October 28, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Ray Smith, Todd Charteris, Tracy Brown, Hunter McGregor, Jack Jordon, and Blair Drysdale.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie mckue thanks to Brents, the starkest of
the leading agriculture brands.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Do you remember a good afternoon, New Zealand? This is
the Country. I'm Jamie mckaye. The show is brought to
you by Brant Love, Earth, Wind and Fire. Today's theme
(00:36):
is wind. We've had far too much of it, haven't
we know? Chris Luxe and Christopher Luxeon today he's obviously
just arrived in South Korea for APEX. So instead of
the bloke running the country, we're going to kick off
the show with the bloke running MPI Raysmith. Director General
of MPI, Todd Charteris continues the wind theme. He's off
(00:58):
to the windy city here than other things. Tracy Brown's
the chair of Dairy and Z. She's just back from
a city in South America called Santiago. She was there
with Andrew Haggard for that World Dairy Conference. Hunter McGregor
going to the Great Cities of the World today, he's
in Shanghai. Jack Jordan caught up with them a bit
(01:21):
earlier this morning. Actually he was in Auckland, but he's
heading back to one of the great cities, the King Country.
He's backcountry King Country. He's also the world champion timber sportman,
the still timber sportman. He won the individual title in Milan, Italy,
another great city last weekend. But he's got to get
(01:43):
back to the King Country farm for carving and docking.
Don't you love it? And is Balfa one of the
great cities of the world. I don't think so. It's
kind of the poor relation to Riversdal where I'm from.
I'm only saying that to get a bite. But in Balfa,
well known Southland arable farmer Blair Blocker Drysdale. They had
(02:04):
a shocker of a spring last year. In fact, they
couldn't possibly get worse, but somehow twenty twenty five has
managed to do that. The dairy farmers are having a
hell of a time in the deep South. The late
landing sheep farmers are having a tough time in the
South Island with the snow that's hit. But you want
to try being an arable farmer. Poor prices at the
(02:24):
moment and impossible to get anything done. We've got to
do all that before the end of the hour, So
let's rip into it. Wind is the theme of today's show.
A bit later in the show, we're going to talk
(02:45):
about the windy City. No, not in the cargo, but Chicago.
A bloke who lives in a windy city he has
to for his job is Raysmith, Director General of MPI.
You can't beat Wellington on a good day.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Ray.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I think you know the amount of wind that's come
through Willington over the years. Most things that could blow
away I've already gone, Jamie. But look, it's been a
spring to forget, isn't it. I mean shocking around the country.
But you know, look, our thoughts just go out to
the people down in the South Island, particularly our farming
communities down in Southland, Peranui, clut the districts and even
(03:21):
in kai Kura. We're just being you know, it's just
been dreadful and we know that there are a lot
of people without power. We know that. I think it's
about one hundred and eighty day farms still reliant on generators.
So things are working, but sort of only just in
some of those places. So look, if anyone needs a
hand on the way through that they feel stuck or uncertain.
A couple of things they can do. Give give the
(03:43):
rural support. Trust a bell eight hundred seven eight seven
two five four, Give a bell if you're just not
sure or uncertain or can't fix something. And we'll try
and coordinate our effits to give people a hand. And
just know that, you know, we have declared a medium
scale abvious event, so that freed up a bit of
money two hundred and fifty thousand dollars just to support
the well being of people on the way through. And
(04:04):
also of course you know these tax relief and other
things that come along with that.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
So look our thoughts with people.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
It's going to take a while of clean up.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Our Prime Minister has been in Southeast Asia. He's heading
to Apek. He's been trying to cut some deals there.
You've been in Washington recently on a trade trip. What
was that about.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Well, look, I spent a week in the United States
last week and I managed to visit my counterparts, the
two undersecretaries that run that work in the Agricultural Department
in the United States for the USDA. And these are
two very important meetings with these undersecretaries. One of them
looks after buy security and we have a very good
relationship here and that's important because we're both exporting and
(04:45):
importing goods from each other's countries, and also with the
Under Secretary in charge of Agriculture and Trade, and those
relationships that we have are in.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Very good state.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And it there's a lot going on, of course in America,
with everything that's taking place here, but we've managed to
agree that we'll formalize our dialogues going forward. It will
strengthen our relationship even further and that's got to be
to the good of all of the businesses trading into
the United States.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Raysmith, Director General of MPI, Sorry for coming in over
the top of you there. Look, since we last chatted, Ray,
we've seen New Zealand drop its methane targets and these
seem achievable fourteen to twenty four by twenty fifty. Does
this please you?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I feel very happy about those new targets. It's a
good science based piece of work that've set a target
that New Zealand can achieve and it's reasonable to go after.
And I think it's gone down very well across the
farming community and industries involved. And look, I was well,
I was in the United States, so I visited two
further states in North Carolina and Indianapolis, where I looked
(05:53):
at investments that we are making through Egra zero, our
joint venture for bringing methane solutions to New Zealand, and
can I just tell you, I looked at a grass
that's being developed, a genetically engineered grass that can reduce methane.
I looked at two products that are effectively probiotics. It
will get using enzymes from the animals themselves to do
(06:15):
two things to increase productivity of the animal and reduce
the methane emissions. And these are products that we've got
investments in here in New Zealand and they will come
to New Zealand in the next I would say twelve
to twenty four months to undertake further trials and to
prove their products here so that we can register them
(06:36):
and they will be evailed.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Are we allowed to use the genetically modified grass or
rye grass here?
Speaker 4 (06:41):
We need to first pass through the gene Technology Bill
that's in front of the Parliament, so that will happen
in the middle of next year. But that's currently working
its way through its process, and that'll set out the
regime and how these products are allowed to come in
when they are genetically engineered.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
He one final question for you, original methane target or
reduction targets for twenty four to forty seven? Who in
their right mind set forty seven percent as an achievable goal.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Well, there were a set of course based on international
systems for the IPCC, So look, they were really at
the upper end end before. I think we know a
lot more now about what's achievable and what's doable and
what's reasonable from the farming community. Because you don't want
to cut your production of animal protein to achieve your
(07:31):
meath antargets. We want to do the opposite here in
New Zealand. We're going to increase our production and we're
going to cut those methane emissions, and we're going to
do it in a way that everybody can afford to
do it.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Music to my ears. Raysmith, Director General of MPI, thanks
for your time as always.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Thanks mate, take it easy.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
What ain't after twelve? You are with the country, great
studies of the world and wind is the theme of
today's show. Up next to Bloke is heading to Chicago.
Chief executive of Rabobank, Todd charteris but is he on
a bank junket to see the all Blacks play Island.
More importantly, tomorrow is a big day. Putting the weather
(08:09):
to one side. It's the story that you can't get
rid of. Unfortunately Rabobank. The farmers vote tomorrow, most of
them have voted already. Will get the outcome of that
vote on tomorrow's show. The devote divestment, the vote to
sell off the consumer brands for four point two billion dollars.
Trust me, it's a dune deal. Todd charteris on that
before the end of the hour. Tracy Brown from a
(08:32):
Derrien zed she's been in Santiago, Hunter McGregor's in Shanghai,
Jack Jordan and the King Country and block A Drysdale
and Balfa. This man is the chief executive of Rabobank.
(08:58):
We're going to talk about what the b thinks are
up to in terms of helping farmers out, especially in
the Deep South and Canterbury at the moment. But before
we do, Todd charteris, I want to talk about tomorrow's
big vote, the Fonterra vote on the divestment of the
consumer brands business. This is an absolute given. What are
you hearing?
Speaker 6 (09:18):
I Good afternoon, Jamie yeah, look, yeah, look, I think
the vote will go through. That's what we're hearing for sure.
And look, I think Fronterira have run a really good
process here. I think they've engaged with the shareholders really well.
And yeah, I would expect that vote to go through,
but it's not done until it's done. But we look
forward to the announcement and due course. But look, it'll
(09:39):
be good for the wider and New zeal economy too.
I think you know, farmers will reinvest some of that money,
they'll pay some debt. But I think you could and
it could lead you to a number of succession discussions,
a whole lot of things. And I think that's that's
a really key decision that businesses need to make.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Put the house on a yes, folk there, you're in
the business of lending money. It's not necessarily in your
best interests if the farmers use and I think the
averages payout is going to be four or five hundred
grand to pay down debt won't suit you, Todd.
Speaker 6 (10:12):
Look, I think I think you know, there'll be a
whole range of actions that people will take. Businesses will take,
you know, their strength and balance sheets. You know, we're
talking to many farmers though that are looking for investment opportunities.
As I said earlier, I think it'll kick start some
succession discussions, a whole lot of things.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
But you know, but every.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
Situation will be different, and I think it will be
positive overall for sure.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
What can the banks do to help out farmers who
have been smacked by the weather in the past week.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
I look at terrific, isn't it, And I really feel
for everyone down there. It could catch up with some
of the team yesterday and yeah, certainly we've deferred any
scheduled principle repayments, any short term working capital that's required
as all. Just you know, we've signed all that off,
any loan reviews. You know, we was pushed out, so
we'll do what we can. But it's about supporting those
(11:03):
communities and really proud of the efforts that our client
council down there actually kicking in, led by Craig Whiteside,
who's a farmer from South Otago and he leads that
client council for Ravo and they are out in the
community and our teams are supporting them as much as
they can. But it's going to take quite some time
to recover and it's really just getting people through, you know,
(11:26):
emotionally it's really tough. And yeah, it's just we're just
helping people and helping our employees. It's tough for them,
you know, many of their personal situations have been impacted
as well, and so yeah, it's a really tough situation.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Southland's have been very, very windy, as has Canterbury recently.
You're going to a windy place this weekend, the Windy City, Todd, Chicago,
to see the All Blacks take on Ireland. I hope
they'd go better than they did in twenty sixteen when
they lost. Now I could tongue in cheeks say, is
this a Rabo Bank junket? But I know what you're like.
I can't even convince you to come to Dunedin for
(12:04):
a junket for a test match, so I assume this
is coming out of your back pocket.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Yeah, no, this is definitely not a junket, Jamie. And
there's a group of guys I went to university with
years and thirty odd years ago, and so we've been
putting money aside for about the last twenty So yeah,
this is a fully paid trip. But it's been paid
for over the last few years, so I'm really looking
forward to it. Will be exciting time to catch up
with some mates and hopefully see a great all black victory.
(12:31):
We own the one in that city, so you're looking
forward to it.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Have you been to Chicago before? It's one of my
favorite cities. New York's my favorite US city. I think
Chicago might be second.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Yeah, I've been a couple of times. I went ten
years ago when Neil Blacks played the US it was
the first time, and then i've been back actually with
rather event looking at a few dairy operations over there.
So yeah, it's a pretty impressive place, and it's just
great to get into that Midwest and see some of
that big country like we were a few years ago.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Well, make sure you get to the top of Willis Tower.
Seas Tower used to be the tallest building in the
world at one stage. Now it's only third tallest in
the US. Hey Todd, thanks for your time, enjoy your travels.
Go the ABS.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Here you go the ABS. Thanks Jamie, cheers.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Thank you Todd. Twenty three after twelve years with the Country,
brought to you by Brent. Great viewing time for that
test as well. I think it's what nine o'clock, ate,
thirty nine o'clock or something, Sunday morning. Really looking forward
to that one, hopefully the first leg of the All
Blacks Grand Slam. We'll have rural sports news for you
a wee bit later the bottom of the hour, Michelle
(13:36):
will wander in here and we'll do rural news as well.
But up next the journey. I hate that word. I
detest the word journey. I blame you, John Mitchell. The
journey around the world continues. Tracy Brown from murder Matter,
not one of the great cities in the world, one
of the great towns. She's been in a great city
in South America. Going to chat to her next Hunter
(13:59):
mcgree Biggers in Shanghai, Jack Jordan, and block A Drysdale
before the end of the hour. On the country, Mother
(14:25):
nature can be a cruel mistress to tell us about
it and to tell us what we can do about it.
As Tracy Brown madam at a dairy farmer by memory,
Tracy just beside Hobbiton and also chair of Dairy en Zed.
I know that dairy and Zed's been busy on the
ground in the Deep South with all those farmers down there.
Who are trying to milk cows at the moment without power,
(14:46):
there are some real animal health and welfare issues coming up,
not to mention the state of mind to some of
the farmers. What's the advice you've got for the people
on the ground in Southland and Southwest Otago.
Speaker 7 (14:59):
Yeah, thanks, Jamie. So I've just been over in the
International Dairy Summit until day and only back in New
Zealand for about twenty foot but over twenty four hours.
So still kind of coming to grips with the situation
and South and the Cross Canterbury. But I've been in
regular contact with our chief executive and being in contact
with some of our staff. So there's some key things
(15:22):
that we really want people to think about. So the
first one is there's information on the rule if people
can get power, there's information on the rule, support trust
around community get togethers and just checking on your neighbors,
checking on your family, keeping people safe. Our Dearing z
Area managers can offer help in terms of farm system
(15:44):
support and they've been doing a bit of that already.
Health and safety as a priority, Jamie, And as people
start to clean up fallen trees and what have you,
we want to make sure that staff are aware and
then people are fatigue, they're exhausted, so they need to
treat all power lines as live unless it's been confirmed otherwise,
(16:05):
you know, when they're cleaning up trees, if they've got
animal health and welfare concerns, which many people have, and
just get in touch with your local vet to get
some advice, and then get in touch with regional councils
if people have got effluent concerns in terms of what
they need to do with that, or you know, there
has been some dumping of milk where I haven't been
(16:28):
able to be collected, So just keep in communication with
your regional councils on that. But you just really want
people to know that we're really thinking of you. We
know it's a tough time. You know, some people have
had no power since about Thursday last week, and I
know the services are working really hard to try and
get that reconnected and to get generators around to people
(16:49):
that need generators to get their cows milked.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah, and I'm assuming the local regional councils are going
to cut these farmers some slack around effluent ponds and
having to dump milk.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
Yeah, So there's been good communication with FA sector, with
the regional council. So it's a huge team fit Jamis
and O between DAR and z Beef and land Fed's
will Support Trust has played a huge role in all
of this, and a regional council, so everybody's there to
support farmers. We want farmers to know that Daring Zed's
got your back.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
We're here to support you.
Speaker 7 (17:21):
You just need to reach out and tell us what
you need in terms of immediate needs and then ongoing
me and don't.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Be afraid to ask for help just quickly. On the
International Dairy Conference, we spoke last week to Andrew Hoggart,
who was there representing the government. You were in Chile.
Had you been there before?
Speaker 7 (17:39):
No, it's my first time in South America, Jamie. So
it was a really good opportunity to just get some
contexts in terms of the farm systems over there and
learn a little bit more about what goes on there.
But it's the Idea is probably the most important global
gathering for the world's dairy community. So it was a
really incredible opporternity to get together in that non competitive
(18:03):
space and talk about the challenges that people face and
sort of think about how we can solve some of
those together as a wider dairy.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Community, and it was a good dry run heading into
what is it next years or the year after? Help
me out here. We're hosting it in Auckland, Yes, so yeah.
Speaker 7 (18:20):
New Zealand is hosting the International Dairy Federation Summer in
Auckland next year in November, the following years in India,
in the following years in Quebec. But really there'll be
a lot more information come out over the coming months,
but that'll be a great opportunity for farmers in New Zealand,
scientists and processes and all our supporting industries to really
(18:43):
connect globally with the global dairy community.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Tracy Brown, chair of Dairy and Z, thanks for some
of your time today. I know he's still a bit
jet lagged after getting back from South America. And remember
farmers you need a helping hands. Sing out Dairy and
ZED is there to help. Thanks Tracy.
Speaker 7 (18:58):
Cheers Jamie.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Hang On twelve thirty, Thank you, Tracy. Someone has on
the text line five double nine feel free to vent
your spoon. Is that the correct saying? I think it
is yet right? Someone calling the Prime Minister or more
on about his rates relief on his Waheki Island mansion
(19:23):
and his Tesla discount. Ooh, it's a cruel text. And
here's someone having a cracket. One of my favorite correspondents,
Jane Smasher Smith. Here's a quote from Malcolm Turnbull, Australian
Prime Minister. Take note, Smasher says the Texter. The question
of weather or what extent human activities are causing global warming,
(19:43):
is not a matter of ideology, let alone of belief.
The issue is simply one of risk management. So put
that in your pipe and smoke it. Jane Smith, if
you're listening in North Otago, will give you a rite
of reply. Next week, Michelle's in here for rural news.
Next we'll do sports news for you, and I think
(20:03):
we're going to announce the Fonterra a vote live. Michelle
will fill in the missing pieces at twelve o'clock, which
is after twelve on tomorrow's show. Welcome back to the Country.
Very shortly the latest and rural news and sports news.
(20:26):
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Speaker 2 (21:51):
And Michelle Watt Just before we get into your rural
news story. Goodness knows what you've got. You've been on
the blower to Fonterra. Are we going to have the
exclusive announcement live at tomorrow on the radio.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I'm hoping so at twelve, So listen to that one
at twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
And one microphone technique Michelle.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Sorry, I'm not going loud enough.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
No, no, yeah, just talk down. So who have we got?
Who have you got? Myles hurrele toill me only one
good news, you see, Michelle.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Well, we'll get Miles on Friday, hopefully to discuss it further.
Tomorrow we will have the results.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And who's going to talk about the results.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Well, you're going to get to announce them yourself.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That's not very that's not very. I could announce. To
be honest, I could announce the results right now because
I know how they're going to go anyhow. Okay, what's
what's some rural news?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Okay, rural news? More were the disaster sort of stuff
being picked up, specially after the winds. Tens of millions
of dollars worth of irrigation equipment is thought to have
been damaged by strong winds in North Canterbury. Thursday's gales
tossed and twisted hundreds of massive pivot irrogators, leaving the
Amieri Basin farmers with weeks or month long waits for
replacement parts from overseas, and some of them are not
(23:01):
insured because they've been tipped over so many times. Insurance
companies weren't assure them. So tough times up there, especially
coming into that dry season.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah. I know, it's one thing having trees toppled over.
You can chop them up with the church chainsaw, but
it's very difficult to fix those big pivots without the parts.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
And the other problem facing the poor old farmers in Canterbury.
We've been talking about the Deep South, but down in
Canterbury is it's getting dry. They need those irrigators on now.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yeah, I'll have to start making some decisions about where
stocks going and things like that, or whether they're bringing
feed in or doing once a day milking's which I
think some of them are already doing.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Farming's a tough gig. It is a very tough gig, right, thanks.
Michelle has sport.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Sport where the math go Kiwi to the bone since
nineteen oh four.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Now we've got there's a netbull story here. Have got
these odi on tonight this.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Afternoon apparently, so have you been watching them? They're exciting games.
I've been really enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Yeah, yeah, fifty overs. But yeah, it might start at
two o'clock. You'll find that out.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
I'll find that out. But great games to watch.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yep. Okay form. This is the netball story because we've
got a netball test on tonight as well on the
Silver Ferns. Good on them after all the controversy are
making a bit of a comeback now. Former Tactics netball
coach Mary and Delaney Hoshneck believes full court pressure and
intense teamwork on defense is the key to a Silver
(24:27):
Ferns win in tonight's final Constellation Cup Test and christ Chitch.
If New Zealand wins to lock the series at two all,
a tiebreaker consisting of two seven minute halds will be
played to determine the series winner. And golf stories, not
only are the Waglers playing this afternoon, there's some great
players in that golfing group, Michelle, the Saint Andrew's old
(24:50):
courses receiving a golfing makeover, changing eleven holes and extending
the yardage to a length the seven thousand, four hundred
and forty five ahead of the Open Major in twenty
twenty seven, and a sporting experience to treasure for the
All Blacks ahead of their Grand Slam Tour opener against
Ireland in Chicago. A group where guests at the balls
(25:14):
NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks. That is your
sports news for you. We'll find out very shortly where
that ODI is. It's Hamilton, Hamilton, two o'clock. Hopefully the
weather's going to hold for that one. Playing cricket in
New Zealand and October. I mean it's hard enough farming
in October and New Zealand, let alone playing cricket. We
(25:35):
hope that one gets away unscathed. Up next, another great
city of the world, and that is Shanghai. We have
been talking about Chicago, the Windy City, one of the
great cities of the world. Let's go to another great
city of the world, Shanghai, where we find a boy
(25:56):
from Roxburgh. His name is Hunter McGregor, red meat and
venison to the Chinese. Hey, Hunter, is it a big
deal in China at the moment. The fact that I
think tomorrow our time Trump will meet Jijingping for this
pull side meeting or whatever you want to call it,
ahead of the APEC meetings.
Speaker 8 (26:16):
You good, afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, sure, it's an important meeting.
It's too big trading powers meeting. So it's going to
be interesting to see what actually comes out of it,
because your guess is as good as a miner as
what actually happens with that. You never know what's going
to happen with Trump.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Well, I think one thing there, Hunter, you can put
the house on Trump trying to get him with a
dominant handshake. Look, the American farmers are going to be
really interested in the outcome of this meeting because the
biggest export market for them for their sawyer beans was China.
They've been getting nothing in there at all.
Speaker 8 (26:47):
Yeah, it's been fascinating that the sawyerbean market China's been
replaced by Brazil, Argentina and Russia. You know, half nearly
half of all soyer beans in the US used to
come into China's billions of dollars and this year the
Chinese haven't brought anything. So there will be high on
the agenda, I would assume, and probably an easy one
(27:09):
to fix. But you know, you just think there's more
soy beans in the American system. So that's probably why
the Americans able to produce a lot more milk at
the moment because feed prices are probably a lot cheaper
than what they usually are. So that effects the New
Zealand dairy farmer as well in the long term.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Talk to me about the Chinese pork price at the
moment and what's the side effects for us here in
New Zealand as a meat exx sporting nation.
Speaker 8 (27:36):
Well, yeah, it's interesting. It's currently down ten percent year
on year, mainly because production has been up a little
bit more and demand side is quite weak. But what
usually happens with protein prices meat, with pork, chicken, beef,
lamb everything in China is that the pork price usually
(27:56):
sets the sort of floor price. So the pork price
goes up, everything up, and if the pork price goes down,
everything goes down. So it's going to be interesting to
see what happened. You know, week, there's a week we
could demand at the moment. Now, usually demand picks up
at the last the end of the last half of
the last quarter of each year. We're not really seeing
that at the moment. So I'll be interested to see
(28:17):
what actually happens with the price in the next few
months because it will affect other protein prices.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
So no signs of recovery in the Chinese economy domestically.
Speaker 8 (28:26):
Oh, it's just ticking along as it has all year.
And now I was talking to another person that's been
it's involved in a in a New Zealand agricultural company,
and you know, they're finding it tough as well, and
they don't see there's no light at the end of
the tunnel. It's just sticking along. There'll be a bit
of a pick up with events and things like that
heading into you know, the end of the year Christmas
(28:48):
parties and then into Chinese New Year events. But you know,
it's tough. It's really tough out there.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
It would certainly be helpful if Trump could do some
sort of deal with she Wally was at a peck.
Let's just finish on direct flights between India and China.
I'm surprised that these have been off the table for
about five years. There's a bit of a legal between India,
a growing superpower, and China that wants to be the
ultimate superpower.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
Yeah, well, there's always been a bit an, there's a
there's a contested sort of border area and you know
up on the hills and in their cashmere, which is
somewhere you know, around between China and India. But you know,
prior to COVID, there was about four hundred flights daily,
I'm sorry weekly between China and India, and then after
(29:35):
COVID they stopped, and you know, with with tension sort
of ramping up, they haven't returned until you know, Trump's
sort of pushed India and China a bit closer together
through his maneuvers or whatever he.
Speaker 6 (29:48):
Wants to call them.
Speaker 8 (29:49):
And you know, so that the first flight started again
after five years yesterday actually, and they'll they'll, they'll, they'll,
there'll be a lot more. So, you know, it's interesting.
You've got two very large populations, two very large markets,
and they haven't really been communicating with each other. That's
starting to thaw and we'll see how that develops.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Only Trump can save us. Hey, Hunter McGregor and Shanghai.
Thanks for your.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
Time, Jeers, Thanks you, Amy, thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Hunter up next. Earlier this morning, I caught up with
Jack Jordan Kin country farmer, now the world champion timber Sportsman,
x Men, chainsaw chopper and Blair Drysdale, Southland arable farmer.
To wrap the show. A next guest on the Country
(30:44):
would be very handy in Southland at the moment on
the end of a chainsaw, because this bloke can chop
through a log three times and six point three seconds,
and he did so to win the Still Timber Sports
World Championship last weekend in Milan, Italy. His name is
Jack Jordan, well known to the country King country farmer. Jack,
(31:07):
you held your nerve, you finally got there. How good
does it feel to be at the top of the
tree no pun intended, Yeah, no, it.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
Feels really good to finally get the job done. All
the training in preparations goes then yeah, I guess yeah.
You're just feel relieved after everything you've been through the
last few months. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Wood shopping or timber sports is a bit like cricket.
You've got short form or short formats and you've got
longer formats. I think you'd already won the faster format
World Trophy three times, but this is the longer version.
This is the test match version. If you want of that.
You've just been beaten at the post. Bad pun intended
(31:46):
again last year, Jack, but you got there this year
and you beat a great competitor in the Aussie bloke
whose name's just eluded me.
Speaker 5 (31:55):
Yeah, Boda May. He was the Aussie bloke and he
was I guess everyone's sort of had to be the
So yeah again over, I sort of knew what I
was up against and knew what it needed to do
to the beating. So yeah, luckily it all plaid off.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
It's six disciplines in the longer form event, and the
finishing one is the volatile hot saw with the superpowered chainsaw.
And I remember asking you this question on a previous occasion, Jack,
but I'll ask you again. A good question is worth
asking again. How powerful is the chainsaw you're using that
you can make three cuts of a log in six seconds?
Speaker 5 (32:32):
Yeah, so my saws three hundred and thirty, see seeds.
They sort of vary from three hundred cecs to I
think the biggest one is four hundred and thirty. So yeah,
they're all sort of custom built hot saws that are. Yeah,
they've got parts from all different sort of stingines.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Yeah, how heavy are they?
Speaker 5 (32:51):
I think mine's about thirty KOs. But when you try
and pick it up. When it's not going, it's like
listing of bloody lead. It seems quite heavy out in
front of you, but once you've actually started it with,
it's got so many RPMs it's sort of basically picks
itself up the hardly notice, Yeah, picking it up because
of you just weves up and wants to go up
(33:12):
into the air.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Does it rip your arm off trying to pool started?
I'm assuming it's a pool start, is it.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Yeah, No, it's not too bad. It's got decompression, bloody
button there. If it wasn't for the decompression, that you'd
certainly pull your arm off. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Well I did joke that you'd be handy in Southland
at the moment you've been away from the King Country
farm and I know you're flat out. You've got a
sheep and beef farm. I think your the beef cows
are carving at the moment. You've got some docking. We
call it tailing down this end of the country. To
do it was a bit of a hit and run
mission to Italy.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Yeah, for sure. Usually we sort of usually as sink
in and get get the timers walks out of the
way before get on and yeah, we're building on the farm,
so you'll get on and straight into it. It's yeah,
you're sort of you see on social maybe all the
stuff that's going on. What's the country as far as
flooding and that goes the rough weather, it's pretty hard
to see what some people are going through here.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yeah, And I guess for all those poor Southland farmers,
Southwest Otago farmers and farmers around the country have got
trees to chop up. The secret to a good chainsaw, Jack,
because I spent a winter on one many many years
ago when I was a young man, and I always
figured the secret to a good chainsaw was a sharp chainsaw.
Speaker 5 (34:24):
Yeah, bed right. If you haven't got a sharp chainsaw,
your baggat I just showed overseas for me.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Well it didn't this time, because you are the still
Timber Sports World Champion. Three cuts of a log in
six point three seconds. Jack Jordan safe travels back to
the King Country farm. Good luck with the carving and
the docking.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Hi, thank you really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Jack Jordan caught up with an Auckland earlier this morning.
He's made his way back to the King Country. She
can be farm let's head to a Southland arable farm
to wrap the show today, Blair Block a Drysdale. We've
been going to the great cities of the world today,
Blair belf is not really one of those.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
You always need to be so last, an't you.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Yeah, hey, it's Look, we've been talking lots about the
dairy farmers. Obviously they need the power to milk the cows.
When we've talked about that, the sheep farmers, the late
lambing ones in the South Island have been smacked by
the snow. How tough is it being an arable farmer
at the moment because you only haven't got these awful
ground conditions, you can't get stuff into the ground. You're
(35:29):
also not being paid much at the moment.
Speaker 9 (35:33):
No, look, everyone's definitely got their problems at the moment, Jamie.
For us in the arable world, really, at the moment,
the biggest one that's trying to time applications to crops
really and and the most important ones right now are
growth regulators for autumn. Barley's one and our funger sides
on wheat. So get my autumn Barley's begging for its
last growth regulator and it's blowing its half off again.
(35:54):
It doesn't look like we'll get a gap until sad
day to get it done. So that's pretty you know,
some of these time is pretty critical the arable world.
And if you it's not something that I'm you know,
better late than ever. They need to be pretty well
timed to be effective for us. You're spending a lot
of money per hec dear and not getting the desired results.
So yeah, look in this, you know we're I don't
really know whether I'm behind or a head of the game,
(36:15):
or whether anyone really knows at the moment. Aren't compared
to last year, it's actually pretty similar in the respective
seeds and ground, and it's worse. It's a lot colder's
attemps are only just ten and a half degrees here
today We've had crops in the ground for the fortnight
Gays Andmbraska's they're only just poking their head up. The
spring barley that's been in fifteen days is just struggling
(36:37):
to poke through. So here it's holding your guys. We've
got peas in the ground. Off left my peas in
the bags the moment. They don't like these silver conditions
are all cold and wet, so mile stay in the
bag till next week more than likely. Look at the forecast.
So there's some battles out there, that's for sure. And
just it's been blowing its ass offs in September. Imain
great if you're a sailor because it's been plenty of
high speed you off you're going past. But that's about
(36:59):
it for us. It's been challenge to do spraying far
four yeah, get seeds in the ground. So a lot
of people got a lot of work to do, hear them.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yet Yeah, absolutely, Look, a problem shared is a problem halved.
And everyone's talking about networking even getting off farm, which
seems impossible for a lot of farmers at the moment.
But I know Old Pete Turner up the road and
Mosbin they've got a wind shout and Mosbin on Friday night,
and I know communities right around the country are holding
little events like this just for the old mental health.
(37:25):
I've got thirty seconds on this one.
Speaker 9 (37:28):
Yeah, and we had one on Friday farmer shout because
there was another challenging spring. It turned in a bit
of a community one because no one had any power,
water or anything else. That means a cocking but Yeah,
conversation goes a long way if I go back to
twenty teen when it was a real bad spring. You know, mate,
ring may have our six in this morning, didn't actually
say helloadiese, just see what the such and types do
we do now? Blocker, I said, I don't know, mate,
(37:49):
that we yarned for fifteen twenty minutes and we both
felt a whole lot better about it. So yet you
can't be having yarn And I shot around to Make's
place this morning. I had a coffee because was sick
of the morning in the wind. So it's a pretty
important thing to guand you've.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Got a good week in front of you. That's the
only positive at the moment. Good luck there, Blair, Blocker,
drys Dull, Southland Arable Farmer. Wrapping the show tomorrow. We'll
be back with the Fonterra vote tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to friend, You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie mckue thanks to Brents, the starkest of
the leading agriculture brands.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Do you remember a good afternoon, New Zealand? This is
the Country. I'm Jamie mckaye. The show is brought to
you by Brant Love, Earth, Wind and Fire. Today's theme
(00:36):
is wind. We've had far too much of it, haven't
we know? Chris Luxe and Christopher Luxeon today he's obviously
just arrived in South Korea for APEX. So instead of
the bloke running the country, we're going to kick off
the show with the bloke running MPI Raysmith. Director General
of MPI, Todd Charteris continues the wind theme. He's off
(00:58):
to the windy city here than other things. Tracy Brown's
the chair of Dairy and Z. She's just back from
a city in South America called Santiago. She was there
with Andrew Haggard for that World Dairy Conference. Hunter McGregor
going to the Great Cities of the World today, he's
in Shanghai. Jack Jordan caught up with them a bit
(01:21):
earlier this morning. Actually he was in Auckland, but he's
heading back to one of the great cities, the King Country.
He's backcountry King Country. He's also the world champion timber sportman,
the still timber sportman. He won the individual title in Milan, Italy,
another great city last weekend. But he's got to get
(01:43):
back to the King Country farm for carving and docking.
Don't you love it? And is Balfa one of the
great cities of the world. I don't think so. It's
kind of the poor relation to Riversdal where I'm from.
I'm only saying that to get a bite. But in Balfa,
well known Southland arable farmer Blair Blocker Drysdale. They had
(02:04):
a shocker of a spring last year. In fact, they
couldn't possibly get worse, but somehow twenty twenty five has
managed to do that. The dairy farmers are having a
hell of a time in the deep South. The late
landing sheep farmers are having a tough time in the
South Island with the snow that's hit. But you want
to try being an arable farmer. Poor prices at the
(02:24):
moment and impossible to get anything done. We've got to
do all that before the end of the hour, So
let's rip into it. Wind is the theme of today's show.
A bit later in the show, we're going to talk
(02:45):
about the windy City. No, not in the cargo, but Chicago.
A bloke who lives in a windy city he has
to for his job is Raysmith, Director General of MPI.
You can't beat Wellington on a good day.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Ray.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I think you know the amount of wind that's come
through Willington over the years. Most things that could blow
away I've already gone, Jamie. But look, it's been a
spring to forget, isn't it. I mean shocking around the country.
But you know, look, our thoughts just go out to
the people down in the South Island, particularly our farming
communities down in Southland, Peranui, clut the districts and even
(03:21):
in kai Kura. We're just being you know, it's just
been dreadful and we know that there are a lot
of people without power. We know that. I think it's
about one hundred and eighty day farms still reliant on generators.
So things are working, but sort of only just in
some of those places. So look, if anyone needs a
hand on the way through that they feel stuck or uncertain.
A couple of things they can do. Give give the
(03:43):
rural support. Trust a bell eight hundred seven eight seven
two five four, Give a bell if you're just not
sure or uncertain or can't fix something. And we'll try
and coordinate our effits to give people a hand. And
just know that, you know, we have declared a medium
scale abvious event, so that freed up a bit of
money two hundred and fifty thousand dollars just to support
the well being of people on the way through. And
(04:04):
also of course you know these tax relief and other
things that come along with that.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
So look our thoughts with people.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
It's going to take a while of clean up.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Our Prime Minister has been in Southeast Asia. He's heading
to Apek. He's been trying to cut some deals there.
You've been in Washington recently on a trade trip. What
was that about.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Well, look, I spent a week in the United States
last week and I managed to visit my counterparts, the
two undersecretaries that run that work in the Agricultural Department
in the United States for the USDA. And these are
two very important meetings with these undersecretaries. One of them
looks after buy security and we have a very good
relationship here and that's important because we're both exporting and
(04:45):
importing goods from each other's countries, and also with the
Under Secretary in charge of Agriculture and Trade, and those
relationships that we have are in.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Very good state.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And it there's a lot going on, of course in America,
with everything that's taking place here, but we've managed to
agree that we'll formalize our dialogues going forward. It will
strengthen our relationship even further and that's got to be
to the good of all of the businesses trading into
the United States.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Raysmith, Director General of MPI, Sorry for coming in over
the top of you there. Look, since we last chatted, Ray,
we've seen New Zealand drop its methane targets and these
seem achievable fourteen to twenty four by twenty fifty. Does
this please you?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I feel very happy about those new targets. It's a
good science based piece of work that've set a target
that New Zealand can achieve and it's reasonable to go after.
And I think it's gone down very well across the
farming community and industries involved. And look, I was well,
I was in the United States, so I visited two
further states in North Carolina and Indianapolis, where I looked
(05:53):
at investments that we are making through Egra zero, our
joint venture for bringing methane solutions to New Zealand, and
can I just tell you, I looked at a grass
that's being developed, a genetically engineered grass that can reduce methane.
I looked at two products that are effectively probiotics. It
will get using enzymes from the animals themselves to do
(06:15):
two things to increase productivity of the animal and reduce
the methane emissions. And these are products that we've got
investments in here in New Zealand and they will come
to New Zealand in the next I would say twelve
to twenty four months to undertake further trials and to
prove their products here so that we can register them
(06:36):
and they will be evailed.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Are we allowed to use the genetically modified grass or
rye grass here?
Speaker 4 (06:41):
We need to first pass through the gene Technology Bill
that's in front of the Parliament, so that will happen
in the middle of next year. But that's currently working
its way through its process, and that'll set out the
regime and how these products are allowed to come in
when they are genetically engineered.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
He one final question for you, original methane target or
reduction targets for twenty four to forty seven? Who in
their right mind set forty seven percent as an achievable goal.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Well, there were a set of course based on international
systems for the IPCC, So look, they were really at
the upper end end before. I think we know a
lot more now about what's achievable and what's doable and
what's reasonable from the farming community. Because you don't want
to cut your production of animal protein to achieve your
(07:31):
meath antargets. We want to do the opposite here in
New Zealand. We're going to increase our production and we're
going to cut those methane emissions, and we're going to
do it in a way that everybody can afford to
do it.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Music to my ears. Raysmith, Director General of MPI, thanks
for your time as always.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Thanks mate, take it easy.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
What ain't after twelve? You are with the country, great
studies of the world and wind is the theme of
today's show. Up next to Bloke is heading to Chicago.
Chief executive of Rabobank, Todd charteris but is he on
a bank junket to see the all Blacks play Island.
More importantly, tomorrow is a big day. Putting the weather
(08:09):
to one side. It's the story that you can't get
rid of. Unfortunately Rabobank. The farmers vote tomorrow, most of
them have voted already. Will get the outcome of that
vote on tomorrow's show. The devote divestment, the vote to
sell off the consumer brands for four point two billion dollars.
Trust me, it's a dune deal. Todd charteris on that
before the end of the hour. Tracy Brown from a
(08:32):
Derrien zed she's been in Santiago, Hunter McGregor's in Shanghai,
Jack Jordan and the King Country and block A Drysdale
and Balfa. This man is the chief executive of Rabobank.
(08:58):
We're going to talk about what the b thinks are
up to in terms of helping farmers out, especially in
the Deep South and Canterbury at the moment. But before
we do, Todd charteris, I want to talk about tomorrow's
big vote, the Fonterra vote on the divestment of the
consumer brands business. This is an absolute given. What are
you hearing?
Speaker 6 (09:18):
I Good afternoon, Jamie yeah, look, yeah, look, I think
the vote will go through. That's what we're hearing for sure.
And look, I think Fronterira have run a really good
process here. I think they've engaged with the shareholders really well.
And yeah, I would expect that vote to go through,
but it's not done until it's done. But we look
forward to the announcement and due course. But look, it'll
(09:39):
be good for the wider and New zeal economy too.
I think you know, farmers will reinvest some of that money,
they'll pay some debt. But I think you could and
it could lead you to a number of succession discussions,
a whole lot of things. And I think that's that's
a really key decision that businesses need to make.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Put the house on a yes, folk there, you're in
the business of lending money. It's not necessarily in your
best interests if the farmers use and I think the
averages payout is going to be four or five hundred
grand to pay down debt won't suit you, Todd.
Speaker 6 (10:12):
Look, I think I think you know, there'll be a
whole range of actions that people will take. Businesses will take,
you know, their strength and balance sheets. You know, we're
talking to many farmers though that are looking for investment opportunities.
As I said earlier, I think it'll kick start some
succession discussions, a whole lot of things.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
But you know, but every.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
Situation will be different, and I think it will be
positive overall for sure.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
What can the banks do to help out farmers who
have been smacked by the weather in the past week.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
I look at terrific, isn't it, And I really feel
for everyone down there. It could catch up with some
of the team yesterday and yeah, certainly we've deferred any
scheduled principle repayments, any short term working capital that's required
as all. Just you know, we've signed all that off,
any loan reviews. You know, we was pushed out, so
we'll do what we can. But it's about supporting those
(11:03):
communities and really proud of the efforts that our client
council down there actually kicking in, led by Craig Whiteside,
who's a farmer from South Otago and he leads that
client council for Ravo and they are out in the
community and our teams are supporting them as much as
they can. But it's going to take quite some time
to recover and it's really just getting people through, you know,
(11:26):
emotionally it's really tough. And yeah, it's just we're just
helping people and helping our employees. It's tough for them,
you know, many of their personal situations have been impacted
as well, and so yeah, it's a really tough situation.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Southland's have been very, very windy, as has Canterbury recently.
You're going to a windy place this weekend, the Windy City, Todd, Chicago,
to see the All Blacks take on Ireland. I hope
they'd go better than they did in twenty sixteen when
they lost. Now I could tongue in cheeks say, is
this a Rabo Bank junket? But I know what you're like.
I can't even convince you to come to Dunedin for
(12:04):
a junket for a test match, so I assume this
is coming out of your back pocket.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Yeah, no, this is definitely not a junket, Jamie. And
there's a group of guys I went to university with
years and thirty odd years ago, and so we've been
putting money aside for about the last twenty So yeah,
this is a fully paid trip. But it's been paid
for over the last few years, so I'm really looking
forward to it. Will be exciting time to catch up
with some mates and hopefully see a great all black victory.
(12:31):
We own the one in that city, so you're looking
forward to it.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Have you been to Chicago before? It's one of my
favorite cities. New York's my favorite US city. I think
Chicago might be second.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Yeah, I've been a couple of times. I went ten
years ago when Neil Blacks played the US it was
the first time, and then i've been back actually with
rather event looking at a few dairy operations over there.
So yeah, it's a pretty impressive place, and it's just
great to get into that Midwest and see some of
that big country like we were a few years ago.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Well, make sure you get to the top of Willis Tower.
Seas Tower used to be the tallest building in the
world at one stage. Now it's only third tallest in
the US. Hey Todd, thanks for your time, enjoy your travels.
Go the ABS.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Here you go the ABS. Thanks Jamie, cheers.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Thank you Todd. Twenty three after twelve years with the Country,
brought to you by Brent. Great viewing time for that
test as well. I think it's what nine o'clock, ate,
thirty nine o'clock or something, Sunday morning. Really looking forward
to that one, hopefully the first leg of the All
Blacks Grand Slam. We'll have rural sports news for you
a wee bit later the bottom of the hour, Michelle
(13:36):
will wander in here and we'll do rural news as well.
But up next the journey. I hate that word. I
detest the word journey. I blame you, John Mitchell. The
journey around the world continues. Tracy Brown from murder Matter,
not one of the great cities in the world, one
of the great towns. She's been in a great city
in South America. Going to chat to her next Hunter
(13:59):
mcgree Biggers in Shanghai, Jack Jordan, and block A Drysdale
before the end of the hour. On the country, Mother
(14:25):
nature can be a cruel mistress to tell us about
it and to tell us what we can do about it.
As Tracy Brown madam at a dairy farmer by memory,
Tracy just beside Hobbiton and also chair of Dairy en Zed.
I know that dairy and Zed's been busy on the
ground in the Deep South with all those farmers down there.
Who are trying to milk cows at the moment without power,
(14:46):
there are some real animal health and welfare issues coming up,
not to mention the state of mind to some of
the farmers. What's the advice you've got for the people
on the ground in Southland and Southwest Otago.
Speaker 7 (14:59):
Yeah, thanks, Jamie. So I've just been over in the
International Dairy Summit until day and only back in New
Zealand for about twenty foot but over twenty four hours.
So still kind of coming to grips with the situation
and South and the Cross Canterbury. But I've been in
regular contact with our chief executive and being in contact
with some of our staff. So there's some key things
(15:22):
that we really want people to think about. So the
first one is there's information on the rule if people
can get power, there's information on the rule, support trust
around community get togethers and just checking on your neighbors,
checking on your family, keeping people safe. Our Dearing z
Area managers can offer help in terms of farm system
(15:44):
support and they've been doing a bit of that already.
Health and safety as a priority, Jamie, And as people
start to clean up fallen trees and what have you,
we want to make sure that staff are aware and
then people are fatigue, they're exhausted, so they need to
treat all power lines as live unless it's been confirmed otherwise,
(16:05):
you know, when they're cleaning up trees, if they've got
animal health and welfare concerns, which many people have, and
just get in touch with your local vet to get
some advice, and then get in touch with regional councils
if people have got effluent concerns in terms of what
they need to do with that, or you know, there
has been some dumping of milk where I haven't been
(16:28):
able to be collected, So just keep in communication with
your regional councils on that. But you just really want
people to know that we're really thinking of you. We
know it's a tough time. You know, some people have
had no power since about Thursday last week, and I
know the services are working really hard to try and
get that reconnected and to get generators around to people
(16:49):
that need generators to get their cows milked.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah, and I'm assuming the local regional councils are going
to cut these farmers some slack around effluent ponds and
having to dump milk.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
Yeah, So there's been good communication with FA sector, with
the regional council. So it's a huge team fit Jamis
and O between DAR and z Beef and land Fed's
will Support Trust has played a huge role in all
of this, and a regional council, so everybody's there to
support farmers. We want farmers to know that Daring Zed's
got your back.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
We're here to support you.
Speaker 7 (17:21):
You just need to reach out and tell us what
you need in terms of immediate needs and then ongoing
me and don't.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Be afraid to ask for help just quickly. On the
International Dairy Conference, we spoke last week to Andrew Hoggart,
who was there representing the government. You were in Chile.
Had you been there before?
Speaker 7 (17:39):
No, it's my first time in South America, Jamie. So
it was a really good opportunity to just get some
contexts in terms of the farm systems over there and
learn a little bit more about what goes on there.
But it's the Idea is probably the most important global
gathering for the world's dairy community. So it was a
really incredible opporternity to get together in that non competitive
(18:03):
space and talk about the challenges that people face and
sort of think about how we can solve some of
those together as a wider dairy.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Community, and it was a good dry run heading into
what is it next years or the year after? Help
me out here. We're hosting it in Auckland, Yes, so yeah.
Speaker 7 (18:20):
New Zealand is hosting the International Dairy Federation Summer in
Auckland next year in November, the following years in India,
in the following years in Quebec. But really there'll be
a lot more information come out over the coming months,
but that'll be a great opportunity for farmers in New Zealand,
scientists and processes and all our supporting industries to really
(18:43):
connect globally with the global dairy community.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Tracy Brown, chair of Dairy and Z, thanks for some
of your time today. I know he's still a bit
jet lagged after getting back from South America. And remember
farmers you need a helping hands. Sing out Dairy and
ZED is there to help. Thanks Tracy.
Speaker 7 (18:58):
Cheers Jamie.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Hang On twelve thirty, Thank you, Tracy. Someone has on
the text line five double nine feel free to vent
your spoon. Is that the correct saying? I think it
is yet right? Someone calling the Prime Minister or more
on about his rates relief on his Waheki Island mansion
(19:23):
and his Tesla discount. Ooh, it's a cruel text. And
here's someone having a cracket. One of my favorite correspondents,
Jane Smasher Smith. Here's a quote from Malcolm Turnbull, Australian
Prime Minister. Take note, Smasher says the Texter. The question
of weather or what extent human activities are causing global warming,
(19:43):
is not a matter of ideology, let alone of belief.
The issue is simply one of risk management. So put
that in your pipe and smoke it. Jane Smith, if
you're listening in North Otago, will give you a rite
of reply. Next week, Michelle's in here for rural news.
Next we'll do sports news for you, and I think
(20:03):
we're going to announce the Fonterra a vote live. Michelle
will fill in the missing pieces at twelve o'clock, which
is after twelve on tomorrow's show. Welcome back to the Country.
Very shortly the latest and rural news and sports news.
(20:26):
But when you're out on the land, you need a
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(21:31):
NZ or your local Isuzu dealer.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Good Country's World Us with cod Cadet, New Zealand's leading
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dot z for your local stockist.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
And Michelle Watt Just before we get into your rural
news story. Goodness knows what you've got. You've been on
the blower to Fonterra. Are we going to have the
exclusive announcement live at tomorrow on the radio.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I'm hoping so at twelve, So listen to that one
at twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
And one microphone technique Michelle.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Sorry, I'm not going loud enough.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
No, no, yeah, just talk down. So who have we got?
Who have you got? Myles hurrele toill me only one
good news, you see, Michelle.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Well, we'll get Miles on Friday, hopefully to discuss it further.
Tomorrow we will have the results.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And who's going to talk about the results.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Well, you're going to get to announce them yourself.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That's not very that's not very. I could announce. To
be honest, I could announce the results right now because
I know how they're going to go anyhow. Okay, what's
what's some rural news?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Okay, rural news? More were the disaster sort of stuff
being picked up, specially after the winds. Tens of millions
of dollars worth of irrigation equipment is thought to have
been damaged by strong winds in North Canterbury. Thursday's gales
tossed and twisted hundreds of massive pivot irrogators, leaving the
Amieri Basin farmers with weeks or month long waits for
replacement parts from overseas, and some of them are not
(23:01):
insured because they've been tipped over so many times. Insurance
companies weren't assure them. So tough times up there, especially
coming into that dry season.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah. I know, it's one thing having trees toppled over.
You can chop them up with the church chainsaw, but
it's very difficult to fix those big pivots without the parts.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
And the other problem facing the poor old farmers in Canterbury.
We've been talking about the Deep South, but down in
Canterbury is it's getting dry. They need those irrigators on now.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yeah, I'll have to start making some decisions about where
stocks going and things like that, or whether they're bringing
feed in or doing once a day milking's which I
think some of them are already doing.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Farming's a tough gig. It is a very tough gig, right, thanks.
Michelle has sport.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Sport where the math go Kiwi to the bone since
nineteen oh four.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Now we've got there's a netbull story here. Have got
these odi on tonight this.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Afternoon apparently, so have you been watching them? They're exciting games.
I've been really enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Yeah, yeah, fifty overs. But yeah, it might start at
two o'clock. You'll find that out.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
I'll find that out. But great games to watch.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yep. Okay form. This is the netball story because we've
got a netball test on tonight as well on the
Silver Ferns. Good on them after all the controversy are
making a bit of a comeback now. Former Tactics netball
coach Mary and Delaney Hoshneck believes full court pressure and
intense teamwork on defense is the key to a Silver
(24:27):
Ferns win in tonight's final Constellation Cup Test and christ Chitch.
If New Zealand wins to lock the series at two all,
a tiebreaker consisting of two seven minute halds will be
played to determine the series winner. And golf stories, not
only are the Waglers playing this afternoon, there's some great
players in that golfing group, Michelle, the Saint Andrew's old
(24:50):
courses receiving a golfing makeover, changing eleven holes and extending
the yardage to a length the seven thousand, four hundred
and forty five ahead of the Open Major in twenty
twenty seven, and a sporting experience to treasure for the
All Blacks ahead of their Grand Slam Tour opener against
Ireland in Chicago. A group where guests at the balls
(25:14):
NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks. That is your
sports news for you. We'll find out very shortly where
that ODI is. It's Hamilton, Hamilton, two o'clock. Hopefully the
weather's going to hold for that one. Playing cricket in
New Zealand and October. I mean it's hard enough farming
in October and New Zealand, let alone playing cricket. We
(25:35):
hope that one gets away unscathed. Up next, another great
city of the world, and that is Shanghai. We have
been talking about Chicago, the Windy City, one of the
great cities of the world. Let's go to another great
city of the world, Shanghai, where we find a boy
(25:56):
from Roxburgh. His name is Hunter McGregor, red meat and
venison to the Chinese. Hey, Hunter, is it a big
deal in China at the moment. The fact that I
think tomorrow our time Trump will meet Jijingping for this
pull side meeting or whatever you want to call it,
ahead of the APEC meetings.
Speaker 8 (26:16):
You good, afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, sure, it's an important meeting.
It's too big trading powers meeting. So it's going to
be interesting to see what actually comes out of it,
because your guess is as good as a miner as
what actually happens with that. You never know what's going
to happen with Trump.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Well, I think one thing there, Hunter, you can put
the house on Trump trying to get him with a
dominant handshake. Look, the American farmers are going to be
really interested in the outcome of this meeting because the
biggest export market for them for their sawyer beans was China.
They've been getting nothing in there at all.
Speaker 8 (26:47):
Yeah, it's been fascinating that the sawyerbean market China's been
replaced by Brazil, Argentina and Russia. You know, half nearly
half of all soyer beans in the US used to
come into China's billions of dollars and this year the
Chinese haven't brought anything. So there will be high on
the agenda, I would assume, and probably an easy one
(27:09):
to fix. But you know, you just think there's more
soy beans in the American system. So that's probably why
the Americans able to produce a lot more milk at
the moment because feed prices are probably a lot cheaper
than what they usually are. So that effects the New
Zealand dairy farmer as well in the long term.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Talk to me about the Chinese pork price at the
moment and what's the side effects for us here in
New Zealand as a meat exx sporting nation.
Speaker 8 (27:36):
Well, yeah, it's interesting. It's currently down ten percent year
on year, mainly because production has been up a little
bit more and demand side is quite weak. But what
usually happens with protein prices meat, with pork, chicken, beef,
lamb everything in China is that the pork price usually
(27:56):
sets the sort of floor price. So the pork price
goes up, everything up, and if the pork price goes down,
everything goes down. So it's going to be interesting to
see what happened. You know, week, there's a week we
could demand at the moment. Now, usually demand picks up
at the last the end of the last half of
the last quarter of each year. We're not really seeing
that at the moment. So I'll be interested to see
(28:17):
what actually happens with the price in the next few
months because it will affect other protein prices.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
So no signs of recovery in the Chinese economy domestically.
Speaker 8 (28:26):
Oh, it's just ticking along as it has all year.
And now I was talking to another person that's been
it's involved in a in a New Zealand agricultural company,
and you know, they're finding it tough as well, and
they don't see there's no light at the end of
the tunnel. It's just sticking along. There'll be a bit
of a pick up with events and things like that
heading into you know, the end of the year Christmas
(28:48):
parties and then into Chinese New Year events. But you know,
it's tough. It's really tough out there.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
It would certainly be helpful if Trump could do some
sort of deal with she Wally was at a peck.
Let's just finish on direct flights between India and China.
I'm surprised that these have been off the table for
about five years. There's a bit of a legal between India,
a growing superpower, and China that wants to be the
ultimate superpower.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
Yeah, well, there's always been a bit an, there's a
there's a contested sort of border area and you know
up on the hills and in their cashmere, which is
somewhere you know, around between China and India. But you know,
prior to COVID, there was about four hundred flights daily,
I'm sorry weekly between China and India, and then after
(29:35):
COVID they stopped, and you know, with with tension sort
of ramping up, they haven't returned until you know, Trump's
sort of pushed India and China a bit closer together
through his maneuvers or whatever he.
Speaker 6 (29:48):
Wants to call them.
Speaker 8 (29:49):
And you know, so that the first flight started again
after five years yesterday actually, and they'll they'll, they'll, they'll,
there'll be a lot more. So, you know, it's interesting.
You've got two very large populations, two very large markets,
and they haven't really been communicating with each other. That's
starting to thaw and we'll see how that develops.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Only Trump can save us. Hey, Hunter McGregor and Shanghai.
Thanks for your.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
Time, Jeers, Thanks you, Amy, thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Hunter up next. Earlier this morning, I caught up with
Jack Jordan Kin country farmer, now the world champion timber Sportsman,
x Men, chainsaw chopper and Blair Drysdale, Southland arable farmer.
To wrap the show. A next guest on the Country
(30:44):
would be very handy in Southland at the moment on
the end of a chainsaw, because this bloke can chop
through a log three times and six point three seconds,
and he did so to win the Still Timber Sports
World Championship last weekend in Milan, Italy. His name is
Jack Jordan, well known to the country King country farmer. Jack,
(31:07):
you held your nerve, you finally got there. How good
does it feel to be at the top of the
tree no pun intended, Yeah, no, it.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
Feels really good to finally get the job done. All
the training in preparations goes then yeah, I guess yeah.
You're just feel relieved after everything you've been through the
last few months. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Wood shopping or timber sports is a bit like cricket.
You've got short form or short formats and you've got
longer formats. I think you'd already won the faster format
World Trophy three times, but this is the longer version.
This is the test match version. If you want of that.
You've just been beaten at the post. Bad pun intended
(31:46):
again last year, Jack, but you got there this year
and you beat a great competitor in the Aussie bloke
whose name's just eluded me.
Speaker 5 (31:55):
Yeah, Boda May. He was the Aussie bloke and he
was I guess everyone's sort of had to be the
So yeah again over, I sort of knew what I
was up against and knew what it needed to do
to the beating. So yeah, luckily it all plaid off.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
It's six disciplines in the longer form event, and the
finishing one is the volatile hot saw with the superpowered chainsaw.
And I remember asking you this question on a previous occasion, Jack,
but I'll ask you again. A good question is worth
asking again. How powerful is the chainsaw you're using that
you can make three cuts of a log in six seconds?
Speaker 5 (32:32):
Yeah, so my saws three hundred and thirty, see seeds.
They sort of vary from three hundred cecs to I
think the biggest one is four hundred and thirty. So yeah,
they're all sort of custom built hot saws that are. Yeah,
they've got parts from all different sort of stingines.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Yeah, how heavy are they?
Speaker 5 (32:51):
I think mine's about thirty KOs. But when you try
and pick it up. When it's not going, it's like
listing of bloody lead. It seems quite heavy out in
front of you, but once you've actually started it with,
it's got so many RPMs it's sort of basically picks
itself up the hardly notice, Yeah, picking it up because
of you just weves up and wants to go up
(33:12):
into the air.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Does it rip your arm off trying to pool started?
I'm assuming it's a pool start, is it.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Yeah, No, it's not too bad. It's got decompression, bloody
button there. If it wasn't for the decompression, that you'd
certainly pull your arm off. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Well I did joke that you'd be handy in Southland
at the moment you've been away from the King Country
farm and I know you're flat out. You've got a
sheep and beef farm. I think your the beef cows
are carving at the moment. You've got some docking. We
call it tailing down this end of the country. To
do it was a bit of a hit and run
mission to Italy.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Yeah, for sure. Usually we sort of usually as sink
in and get get the timers walks out of the
way before get on and yeah, we're building on the farm,
so you'll get on and straight into it. It's yeah,
you're sort of you see on social maybe all the
stuff that's going on. What's the country as far as
flooding and that goes the rough weather, it's pretty hard
to see what some people are going through here.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yeah, And I guess for all those poor Southland farmers,
Southwest Otago farmers and farmers around the country have got
trees to chop up. The secret to a good chainsaw, Jack,
because I spent a winter on one many many years
ago when I was a young man, and I always
figured the secret to a good chainsaw was a sharp chainsaw.
Speaker 5 (34:24):
Yeah, bed right. If you haven't got a sharp chainsaw,
your baggat I just showed overseas for me.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Well it didn't this time, because you are the still
Timber Sports World Champion. Three cuts of a log in
six point three seconds. Jack Jordan safe travels back to
the King Country farm. Good luck with the carving and
the docking.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Hi, thank you really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Jack Jordan caught up with an Auckland earlier this morning.
He's made his way back to the King Country. She
can be farm let's head to a Southland arable farm
to wrap the show today, Blair Block a Drysdale. We've
been going to the great cities of the world today,
Blair belf is not really one of those.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
You always need to be so last, an't you.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Yeah, hey, it's Look, we've been talking lots about the
dairy farmers. Obviously they need the power to milk the cows.
When we've talked about that, the sheep farmers, the late
lambing ones in the South Island have been smacked by
the snow. How tough is it being an arable farmer
at the moment because you only haven't got these awful
ground conditions, you can't get stuff into the ground. You're
(35:29):
also not being paid much at the moment.
Speaker 9 (35:33):
No, look, everyone's definitely got their problems at the moment, Jamie.
For us in the arable world, really, at the moment,
the biggest one that's trying to time applications to crops
really and and the most important ones right now are
growth regulators for autumn. Barley's one and our funger sides
on wheat. So get my autumn Barley's begging for its
last growth regulator and it's blowing its half off again.
(35:54):
It doesn't look like we'll get a gap until sad
day to get it done. So that's pretty you know,
some of these time is pretty critical the arable world.
And if you it's not something that I'm you know,
better late than ever. They need to be pretty well
timed to be effective for us. You're spending a lot
of money per hec dear and not getting the desired results.
So yeah, look in this, you know we're I don't
really know whether I'm behind or a head of the game,
(36:15):
or whether anyone really knows at the moment. Aren't compared
to last year, it's actually pretty similar in the respective
seeds and ground, and it's worse. It's a lot colder's
attemps are only just ten and a half degrees here
today We've had crops in the ground for the fortnight
Gays Andmbraska's they're only just poking their head up. The
spring barley that's been in fifteen days is just struggling
(36:37):
to poke through. So here it's holding your guys. We've
got peas in the ground. Off left my peas in
the bags the moment. They don't like these silver conditions
are all cold and wet, so mile stay in the
bag till next week more than likely. Look at the forecast.
So there's some battles out there, that's for sure. And
just it's been blowing its ass offs in September. Imain
great if you're a sailor because it's been plenty of
high speed you off you're going past. But that's about
(36:59):
it for us. It's been challenge to do spraying far
four yeah, get seeds in the ground. So a lot
of people got a lot of work to do, hear them.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yet Yeah, absolutely, Look, a problem shared is a problem halved.
And everyone's talking about networking even getting off farm, which
seems impossible for a lot of farmers at the moment.
But I know Old Pete Turner up the road and
Mosbin they've got a wind shout and Mosbin on Friday night,
and I know communities right around the country are holding
little events like this just for the old mental health.
(37:25):
I've got thirty seconds on this one.
Speaker 9 (37:28):
Yeah, and we had one on Friday farmer shout because
there was another challenging spring. It turned in a bit
of a community one because no one had any power,
water or anything else. That means a cocking but Yeah,
conversation goes a long way if I go back to
twenty teen when it was a real bad spring. You know, mate,
ring may have our six in this morning, didn't actually
say helloadiese, just see what the such and types do
we do now? Blocker, I said, I don't know, mate,
(37:49):
that we yarned for fifteen twenty minutes and we both
felt a whole lot better about it. So yet you
can't be having yarn And I shot around to Make's
place this morning. I had a coffee because was sick
of the morning in the wind. So it's a pretty
important thing to guand you've.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Got a good week in front of you. That's the
only positive at the moment. Good luck there, Blair, Blocker,
drys Dull, Southland Arable Farmer. Wrapping the show tomorrow. We'll
be back with the Fonterra vote tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to friend, You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment
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