Rabobank Best of The Country: September 27, 2025

Jamie Mackay talks to Ben Picton, Jane Smith, Miles Hurrell, Finn Ross, and Greg Cornelsen.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The best of the Country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience. Grow
with Rubbobank.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Your back.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Good morning, New Zealand. Welcome to the Best of the Country.
My name's Jamie McKay and every Saturday morning here on
News Talks there'd be the show's brought to you by Rabobank.
We're growing a better New Zealand together. Got some great
guests for you today. We're going to bookend the show
with a couple of assies. Ben Pickton, Rabobank's senior economist,
some really good news for you if you've got a mortgage,

(00:54):
whether you're a farmer, a business person or a homeowner.
Could we get the ocr down to as low as
two percent by February twenty twenty six the other book
end or they we're going to wrap the show, should
I say? With Greg Cornelson. We're going to talk to
the man who scored four Test tries against the All
Blacks in nineteen seventy eight at Eden Park. Only four

(01:16):
test tries he scored in his career. There's some wonderful
stats around him. He's a great bloke, well known on
the New Zealand speaking circuit. In between that, we're going
to chat to Jane Smith, North Otago Farmer Award winning
environmentalists just been elected to the board of directors for
Ravens Down. We'll get her views on the Alliance Group
recapitalization and Susan Harris, the anti Paris Agreement scientist. Finn Ross, yes,

(01:43):
son of high profile Carbon zero farmers Jeff and Justine
Ross of Lake Harwea stations on the show. And the
good news story of the week was Fonterra's annual results.
Will chat to Chief Executive Miles Hurrel. It's all on
the Best of the Country, brought to you by Rabobank.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients. Rabobank.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
Let's head to Sydney Ben Pickton as a macro strategist
in layman's terms, that's kind of like a senior economist
for Rabobank. Ben intrast rates. We had a zero point
nine percent fall in GDP last week. It's changed the
environment or the outlook for interest rates. How low can

(02:31):
we go?

Speaker 4 (02:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (02:33):
Good, Jamie.

Speaker 6 (02:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (02:33):
The GDP report that came out, it was I think
fair to say it was a shocker, really bad number,
negative point nine percent to the quarter, and especially in
the context of what the being said was expecting. So
they were expecting the economy to shrink, but only by
zero point three percent, so it's quite a big mess.

(02:56):
The economy was performing worse than expected in the second
half of the year, and as a result, our view,
certainly and the view of many other banks I'm seeing,
is that the RBNZ is probably going to do more
to try to support the economy to get demand moving again,
because the gap between demand and supply is now wider

(03:17):
than they thought. Demand is further below supply than what
they previously thought, and that opens up risks for unemployment
and also for inflation. Sort of persistently undershooting their target.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
Has the Reserve Bank completely cocked this up. The cure
is much worse than the original disease.

Speaker 5 (03:37):
Well, I guess there's going to be different views on that.
It depends whether you think inflation is worse than recession.
I guess if you lose your job in a recession,
that's disastrous. If you have high rates of inflation over
the long term, it's maybe not immediately disastrous as long
as you're holding onto your job, but it is corrosive

(04:00):
to the economy over the longer term. It does make
things a lot harder for households than businesses. So the
ARBI and Z has an inflation mandate that is agreed
with the government. They're making policy according to their mandate.
In one sense, they've achieved their mandate. They've got inflation

(04:21):
back under control. But yeah, but at what costs?

Speaker 3 (04:24):
Right, let's have a look October the HiT's the OCR
or the Reserve Bank meet again. They'll do their OCR
review and it's going to be good. A former stable
mate of yours, Hailey Mornihan. All these days, Hailey Gorley
is going to be on that Monetary Policy Committee. We
talked to Hailey on yesterday's show. Look, it's as sure
as night follows day. They're going to drop fifty basis points,

(04:46):
aren't they.

Speaker 5 (04:47):
Well, that's our expectation. We've updated our view to include
a fifty basis point cut in October worth remembering that
they actually considered cutting by fifty basis points back in
August and ultimately they decided not to. Since then, we've
had that shocker GDP report where it's showing that the
economy was actually in worse shape than.

Speaker 4 (05:07):
What they thought.

Speaker 5 (05:08):
So to our mind, that that makes a fifty basis
point cut more likely of.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
More interests perhaps will be what they do in November.

Speaker 5 (05:19):
Yeah, so we have another meeting at the end of November,
and then there's a big break until the next meeting,
which doesn't happen until sort of the middle of February
next year. So the question is do they have a
little bit more stimulus over that Christmas period just in
case it's needed. I suspect they probably will. We've got
a twenty five basis point cut penciled in for November

(05:42):
as well. We sort of always expected that to be
the case, and now we've added in that extra big
cut in October because of the poor GDP figures.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
So we're currently sitting at three percent. We take off
fifty basis points for October and then another twenty five
and November. That bits us down to two point two
five percent. Could we potentially go again in February and
get down to two percent, because let's face it, a
few months ago, no one was ever picking that.

Speaker 5 (06:12):
Yeah, we may, we may do. I still think that
that's less likely than remaining at two point twenty five.
And the reason why is because we are seeing some
signs of a little bit of an upturn in some
sectors of the economy. So household consumption, which is a
really important part of the economy, has grown for the
last two quarters in a row. We are seeing rise

(06:36):
and consumer confidence, we have seen a recovery in business confidence.
And the other thing we've got to remember as well
is that there's a huge stock of mortgages out there
in New Zealand that will be resetting from higher interest
rates onto lower interest rates over the next six months,
so almost half of the total mortgage book in New Zealand.
So that's going to be a big cash flow boost

(06:58):
to the household sector and we would expect that to
drive economic growth in the months ahead.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
So if you're a fan, I know you're going to
duck for cover on this one, but I think it's
an important question if you're a farm or a business
person or a homeowner coming off a fixed rate now,
do you fix now or do you just sit on
floating and see what happens, Because are some of these
fixed deals going to get better over the next few

(07:25):
weeks or.

Speaker 5 (07:26):
Months well, I guess it's a question of how much
risk are you are you happy to take? So you know,
everyone will have a different risk tolerance, and they'll have
different sensitivities, you know, a different sleep at night factor
on how much change in interest rates they're willing to wear.
Our view is that we might see a little bit

(07:48):
of a creep lower in six rates over the next
few months. But having said that, we are looking at
this this expected stimul where people are resetting on the
lower variable rates to charge up the economy, and usually
when the economy starts gathering pace, you would start to

(08:09):
see fixed rates drifting higher. So maybe a little bit
more of a dip, but then higher after that is
probably our thoughts.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
Are you a rugby fan?

Speaker 5 (08:18):
I don't really follow it that much, to be honest,
I'm more of a cricket fan.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
You realize there's a ledders Load Cup game on Saturday
and Auckland a very important one. You haven't won there
since nineteen eighty six.

Speaker 5 (08:30):
Oh is that right?

Speaker 7 (08:31):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (08:31):
Well, I'm wasting my time with my rugby trivia.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
On you Ben.

Speaker 5 (08:35):
Yeah, well, I know it's a point of prize for
New Zealanders. I have said that the Wallabies are getting better,
but I'm not sure that we're good enough yet to
win in New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
Well you're not going too badly anyhow. I'm going to
talk to an Aussie, a former manager of the Wallabies,
who knows a bit more about footy than you do.
But thankfully you know plenty about the economy as a
good macro strate just should have been picked in out
of Rabobanks Sydney office. Thank you very much for your
time today on the country to Jammy. Good morning New Zealand,

(09:12):
and welcome to the best of the country shows brought
to you by Rabobank. We're growing a better New Zealand together.
Being picked in Rabobank's senior economist out of their Sydney
offices earlier in the week. Didn't know much about rugby,
does he? But I have talked this week to a
couple of Ossies who know a lot about rugby. One
of them you are going to hear from later in

(09:33):
the hour, Greg Cornelson. We are to the man who
scored four tries against the All Blacks at Eden Park
and nineteen seventy eight before it was a fortress. Remember,
we haven't lost to the Aussies since nineteen eighty six.
Haven't lost at Eden Park since nineteen ninety four when
the French scored the try from the End of the Earth.

(09:56):
So I'm kind of bookending the show with us the
songs as well. This is Jimmy Barnes. I'm going to
go out with his Cold Chisel mate Ian Moss. But
up next Jane Smith North Otago Farmer Award winning environmentalist
Miles Hurrell, chief executive of Fonterra. What a great week
for our biggest company in our biggest industry. Finn Ross

(10:19):
says we're barking up the wrong tree by blaming Paris
the Paris Agreement. He is the man behind Future Farmers
at Rower and the son of high profile carbon zero
farmers Jeff and Justine Ross of Lake Haweis Station. You
might remember them from Country Calendar Fame. Finn's a bit

(10:41):
like his parents. He's kind of controversial, but he's a
bright young man. It's all on the Best of the Country,
brought to you by Rabobank.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
The best of the Country with Rabobank, the bank with
local agri banking experts passionate about the future of rural communities.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
Rubber Bag she's taking time off the lambing beat on
a North Otago farm to talk to us. Her name
is Jane Smith. She is a former owner of the
Balanced Farm Environment Awards and now a director of the
Ravenstown Board. Jane, is this like the first step in
your relentless march to Wellington?

Speaker 5 (11:22):
Good afternoon, Jamie. I think not, Jamie.

Speaker 8 (11:24):
I think, as I've said before, I last about five minutes.
And politics because I like to get things done and
I am a quite an impatient person. So yeah, politics
would not be for me, Jamie. But look, I'm just
a cooperative that I'm passionate about and has you know
that let's set there have some real challenges and opportunities,
particularly for both of our co ops, and they're going
to have to be sitting nimber in order to move forward.

(11:47):
So I'm open minded about what the seat looks like, Jamie,
and I'm just pleased to I guess serve my sector, Jamie.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
You well, you're not only a farmer shareholder of Ravenstown,
used to work for them in your youth.

Speaker 8 (11:58):
Yes, I mean, I guess I've got some mom a
degree of institutional knowledge in terms of how the sector works.
Jammy but yeah again, so I know that's vastly different
to governance, but again I'm really passionate about I guess
the fight that farmers had back in the nineteen seventies
to develop ravens down and really want to go from

(12:19):
strengths to strengths. Jamie so dealizes the challenge.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
Well, that gives that is the beauty of the cooperative.
It gives farmers, in a lot of ways ultimate control.
What do you make about the troubled cooperative down the road.
While it used to be based in Southland, HQ is
now in christ Church, the Alliance Group. We've spoken already
to Mark Gunton on the show, and I know you
haven't heard the interview, but are these five high profile
farmers peeing into a northern Southland northwester Well, it's just.

Speaker 8 (12:46):
Interesting, Jamie. I guess what's in and I haven't followed
it really closely, but what has been put in front
of shareholders is a bit of a Hobson's choice. So
they really have been painted into a corner and I
have no doubt that, and it has been grossly undervalued.
So good on those farmers there standing up. Hopefully it's
not too late. But again any discussion, especially in their cooperative,

(13:07):
is healthy and so I hope that has aired and
it's to be good to hear head that interview with
Mark Jamie.

Speaker 3 (13:13):
Did you hear the scientist Susan Harris on the show yesterday.
I'd never heard of her before, and then I read
something online and I thought or she'd be an interesting yarn.
And she's saying, we just need to take natural livestock
emissions out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and I'm thinking
Jane Smith will be jumping up and down on an
North Otago farm, going yes, Yeah, I.

Speaker 8 (13:35):
Did actually catch the end of that, Jamie, and it
was really interesting to hear what Susan had to say
in terms of just a I guess a new voice
into that discussion. And you know, I guess even Susan
would say, you don't require a doctorate or degree that
any rational New Zealander would see the fiscal fast and
chasing me saying and then we're edging towards a billion
dollars a taxpayers money that you hunting down solutions for

(13:59):
something that is a measurable and you've got to remember,
at worst it be four millionths of a degree over
time that we would be potentially at worst again, even
if you don't take in the seven and a half
million hit dares of native bush in our fine country,
four millions of a degree, so that's zero point zero
zero zero zero zero four. So when I went to school,

(14:21):
that many zeros after a decimal point rounds to zero Jamie.
So you know again, we've been very quick to have
a sentenceing by politics instead of a trial by science
and fact. And in regards to the methane science are called,
we've we're working with some you know, and I've mentioned
this previously, the World Sustainable Livestop, for them to actually
look at a proposal in terms of amend in Paris.

(14:41):
So we're hoping we'll have a couple of announcements to
make in the next month or sign that Jamie.

Speaker 3 (14:46):
I thought one of her interesting comments was a better
investment for New Zealand would be to develop some diplomatic
bottle as she labeled it, and lead the sixty eight
nations involved into lobbying the IPC to remove natural livestock
emissions from the Paris Climate Agreement. And I couldn't help
but agree with her on that one. Rather than sacrificing

(15:08):
ourselves on the altar of climate change.

Speaker 8 (15:11):
We can be the leaders, absolutely, Jamie. And we need
to move really quickly on this action before any more
land is lost both here and globally, and perpetuity to
food producing land lost forever. And I guess wearing my
global farm around table hat. I've continuously been asked by
my peers off shore to say, you know, New Zealand

(15:33):
should be leading this as a leading, ruminant, free rate
posteral based sector. We really need to leave the charge
on this. And so again we're not waiting around any longer. Again,
our sector has been very quick to look at the
symptoms of the Paris Accord, such as the food producing
land taxonomy, energy and fuel costs, wind farm sold of farm.

(15:55):
But strangely hecedent to call out that the Paris Accord
is not fit for purpose. But that's what we want
to focus on, Jamie.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
Just to finish on you've taken time out to chat
to us. You're going to grab a bite a lunch,
then back out to the lambing beat. You've been pretty
dry and Alsogo, how are you faring?

Speaker 8 (16:10):
Yeah, I know it was very welcome yesterday, Jamie. Actually
we've had no rain to turn a half month, no
miserable rain and we got twenty mills yesterday, so it
was fantastic out tagging stud lambs. We've got twenty eight
hundred lambs we need to tag, so but a quality
time was clear and the rain so for once we're
both astually smiling and no, it's very very welcome, so

(16:32):
I think it was reasonably isolated though Jamie I and
I further up the way Techy Valley didn't get it.
So we do need a bit of recharge in the headwaters.
And there is a dusting of snow in our hells
this morning, so that was actually welcome again. You want
the season in the rightful place, Jamie, so that's all
we can ask for.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
Jane Smith, thanks for your time, congratulations on being elected
onto the Ravens Downboard and another one of our correspondents.
I should be sending you both an invoice, Doctor Jack
willond Roweth elected unopposed as the North Ireland director, so
well done you too.

Speaker 8 (17:04):
Thanks Sammy, and thanks again to Nicki m'beka bit also ran.
So it's good to see again positive commitment to the
co op the.

Speaker 1 (17:11):
Best of the country with Rubbobak choose the bank with
one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience grow with Rubbobank.

Speaker 3 (17:19):
It is today's big news story if you don't count
the naming of the All Blacks for the Eden Park test.
Miles Hurrell joins US from Fonterra. Fonterra reports continued strong
performance for the financial year ended twenty twenty five. Miles Hurrell,
where do we start with these numbers? They're all good.

Speaker 7 (17:38):
Yeah, agod o, Jamie, Well, it is a good news story.
You're really pleased to put these numbers out here today.
And I start with obviously a strong milk price teen sixteen,
really really positive end of the season, and of course
the milk price forecast a new head unchanged at ten dollars,
So it does start with that. We recognize it's a
nice important number, I think for our farmer shielders. But
at the same time then we've got to take take

(17:59):
ten dollars sixteen and try and add some valley on top.
And team have done a superb job and they couldn't
have asked for more from them this year, So really pleased, And.

Speaker 3 (18:07):
Of course the other important number for dairy Farmers is
the dividend fifty seven cents per year, up from fifty
five cents last year, but that was unimputed. This year's imputed,
which means what does it grows out to?

Speaker 7 (18:22):
So seventy nine cents on a light flight basis, Jamie,
So you know, again a superb result. I think both
the expectation for both our shielders but also the market,
and so I think.

Speaker 4 (18:32):
That reflects firusly.

Speaker 7 (18:33):
It reflects yearnings, no question, but also reflects the strength
of our balance sheet that we can pay at the
top end of our range. Again, things that we could
only dreamed of a few years ago. So you know,
it is a good news story. And hopefully we'll get
sort of vice a couple of team next week when
we're out on the road.

Speaker 3 (18:50):
Yes, so we'll talk about your road shows very shortly.
But your forecast or your season forecast milk collections, because
the season has got off to a strong start, what's
going to happen there? What are you about to find
a home for all the s milk?

Speaker 4 (19:03):
Miles Hurrale, Well, that's our job.

Speaker 7 (19:05):
You know, we're a cooperative and we pride ourselves on
processing all the milk. Their farmers thritas. So so no question,
that's what we'll do. And so it has got off
to a good start. I think we're up about three
three and a half percent I think from where we expected,
which is which is a very good start. So you know,
obviously starts with the decent price from that we pay
our farmers and they can do do more with it.

(19:26):
So but now we'll process that. You know, we've obviously
got ae hick cups along the way you when you
start up our factories, but that's always happens the summer years.
But will process the milk, no questions.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
And despite what Green pieces Miles Hurrald total group revenue
twenty six billion dollars up fifteen percent. Anyone who doesn't
see how important the dairy industry is to New Zealand Inc.
And our economy is economically illiterate and that describes Greenpeace.

Speaker 7 (19:56):
Well, well let me let's not come in on on them,
because I'll probably have a.

Speaker 5 (20:00):
Crack at me on it.

Speaker 7 (20:00):
So but I will say, you know, we're trying to
do our bit of heavy listening to the economy, no question.
And well you know, it wasn't longer I was reading
the book from maybe twenty years ago called the deer
industry a sunset industry, and so you know, we know
that that's laughable. And hopefully we're proving to everyone that
the way our people farm here in New Zealand, the
way our farmers farm, it is demanded for globally and

(20:22):
you're seeing that play out with decent prices. And so
you know, we've still got issues on the horizon when
you look at some of the Jura politics we've got
to deal with.

Speaker 4 (20:28):
But you know, I've been dealing with that for.

Speaker 7 (20:30):
One hundred and fifty years and I have no reason
to think we can't navigate our way through it for
another one.

Speaker 4 (20:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (20:34):
So and your results today, next week you hit the
road because you've got that big farmer shareholder vote. I
think it's due to take place on October the thirtieth
regarding selling your consumer business for four point two billion
dollars to lack t tell us.

Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (20:50):
So, yeah, We'll obviously had a few few meetings with
farmers over the last few weeks on this and for
a few months. Early indications are they very much support this.
There are some clearly it's pulling on the heartstrings a
little bit in terms of the nostalgic attachment to those brands,
and we understand that, no question, a lot of it.
But a lot of time has gone and infect cash
has gone onto investing in those brands. So we understand that.

(21:12):
But you know, economically, we know it's the right thing
to do. There is a there is a two dollar
tax free return available, I think is what we're talking about.
All go, we'll talk to our farmers next week. We'll
get it between the eyes. They'll tell us what they
really think. As farmers always doing, we look forward to
that that. I'm not not far from New Jermy in
the deep South. I'm quite excited.

Speaker 3 (21:30):
Okay, there we go, Miles Harrald to you, Peter McBride
and all the team at Fonterra. Well done on a
great result for New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (21:38):
Thanks for us, Jermy the best of the country with Rabobank.
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients,
Ravo Bank.

Speaker 3 (21:55):
Then good morning news, z elland waking up to a
brand new day test day at Eden Park. We haven't
lost there since nineteen ninety four. The Elsies haven't won
there since nineteen eighty six. We've got a bit of
a good into. I think it's a good interview anyhow,
Greg Cornelson to bookend the show. We kicked off with

(22:18):
an Assie Ben picked in from Rabobank. We're going to
talk to Greg Cornelson, a man who scored four tries
against the All Blacks and nineteen seventy eight. Also Finn Ross,
who says we're barking up the wrong pine tree by
blaming the Paris Agreement. Lots of debate this week on
the show about the Paris Agreement. We had an anti
Paris Agreement scientist Susan Harris on the show, Finn Ross

(22:43):
offering an alternate view from Futures Future Farmers Row now
talking about Rabobank. Rabobank and key we Harvest recently released
the results of their latest food waste survey. We're wasting
less food than we did two years ago, we're still
wasting too much of it ten point nine percent. Despite

(23:03):
this drop, the survey also found less than one in
five New Zealanders thinks enough as being done to address
the household food waste in New Zealand. You can dig
into the full results on the rabobank website rabobank dot co,
dot nzet and while you're there, sign up for one
of those free you don't have to be a Rabobank client.
Free farm succession planning workshops. There's one coming to a

(23:27):
place near you. This is the best of the Country,
brought to you by Rabobank. Up next, Finnross. We're barking
up the wrong pine tree by blaming Paris.

Speaker 1 (23:45):
The best of the country with Rabobank, the bank with
local agribanking experts, passionate about the future of rural communities Rabobank.

Speaker 3 (23:54):
Finn Ross is a bright young man and Finn welcome
to the country. Thank you very much. It's very late
in the evening London time as we record this interview.
I appreciate your time. You've written a really good column.
We're going to post it on our website, The Country
dot co dot nz. And summing it up is this
one sentence. We're barking up the wrong pine tree by

(24:15):
blaming Paris. Tell me what you mean, well.

Speaker 6 (24:18):
The government's blaming their own poor policies on Paris. I'm
still yet to hear one way that Paris negatively impacts
New Zealand farmers. All Paris does is tells New Zealand
we have to reduce our missions to keep them below
or aligned to a one point five degree target. So
it doesn't dictate we do anything on farms in New Zealand.

(24:38):
So we're certainly barking up the wrong tree blaming Paris.
It's our policies of our own government.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
Does the Paris Climate Agreement have any teeth at all?

Speaker 6 (24:48):
Not a lot, which is the interesting thing. So you know,
I guess act in New Zealand first to campaigning to
leave it, so Paris enforcement doesn't, but it certainly will.
There's a lot of teeth in the trade deals that
we're jeopardizing by potentially or advocating to leave it.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
Well, what happens when you get the like Sir Donald
Trump spouting off on the world stage as he has
in recent days about climate change just being an absolute hoax?
Why do we bother? And he's going to behave like that.

Speaker 6 (25:18):
Well, to be Frank Jamie, it's unbelievable we're even having
this conversation about New Zealand withdrawing from Paris. It's the
incoherent Trump style populism that's unfortunately infecting New Zealand through
these sorts of statements around New Zealand leaving Paris. Every
country in the world, the States, Iran, and Libya is
in Paris, and so it's a pretty poor company we'd

(25:41):
be looking at to potentially join them.

Speaker 3 (25:43):
You're also not a fan at all of carbon farming
and planting our way out of carbon emissions.

Speaker 4 (25:53):
Not at all.

Speaker 6 (25:53):
And I think there's been you know, people have conflated
the Paris Agreement with planting pine trees. Paris Agreement says
nothing about planting pine trees. That's our own problem we've
done here in New Zealand that really has nothing to
do with Paris.

Speaker 3 (26:06):
So how are we going to meet these emissions reductions targets?
We'll probably get to ten percent by twenty thirty, but
surely twenty four to forty seven percent by twenty fifties
just unrealistic. The only way we can meet that, surely
is to reduce livestock numbers. Is that in New Zealand
Inc's best interests?

Speaker 6 (26:27):
Yeah, well, I guess the first thing is, I don't
think act in New Zealand first quite realized that even
if we left the Paris Agreement, most New Zealand farmers
would actually stay in the Paris Agreement through all their producers,
all of our producers in New Zealand, they are all
aligned to Paris. So all our farmers are aligned anyway,
So even if we left, all our farmers are actually
still technically aligned to Paris Agreement, including.

Speaker 5 (26:47):
Those those targets.

Speaker 6 (26:49):
Look, it is daunting looking at twenty four to forty
seven percent. It's major changes in our farming systems in
New Zealand. You know, for me, it's got to come
from methane reduces. There's a lot of really exciting technology
hopefully going to come through in the next five to
ten years, but there's a lot of other opportunities to
cut fossil fuel emissions on farm electrifications a big part

(27:10):
of it as well.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
We had a scientist on the show this week, Susan Harris,
who said she would like to take natural livestock emissions
out of the Paris Climate Agreement, in other words, renegotiate
the agreement. I realized we're a very small country in
a rather large world. But as something like that a possibility.

Speaker 6 (27:30):
Absolutely not. I mean, there's no way New Zealand would
have any teeth to renegotiate Paris. And besides, you know,
there's obviously a few people in New Zealand on the
fringe who think that livestock don't cause planetary warming emissions.
But every single country in the world agrees that they
do cause climate changing emissions and we need to do
something about it. Besides those three countries who are way

(27:55):
out there on the fringe, what.

Speaker 3 (27:56):
Do you say to the argument that there are no
more bovines or ovines on the planet and there was
in nineteen ninety, Therefore the increase in emissions is all
coming from a man burning fossil fuel.

Speaker 6 (28:10):
Well, there was certainly no bovines in New Zealand. In
New Zealand, we were covered in a massive native forest
which was sequestering a huge amount of carbon. So we've
turned these you know, temperate forestry systems into that were
net sinks into net sources of carbon. Now, so you know,
ninety seven percent of animal biomass on the planet now
as livestock for humans. So only three percent of animal

(28:32):
biomass on the planet is wild animals. So we've totally
totally altered the planets, you know, the.

Speaker 3 (28:40):
Biological Well, let me just go back to let me
go back to the year nineteen ninety. If that's a
peg in the sand, for emissions reductions there are not
We've got no more animals, no more stock in its
than we had back then.

Speaker 6 (28:53):
Yeah we don't, but they were causing emissions in nineteen
ninety and are still causing emissions now. I guess by
that same logic that you know, double New Zealand stock
now and then in another twenty years say hey, we're
not causing any more emissions than we did twenty years ago,
but we're still causing ongoing emissions which need to be mitigated.

Speaker 3 (29:10):
So you talked about some of the solutions, methane reduction,
all the new technology that's out there, can that, honestly,
hand on heart get us there without having to reduce
livestock numbers in this country.

Speaker 6 (29:24):
The juries the jury is still out, and the Paris
Agreement does stipulate that we shouldn't compromise food production. And
you know that there's very few people who are you know,
reasonable advocates for Paris who are actually contemplating large reductions
in stocking numbers. I think that the stocking number one
is sort of like saying Boldemort in New Zealand farming,

(29:46):
everyone sort of immediately gets their shackles up. You know,
we certainly shouldn't cut stocking numbers in New Zealand just
for emissions reasons. But there's obviously that there are parts
of New Zealand that are overstocked and that's having an
impact on our waterways and omissions. But yeah, hand on heart, Jamie.
To be honest, I'm not sure about those meat dane technologies.

(30:10):
The jury is still out on those. But we've got
to invest in the science, that's for sure.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
Fin Ross from Future Farmers rtl Oh thank you very
much for your time today on the Country Food for Thought.

Speaker 6 (30:21):
Thanks Jamie.

Speaker 5 (30:22):
Great to chat the.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
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Speaker 3 (30:30):
Back counting the sleeps until Eden Park. What a great
game it's going to be on Saturday. We haven't lost
there since nineteen ninety four to France. We haven't lost
to the Assie since nineteen eighty six, go back a
few years before it was a fortress. In nineteen seventy eight,
the Aussies beat US thirty points to sixteen. One man
a Ford no less scored four tries against US that day.

(30:52):
His name is Greg Cornelson, he is joining us on
the country. Greg, you're an old friend of the country.
I had the good pleasure of hosting you, the late
Colin Meads and your old mate Dick Taylor at my house.
I'll never forget it. A great night out. I guess
you never forget a great day out at Eden Park.

Speaker 4 (31:10):
I remember all those I remember saying with you mate,
and a great occasion. And of course nineteen seventy eight
it was a wonderful win for the Wallabies, that we
were a great team, and just reminiscently just going back
a little bit before that Test match because we played
Daryl Hardwright, our coach had a heart attack after the
second Test, and then we had four games to go

(31:32):
including the third Tests, and Ross turn By, that manager
and captain Tony Shaw decided that we wouldn't bring in
another coach. We'd continue on with the style that darf
we'd been playing that tour four matches to go and
Ross Turnell said, we're not going to lose another game, fellows,
We're going to win the next four, which we did.
We played Wanganui Bay of Planning at North Auckland and

(31:52):
interestingly on the Tuesday at the Bay of Auckland. Our
test pack played that day and five of the Test
players for the following Saturday played, so there are only
two changes from the Tuesday side to the Test match
at Eden Park in seventy eight. So yeah, it was
a sad time for us. Of course our was gravely ill.
But what an unbelievable day that we had wonderful game

(32:17):
of rugby.

Speaker 3 (32:18):
So you scored four tries your only tries and Test
matches one or two of them fell into your lap
would be fair to say you got the bounds to
the ball, but you had a great game.

Speaker 4 (32:29):
Yeah, I mean I didn't receive a pass to score
the tries. They I just picked them up off the
ground or fell into the lap, as you say. But
you know, you don't score four tries in the game
unless you're playing with an exceptional team. And we had
a day out and you know, and you know, as
far as the Orbucks are concerned, of course they they
had won the series. At that stage we were at

(32:52):
our absolute best and they possibly didn't turn up. Certainly
in the first half or the first fifty odd minutes
we were eighteen three ups. The All Blacks came back
and I think it was eighteen thirteen game on and
we just went on from there. But here my tries
were pretty lucky actually, and you know, it's a really
embarrassing watching them in comany.

Speaker 3 (33:12):
There's some wonderful stats around you, Greg Cornelson. You were
the first Ford to score four tries in a Test
since eighteen eighty one. At the time, your sixteen points
made you the highest individual scorer against the All Blacks
and a Test beating ok Geffen by memory the goal
kicking prop forward or lock for South Africa, and thirty

(33:36):
points was the most points scored against the All Blacks
in a Test match up until then. Of course, we
got a complete flogging in the weekend when the box
put forty three passed us. But it was a great test.
What I remember about it is you gave a young kid,
an eighteen year old fresh out of school a game
at first five eight Tony Melrose.

Speaker 4 (33:57):
Yes, Tony was the captain of the famous nineteen seventy
seven school boy side. They went through Britain undefeated and
they were a colossal team with the ether Boys Michael
O'Conner and many wonderful forwards as well. So it was
his first Test that pushed ten right to inside center
and they both had absolute blinders. But you know the

(34:18):
player that I'd like to mention is John Hippole who
was our No, he wasn't the captain. Tony sure was
our captain. But John Hippele was the greatest wallaby in
our era. He started in nineteen sixty six and finished
his career in eighty two here, so he was a
wonderful player. Yeah, but Tony bel rays. Sadly we lost
Toney to rugby league at the end of nineteen seventy nine,

(34:42):
so he was only playing Test rugby before for two
years and as you mentioned, that was his first test
in that an absolute blinder all the time in the world.
He slighted the beautiful Fiel gold and a shame we
lost him to the league.

Speaker 3 (34:57):
Yeah, Magdavison talents. It was also the test stay bu
of Chris bought a handy. What a great character he is. Hey,
Greg Cornelson, what are you up to these days? Something
in the back of my mind says you used to
have a rural upbringing.

Speaker 4 (35:10):
Yeah, I was from the land. My father had a
property at the place called Joggler, forty miles east of
Armadah and the New England between Sydney and Brisbane and
New England, And yeah, I went back there a couple
of times. I chose to do other things in my life.
But you know, you think back on it and do
you regret. No, I don't. I don't regret, but it
was pretty tough on out of the time. I'm hoping,

(35:32):
obviously that I would take over. So I run on
with my life and seventy three years of age with
you on the Gold Case have been here is nineteen ninety.
I still quite enjoy golf and pretty well retired.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
Yeah, and you're doing the speaking circuit. You've got a
great story to tell. Do you give your Aussie's a chance?
Just quickly?

Speaker 4 (35:51):
I do, my word, I do. I don't know who's
available for them because we've had quite a few injuries
over the last couple of weeks, but no I do.
They've been going well at set piece. They've got a
very very good back line. I don't know who's available
for the for our halves, but yes I do. But
of course New Zealand they've got Roy Garden, Katie Taylor.
I think back available. They're very very good players. But

(36:14):
the Springbok did us no favors at all a couple
of weeks ago, so I'm really looking forward to Jay
Schmidt has done a marvelous job with the Wallabies. They're
really playing well and you know he's just got to
be so proud of them. But one of the real
shames is that its played in Australia times three just
after three or Fox the Ouzsie Wruel's Grand Finals on
at two thirty. Now so many people watch that. There's

(36:37):
so much interest now in back into rugby and certainly
the Vesley Cup. If it was played at five or
five thirty our time, you'd have the whole of Australia watching.
So that's the shame of it all but down but anyway,
that's our case.

Speaker 3 (36:49):
Okay, Great corn Elson, great to catch up again. Thank
you so much for your time. Great reminiscing on a
wonderful Test match way back in nineteen seventy eight when
the Wallabyes beat the All Blacks at Eden Park by
thirty points to sixteen chairs.

Speaker 4 (37:02):
Thanks Jamie, thanks a lot.

Speaker 1 (37:03):
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Speaker 3 (37:18):
Greg Cornelson, Ossie legend a wrapping the country, the best
of the country. My name's Jamie McKay. Each and every
Saturday morning here on News Talks 'DB, we play the
best bits of our weekday show twelve to one. Hope
you've enjoyed it. A bit of a footy theme on
today's show. It's a huge weekend for rugby. We've got
the Black Ferns up against France for the third and

(37:41):
fourth playoff tonight Otago. I'm based in Dunedin. These days
have been for a few years. Otago defend the Shield
against North Harbor. I don't think they'll have too many
problems there, but every cloud has a silver lining if
they do perchance lose it to North Harbor. Guests who
gets the final challenge of the year myself on Stags

(38:02):
and how good is that Lederslow Cup game going to
be tonight at Eden Park. Enjoy your weekend. I'll catch
you back. No, i won't catch you back, same time,
same place next Saturday, because I'm off to Perth to
watch the All Blacks. Hamish mackay will be sitting in
I'm leaving you with Jimmy Barnes's mate from Cold Chisel.
This is En Moss a great song called Tucker's Daughter.

Speaker 9 (38:35):
Now Memory that sound, memory.

Speaker 2 (38:56):
With many.

Speaker 10 (39:00):
Stand everything you want, don't know, you.

Speaker 2 (39:09):
Tell your stuff fix you say, sign up man? Why
don't you need some time? Everything man? The time that
man make your mad.

Speaker 10 (39:51):
Gonna be Yeah, my gonk you y'll now talking though,
is never read?

Speaker 2 (40:06):
You want me just.

Speaker 10 (40:08):
Tear me down, No all on me, not from it
sound some good start doesn't.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
Never made you want just tabby.

Speaker 10 (40:25):
Mocking, mocking, wrong, down took in the stores, never me
tamy down, I'm on.

Speaker 2 (40:43):
Me dumping sound some good start doesn't.

Speaker 10 (40:47):
Never read comet tarvy down some fucking most