. Tomorrow come back again tomorrow at
twelve o'clock because we've got the Prince of the Province's
Shane Jones. We'll see you then.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Frent, you're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Brent. You're specialist in
John Dee machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
God, Oh my God, Gaday news Ellen, Welcome to the Country.
My headset is too loud. That is Dennis Brian Wilson.
Should I say from the beach boys. God only knows?
(00:34):
Of course, he passed away at the ripe old age
of eighty two, And I guess that's a nice segue
into our first guest on the Country today. He is
the director General of MPI. His name is Ray Smith,
and Ray, I'm going to say to you, God only
knows what we would do without the primary sector. Do
you like what I did there?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, Asu, Jamie has some pretty good vibrations in the
primary seat. Usually right at the moment. What an absolute blockbus.
That's announcement. We've got nearly sixty billion dollars in export innings,
three billion dollars more than we could have forecast, a
twelve percent growth rate, and almost across all categories of
the primary sectors.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
So look, I think a lot of.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Growers, producers, farmers, big processing companies, people working in market think,
if you're really proud to be a key today knowing
that the world wants our products.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hey, when I was a kid growing up, there said
program on TV, we're doing nostalgia. Here are called the
six million dollar man. I really wanted to call you
the sixty billion dollar man, but you just came up short.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Look, we really pushed our economists there to try and
find that last little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
So look, you know, if we could have just.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Got a little bit more out of the wine industry,
we would have been okay. I mean, they've had a
bit of a tough year, to be fair to them.
But look, everyone, look, once we get to the final focus,
you never know, we might just get across that sixty
billion dollar line.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Well, god on you. So fifty nine point nine billion
for the year end of June thirty, twenty twenty five.
Here's an interesting number, sixty five point seven billion by
twenty twenty nine. That is four years away. Now, the
government has ordered you, right as a government servant, a
servant to double export primary sector exports in a decade.
(02:14):
You're going to have to do a bit better than that.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Look, I think we've got to try and raise it
up to one hundred and six billion by twenty thirty four,
So we're looking about another twenty five percent lift and
performance across that.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Period of time.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
But if you if you think about it, another two
billion people are going to join the world between now
and twenty fifty.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
New Zealand has a temperate climate.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
You know, climate change will affect everyone, but it will
affect us less than almost everybody else.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
We're going to have great growing conditions.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
And look, I think the world's going to want our
products more of the countries, the sort of middle income
un in countries, their wealth is growing, they want to
eat the things they want to consume the things that
we produce. I'm very confident that the way New Zealand
produces protein and amazing fruit products. You know, even even
if you get down to wool, you know will on
a bit of a resurgence and if you hear it
(03:01):
field days, you want to get downe and have a
look at the wool site because there's just so many
more things we can do with New Zealand's natural products.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
We're going to be talking to Miles Hurrald, chief executive
of Fonterra, and just a tick. They're doing a lot
of the heavy lifting. The dairy industry. Of that sixty
billion twenty seven billion, nearly half of it belongs to
the dairy sector. And I we're going to talk to
Miles about that one. But I put it to you,
if you are to double these exports in the next decade,
(03:28):
I think you're going to have to look to horticulture.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Well, I think what New Zealand will do is it'll
do more of what it's best in the world at.
And what New Zealand's best in the world at is
growing protein. So you know, we've got amongst the best
farming capabilities in the world. We've got a climate in
Swirls that are amazing for growing product. So I think
we'll do more dairy farming. I think we'll do more
(03:52):
she can beef farming. I think we'll grow horticulture. If
you look at kiwifruit, it's now nearly four billion dollars,
it's grown by a billion in a year.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
That's that's that's phenomenal growth.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
But you know you see twelve percent growth in dairy production,
just sixteen percent in just in one year. The world
wants those products will keep growing in the things that
we're best in the world out jamming.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Now dairy has been number one for quite a while.
Meat and wall mainly meat, let's be honest, has been
a solid number two. Horticulture and forestry used to be
dead even at third equal. Horticulture has stolen a jump
on forestry, but it was good to see forestry jumping
back nine percent to be up to six point three billion,
because it's been tough for that industry.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yeah, it's been pretty hard in the forestry sector. I
mean forestry. You know, fifty two percent of all of
our kind of forestry wood process products go into China,
into that China market. So we're very dependent on what's
happening in the China market, and we know that building
and construction has been flat there as they've looked to
kind of stimulate the economy. Now we've sent a bit
of a lift in finished wood products, just over a
(04:57):
billion dollars in Actually that's been helped by pen Impact
getting its millback up and running in the Hawk's Bay
following the big cyclone.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Interesting of all the slides, you showed it your wonderful
presentation there this morning to the industry. Our export markets,
China still dominates. We're sending thirty one percent of what
we export to China. The United States has taken over
a second, Australia's third, just ahead of the EU. It's
not that long ago that Australia was number one.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well that's right, but that free trade agreement that was
signed up with China some years back now has really
unleashed the huge potential of New Zealand's growers to get
into a market that's.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Really now very mature.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Our relationships and look I when I was in China
just a month or so ago, My relationships with my
counterpart agencies in China.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Is very warm.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
We can work through all sorts of market access issues together.
The logistics of trading between New Zealand and China are
well established. Our companies have huge representation in China. I mean,
I think Fonterra has something like seven hundred people based
in China, and other companies have a large presence in China.
So it's a really critical market to us, and we
have a particular trade architecture with China which I think
(06:09):
will guarantee that you'll see products going there and US
getting good returns off them for many years to come.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, Ray Smith, I know it's been a very good
day for the primary sector. Well done. This is the
bloke who's running MPI, Ray Smith. Well let's talk about dairy.
We'll bring him up to the podium. Here at Mystery Creek,
day two, sun shining out there by the way, if
you're wondering where that to turn up. And this man is,
of course the chief executive of Fonterra, I'm going to
(06:35):
ask you to start with miles, how did you How
did you get to Mystery Creek this morning? Did you
walk across the Whitecado River because it appears to me
that you're walking on water at the moment. There you go.
How's that for an opening?
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Good afternoon, Jamie. It looks great to be here.
Speaker 6 (06:49):
No I drove here like everyone else, put up the traffic,
but I was here early this morning. We hosted the
Prime Minister actually in our team, which is great.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So let's have a look at these numbers. Derry export
revenue lifting sixteen percent to reach a record twenty seven billion.
We've been talking, we talked to Ray about doubling export
or primary sector export income in the next decade. We're
gonna have to go. We're gonna have to improve things
a week. But how much can dairy do well.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
I think what you've seen in the last two or
three years in particular, is that the demand for New
Zealand protein New Zealand dairy continues to grow, and at
the same time you've seen a retrenchment from some of
the markets. We see Europe not not exporting as much
as they once did. We've seen North America slow down
on the back of probably decent, decent beef prices actually
from a so therefore, from a dairy perspective, we've not
seen a lot of milk out of North America, so
(07:39):
that leaves that the market in a pretty good state
from our perspective. We've seen China re emerge from a
from a demand perspective, and they're nowhere near back to
where they were in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 5 (07:48):
So I think you see China pick up to.
Speaker 6 (07:50):
Where they were with that that supply not coming through
at the rates that we'd seen previously, I think the
outlook's very good for dary.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Can I ask you about Trump's tariffs, because I know
that with the red meat industry, particularly with grinding beef
heading into the US, the Americans just seem to be happy. Well,
they haven't got much choice that is paying the ten percent,
and it's the customer over there that's paying. What about
the dairy industry.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
Yeah, very much the same story.
Speaker 6 (08:17):
You know, at a macro level, no one likes to
see tariffs put on their products. And you know, we're
certainly advocates of free trade in this part of the world.
But you know, at the end of the day, if
there's a ten percent tariff that goes on all products
from all markets, we're all back.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
To a level playing field, and therefore we can manage that.
Speaker 6 (08:31):
And I think for the last couple of months our
team have done a pretty good job that said. You know,
we don't like to see these embedded for the long term,
and it just creates uncertainty. And as you say, the
end consumer in North America is actually starting to pay
for this, and we'll probably see that retrenchment in that
North American market as a result.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
That's the more worrying sign I think.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Okay, let's talk about improved productivity or improved increased production
out of the dairy industry. I know it's a bit
of a well, it's a bit of a hoary chestnut, really,
isn't it. Dairy con since they're back on the table.
I understand that could be twenty or thirty or more
in Canterbury. What are you hearing?
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Yeah, I was certainly hearing sort of either around the ten.
Ten to twelve I think is the number I've picked
up this year, But it is moving a little bit
and we may see a few more conversions next year.
And I think there's some people out there that are
questioning is this the right thing to do? But I
think if you go back to that significant conversions in
the early two thousand and twenty ten, we know a
heck of a lot more now than what we did
(09:27):
back then, and we know how to farm, and our
farmers do a fantastic job, and so let's learn from
the things that we've done on in the past few years.
And we've got great technologies you see here at Field
Days that can help us on that. So now we're
certainly supportive of seen that growth. If we're going to
see this new Zealand economy step up to the plate,
I think it's important that that dairy and the agricultural
(09:48):
sector as a whole leads the way.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Okay, final question for you, how enthusiastic boyant are those
Fonterra Farmer shareholders in your tent there, Oh look at it.
It's actually more than a tent. It's a small village.
Speaker 7 (09:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Well, I don't want to get ahead of himself in
this game. But look, the conversations we've had the last
couple of days have been phenomenal and the huge support
for the cooperative. We're undertaking significant change, as a number
of you will know, and just to see the momentum
and the support and you know, we'll get on and
do what we can in those markets. But at the
end of the day it comes back to the great
milk that our pharmachyholders provide.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
So thank you for all the support that's out there.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Well done, Miles Hurrell, you and the team at Fonterra
doing a great job. I'm desperately looking around for Chippy
Chris Hipkins. Oh there he goes. So we're going to
take a break here on the country. We're going to
talk to Chris Hipkins, of course, labor leader. We'll see
what sort of reception he's been getting at field days.
Todd mcclay's the Minister of Agriculture and Trade. He's on
the show. Yesterday we had Richie mccare one hundred and
(10:44):
forty eight tests for the All Blacks today the bloke
who went a few better Samuel Whitelocke one hundred and
fifty three farmstrong. Ambassador Todd Charter is from Rabobank, Kate
Scott from the Buoyant Horticulture Industry, Chief Executive of bor
To Culture, New Zealand. And if I can find a
Mike Green, the man behind the Rural Support Trust dinner
(11:04):
last night, and he's over there. That raised an excess
of three hundred thousand dollars. So all that to come
before the end of the hour on the Country. It's
eighteen after twelve, twenty one after twelve on the Country,
brought to you by Brent beach Boy Beach Boys musical
(11:25):
theme today. Just before I forget, we had Monty Betham
on the show yesterday from One New Zealand. He was
here with One New Zealand for the Warriors and we
gave out a couple of tickets. Were the chance to
win a couple of tickets to the sold out game
against the Panthers reigning premieres on June the twenty first,
just a couple of weeks away, and the winner is
Dennis Latham in Piro. You enjoy your day out at
(11:48):
go Media Stadium, Dennis, Thanks for listening. We appreciate it.
Chris Hipkins, Labor leader, leader of the Opposition. What sort
of reception are you getting here at field days, Chris?
Because it'll be fair today than fair to say. Should
I say the Nats are absolutely swarming this is their
home patch?
Speaker 7 (12:05):
Well?
Speaker 8 (12:05):
Yeah, I mean, look, you know, I think we still
get a lot of support from rural communities and the
reception has been really positive farmers, even those who don't
vote for us, and there's a lot of them still
pretty appreciative of the fact that we hear.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Do you get any grief while you're wandering around? And
the reason I ask you that I was at the dinner,
the Rural Support Trust inner last night and I was
sitting on the table beside one of Christopher Luxon's security people,
and he was here about two or three years ago
when Jacinda copped all that grief completely wrongly and absolutely
showing no respect for the office of Prime minister, whether
you like the Prime minister or not. Do you get
(12:41):
any of that grief?
Speaker 8 (12:42):
No, it's been pretty great, actually, I mean generally speaking
like I said, even people who disagree with you will
come up and they're still pretty respectful and that's really good.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Good to see Labour spokes for Joe Luxton here, Hello Joe.
But when you and I say this to her all
the time, and she says to just be patient. But
when you guys to come out with some agg policy.
Speaker 8 (13:02):
You'll see agriculture policy from Labor probably early next year.
The reason that we're not doing it now is we
are reviewing a lot of our agriculture policy and we
want to make sure that we're keeping up with what
the government are doing. We're not going to cancel things
that they're doing that are sensible that we agree with.
So as they announce new stuff, if it's sensible, if
we agree with it, then we'll continue with that. So
(13:22):
probably early next year you'll see some clear assigns from
us about things that we might do differently.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Well, the government has taken agriculture out of the ETS,
so are you going to follow suit? There is that
a sensible policy.
Speaker 8 (13:33):
So that's one of the things that we've gone under
review at the moment is issues around climate change and farming,
and there's a lot of active discussion around methane, the
difference where the methane should be treated differently to carbon.
So we're following the science there pretty closely, and we've
had a lot of discussion with the farming community about that.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
If you want to win the treasury benches, you've got
a couple of problems to Party Mari and the Greens
in my mind, but anyhow, that's just me. The other
thing is you're not going to convince the primary sector.
I don't think to vote for a center left government.
Speaker 8 (14:05):
I think the reality is, regardless of who you vote for,
the government of the day needs to have a working
relationship with the primary sector. Even if there are plenty
of people in the primary sector who vote a different way,
if there's a labor government or a government led by labor,
we've still got to have a positive working relationship, and
I think we can do that. So, you know, I've
always been realistic in my engagement with the farming community
(14:27):
around you know, whether or not we're here to get votes,
were certainly here to generate good will so that we
can work together.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
When you took over from Jacinda Ardann in what early
twenty twenty three, wasn't it, Yeah, after her shock resignation.
It was for a lot of us. Anyhow, you came
out and openly said that Labor had made the Labor
government had made a lot of mistakes when it came
to dealing with agriculture.
Speaker 8 (14:49):
Yeah, I don't think we had the strength of relationships
that you need to have. And again, I'm realistic about
the fact that you have to work with people who
you disagree with, and you have to work with people
who don't necessarily vote for you. But you've got to
have a good work relationship. And I think by the
beginning of twenty twenty three, it's clear that our working
relationship with the primary sector wasn't where we needed it
to be.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Is that why you're seeing Joe out there? Because she's nice.
Speaker 8 (15:10):
I think Joe's been very very well received by the
farming community.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well compared to Damien was like a red rag to
a ball.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Well.
Speaker 8 (15:17):
Look, and actually Damien is here at Field Days two
and still has a great relationship across the primary sector
as well. And you know, a lot of the you know,
meeting people here through at field Days they say, look,
we see Damien here every year. He has been coming
every year for twenty plus years. And they do appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Okay, the final question for you, and hopefully you heard
Ray Smith and Miles Hurrell talking nearly sixty billion dollars
from the primary sector. We are in an economic hole.
The only way out. You might argue otherwise, but a
lot of us think the only way out is these
guys the primary sector. Do you buy into that, well,
I think, well.
Speaker 8 (15:52):
Certainly the primary sector is critical to New Zealand's economy,
but we've also got to recognize that the primary sector
is going to go through significant change in the couple
of decades, whether we like it or not, so following
the science is really really important. I'm off to Denmark
over the weekend to look at what they're doing there
because the food technology around the world is changing the
nature of farming and we've got to make sure in
(16:14):
New Zealand that we're keeping up with that. The last
thing we want is for the Golden Goose, our primary sector,
to get left behind. So we've got to make sure
we're keeping up with science. We're going to make sure
we're keeping up with technology and innovation, and I do
think the government needs to partner with the primary sector
to make sure that happens.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Okay, Chris Hitkins, thank you very much for your time.
I appreciate it. There we go, Chris Hipkins Labor. Actually,
Todd McLay, if you just wander up here, Agriculture and
Trade Minister, because I know he's a busy man and
he's got so many events to get to and go
to very shortly. By the way, Samuel Whitelocke, the farm
Strong Ambassador. Farmstrong turns ten years old. Sam Whitelock's been
(16:51):
with them for nine of those years. Todd, good to
see you, mate. It's unusual for you not to be
or to be in New Zealand these days.
Speaker 9 (16:57):
Well, I'm normally on airplane with my red bands on
your right me clean them at the border. But good
to be here, Jamie. There is a fantastic feeling around
the show at the moment, and I think it's because
and I did like some of the things Chris Hipkins
just said. Actually, across our Parliament you have got people
celebrating the hard work of men and women in primary
New Zealander, and that's a New Zealand that's a really
(17:19):
good thing.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I think Chris Hipkins is a bit of a pragmatist.
He's probably more farmer friendly than previous labor leaders. But
his problem, as I pointed out to him, is not
his Labor party, it's his coalition partners.
Speaker 9 (17:31):
I think that's one of a number of problems you're
going to have.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
But you're right.
Speaker 9 (17:34):
The next government, if he's going to lead, it will
have the Maori Party and the Green Party, and there
it doesn't matter what he says on the stage with you,
they are going to make it hard for him to
do anything good for provincial New Zealand for our farmers.
But I did hear him this week say that they
were having a look at their climate change policy, and
I have an offer for him. If he wants to
be sensible, then I'm willing to work with labor because
(17:56):
what the primary sector needs is certainty, not in this
term of parliament, but for decades to come. You are right,
they are, you know, from the grassroots, rebuilding our economy.
Actually that always happens, and so we're going to find
a way between our parties to stop bickering and do
what's right for our farmers. Get some good common sense
rules in place so they could just get on a farm.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, you had some bipartisan approach courtesy of James Shaw.
What a shame He's still not with the Greens around
the zero carbonate.
Speaker 9 (18:24):
They well, we're going to have to do some hard
work on that because we took agriculture out of the
emissions trading scheme. We have to meet our international obligations,
no question, but we have to do that without shutting
down farms or sending jobs and production overseas.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Chris was right.
Speaker 9 (18:41):
There are opportunities to use innovation and it's as simple
as this. The last government set a target a ten
percent reduction of mess owing by twenty thirty. We're on
track to do that, but we can't do another ten
percent of the same way because that came at the
expense of sheep and beef farmers from planting trees. And
you will have seen that I have introduced to Parliament
this week the ban on full forest conversions and then
(19:02):
ultimately we can use technology to do the rest, but
we cannot put farmers out of business to achieve that.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
So I said this to the through this at the
Prime Minister yesterday. You know, are you shutting the stable
door after the horse has bolted? With the carbon farming?
Speaker 9 (19:18):
No we're not, although two hundred and fifty thousand hat
dares of predominantly sheepland was planted since the etist came
into effect. The rules the new law will be passed
by October of this year. It'll take effect from December
fourth of December last year, and all it says is
that farmers can plant if they want to, but we're
(19:38):
going to put risks, very very clear restrictions on that
because we must produce this high quality, safe food that
the world wants and we have to protect our rural communities.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Hey, just to finish on these numbers that came out
this morning on the soapy, the Situation and Outlook report
from the MPI outstanding.
Speaker 9 (19:55):
Absolutely outstanding.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Not surprising.
Speaker 9 (19:57):
Comes on the back of a couple of good seasons
of grass growth, which is really good for dairy. But
we're seeing sheep and beef numbers up, horticulture up across
the board, so we're producing more. Farmers are working harder
for that, but we're getting better access to markets around
the world, and I think that actually the figures in
there for years to come will be surpassed by the
(20:18):
hard work of a farmers on behalf of the government,
all three parties. There can I thank them for their
hard work and say we recognize what they're doing. They
are rebuilding the economy. They deserve every news end of
recognizing that and thanking them for it.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
There you go, Todd McCay, Minister of Agriculture and Trade,
doing a really good job. Okay, we're going to take
a break. On the other side of it, I'm looking.
I'm scanning the horizon for someone who's about six inches
taller than everybody else, namely Sam Whitelock. But I can't
see him. Is he here? Have we got them? Okay,
he's outside, So we'll try to get Samuel Whitelock. After
(20:52):
the break, we might have Rowena with rural news, and
we've got a bit of sports news for you as well.
It's spang On twelve.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
To thirty news with lawn Maaster helping you muster your
lawns for over seventy five years. Visit steel Ford dot
co dot nz for your local stock guest.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Okay, Mark Kelly doing an excellent job of paneling in Auckland.
What happened to the beach boys? Mark? Straight into the
rural new sting. That means Rowena duncan Well.
Speaker 10 (21:17):
The government's back expanding the voluntary nature credits scheme. It
rewards farmers, EWE and conservation groups caring for their land.
Speaking at field Day's Associate Education Minister, I think that's
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard sayes international and domestic investors
want high quality nature and carbon credits that meet global standards.
(21:38):
He says New Zealand companies spent millions last year on
nature and carbon credits, mainly offshore. Privately funded pilot projects
are underway to test how nature credit markets might work
in New Zealand. And just while I've got the microphone here, Jamie, look,
if you're out there and you're thinking about breeding, you hoggits,
or maybe you're already doing it and want better results.
(21:58):
Episode two our podcast series Optimizing Lamb Survival is out now.
It's brought to you by Beef and Lamb New Zealand,
hosted by me and In it, I catch up with
Professor Paul Kenyon, professor of sheep Husbandry and head of
Agriculture and Environment at Massi University, and also Riveton farmer
Jordi Eid. Now they unpack everything from selecting the right
(22:20):
hoggits to feed, planning through pregnancy and lactation, and how
to avoid the common pitfalls, plus how much of a
difference does breeding hoggits really make to overall lamb numbers
in New Zealand. So look, whether you're out in the yards,
you're on the tractor kicking back after a long day,
make sure you tune into Optimizing Lamb Survival. You'll find
it on the country's podcast stream wherever you get your podcasts,
(22:43):
and the link is also up on our Facebook page.
That is your rural news and my little added bit
as well. Here's Mark Kelly with Sports.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Sport with AFCO key We to the Bone since nineteen
oh four.
Speaker 11 (22:55):
Yes thank you Rowe. Former New Zello means seven Sevensteen
flo SELESSI Rayasi is inching closer to a Test debut
with Fiji. The Wellington born winger, who scored thirty one
tries for the Hurricanes across six seasons, has been named
in Fiji's thirty two players squad digitized matches against Australia
and Scotland. The twenty eight year old is set to
(23:17):
follow in the footsteps of his father Felipe, who made
thirteen appearances for Fiji between ninety four and ninety seven.
Back to mister Creek.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Here, thanks Mark Kelly out of Auckland's twenty five Away
from One. I don't see Samuel Whitelocke, but we have
got Todd Charteris and hopefully Kate Scott, also Chief Executive
of Horticulture New Zealand, and before the end of the hour,
I hope to catch up with Mike Green, the bloke
who raised organize the DOO that we were at last night,
raising an excess of three hundred thousand dollars for the
(23:47):
Rural Support Trust. We'll take a break back on the
other side of it with somebody skysurfing. Now everybody is
learning how come two away from one on the country?
Brought to you by Brandt going by a big green tractor.
If you don't want to do that, go and buy
a little green tractor. They've got them there for the
kids and the big kids. Okay, this's a big kid
in front of me now, Samuel Whitelock, a rugby great.
(24:09):
We couldn't quite get him onto the stage in time.
He's next up to the batter's box. So we went
with another rugby great, the West Coast rugby captain from
nineteen ninety six and nineteen ninety seven. Perhaps more famous
these days for being the chief executive of Rabobank, Todd
charteris those were the days, Todd.
Speaker 7 (24:26):
Those were the days you learned a lot but moved
on from there.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah, okay, we you're very brief about your footy career.
Speaker 12 (24:33):
Well, it actually was Philly brief. We played a Renfilly
Shield game which was pretty cool. But that against we
played Auckland. Actually they came down on the way, played
Kenbury on the weekend, played us on Tuesday and went
on to play O Targo and we did a lot
of tackling that day.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
So well, they would have been sort of a Carlos
Spencer team, was it.
Speaker 12 (24:53):
He was in I remember Shaun Fitzpatrick was on the bench,
Zim Zen was on the bench, but the other had
our team stacked with all blacks in front row that
Olo Brown played hooker actually, so it was interesting experience.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Okay, this morning we went to the Rabobank breakfast. She
had Finance Minister Nikola Willis speaking along with your chief
economist or your senior macro straatea just whatever you call them.
We've been picked in Great Bloke from Sydney, but I
thought Nicola Willis spoke really well and she had a
clear vision for not only New Zealand but the primary sector.
Speaker 12 (25:26):
Now, look, I think I think Nichola was did an
outstanding job and I agree she answered the questions really directly.
But her vision is very clear and it's about building
economic growth and prosperity and it starts in the rural sector.
And so I think a message was well received and
I think you know, we've we've heard it for the
last couple of days around the field days it's been
(25:46):
it's been really positive.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And the other big announcement she made this morning was
the fact that Koger Aura has announced it will use
wall carpet and news State homes from July. Initially they
put out a tender, they didn't include wall in there.
They're going to now and apparently the wall carpet industry
came to the party and we're competitive, just as competitive
price wise with the synthetic carpets.
Speaker 7 (26:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (26:09):
Look, it's an outstanding announcement and really positive for the
industry and not before time, Jamie, but let's move forward.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
It's great, absolutely fantastic announcement. Now, bankers interest rates, you've
been under. The banks have been under a bit of hate,
mind you, I must say, and you must be pleased
about this with all these numbers that Federated Farmers are
coming out with around their banking survey, you guys, and
I suppose you should because you only bank Farmers came
out pretty well. In fact, they probably came out best.
Speaker 7 (26:38):
Yeah. Look, we did come out pretty well.
Speaker 12 (26:41):
There's always work to do, but you know, when you
see some of the measures around communication and how banks
communicate with clients, it was really positive. And I think
the other thing, and I know you're always going on
about overdraft rates. Ours was consistently lower because of our
all in one product, which is a standout in the
market as well, so it's pre please do.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, there is a bit of an issue there, to
be fair to me having a crack at the banks
on overdraft rates because some of them are profiteering.
Speaker 12 (27:07):
Well, yeah, I can only talk about ours watch in
the survey was significantly lower than the others, So yeah,
maybe it's a question for others.
Speaker 7 (27:14):
Jamie.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Good on you Todd, thank you very much for hosting
us for breakfast this morning. You do a great job.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
And thanks for all the work you do and you're
great to catch up.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Cheers, there we go. Todd charteris East Coast No West
Coast rugby player in nineteen ninety six and ninety seven.
There's a bloke who played one hundred and fifty three
tests for the All Blacks. He's the farm Strong Ambassador,
Samuel Whitelock. Next on the country is Kate Scott. I'm
just looking around if Rowena wasn't too busy gassing, see
if you can find Kate Scott at some stage. She's here, right, Okay,
(27:44):
So we're going to take a break and back on
the other side of it. Samuel Whitelock bang on caught
her away from one. Well, we've finally got our man,
our farm strong Ambassador, Samuel Whitelock. I had Richie McCall
on the show yesterday, Samuel. He played one hundred and
forty eight tests for the All Blacks. People said that
(28:06):
would never be beaten, while you went about five better.
I think you're finished on one fifty three.
Speaker 13 (28:11):
Right, Yeah, yeah, I managed to get a couple more
in the other than him, But yep.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
That was always part of your master plan. I remember
talking to you about two or three years before you
were going to that final World Cup and you said, no, no,
that's on the sites. That's what I wanted to do.
And you're kind of indestructible as a rugby player. You
never seem to miss many games.
Speaker 13 (28:30):
Yeah, I know that was something and Richie was awesome.
He helped me a lot in those last couple of
years around the challenges that come when you get a
little bit older. And some of the guys that are
potentially could be your children that are playing alongside you,
So there's some cool things there. And our kids at
the same age so know each other pretty well and
got to chew the fat over a cup of coffee
(28:53):
and all those things.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
We had Richie and Dame Valerie Adams on the show
yesterday and they were talking about their bodies post their
sporting career. You still look very lean and in shape.
How is the body?
Speaker 13 (29:05):
Yeah, I'm roughly the same way as I was as
a player. It's probably just gone south a little bit.
But I just got to make sure I don't eat
too much and train a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Probably, you're a farmer. You're a bit of a rarity. Well,
you're a former All Black, but in recent times, I
mean in the nineteen sixties when Pine Tree, meads and
and Kirkpatrick and all those guys, Brian Lahaw of course,
the great bj Law. The entire Ford Pack was farmers.
These days you're a real rarity. You're one. Andrew Hare
(29:35):
was one, Tony Woodcock was one, but they're few and
far between. What opportunities does that afford you as a
former All Black and most capped All Black in terms
of a corporate life after farming.
Speaker 13 (29:47):
Yeah, when I was playing rugby, I really enjoyed the
balance of getting away from rugby and talking farming and
doing a little bit on the side. But now it's
completely reversed, so it was like this an era of
changed it over. And it's really nice to have some
rugby still in my life. And I'm helping out a
couple of teams coaching, the key one being my son's
(30:08):
under nine team. I think I'm the assistant assistant assistant
coach so very much hold a tackle bag and just
help out where needed. And they love playing bullrush, so
it's quite cool to see them doing what we did.
It's good.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Farm Strong celebrates ten years in existence this year. It's
the tenth birthday. Nige is giving me the big thumbs up. There. You,
I'm told have been with Farm Strong and some shape
or another since twenty sixteen. That's nine of those ten years.
Speaker 13 (30:34):
Yeah, hopefully I get to have some of that ten
ten year birthday cake that's going to come out in
a couple of hours. But no, it's a very very
humbling thing to be a part of, to see and
experience some of the things that you get to experience here.
I've had people come up to me tears in the
eyes and shake my hand and just say thank you,
and you know that they've either been or going through
(30:56):
something really challenging and coming out the other side of it.
Really nice to know that some of the things that
we do as a wellness program absolutely helping our farmers
and grows.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah, and over the years of what I've been chatting to,
You've got to know you are we But you're more
animated when you talk about Farmstrong than you are about Rugby,
because I know what it's like. We're in an all black,
long term all black. You probably get sick of answering
questions about rugby.
Speaker 13 (31:21):
I've had a lot of comments around Super rugby and
what happened. Obviously, we're in Hamilton. A few chief supporters
are not too heavy about the Blues, so I've had
that question of it today and they've all asked who's
going to win on Friday. So I'm actually going to
go to the game, which is the first Crusados game
I've been too since I've played, so hopefully I'm not
pacing too much up and down the sideline.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Those bloody Crusaders are going to take a bit of
beating now that they've got the home advantage, very quickly
to finish on because I do need to go to
a break. How's the farm and Hawks Bay.
Speaker 13 (31:50):
Yeah, we're tracking along quite nicely. Had a bit of
an interesting introduction through spring and summer, but had a
very nice autumn. So we've got a little bit of
grass in front of us. We're we have to start
someone to crops, so I'll get home and we'll start
that next week.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Give us a look at those hands, sam Samuel's a
week harder than they used to be. Anyhow, Thank you
very much for doing God's work as a farmstrong ambassador,
Samuel Whitelock. We're going to take a break, Kate Scott's here.
I think where is she? Or there? She goes from Horticulture,
New Zealand, and I do want to speak to where
is my man? He's over here, the bloke who raised
(32:25):
three hundred grand last night for the Rural Support Trust.
That's of course Mike Green. And is Hugh Jackson here?
Hugh Jackson. We're going to We're just going to finish
it with a bit of a slapstick session that comes
up next. Let's bang on ten away from one, and
I need a drink wrapping the country on day two
of four here at Mystery Creek Ate away from one.
(32:48):
She's the new, relatively new chief executive of Horticulture in
New Zealand, Kate Scott. Horticulture export revenue grew by an
impress of nineteen percent, reaching eight point five billion. We
fruit three point nine billion, apple and pears over a billion. Now,
I reckon, if we're to double our export income in
the next decade, Kate, you guys at horticulture are going
(33:10):
to have to do some fairly heavy lifting.
Speaker 9 (33:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 14 (33:12):
Look, it's a pretty exciting celebration for horticulture today to
recognize all the hard work of our growers over what
has been a tough couple of years.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
So we're really proud of the.
Speaker 14 (33:23):
Hard work that they do every day going out to
grow New Zealand's fresh fruit and vegetables.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
So is the sky the limit for Kiwi fruit? And
I asked that because we've produced a hell of a
lot more trays than we did last year. Admittedly last
year was a bit of an aberration, but we've found
a home for all that Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 14 (33:38):
I know, isn't that impressive? So well done to Zespri
and all the Kiwi fruit growers. I think not only
producing that much extra fruit, but finding the home for
it is actually the hard part. And you know they've
obviously worked really hard to find markets and a home
for that. And look, everyone loves Kiwi fruit absolutely. Look
at the new varieties that are out there. You know
who loves a red Kii fruit? I love a red
Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Now I'm a I'm a gold guy. I used to
like the green, but now of transition. Yeah, gold's pretty good. Yeah,
it's pretty good. A couple of those for breakfast keeps
the doctor away. What's the next big thing in horticulture?
Speaker 14 (34:07):
Look, I think we've got so many wonderful crops in horticulture.
So we talk about our big ones Kiwi fruit, apple
and pears, but we've also you know, our vegetable exports
were up at seven to seventy million this year, which
is great. Onions do a great job of export in
that space. But also when we look across crops such
(34:27):
as cherries, avocados, they've all actually had a pretty good
uplift in the last twelve months, and I think, you know,
that's fantastic. What's the new look? There's so much work
going on in that plant variety space. I think everyone's
looking for a new but look, we've had some wonderful
in seasoned Personmon's on our stand and so if you
haven't tried a person them in, you might be able
to find one or two left on the horticulture stand.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
There we go, Kate Scott, Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand.
It also helps that you didn't have a cyclone Gabriel right.
I want to get this guy up on stage, Mike Green,
the man behind the Rural Port Trust. In a last
night that raised an excess of three hundred thousand dollars.
They said it couldn't be done, Mike. They said, you'll
never get a crowd and your case, five hundred and
(35:10):
forty three people at Claudland's Events center last night. You
packed the place. Someone played paid eighty five grand for
a magnificent piece of art. You must have woken up
this morning and thought, oh, I'm glad that's over, but
what a great effort.
Speaker 15 (35:24):
Yeah, you're pretty happy about the whole thing. Jamie kicked
it off back in December.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 15 (35:30):
There are a lot of doubters amongst it.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Including Peter Nation. Yep, he told me it was.
Speaker 15 (35:34):
About exactly mate. He is put against this, trying to
hijack the field days.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Or he's not going to host it out here. He's
kind of got a full house out here exactly.
Speaker 7 (35:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 15 (35:42):
So no, Look, it's it's been really great with the
industry getting behind it and right across the industry. That's
what we wanted to do. It's an industry issue. It's
not just a few companies involved, it's across everywhere.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Okay, it was a roaring success last night. Is it
going to be an annual event?
Speaker 15 (36:01):
Yeah, it's certainly being annual with I think I've already
got six sponsors confirmed on board for three year contracts.
Verbally no one said no yet, So by Tom we'll
leave here, will have it all tucked up.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
The game and I've got like thirty seconds. Give a
shout out to that young guy, that young farmer who
donated the piece that raised all that money.
Speaker 15 (36:21):
Jamie Thomas from JT Sculptures. He had two sculptures up
Rocking a Hard Place which got eighty five thousand, as
you said, and the other one was mercurou Wood Pidgeon
that raised fifteen hundred k. He gave donated a thirty
year old young fella who's just a great supporter of
the cause and been through a few issues himself and
family members.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Had wonderful well done. Pleasure to meet you last night, Mike,
you found a job. I just want to get this
young man on a Young Farmer. He's the finalist in
the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final which
will be on down and in the Cargo early next month.
His name is Hugh Jackson. He's going to be on
the muster if you listen on iHeartRadio to Hokanui just
(37:02):
after one. But I said I'd give you a shout
out today, Hugh, because you've got a big party in
the tron tomorrow night for young farmers.
Speaker 16 (37:10):
Thank you, Jamie yere, we sure do. Hamilton City Young
Farmers Club. We're having a fundraiser at the Billy Mulligan's
Bar Irish bar there in Hamilton Town, so it be
awesome to see you guys come along celebrate what's been
a good field days. We're kicking off at seven pm.
Everyone's welcome. We've got a mechanical ball there and we're
going to have prizes for the longest ride and the
(37:31):
best dress up as well, so cowboy cow girl theme.
Ten dollar entry and five dollars to ride the ball
as many times as you like. So look forward to
seeing you all there.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Well, I hope you don't ride the ball because you
can't afford to injure yourself ahead of the Grand Final,
and imbericargol and don't drink too much. You're in training
young man.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
Yeah, thanks Jamie, and now will have a go.
Speaker 16 (37:48):
And there's nice soft padding around the ball, so it'll
be good to see you all there.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Okay, there we go. Hugh Jackson one of the seven
finalists and the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final,
which is happening in and Bicago and early July. That's
us done and dusted. Tomorrow come back again tomorrow at
twelve o'clock because we've got the Prince of the Province's
Shane Jones. We'll see you then.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Frent, you're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
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