July 4, 2025 • 40 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Dame Lisa Carrington, Craig Piggott, Christopher Luxon, and Taine Randell
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Gd A in Good Morning, New Zella and my name's
Jamie McKay. This is the best of the country. It's
brought to you each and every Saturday morning here on
News talks 'b by Rabobank. We're growing a better New Zealand. Together,
we've got a superstar show or a show full of superstars,
should I say, lined up for you this morning. Going
to kick it off with Dame Lisa Carrington Zesprey's new
(00:47):
or inaugural global brand Ambassador and what a great brand
Dame Lisa has. Craig Piggott, another superstar in New Zealand
and in fact around the world. The founder and he's
only thirty years of age, the sky, the founder and
chief executive of ag tech Giant Halter. His company is
now worth US one billion dollars. That's one point sixty
(01:12):
five billion New Zealand dollars. He started out working for
Sir Peter Beck at Rocket Lab. Got a great story
about how he invented a company that would virtual fence
the animals and also manage the complete system, health and everything.
Christopher Luxen, Can I call him a superstar? He would
(01:32):
probably ask that I did. Some people think he's going okay,
others not so much, but I did put it to
him on a Wednesday's show. Is he doing a bit
of a secure starmer? Excelling on the world stage but
dropping the ball on the home front, the domestic front.
And we're going to wrap it by talking carbon credits, forestry,
farming and footy with the former All Blacks Captain Tane
(01:55):
Randall caught up with them on yesterday's show. You'll enjoy
what he had to say, especially about fig estry and Foddy.
It's all on the best of the country. It's brought
to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, this one was announced last week. A super food
pairs up with a super athlete. Yes, Dame Lisa Carrington
is now Zesbury's first ever global brand ambassador, and what
a great global brand she has got. Lisa, I guess
you're sort of hand in a glove here, both by
a plenty.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Yeah, yeah, that's right. I mean it's great to kind
of be able to nick back with home.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Really absolutely. Now you're a super athlete, you're in super shape,
and to get into that shape, you can't have a
diet like me. You've got to have one, like you've got.
How big a role does Kiwi fruit play in your diet?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Yeah, I mean I'm caring fruit is quite awesome. I
guess it's a bit of a super food, right, So yeah,
like it's I don't know, we're pretty lucky here in
New Zealand. We've got pretty good access to it. And yeah, no,
it's no, we have it every other day and yeah,
all through the year.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So while we're talking Zespery, Lisa, what do you like best?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Green?
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Gold or red?
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
I mean I've only recently tried the ruby red and
that was quite nice, but definitely I think I don't know,
I really do enjoy the gold. Yeah, but I mean
it's not fair to have a favorite right on a
world stage.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
What are you going to be doing for Zesprey.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
At the stage. It kind of we're kind of taking
it year by year. Yeah, I guess we've done a
really awesome kind of a like a cinematic video to
kind of to link the relationship together, so you know
there's over that time. Well, I guess it's for me.
It's really about promoting this free and being able to
(04:10):
do that globally in any way that can support them.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
You've signed a four year deal or four year global
partnership that obviously takes you past LA. And I'm not
suggesting for a moment, Dame Lisa, that you should be
retiring after LA, not the way you go, but no
doubt you are looking to life after athletics.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I think that's always something that as an athlete we
need to kind of keep in mind. But at the
same time, it's also really hard to focus on that
when you give everything to.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
Sport.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
And I guess with experience and getting older and wiser,
you kind of understand how I might do that. So yeah,
I guess slowly as I as I work it out,
and yeah, we'll figure out what the next steps are.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Okay, I've got to take away bit of time to
be a fanboy here because I love you, and I mean,
as an athlete, should I say Lisa and Dame Fowl
and Richie mccaugh my favorite New Zealand athletes, and you've
won like eight Olympic Golds, going all the way back
to London when you won the K one two hundred
of those eight golds, and you can't duck for cover
(05:23):
on this one, Lisa, what's your favorite?
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, I guess each one is pretty unique and she
is a certain journey and probably, to be honest, the
last in Paris was probably like a combination of all
the lessons and experiences and the challenges or adversities up
until that point. So I think that's probably the one
(05:51):
that I value a lot because I was able to
kind of get to a point where I could be
able to perform in a way that extracted the best
performance in the moment.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Well, I reckon, I've watched your goals in London, Rio,
Tokyo and Paris and my favorite and this has got
no value to you at all, but I just thought
i'd throw it in. There was the K four or
five hundred in Paris that was so cool that you
could bring that group through.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Yeah, that was a really special moment. And you know,
it's not easy getting to the start line and also
getting you around to perform their best. There's a lot
of pressure and I think, you know, as in a
high performance environment, you do demand a lot from yourself
and from each other. So I think for us to
get there and be able to perform like we did
(06:40):
was yeah, really special.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Were you annoyed when they got rid of the K
one two hundred?
Speaker 7 (06:44):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
It was quite disappointing. I think, you know, there's kind
of realize that you're at the worm of you know,
politics or people that sit in those high power positions.
So that's really yeah, I mean absolutely the two hundred
was an incredible event for our sport. Yeah, so that
(07:07):
was disappointing.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Finally, final question for you. I know you're concentrating on LA,
but do you see yourself in the corporate world. I mean,
obviously you've got this relationship with Esproy, I know you
have other corporate relationships as well. Do you see yourself
in that space when you finally hang up your or
ores or.
Speaker 6 (07:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I guess you know, I'm not. I've never had to
be in the corporate world other than kind of in
this kind of ambassador kind of role. So yeah, I
mean I learn a lot from the partnerships, and you know,
there will be a lot to learn over the next
four years with zespre and how they operate, and I
(07:51):
guess yeah, that's probably just something for me to work
out and understand over you know, our relationship going forward
got on.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Now, well they're a global brand, You're a global superbrand. Congratulations,
I know your work wonders together. Dame Lisa Carrington, thanks
for some of your time on the country.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, awesome, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
The best of the country with Rubbo Bank, the bank
with local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of
rural communities.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Rubbo Bank.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Here is a young man who is setting the ag
tech world alight. In fact, I call him the Sir
Peter Beck of ag tech. His name is Craig Piggotty's
the chief executive of Halter. His company is now worth
an excess of one billion US dollars. Craig, you have
come a long way since twenty sixteen when you kicked
(08:42):
off Holter. Can you believe the speed at which your
company has grown?
Speaker 7 (08:47):
Firstly, just thanks thanks for having me as always, Yes, definitely,
it's been a journey. We've come a long way, although
I still feel like we've got so far to go.
So and we try and we try to move as
fast as we can, so I guess that's it's all
part of it.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Well, I did, and respect really call you the sir
Peter Beck of ag Tech. And you've got a connection
because you started your career off with rocket Lab.
Speaker 7 (09:15):
Yes, yeah, before Holter, I was at rocket Lab and
I have, you know, a lot to be very grateful
for and thankful for from Pete. He was my boss
at rocket Lab and I learned, you know, so much there.
And he's on the board of Holter and he was
one of our first investors and he's had such big
influence on us as well. So he's he is awesome
(09:35):
and and I'm very grateful to Pete.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
You grew up on a three hundred cow dairy farm
and Mada matter in the White Gado region. Are your
parents or family still farming that property.
Speaker 7 (09:48):
Yes, my parents are still farming today. They were the
first I guess you probably can't really call them my customer.
You know, they didn't have much of an option, but
they were the first farm to have Halter. And yeah,
they've been farming for twenty or maybe even thirty odd
years now.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Talk to me about big Bird. Was this the first
cow that you trialed the halter collar technology on.
Speaker 7 (10:17):
Yes, she was the first cow we trained to respond
to sound and that we were using. She was able
to kind of prove I guess that the concept was possible.
That she was a cow on my parents' farm and
she literally was, just for no particular reason, very big.
(10:37):
She's one of the tallest cows in the herd. And
so you know, in the beginning when you're working with
just very small numbers, like on an individual basis, she
was that kind of at the center of that in
terms of proving the idea and then from that obviously
were able to build build the product and the rest
of the company around that.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Of course it hold her as for those who are
unaware of what we're talking about. A solar pad, smart
collar allows virtual fencing and of course health monitoring. Craig
Peggott was the one kind of Eureka moment when it
hits you the idea or was it a slow burner.
Speaker 7 (11:14):
It was definitely a slow burn and even today, like
you know, the product today is we'd say, the best
system to run a pasture farm. And yes, there's you know,
there's colors on cows and there's an app on the
farmer's phone, and at the heart of that there's this
virtual fencing and shifting product. But in alongside of that
is all this kind of animal health and heat but
(11:35):
also pasture around like measuring grass and growth rates and
all the kind of inducts you need to run farms.
So it's probably much more kins like an operating system,
and that's evolved a lot over time, and it still
is today, like we're releasing new products and new features
every every few weeks. And so right at the beginning,
it was a much simpler idea, I guess, and the
(11:56):
goal was just, you know, how do you lift the
productivity land. It's what every farmer effectively is trying to do,
and we thought how you graize the land is probably
like the best first principle for that, and that was
really why we started with a collar and virtual.
Speaker 6 (12:12):
Fencing and so.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
But yeah, definitely has evolved over the years as the
teams grow on, as you know, it's been really been
built by farmers, like farmers given us feedback things of that.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
You obviously faced many challenges as you pioneered this technology
over the years, things like calibration and battery life. Craig
I can't get a mobile phone. That's the batteries any
good after about two years, So did you have issues
with battery life?
Speaker 7 (12:37):
With the collars, for instance, we had, you know, countless
Like we're trying to build a product which no one
has really done before, and you know, we're like partnering
with some of the best farmers in the world, and
it's pretty clear what the outcomes are that we want
(12:58):
and so then it's kind of our job to go
way and work out how to do that. And that
does result in a lot of like very hard challenges
and so and still today we're trying to build new
features and have more impact on the industry and things
of that. And some stuff's not technically feasible and some
stuff is and that's our job to work out where
that sits. And so keeping collars online over winter or
(13:21):
from a power perspective, or how do he talk to
the devices when there you know, kilometers away from a
tower or things like that. There's just countless, countless problems
to solve, and that's fine, that's the business we're in it.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Pray Pigot with us, chief executive of Halter. This was
initially set up for the dairy industry for dairy cows,
but you're very much moving into the beef industry as well,
and beef angus bulls angus beef cattle at the moments
are almost black gold. I put it to you that
there could be more potential in the beef industry than
(13:56):
the dairy industry. Is that the track you're heading down.
Speaker 7 (13:59):
We obviously our roots kind of started in dairy and
literally in the white out of where my parents farmers,
and and the plan was always to do beef, like
whether it's ranching overseas or you know, she'dn't beef here.
So I think the like it was always a matter
of when, not if, And that is a function of
(14:20):
like I guess, the mission where on in terms of
lifting the productivity of the land around the world, and
from an agricultural prestrictive it is half the planets have
a land mess. That's obviously a woody mission to get
out of bed for and and so yes, I guess
we were the plan was to do it. We're pushing
(14:40):
really hard into that at the moment. And so the
first principles of I guess are very similar in a way. Right,
we're trying to graze the land better and do it
in a way that lifts the productivity of that land.
And so yeah, we're we're excited by that. It's been
really neat opportunity to work with be farmers around the
world alongside of the Jerry farmers that you know still
(15:02):
are so so caugh to the system.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I'm going to go off peace here and go into
bat for the sheep farmers. Could there ever be a
halter collar for sheep? Or are they too dumb to train?
Or would the wall get on the way? Craig Piggot.
Speaker 7 (15:16):
Never say never. We haven't done any work on sheep,
and right now we're still just very focused on cattle
and cows. But you know, maybe one day we try
and work backwards, I guess from this mission of land
productivity and so we'll see where that takes us.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
How many countries around the world does holter actively in.
Speaker 7 (15:36):
We're in New Zealand, Australia in the US, So those
the three markets were really focused on right now, and
then obviously we will expand past that. But we've got
a handsful and fall in terms of trying to like
hire out teams in those countries. I think we've got
sixty odd rolls open at the moment, and so we're
trying to hire as fast as we can. Cheeky plug
(15:58):
if you're if you're interested, But in terms of anyone listening,
but yet beyond the three countries, then we will definitely
look to expand into you know, South America and Europe
and places like that.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
You recently raised one hundred and sixty five million dollars
in a fundraising round, which effectively now values Halter. As
I see that US one billion dollars in New Zealand money,
about one point sixty five billion dollars, Craig, how much
of that? How much of that belongs to you? I
note that your mentor, Sir Peter becksworth nearly two billion.
(16:29):
You won't be doing too badly, I.
Speaker 7 (16:32):
Think myself and the team, you know, we're in a
healthy spot in terms of in terms of Halter and
for us, really the key thing though is, like you know,
we don't get out of bed worried about all these numbers.
Like we get out of bed to build a product
and have impact on an industry. And that's the exciting part.
So I think, you know, that's the motivation and the
(16:54):
purpose behind it all. Really and so yeah, beyond the
numbers only really matter because they enable us to raise
the money in the first place or do around like
we have, and then with that we can invest them
into the features we're building and the teams we hire
on the front lines.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
And we can be more ambitious and move faster.
Speaker 7 (17:12):
So I think that's the you know, that's the core
of it all.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Well, you could never accuse b accus, should I say,
of not being ambitious. Holter now New Zealand's fastest growing
company on the Deloitte Fast fifty Index. Craig Piggots are
well done. You've done bloody well for yourself. Onwards and upwards,
you've got to challenge Sir Peter Beck your mentor.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Thank you, Jamie the best of the country with rubber Back.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
acribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Grow with rubber Back.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Good a New Zealand. Welcome back to the best of
the Country. It's brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing
a better New Zealand together. My name's Jamie McKay and
I'm bringing you the best bits of our weekdays show
twelve to one up next Christopher Luxen on Wednesday's show,
I asked the PM if he was doing a secare
starmer excelling on the world stage and dropping the ball
(18:10):
on the domestic front at home, and does he have
a big beautiful bill waiting in the wings just like
the dawn Tane Randall. We wrap it with the former
All Black captain. We talk carbon credits, forestry, farming and
footy and he knows a lot about all of those subjects.
Are some really interesting observations ahead of today's Test match
right here in Derneeden, the first of the season. And
(18:32):
I don't know about you guys, but I like the
look of this All Black team up next with Christopher Luckxen.
Wednesdays on the Country, the Prime Minister kicks off the
show except last week when he was doing work on
our behalf offshore NATO and of course before that China.
(18:55):
Let's have a look at those trips, Prime Minister. You're
getting good reviews for your work there not such stunning
reviews on the domestic front. But let's concentrate on China
to start with.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
Yeah, look amazing places. You know, Jamie and I had
felt that New Zealand had lost a lot of awareness
within China. So it really it's a big opportunity for
us to deepen our economic relationships.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
While I was there, we did.
Speaker 8 (19:17):
About one point two billion dollars worth of deals, about
four hundred million dollars in meat and horticulture and dairy
and it's a massive economy. It's the second biggest economy,
it's our biggest trading partner. And you know, even so
there's still so much more opportunity because there's five hundred
million people in the middle class living like a standard
of living similar to what we have here in New Zealand.
(19:39):
So yeah, that's a huge opportunity for us. So it
was just about raising our profile and we had you know,
Fonterra along with us Miles, we had Nathan Guys brilliant
on the meat industry.
Speaker 6 (19:50):
Is doing a great job there.
Speaker 8 (19:51):
There's lots of opportunity for red meat actually in China,
and you know, we had all the key sector leaders
and the CEOs with us, which was fantastic. And so
that was a really successful trip and good just to
raise the profile of New Zealand, to sell more primary
industry products, to sell more education and tourism, and no,
it's a really successful.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Did you have to like tipy toe along a political
type rope awe, but you know, cuddle up to President
She and Premiere Lee because they're a bit worried that
we're going the American way.
Speaker 8 (20:20):
Well, I mean I've met with them before and be
very clear from day one, from when I became Prime minister.
You know, we have areas of collaboration and cooperation with China,
of which there's still more for us to do together,
and that's all good stuff. But yet we have different
political systems, we have different histories, we have different values,
and we have differences frankly as you do. Actually in
all the relationships are there with different countries, and so
(20:43):
it's important if you've got a long standing and mature
partnership and relationship that's been over fifty years, you should
be able to talk about the differences upfront and be
very direct about it as well. And that's the sign
of a strong part or good partnership, I think. So
you know, they know, you know, I raised and discussed
all the things that you know, we have our differences,
but we also talked about the areas where we can
cooperate and actually do more business together, which is important
(21:06):
for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
From there you went on to meet with the NATO
Secretary General, get it wrong, Mark Rutter, who was an
old mate yours or an old work colleague of yours
at UNI level. That's a handy connection.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (21:19):
He was the Dutch Prime minister for fourteen years during
the John Key era. He was probably one of the
most probably the most successful center right politician in recent history.
So he was Prime Minister of the Evidence for a
long time and then obviously has taken on the role
of Sextary General. But I flew straight from Beijing into Brussels,
and what was good there Jamie was I've got to
know she'ld have underlyon who's the President of the European Union,
(21:41):
And I've been talking to her obviously about, you know,
making sure that in a world of tariffs and lots
of trade uncertainty, that actually Europe and the CPTPP countries
actually continue to uphold the trading laws and rules so
that there's no tit for tat punishments or breakdown in
those rules. But the thing about Europe's really excited because
(22:01):
Europe and the UK we've historically had these old ties
that go back one hundred years or so. But we've
also you know, we've not had always and so far away,
but we haven't had new stuff to drive the relationship forward.
And in both cases the FTA agreements have been really good.
So if you think about the last twelve months, we
added an extra extra billion dollars, it's up twenty five
(22:21):
percent our exports to Europe and you go to a
place like the Netherlands. I went to Rotterdam Port where
most of our goods go into and you know, it's fantastic.
And there's also investment coming out of Europe investing into
New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
You know, so that was really good.
Speaker 8 (22:35):
So it was partly that and then obviously NATO was
the security side, which Mark Ortor, as you said, the
Sextra General of NATO around and that was more about,
you know, the things of common interest between US and
the Indo Pacific region and the things in the euro
Atlantic region, and particularly the war in Ukraine was a
big focus point.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Okay, are you talking about the europe War in Ukraine.
One man who's been at the forefront of negotiations around
that is Secure Star of Labor, Prime Minister in the
UK fran I Sullivan wrote an interesting piece in The
Herald suggesting that maybe you're doing a bit of a
secre starma, excelling on the world stage, dropping the ball
(23:12):
at home on the domestic front. What do you say
in your defense, Well.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
What a lot of rubbish.
Speaker 8 (23:17):
The bottom line is, I'm very focused on domestic New Zealand.
That's why I go overseas is because everything I'm doing
overseas is about trying to help us grow our position
and improve our position here at home. One in four
of our jobs are actually tied to trade. Doubling our
exports is really important to It's a big goal, but
it's important because that's actually how we're leading our economy
out of the mess that we've been. And just just
(23:38):
think about it. In the last quarter, we grew the
economy zero point eight percent, four times faster than Australia,
faster than many other Western economies. Why is that happening.
It's happening because if you look at our goods deficit,
that went from ten billion deficit down to three point
eight billion in less than twelve months. And that's because
we're actually doing the trade internationally that I need to
be able to sell to the world for far. So
(24:00):
now I'm really proud of what we're doing to lift
the intensity to trade internationally and that's got real benefits
for us here at home. Yep, it's still tough, but
look at it. Inflations from seven to two point five percent.
Interest rates are coming down, the economy is growing for
the first time in a long time. Unemployment's peaking and
will start to come down as well. Now we've got
to push on to make sure that people can feel
it in their cost of living. And I know that's
(24:22):
been difficult, but you know that's what happens thanks to
a labor government that mismanaged the economy for six years.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Let's just finish with Heartland New Zealand. You're there today,
I think with Sue's Redmain, the star of the Rural
Support Trust debate. She was great at field Days. She
got one of the best shots into the night. Mind you,
you've got a good one and we won't we won't
go there with that one.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
But go there, Jamie.
Speaker 8 (24:42):
We're going to risk for our relationship exactly.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
But let's just talk about Sue's Redmain and what you're
doing and what is it? Ty happy today?
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah, Ty Happy today?
Speaker 8 (24:50):
I want to see some of the good stuff that's
happening in the Wall, which is really great. There's some
really enterprising entrepreneurs that are doing an incredibly good job.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
There.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
Chance to get out across Ranger Tek, there's some there's
some great companies in regional New Zealand. I'm going to
meet with PEC Fuel Systems. I've got Hotarpo Pine. We're
going to go meet with Honest Wall for which the
guys doing some crety cool entrepreneurial stuff, and with World
as well. So you know, the great thing is that
for places like the fuel systems business, for the Pine
(25:23):
and forestry businesses, you again for them to actually invest
in new capital, plant and equipment by virtue of the
Investment Boost program that we put in place. That's again
designed so we can get this economy moving and growing
into a much stronger place. So yes, that's always good
to get out of Wellington. And that's what I try
and do as fast as I can. Come to Wellington,
get out as quickly as possible so you can go
(25:43):
see what's happening in the real world.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Okay, there you go. We'll enjoy your day and TI happy.
It's not too late to introduce a big, beautiful bill.
It's worked the Trump it could work for you on
the home front. Prime Minister, thanks for your time.
Speaker 8 (25:54):
Always good to talk with to Jvie, you take care
of a great week.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
The best of the country with Rubbobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients, Rabo Bank.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
One slept to go before Raiser Robertson's first test of
twenty twenty five. Here as a bloke who would have
played a bit a footy with Raisa Robertson. Former All
Black captain Tane Randall and I'm going to talk to
you Tane about farming, footy and forestry because you've got
a bit of a serious background in forestry. Let's before
(26:25):
we get onto the footy, talk to me about forestry
and carbon farming. Where do you sit because you were
into it early doors.
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Yeah, So I actually worked overseas for a while. So
when the emissions market started in Europe, as when I
first started for a trading company in London, I was trading.
We end up training oil. But we all say the
emissions market grew massively and so by the end when
I left, if you're buying oil you're also buying essentially
European carbon credits. So and you we but enough to
(26:54):
be dangerous. And we came back to New Zealand in
two thousand and nine and that was when the sort
of carbon mark it was sort of just really sort
of starting in New zeals ten and up it got
involved quite heavily up until sort of the twenty twelve
thirteen when the first cutoff period for pre nineteen ninety
forestry all those registrations work to be done, so heavily
(27:18):
involved up more in the north. I've spent a week
bit of time down in the West Rowellyen of Southland.
But essentially yeah, more more and more about advisory around
how the scheme works. I knew how it sort of
worked globally, and then we a bit of education helping
people understand how it sort of worked New Zealand's perspective
and how more important, how to apply it to their landholding.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Now I know you've got farming interest in hawkspy I'm
assuming it's in hawks by sheep and beef. How does
the carbon farming or the forestry versus sheep and beef
work in your mind? Have we got it right?
Speaker 6 (27:56):
Controversial? Thanks mack. I think it's getting better, you know,
and so essentially the market really kicked off in twenty
twelve in New Zealand. So it's only a twelve centing,
you know, for a lot of arts, that's smoking mirrors,
that's part from whatever else. But for commodity trading and
that sort of stuff overseen, it's existed for a long time,
very sophisticated for New Zealand. That was one of our
(28:18):
first really internationally traded commodities, which we could do with
pretty transparent price, with futures markets and stuff. I've been
a big fan of it because more than anything, you know,
no farmers are up in arms about it and whole on,
but the only people who can benefit it are landholder farmers.
(28:38):
No one else in New Zealand can actually grow carbon credits.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
But there's plenty of places, sorry, Tane, there's plenty of
places on your farm surely where you can plant trees
and get the carbon credits. I'm talking about the blanket
planting of farms. That's what I don't like, and I
know examples of where arable land, good arable land has
been planted into tree is. It's just not right.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
I completely agree and we were, you know, we're in
Hawk's Bay. The east coast of New Zealand grows pretty
good pine. We've had we've seen some big, big, sometime
historic blocks going into pines. And it's it's what the
companies who are doing that. There are one rotation, one
generation the short term, you know, but what they do
put in pines and they'll they'll cut and run. Really
(29:24):
they'll take the first. So now they call averaging first
eight sixteen to eighteen years carbon and then they don't
care about the next hundred plus years. And that's that
that really got away on us. And I really against
it from another perspective, from just a farmers most and
who were I'm in Hawk's Bay, right, so some really
good land, but since most farms, I'm guessing around twenty
(29:45):
twenty five percent of land, most farmers don't want to
go on there. And it makes perfect reason to be
putting into some sort of foreigner natives, pine, African red
whatever else. And it does you know, for that the
poorer quality parts of the land, you do earn more
from a carbon perspective than you would ever do from
(30:08):
a farming perspective. But I've always thought, you know, any
farmer should have some sort of forestry, commercial or long
term as part of their portfolio, especially in Hawke's Bay,
where you don't just get big flat blocks of vand
you've got some you know, you got some nice flat stuff,
but are rolling quite a bit of a bit of
rough stuff. It's the rough stuff which here I from
(30:30):
a strategic perspective, is the best stuff we should have
in forest But where these companies have gone out and
bought just fantastic nice rolling land or flat and blanket planted,
it's just really poor. And I'd be feeling the government
going some way in terms of stopping that. We land
(30:52):
class six plus now to do that, and you can't
do whole blanket plantings, which I think is long over due.
At the same time, you know, the foresties all has
historically been a big part of New Zealand's economy, and
I don't know who you who to believe, but the
(31:12):
forestry is still probably only about the same sort of
planting hectares it was in twenty seventeen. So when you
look at the stats, maybe sometimes you get a bit
more emotional than what virtual data data seems to think.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Tane Randall on yesterday's show, part one of a two
part interview we did with the former All Blacks captain.
Well you've heard him on carbon credits and forestry. Up next,
Tane Randall talks about farming, sheep and beef farming in
Hawk's Bay and also today's game against the French right
here in Dunedin under the roof at Forsyth Stadium. He
(31:54):
had some really interesting comments to make on the composition
of the Loose Forward trio. I like it myself and
I think like most of the country, we all like
Rico Yuanni going to the wing. We'll get Tane Randall's
thoughts on that before the end of the show. This
is the best of the country. It's brought to you
by Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
The best of the country with Rabobank, the bank, with
local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
All right, let's move on from forestry. Just to wrap
at Tanne Randall with his former All Black Captain farming
farming and then Foddy So are you getting your hands
dirty on the sheep and beef farm Taine you're getting
on the hand piece.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
Not even klose the closer I get, the more sort
of things go wrong. Now, we got some family interests,
so we've got bought some forest middle in the North Arman,
We've got beef, some sheep interested in farming and Hawks Bay.
Everyone seems to be having a good time at the moment,
which is quite good because everyone was crying of it
year and as I say, the worried to involved, the
(33:00):
more things go wrong. But take your teen interest, keen interest,
and yeah, that's that's where we've been pretty heavy spish
in Hawk's Bay. We seem to be pretty happy with
how the weather is, how the pricing is. You know,
Apple's going pretty well as well. So I don't know
what it's like for you guys down south, but where
I came at the.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Moment, yeah, I know it's down here, and you're a
bit like me. I'm a George Street farmer. I know
you know the needing well. So yeah, the closer I get,
the more trouble for the farm. Anyhow, let me finish
on the footy. France. You can never ever underestimate France,
and you probably still have nightmares about France. Tane Randall
after nineteen ninety nine, But how do you see this
(33:40):
game going.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
Well.
Speaker 6 (33:43):
Really, I'm I'm really excited. Okay, the French are coming over.
Pretty disrespectful, you know, it's the top of the world
table clash, top two of the top three teams in
the world heavyweight's best of three. Pretty disrespect for what
they've done. The teams have sending their B team over.
But I know it won't actually be that bad. But
(34:05):
from an interesting perspective us, oh, we'll see how we go,
you know. But it was really having seen the team
that raised it announced. Yes, I haven't been this excited
about the potential or you know, the potential of all
back team for a long while, the loose forward tree.
I think finally we've got a good Bali Savia on
the open side. Really happy of that two po Bo
(34:28):
massive risk putting them at six, putting having big locks
or you know, small locks, transferring things you can do
the same side, same deal at blind side. Hasn't always
worked and of course Leo Willie, but what I like
about them, For the first time for a long while,
we've actually got a balanced loose forward trio. I was
looking at it. You know, when you pick the team,
you've got to pick the best team. The best combination
(34:51):
and having a big strong blind side, having poor playing,
high work rate number eight and you know Savia on
the open side first time since really the k you
know read mccare loose fortune that I feel like we're
going to balance loose for Trayer as you have had
over the last number of years, is that you know,
we Sam Caine and Ardie Savia two fantastic players, both
(35:13):
if you look at them, both started open, so they're
both open sides. But the coaches, rather than you know,
making a hard decision and choosing the best for loose
Ford combination, have just picked the best players and put
them in the team. And that's not necessarily, I believe
the best thing to do. So I'm really excited to
see how this loose for Trier goes. It might be
a failure, but at least I think from a combination perspective,
(35:34):
they've got the right intent. The other one that's as
you know, Ricky Yanni on the way, I could not
agree more. Yeah, he's a strike winger. He's a strike player.
He's not all Center's right. If you talk about roles
in the repue playing, you know, if you're a rock,
you got to be talk catch line. If you're a wing,
you got to be fast, and he's that. If you're
a center, you've got to be able to read defense,
(35:59):
and you've got to be able to ask the ball
to your wingers. Those are the two key roles I
see as a center. You know, talk about the best
midfielders we've had, you know, Conrad Smith, Joe Stan, Frank Barnes, what, Yeah,
they were all fantastic athletes, but their stability was the
fact that when it came to defense, they read defenses.
It's quite complicated in the midst that they read defenses
(36:20):
really well. That's not riki Wan. He's the great ESTI
He's a very good tackler, but from a system defense,
he's not great. And you know, as we all know
his while he's a fantastic runner, his distribution is not great.
And New Zealand has really key advantages over the rest
of the world with historically had strike wingers. We want
(36:41):
our wingers to get the ball, not the center's running
with her. And so those two things makes me really
excited about this weekend the.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Best of the country with Rubbobank choose the bank with
one hundred and twenty years global agri business experience grow
with rubber.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Bank Jane Randall wrapping the best of the country talking forestry,
farming and fordy. If you want to hear a live
call on the Test match in Dunedin here tonight Action
from six pm. You can hear it on News Talk.
There'd be gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Remember go to the
Rabobank website and have a look at the recently released
(37:18):
paper on farm succession. That's me. I'm done and dusted
out of here. A huge weekend in Duned and I
hope you enjoy yours wherever you are in the country.
I'm going to leave you with Jirane Juran.
Speaker 9 (38:00):
Burns. We go around to get the as.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
The planet turns into the light, something more than dreams.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
To watch out for reachug the can'se.
Speaker 9 (38:20):
We know what it means.
Speaker 10 (38:23):
Want to be a side read jump far the sunrise,
put your head him.
Speaker 9 (38:33):
To the big scut.
Speaker 10 (38:36):
You can't touch the sun rise, rejug suc you can
touch the sign rose red into.
Speaker 9 (38:56):
Your new day. Your new days really got to.
Speaker 6 (39:38):
Do what you.
Speaker 10 (39:45):
Do itself. New mo Day, Elsa Ga. You ask Silas
to me your day and to your life.
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Gd A in Good Morning, New Zella and my name's
Jamie McKay. This is the best of the country. It's
brought to you each and every Saturday morning here on
News talks 'b by Rabobank. We're growing a better New Zealand. Together,
we've got a superstar show or a show full of superstars,
should I say, lined up for you this morning. Going
to kick it off with Dame Lisa Carrington Zesprey's new
(00:47):
or inaugural global brand Ambassador and what a great brand
Dame Lisa has. Craig Piggott, another superstar in New Zealand
and in fact around the world. The founder and he's
only thirty years of age, the sky, the founder and
chief executive of ag tech Giant Halter. His company is
now worth US one billion dollars. That's one point sixty
(01:12):
five billion New Zealand dollars. He started out working for
Sir Peter Beck at Rocket Lab. Got a great story
about how he invented a company that would virtual fence
the animals and also manage the complete system, health and everything.
Christopher Luxen, Can I call him a superstar? He would
(01:32):
probably ask that I did. Some people think he's going okay,
others not so much, but I did put it to
him on a Wednesday's show. Is he doing a bit
of a secure starmer? Excelling on the world stage but
dropping the ball on the home front, the domestic front.
And we're going to wrap it by talking carbon credits, forestry,
farming and footy with the former All Blacks Captain Tane
(01:55):
Randall caught up with them on yesterday's show. You'll enjoy
what he had to say, especially about fig estry and Foddy.
It's all on the best of the country. It's brought
to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, this one was announced last week. A super food
pairs up with a super athlete. Yes, Dame Lisa Carrington
is now Zesbury's first ever global brand ambassador, and what
a great global brand she has got. Lisa, I guess
you're sort of hand in a glove here, both by
a plenty.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Yeah, yeah, that's right. I mean it's great to kind
of be able to nick back with home.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Really absolutely. Now you're a super athlete, you're in super shape,
and to get into that shape, you can't have a
diet like me. You've got to have one, like you've got.
How big a role does Kiwi fruit play in your diet?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Yeah, I mean I'm caring fruit is quite awesome. I
guess it's a bit of a super food, right, So yeah,
like it's I don't know, we're pretty lucky here in
New Zealand. We've got pretty good access to it. And yeah, no,
it's no, we have it every other day and yeah,
all through the year.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So while we're talking Zespery, Lisa, what do you like best?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Green?
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Gold or red?
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
I mean I've only recently tried the ruby red and
that was quite nice, but definitely I think I don't know,
I really do enjoy the gold. Yeah, but I mean
it's not fair to have a favorite right on a
world stage.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
What are you going to be doing for Zesprey.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
At the stage. It kind of we're kind of taking
it year by year. Yeah, I guess we've done a
really awesome kind of a like a cinematic video to
kind of to link the relationship together, so you know
there's over that time. Well, I guess it's for me.
It's really about promoting this free and being able to
(04:10):
do that globally in any way that can support them.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
You've signed a four year deal or four year global
partnership that obviously takes you past LA. And I'm not
suggesting for a moment, Dame Lisa, that you should be
retiring after LA, not the way you go, but no
doubt you are looking to life after athletics.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I think that's always something that as an athlete we
need to kind of keep in mind. But at the
same time, it's also really hard to focus on that
when you give everything to.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
Sport.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
And I guess with experience and getting older and wiser,
you kind of understand how I might do that. So yeah,
I guess slowly as I as I work it out,
and yeah, we'll figure out what the next steps are.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Okay, I've got to take away bit of time to
be a fanboy here because I love you, and I mean,
as an athlete, should I say Lisa and Dame Fowl
and Richie mccaugh my favorite New Zealand athletes, and you've
won like eight Olympic Golds, going all the way back
to London when you won the K one two hundred
of those eight golds, and you can't duck for cover
(05:23):
on this one, Lisa, what's your favorite?
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, I guess each one is pretty unique and she
is a certain journey and probably, to be honest, the
last in Paris was probably like a combination of all
the lessons and experiences and the challenges or adversities up
until that point. So I think that's probably the one
(05:51):
that I value a lot because I was able to
kind of get to a point where I could be
able to perform in a way that extracted the best
performance in the moment.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Well, I reckon, I've watched your goals in London, Rio,
Tokyo and Paris and my favorite and this has got
no value to you at all, but I just thought
i'd throw it in. There was the K four or
five hundred in Paris that was so cool that you
could bring that group through.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Yeah, that was a really special moment. And you know,
it's not easy getting to the start line and also
getting you around to perform their best. There's a lot
of pressure and I think, you know, as in a
high performance environment, you do demand a lot from yourself
and from each other. So I think for us to
get there and be able to perform like we did
(06:40):
was yeah, really special.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Were you annoyed when they got rid of the K
one two hundred?
Speaker 7 (06:44):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
It was quite disappointing. I think, you know, there's kind
of realize that you're at the worm of you know,
politics or people that sit in those high power positions.
So that's really yeah, I mean absolutely the two hundred
was an incredible event for our sport. Yeah, so that
(07:07):
was disappointing.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Finally, final question for you. I know you're concentrating on LA,
but do you see yourself in the corporate world. I mean,
obviously you've got this relationship with Esproy, I know you
have other corporate relationships as well. Do you see yourself
in that space when you finally hang up your or
ores or.
Speaker 6 (07:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I guess you know, I'm not. I've never had to
be in the corporate world other than kind of in
this kind of ambassador kind of role. So yeah, I
mean I learn a lot from the partnerships, and you know,
there will be a lot to learn over the next
four years with zespre and how they operate, and I
(07:51):
guess yeah, that's probably just something for me to work
out and understand over you know, our relationship going forward
got on.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Now, well they're a global brand, You're a global superbrand. Congratulations,
I know your work wonders together. Dame Lisa Carrington, thanks
for some of your time on the country.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, awesome, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
The best of the country with Rubbo Bank, the bank
with local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of
rural communities.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Rubbo Bank.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Here is a young man who is setting the ag
tech world alight. In fact, I call him the Sir
Peter Beck of ag tech. His name is Craig Piggotty's
the chief executive of Halter. His company is now worth
an excess of one billion US dollars. Craig, you have
come a long way since twenty sixteen when you kicked
(08:42):
off Holter. Can you believe the speed at which your
company has grown?
Speaker 7 (08:47):
Firstly, just thanks thanks for having me as always, Yes, definitely,
it's been a journey. We've come a long way, although
I still feel like we've got so far to go.
So and we try and we try to move as
fast as we can, so I guess that's it's all
part of it.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Well, I did, and respect really call you the sir
Peter Beck of ag Tech. And you've got a connection
because you started your career off with rocket Lab.
Speaker 7 (09:15):
Yes, yeah, before Holter, I was at rocket Lab and
I have, you know, a lot to be very grateful
for and thankful for from Pete. He was my boss
at rocket Lab and I learned, you know, so much there.
And he's on the board of Holter and he was
one of our first investors and he's had such big
influence on us as well. So he's he is awesome
(09:35):
and and I'm very grateful to Pete.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
You grew up on a three hundred cow dairy farm
and Mada matter in the White Gado region. Are your
parents or family still farming that property.
Speaker 7 (09:48):
Yes, my parents are still farming today. They were the
first I guess you probably can't really call them my customer.
You know, they didn't have much of an option, but
they were the first farm to have Halter. And yeah,
they've been farming for twenty or maybe even thirty odd
years now.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Talk to me about big Bird. Was this the first
cow that you trialed the halter collar technology on.
Speaker 7 (10:17):
Yes, she was the first cow we trained to respond
to sound and that we were using. She was able
to kind of prove I guess that the concept was possible.
That she was a cow on my parents' farm and
she literally was, just for no particular reason, very big.
(10:37):
She's one of the tallest cows in the herd. And
so you know, in the beginning when you're working with
just very small numbers, like on an individual basis, she
was that kind of at the center of that in
terms of proving the idea and then from that obviously
were able to build build the product and the rest
of the company around that.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Of course it hold her as for those who are
unaware of what we're talking about. A solar pad, smart
collar allows virtual fencing and of course health monitoring. Craig
Peggott was the one kind of Eureka moment when it
hits you the idea or was it a slow burner.
Speaker 7 (11:14):
It was definitely a slow burn and even today, like
you know, the product today is we'd say, the best
system to run a pasture farm. And yes, there's you know,
there's colors on cows and there's an app on the
farmer's phone, and at the heart of that there's this
virtual fencing and shifting product. But in alongside of that
is all this kind of animal health and heat but
(11:35):
also pasture around like measuring grass and growth rates and
all the kind of inducts you need to run farms.
So it's probably much more kins like an operating system,
and that's evolved a lot over time, and it still
is today, like we're releasing new products and new features
every every few weeks. And so right at the beginning,
it was a much simpler idea, I guess, and the
(11:56):
goal was just, you know, how do you lift the
productivity land. It's what every farmer effectively is trying to do,
and we thought how you graize the land is probably
like the best first principle for that, and that was
really why we started with a collar and virtual.
Speaker 6 (12:12):
Fencing and so.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
But yeah, definitely has evolved over the years as the
teams grow on, as you know, it's been really been
built by farmers, like farmers given us feedback things of that.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
You obviously faced many challenges as you pioneered this technology
over the years, things like calibration and battery life. Craig
I can't get a mobile phone. That's the batteries any
good after about two years, So did you have issues
with battery life?
Speaker 7 (12:37):
With the collars, for instance, we had, you know, countless
Like we're trying to build a product which no one
has really done before, and you know, we're like partnering
with some of the best farmers in the world, and
it's pretty clear what the outcomes are that we want
(12:58):
and so then it's kind of our job to go
way and work out how to do that. And that
does result in a lot of like very hard challenges
and so and still today we're trying to build new
features and have more impact on the industry and things
of that. And some stuff's not technically feasible and some
stuff is and that's our job to work out where
that sits. And so keeping collars online over winter or
(13:21):
from a power perspective, or how do he talk to
the devices when there you know, kilometers away from a
tower or things like that. There's just countless, countless problems
to solve, and that's fine, that's the business we're in it.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Pray Pigot with us, chief executive of Halter. This was
initially set up for the dairy industry for dairy cows,
but you're very much moving into the beef industry as well,
and beef angus bulls angus beef cattle at the moments
are almost black gold. I put it to you that
there could be more potential in the beef industry than
(13:56):
the dairy industry. Is that the track you're heading down.
Speaker 7 (13:59):
We obviously our roots kind of started in dairy and
literally in the white out of where my parents farmers,
and and the plan was always to do beef, like
whether it's ranching overseas or you know, she'dn't beef here.
So I think the like it was always a matter
of when, not if, And that is a function of
(14:20):
like I guess, the mission where on in terms of
lifting the productivity of the land around the world, and
from an agricultural prestrictive it is half the planets have
a land mess. That's obviously a woody mission to get
out of bed for and and so yes, I guess
we were the plan was to do it. We're pushing
(14:40):
really hard into that at the moment. And so the
first principles of I guess are very similar in a way. Right,
we're trying to graze the land better and do it
in a way that lifts the productivity of that land.
And so yeah, we're we're excited by that. It's been
really neat opportunity to work with be farmers around the
world alongside of the Jerry farmers that you know still
(15:02):
are so so caugh to the system.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I'm going to go off peace here and go into
bat for the sheep farmers. Could there ever be a
halter collar for sheep? Or are they too dumb to train?
Or would the wall get on the way? Craig Piggot.
Speaker 7 (15:16):
Never say never. We haven't done any work on sheep,
and right now we're still just very focused on cattle
and cows. But you know, maybe one day we try
and work backwards, I guess from this mission of land
productivity and so we'll see where that takes us.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
How many countries around the world does holter actively in.
Speaker 7 (15:36):
We're in New Zealand, Australia in the US, So those
the three markets were really focused on right now, and
then obviously we will expand past that. But we've got
a handsful and fall in terms of trying to like
hire out teams in those countries. I think we've got
sixty odd rolls open at the moment, and so we're
trying to hire as fast as we can. Cheeky plug
(15:58):
if you're if you're interested, But in terms of anyone listening,
but yet beyond the three countries, then we will definitely
look to expand into you know, South America and Europe
and places like that.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
You recently raised one hundred and sixty five million dollars
in a fundraising round, which effectively now values Halter. As
I see that US one billion dollars in New Zealand money,
about one point sixty five billion dollars, Craig, how much
of that? How much of that belongs to you? I
note that your mentor, Sir Peter becksworth nearly two billion.
(16:29):
You won't be doing too badly, I.
Speaker 7 (16:32):
Think myself and the team, you know, we're in a
healthy spot in terms of in terms of Halter and
for us, really the key thing though is, like you know,
we don't get out of bed worried about all these numbers.
Like we get out of bed to build a product
and have impact on an industry. And that's the exciting part.
So I think, you know, that's the motivation and the
(16:54):
purpose behind it all. Really and so yeah, beyond the
numbers only really matter because they enable us to raise
the money in the first place or do around like
we have, and then with that we can invest them
into the features we're building and the teams we hire
on the front lines.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
And we can be more ambitious and move faster.
Speaker 7 (17:12):
So I think that's the you know, that's the core
of it all.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Well, you could never accuse b accus, should I say,
of not being ambitious. Holter now New Zealand's fastest growing
company on the Deloitte Fast fifty Index. Craig Piggots are
well done. You've done bloody well for yourself. Onwards and upwards,
you've got to challenge Sir Peter Beck your mentor.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Thank you, Jamie the best of the country with rubber Back.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
acribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Grow with rubber Back.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Good a New Zealand. Welcome back to the best of
the Country. It's brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing
a better New Zealand together. My name's Jamie McKay and
I'm bringing you the best bits of our weekdays show
twelve to one up next Christopher Luxen on Wednesday's show,
I asked the PM if he was doing a secare
starmer excelling on the world stage and dropping the ball
(18:10):
on the domestic front at home, and does he have
a big beautiful bill waiting in the wings just like
the dawn Tane Randall. We wrap it with the former
All Black captain. We talk carbon credits, forestry, farming and
footy and he knows a lot about all of those subjects.
Are some really interesting observations ahead of today's Test match
right here in Derneeden, the first of the season. And
(18:32):
I don't know about you guys, but I like the
look of this All Black team up next with Christopher Luckxen.
Wednesdays on the Country, the Prime Minister kicks off the
show except last week when he was doing work on
our behalf offshore NATO and of course before that China.
(18:55):
Let's have a look at those trips, Prime Minister. You're
getting good reviews for your work there not such stunning
reviews on the domestic front. But let's concentrate on China
to start with.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
Yeah, look amazing places. You know, Jamie and I had
felt that New Zealand had lost a lot of awareness
within China. So it really it's a big opportunity for
us to deepen our economic relationships.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
While I was there, we did.
Speaker 8 (19:17):
About one point two billion dollars worth of deals, about
four hundred million dollars in meat and horticulture and dairy
and it's a massive economy. It's the second biggest economy,
it's our biggest trading partner. And you know, even so
there's still so much more opportunity because there's five hundred
million people in the middle class living like a standard
of living similar to what we have here in New Zealand.
(19:39):
So yeah, that's a huge opportunity for us. So it
was just about raising our profile and we had you know,
Fonterra along with us Miles, we had Nathan Guys brilliant
on the meat industry.
Speaker 6 (19:50):
Is doing a great job there.
Speaker 8 (19:51):
There's lots of opportunity for red meat actually in China,
and you know, we had all the key sector leaders
and the CEOs with us, which was fantastic. And so
that was a really successful trip and good just to
raise the profile of New Zealand, to sell more primary
industry products, to sell more education and tourism, and no,
it's a really successful.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Did you have to like tipy toe along a political
type rope awe, but you know, cuddle up to President
She and Premiere Lee because they're a bit worried that
we're going the American way.
Speaker 8 (20:20):
Well, I mean I've met with them before and be
very clear from day one, from when I became Prime minister.
You know, we have areas of collaboration and cooperation with China,
of which there's still more for us to do together,
and that's all good stuff. But yet we have different
political systems, we have different histories, we have different values,
and we have differences frankly as you do. Actually in
all the relationships are there with different countries, and so
(20:43):
it's important if you've got a long standing and mature
partnership and relationship that's been over fifty years, you should
be able to talk about the differences upfront and be
very direct about it as well. And that's the sign
of a strong part or good partnership, I think. So
you know, they know, you know, I raised and discussed
all the things that you know, we have our differences,
but we also talked about the areas where we can
cooperate and actually do more business together, which is important
(21:06):
for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
From there you went on to meet with the NATO
Secretary General, get it wrong, Mark Rutter, who was an
old mate yours or an old work colleague of yours
at UNI level. That's a handy connection.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (21:19):
He was the Dutch Prime minister for fourteen years during
the John Key era. He was probably one of the
most probably the most successful center right politician in recent history.
So he was Prime Minister of the Evidence for a
long time and then obviously has taken on the role
of Sextary General. But I flew straight from Beijing into Brussels,
and what was good there Jamie was I've got to
know she'ld have underlyon who's the President of the European Union,
(21:41):
And I've been talking to her obviously about, you know,
making sure that in a world of tariffs and lots
of trade uncertainty, that actually Europe and the CPTPP countries
actually continue to uphold the trading laws and rules so
that there's no tit for tat punishments or breakdown in
those rules. But the thing about Europe's really excited because
(22:01):
Europe and the UK we've historically had these old ties
that go back one hundred years or so. But we've
also you know, we've not had always and so far away,
but we haven't had new stuff to drive the relationship forward.
And in both cases the FTA agreements have been really good.
So if you think about the last twelve months, we
added an extra extra billion dollars, it's up twenty five
(22:21):
percent our exports to Europe and you go to a
place like the Netherlands. I went to Rotterdam Port where
most of our goods go into and you know, it's fantastic.
And there's also investment coming out of Europe investing into
New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
You know, so that was really good.
Speaker 8 (22:35):
So it was partly that and then obviously NATO was
the security side, which Mark Ortor, as you said, the
Sextra General of NATO around and that was more about,
you know, the things of common interest between US and
the Indo Pacific region and the things in the euro
Atlantic region, and particularly the war in Ukraine was a
big focus point.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Okay, are you talking about the europe War in Ukraine.
One man who's been at the forefront of negotiations around
that is Secure Star of Labor, Prime Minister in the
UK fran I Sullivan wrote an interesting piece in The
Herald suggesting that maybe you're doing a bit of a
secre starma, excelling on the world stage, dropping the ball
(23:12):
at home on the domestic front. What do you say
in your defense, Well.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
What a lot of rubbish.
Speaker 8 (23:17):
The bottom line is, I'm very focused on domestic New Zealand.
That's why I go overseas is because everything I'm doing
overseas is about trying to help us grow our position
and improve our position here at home. One in four
of our jobs are actually tied to trade. Doubling our
exports is really important to It's a big goal, but
it's important because that's actually how we're leading our economy
out of the mess that we've been. And just just
(23:38):
think about it. In the last quarter, we grew the
economy zero point eight percent, four times faster than Australia,
faster than many other Western economies. Why is that happening.
It's happening because if you look at our goods deficit,
that went from ten billion deficit down to three point
eight billion in less than twelve months. And that's because
we're actually doing the trade internationally that I need to
be able to sell to the world for far. So
(24:00):
now I'm really proud of what we're doing to lift
the intensity to trade internationally and that's got real benefits
for us here at home. Yep, it's still tough, but
look at it. Inflations from seven to two point five percent.
Interest rates are coming down, the economy is growing for
the first time in a long time. Unemployment's peaking and
will start to come down as well. Now we've got
to push on to make sure that people can feel
it in their cost of living. And I know that's
(24:22):
been difficult, but you know that's what happens thanks to
a labor government that mismanaged the economy for six years.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Let's just finish with Heartland New Zealand. You're there today,
I think with Sue's Redmain, the star of the Rural
Support Trust debate. She was great at field Days. She
got one of the best shots into the night. Mind you,
you've got a good one and we won't we won't
go there with that one.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
But go there, Jamie.
Speaker 8 (24:42):
We're going to risk for our relationship exactly.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
But let's just talk about Sue's Redmain and what you're
doing and what is it? Ty happy today?
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah, Ty Happy today?
Speaker 8 (24:50):
I want to see some of the good stuff that's
happening in the Wall, which is really great. There's some
really enterprising entrepreneurs that are doing an incredibly good job.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
There.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
Chance to get out across Ranger Tek, there's some there's
some great companies in regional New Zealand. I'm going to
meet with PEC Fuel Systems. I've got Hotarpo Pine. We're
going to go meet with Honest Wall for which the
guys doing some crety cool entrepreneurial stuff, and with World
as well. So you know, the great thing is that
for places like the fuel systems business, for the Pine
(25:23):
and forestry businesses, you again for them to actually invest
in new capital, plant and equipment by virtue of the
Investment Boost program that we put in place. That's again
designed so we can get this economy moving and growing
into a much stronger place. So yes, that's always good
to get out of Wellington. And that's what I try
and do as fast as I can. Come to Wellington,
get out as quickly as possible so you can go
(25:43):
see what's happening in the real world.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Okay, there you go. We'll enjoy your day and TI happy.
It's not too late to introduce a big, beautiful bill.
It's worked the Trump it could work for you on
the home front. Prime Minister, thanks for your time.
Speaker 8 (25:54):
Always good to talk with to Jvie, you take care
of a great week.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
The best of the country with Rubbobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients, Rabo Bank.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
One slept to go before Raiser Robertson's first test of
twenty twenty five. Here as a bloke who would have
played a bit a footy with Raisa Robertson. Former All
Black captain Tane Randall and I'm going to talk to
you Tane about farming, footy and forestry because you've got
a bit of a serious background in forestry. Let's before
(26:25):
we get onto the footy, talk to me about forestry
and carbon farming. Where do you sit because you were
into it early doors.
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Yeah, So I actually worked overseas for a while. So
when the emissions market started in Europe, as when I
first started for a trading company in London, I was trading.
We end up training oil. But we all say the
emissions market grew massively and so by the end when
I left, if you're buying oil you're also buying essentially
European carbon credits. So and you we but enough to
(26:54):
be dangerous. And we came back to New Zealand in
two thousand and nine and that was when the sort
of carbon mark it was sort of just really sort
of starting in New zeals ten and up it got
involved quite heavily up until sort of the twenty twelve
thirteen when the first cutoff period for pre nineteen ninety
forestry all those registrations work to be done, so heavily
(27:18):
involved up more in the north. I've spent a week
bit of time down in the West Rowellyen of Southland.
But essentially yeah, more more and more about advisory around
how the scheme works. I knew how it sort of
worked globally, and then we a bit of education helping
people understand how it sort of worked New Zealand's perspective
and how more important, how to apply it to their landholding.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Now I know you've got farming interest in hawkspy I'm
assuming it's in hawks by sheep and beef. How does
the carbon farming or the forestry versus sheep and beef
work in your mind? Have we got it right?
Speaker 6 (27:56):
Controversial? Thanks mack. I think it's getting better, you know,
and so essentially the market really kicked off in twenty
twelve in New Zealand. So it's only a twelve centing,
you know, for a lot of arts, that's smoking mirrors,
that's part from whatever else. But for commodity trading and
that sort of stuff overseen, it's existed for a long time,
very sophisticated for New Zealand. That was one of our
(28:18):
first really internationally traded commodities, which we could do with
pretty transparent price, with futures markets and stuff. I've been
a big fan of it because more than anything, you know,
no farmers are up in arms about it and whole on,
but the only people who can benefit it are landholder farmers.
(28:38):
No one else in New Zealand can actually grow carbon credits.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
But there's plenty of places, sorry, Tane, there's plenty of
places on your farm surely where you can plant trees
and get the carbon credits. I'm talking about the blanket
planting of farms. That's what I don't like, and I
know examples of where arable land, good arable land has
been planted into tree is. It's just not right.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
I completely agree and we were, you know, we're in
Hawk's Bay. The east coast of New Zealand grows pretty
good pine. We've had we've seen some big, big, sometime
historic blocks going into pines. And it's it's what the
companies who are doing that. There are one rotation, one
generation the short term, you know, but what they do
put in pines and they'll they'll cut and run. Really
(29:24):
they'll take the first. So now they call averaging first
eight sixteen to eighteen years carbon and then they don't
care about the next hundred plus years. And that's that
that really got away on us. And I really against
it from another perspective, from just a farmers most and
who were I'm in Hawk's Bay, right, so some really
good land, but since most farms, I'm guessing around twenty
(29:45):
twenty five percent of land, most farmers don't want to
go on there. And it makes perfect reason to be
putting into some sort of foreigner natives, pine, African red
whatever else. And it does you know, for that the
poorer quality parts of the land, you do earn more
from a carbon perspective than you would ever do from
(30:08):
a farming perspective. But I've always thought, you know, any
farmer should have some sort of forestry, commercial or long
term as part of their portfolio, especially in Hawke's Bay,
where you don't just get big flat blocks of vand
you've got some you know, you got some nice flat stuff,
but are rolling quite a bit of a bit of
rough stuff. It's the rough stuff which here I from
(30:30):
a strategic perspective, is the best stuff we should have
in forest But where these companies have gone out and
bought just fantastic nice rolling land or flat and blanket planted,
it's just really poor. And I'd be feeling the government
going some way in terms of stopping that. We land
(30:52):
class six plus now to do that, and you can't
do whole blanket plantings, which I think is long over due.
At the same time, you know, the foresties all has
historically been a big part of New Zealand's economy, and
I don't know who you who to believe, but the
(31:12):
forestry is still probably only about the same sort of
planting hectares it was in twenty seventeen. So when you
look at the stats, maybe sometimes you get a bit
more emotional than what virtual data data seems to think.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Tane Randall on yesterday's show, part one of a two
part interview we did with the former All Blacks captain.
Well you've heard him on carbon credits and forestry. Up next,
Tane Randall talks about farming, sheep and beef farming in
Hawk's Bay and also today's game against the French right
here in Dunedin under the roof at Forsyth Stadium. He
(31:54):
had some really interesting comments to make on the composition
of the Loose Forward trio. I like it myself and
I think like most of the country, we all like
Rico Yuanni going to the wing. We'll get Tane Randall's
thoughts on that before the end of the show. This
is the best of the country. It's brought to you
by Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
The best of the country with Rabobank, the bank, with
local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
All right, let's move on from forestry. Just to wrap
at Tanne Randall with his former All Black Captain farming
farming and then Foddy So are you getting your hands
dirty on the sheep and beef farm Taine you're getting
on the hand piece.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
Not even klose the closer I get, the more sort
of things go wrong. Now, we got some family interests,
so we've got bought some forest middle in the North Arman,
We've got beef, some sheep interested in farming and Hawks Bay.
Everyone seems to be having a good time at the moment,
which is quite good because everyone was crying of it
year and as I say, the worried to involved, the
(33:00):
more things go wrong. But take your teen interest, keen interest,
and yeah, that's that's where we've been pretty heavy spish
in Hawk's Bay. We seem to be pretty happy with
how the weather is, how the pricing is. You know,
Apple's going pretty well as well. So I don't know
what it's like for you guys down south, but where
I came at the.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Moment, yeah, I know it's down here, and you're a
bit like me. I'm a George Street farmer. I know
you know the needing well. So yeah, the closer I get,
the more trouble for the farm. Anyhow, let me finish
on the footy. France. You can never ever underestimate France,
and you probably still have nightmares about France. Tane Randall
after nineteen ninety nine, But how do you see this
(33:40):
game going.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
Well.
Speaker 6 (33:43):
Really, I'm I'm really excited. Okay, the French are coming over.
Pretty disrespectful, you know, it's the top of the world
table clash, top two of the top three teams in
the world heavyweight's best of three. Pretty disrespect for what
they've done. The teams have sending their B team over.
But I know it won't actually be that bad. But
(34:05):
from an interesting perspective us, oh, we'll see how we go,
you know. But it was really having seen the team
that raised it announced. Yes, I haven't been this excited
about the potential or you know, the potential of all
back team for a long while, the loose forward tree.
I think finally we've got a good Bali Savia on
the open side. Really happy of that two po Bo
(34:28):
massive risk putting them at six, putting having big locks
or you know, small locks, transferring things you can do
the same side, same deal at blind side. Hasn't always
worked and of course Leo Willie, but what I like
about them, For the first time for a long while,
we've actually got a balanced loose forward trio. I was
looking at it. You know, when you pick the team,
you've got to pick the best team. The best combination
(34:51):
and having a big strong blind side, having poor playing,
high work rate number eight and you know Savia on
the open side first time since really the k you
know read mccare loose fortune that I feel like we're
going to balance loose for Trayer as you have had
over the last number of years, is that you know,
we Sam Caine and Ardie Savia two fantastic players, both
(35:13):
if you look at them, both started open, so they're
both open sides. But the coaches, rather than you know,
making a hard decision and choosing the best for loose
Ford combination, have just picked the best players and put
them in the team. And that's not necessarily, I believe
the best thing to do. So I'm really excited to
see how this loose for Trier goes. It might be
a failure, but at least I think from a combination perspective,
(35:34):
they've got the right intent. The other one that's as
you know, Ricky Yanni on the way, I could not
agree more. Yeah, he's a strike winger. He's a strike player.
He's not all Center's right. If you talk about roles
in the repue playing, you know, if you're a rock,
you got to be talk catch line. If you're a wing,
you got to be fast, and he's that. If you're
a center, you've got to be able to read defense,
(35:59):
and you've got to be able to ask the ball
to your wingers. Those are the two key roles I
see as a center. You know, talk about the best
midfielders we've had, you know, Conrad Smith, Joe Stan, Frank Barnes, what, Yeah,
they were all fantastic athletes, but their stability was the
fact that when it came to defense, they read defenses.
It's quite complicated in the midst that they read defenses
(36:20):
really well. That's not riki Wan. He's the great ESTI
He's a very good tackler, but from a system defense,
he's not great. And you know, as we all know
his while he's a fantastic runner, his distribution is not great.
And New Zealand has really key advantages over the rest
of the world with historically had strike wingers. We want
(36:41):
our wingers to get the ball, not the center's running
with her. And so those two things makes me really
excited about this weekend the.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Best of the country with Rubbobank choose the bank with
one hundred and twenty years global agri business experience grow
with rubber.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Bank Jane Randall wrapping the best of the country talking forestry,
farming and fordy. If you want to hear a live
call on the Test match in Dunedin here tonight Action
from six pm. You can hear it on News Talk.
There'd be gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Remember go to the
Rabobank website and have a look at the recently released
(37:18):
paper on farm succession. That's me. I'm done and dusted
out of here. A huge weekend in Duned and I
hope you enjoy yours wherever you are in the country.
I'm going to leave you with Jirane Juran.
Speaker 9 (38:00):
Burns. We go around to get the as.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
The planet turns into the light, something more than dreams.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
To watch out for reachug the can'se.
Speaker 9 (38:20):
We know what it means.
Speaker 10 (38:23):
Want to be a side read jump far the sunrise,
put your head him.
Speaker 9 (38:33):
To the big scut.
Speaker 10 (38:36):
You can't touch the sun rise, rejug suc you can
touch the sign rose red into.
Speaker 9 (38:56):
Your new day. Your new days really got to.
Speaker 6 (39:38):
Do what you.
Speaker 10 (39:45):
Do itself. New mo Day, Elsa Ga. You ask Silas
to me your day and to your life.
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