December 14, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Mike Casey, Riley Kennedy, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, and Phil Duncan.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deer construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Cal the so.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
A bub on Newborn, kutasy.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
P fest bit.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Swavering, Good afternoon a New Zealand. This is the country
for the final week in twenty twenty five. That's a
reasonable excuse to play some Christmas music. This is one
of my favors. Bob Seeger and Little Drummer Boy. Also
loved the Bing Crosby David Bowie one as well. Anyhow,
(00:58):
we are going to off the show not with a
little drummer boy, but a boy man who marches to
the beat of his own drum quite often. Deputy Prime
Minister Act Party Leader David Seymour. And this week's all
about the AG Person of the Year. We've already had
some nominees and we want to hear yours as well.
On five double O nine we will name our ag
(01:22):
Person of the Year on Friday show David Seymour. To
kick off proceedings today, Mike Casey from Electric Cherries. Okay,
this is the guy who does everything without starting an
internal combustion engine up on his Cromwell Cherry Farm. He's
a real interesting character. He is in Wellington today and
(01:44):
if you listen out to what Mike has to say,
we're going to give you to give you the chance
to win a couple of boxes of his beautifully big,
plump organic cherries. They are to die for. Riley Kennedy,
Rural Editor, Its Desk. He's done a lot of good
work this year, especially around things like the Fonterra story,
(02:07):
the Alliance group story. Will get his ag person of
their doctor, Jack willn Roweth is going to talk rubbish
and Phil Duncan on the weather. Is it too early
for a Christmas Day forecast? Probably not from philm because
it's his last shout on the show this year. We'll
have rural news for you as well and sports news.
(02:28):
But as I said, remember to listen out to Mike Casey.
We've got some cherries to give away and we'll announce
the winner. From Friday show, Michelle sorted it all out
of the m of the Hunter's Wines, fun packs and
the Cherrybank cherries from Blizzard McLean. What a great day.
(02:48):
Tis the season forgiving up? Next David Seymour for the
(03:08):
final time and twenty twenty five and kicking off the
country today, Deputy Prime Minister Act Party Leader David Seymour
a good defender of farmers, that would be fair to say.
And I'm very keen David to hear your agg Person
of the Year, but I want you to keep your
powder dry just for a moment, HIFU the half year
Economic and Fiscal Update one pm tomorrow. What's going to
(03:32):
be in it?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, if I tell you that, I'll probably lost my job.
Is one of the things I've ever been minister is
that you're supposed to be able to keep secrets and
I'm just filling to Damie McKay. So there's some support
for here in Wellington, Davy. And if I tell you
what was in the food now very bad, you have
(03:53):
to wait until it amounts tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Okay, We'll throw me a bit of a bone here.
Am I going to feel more inspired about the future
of our economy after one pm tomorrow? Yes?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Or no?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I think you're going to be glad that we've got
a government that is actually holding the line on fiscal discipline,
because if we don't hold the line, go loose again
like the days of Robbo, then you won't feel better,
You'll feel a lot worse.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
We are supposedly going to get back to surplus by
what twenty seven twenty eight financial year or is that
now a pipe dream?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well again, it could be the same, it could be different.
Every hiyaphu can change that, and I can't say what's
in it, but I know that the ACT Party has
done an honorable job of saving taxpayers money around fourteen
billion directly attributable to ACT policies and ministers in this government.
In fact, if you're one of the people who gave
(04:51):
your party vote to ACT, on average, you've saved fifty
seven thousand dollars for the taxpayer. So maybe we need
a few more of those next time to get back in.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Oh, go vote ACT and save fifty seven thousand dollars. Hey,
I was mistakenly calling it hifu. Is it hiifu?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
It's the half year Economic and Fiscal Update, so hi yifu.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, Hey, you were quoted this week as saying or
over the weekend, I think is saying this debate and
this is going to be reached for the popcorn grab
a machaisas sit back and enjoy this one. Is Ruth
Richardson versus Nikola Willis. You said, it's like an early
Christmas dinner. It's your aunt arguing with your sister.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Well, it feels that way, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I mean, it's probably not really helping make the boat
go faster, if I'm honest. Nicolas, our finance minister, has
I think, done a pretty good job of battling down
the hatches.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
The act Party, of.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Course, always argues that we should be saving more despite
what we've already done, and Ruthus is advancing that view.
I believe it. It's more important to be in the
gub making the change you can than outside the government
wishing that we could make even bigger changes that aren't real.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, but see, I guess and principle, you'd be backing
ruth more than Nicola, even though Nichola is your finance minister,
because Act sort of believes in ruth and Asia.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Well, I mean, before we went into this government, we
left a message in a bottle and that was our
alternative budget. And yes, our alternative budget said that we
should be saving more. When the government stends less, the
people eat more. And the ACT Party is so the
right of this government. There's no doubt about that. On
the other hand, we have formed a government precisely to
(06:40):
keep the other guys out, and our commitment is to
be collegial and keep keeping them out while also you know,
driving the savings and driving the change, which I think
we could say.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
That, but surely, David Seemore, extreme austerity isn't the answer.
We saw that in Ruth Richardson's days.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And saw what two point four productivity growth year on
year through the nineties after her corrections. Now we couldn't
dream of that today.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
We couldn't dream of it.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
David Seymour, Deputy Prime Minister, who is your ag Person
of the Year for twenty twenty five And you're not
allowed to say Andrew Hoggard or Mark Cameron?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Well, I'm going to say Mark Cameron because he has
led the charge for the last five years on methane
and it's come true.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
I mean, the.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Guy's been in a sick bed in isolation waiting for
his kidney to be transplanted so that he can get
off dialysis for most of this year and he's still
managed to keep a presence. He has held the line
on methane and the methane numbers have been halved. That's
pretty good for a backbench MP, the cheer of a
(07:44):
select committee. He's put a stake in the ground, he's
been fearless. The change has happened and the net result
as the New Zealand farmers can keep on farming without
the kind of disruptions that the Zero CARBONAC would have had.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
And again it's something you know. ACT was the only
party to vote against the Zero CARBONAC.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Now it's been significantly downgraded and that I think reflects
the influence that we've had. And I know you didn't
want me to puck Mark Cameron, but I think this
year he absolutely deserves it.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Okay, I might let you off because I'll tell you
what about Mark Cameron, from what I know of him
anyhow and my dealings with him, he's just a bloody
good bloke, a humble Northland cowcocky who went down to Wellington,
took his gum boots off, put a suit on and
actually made a bit of a difference. Has made a
bit of a difference.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Yeah, thank you very much. I couldn't agree, So well.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
There you go. You're agreeing with me. You and enjoy
and MacKaye's over Christmas on me. And feel free to
give it some shameless plugs on your social media channels.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I will be sure to thank you for all the chats, Jamie,
and thanks to everyone who's put up with and listened.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
To us for the year.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Okay, Chris, good on you remember Vote Act and save
fifty seven thousand dollars. Merry Christmas both for there. Thank you.
David is sixteen after twelve. You are with the country right,
this is the season forgiving. Michelle will be in here
at the bottom of the hour with the Rural news
from the Sports News and she has in a hot
little hand the winners of Friday's Cherries and the fun
(09:07):
packs from Hunters Wines. You're going to have some fun
with those packs, I can tell you, especially the mirror mirror,
the bubbles brilliant. But up next it is Mike Casey
from Cromwell who's in Wellington today. He's never at home,
that bloke, and he's the founder of Electric Cherries, the
organic Everything's done electrically. Does that make sense on his
(09:27):
cherry farm in Cromwell. As I said so, he's up
next to your chance to win a couple of boxes
of those big fat, juicy plump Central Otago cherries. Doesn't
get much better than that.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
The chinesestar lights up were up.
Speaker 7 (09:58):
All across the land.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
Jawn's a brand new.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
More Welcome back to the country. Twenty after twelve. I
love Billy T. James. What a great song. This one
is our next guest Mike Casey from Electric Cheries. I said,
what's your favorite Christmas song? And Mike, good afternoon. You
said fairy Tale of New York by the Pogues. But
(10:23):
it's such a good song I can't play it this
early in the week. Apologies, good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
Merry Christmas, Jamie. And yet I can completely understand the
onely going to say the best.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Slas absolutely what are you doing in Wellington? Are you Everett?
Shouldn't you be in Crumwell picking cherries?
Speaker 5 (10:39):
Yeah, this is the last trip for the year. Just
getting in a couple of more MP's ears about the yeah,
the future of the energy system of New Zealand and
what it means for farmers in particular, and then pretty
much home and off comes the off comes the Wellington
shoes and on goes the boots and we're straight into harvest.
So very very exciting times back in Central Have you got.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
An audience with the Prince of the province as Marto
as Shane Jones. And if you did get one, Mike Casey,
would he take would he listen?
Speaker 5 (11:08):
I've already had a good capital of yards to Shane Jones,
and I reckon, we're getting there. You know, there's a lot,
there's a lot to think about when it comes to
energy transformation. But you know, the big thing about Shane
is he's big on the rural New Zealand, big on
the provinces, and there's a there's a win in there.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
But Mike, he he loves his fossil fuels.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
I think we are, Yeah, he does, and I think
in all honesty, we've just got to keep in his
ear and you know, hopefully at some point change his
mind or at least make him realize that there's a
there's a big future opportunity, especially when it comes to
farmers generating solar, generating their own electricity and using that
on their farm system.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
So people who might not know who you are, although
I'm sure most people do, you're a very well known
New Zealander now and in fact you're a finalist for the
New Zealander of the Year.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
Well done, yeah, thank you, it was I was pretty
flattered by that. It's a good way to finish the year.
And I don't know if I'll actually make the finals
or not, but if I do it, the award's night
lands right on pretty much bang on my forty second birthday,
So wouldn't that be a nice.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Well fantastic You've certainly been a champion for the electrification
of New Zealand farming. It's all very well on a
flat cherry orchard and Cromwell to have all electric vehicles
doesn't work quite so well when you're on the hill
and you need the High Lucks or the John Dare
or whatever.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
I agree with you like I think one of the
biggest things around this stuff when it comes to renewable
energy and climate, there's a lot of time there's been
a lot of virtue signaling going on. The short answer is,
if the technology exists, I'm just encouraging people to do
their numbers and it might be that there's some really
good money to save. And if the technology doesn't exist yet,
well I'm not going to tell you to stop farming.
That's a certain It's all about what is right for
(12:52):
everybody's individual businesses. And your farm is not my business.
So yeah, all I'm there is to show people what
I've done, and yeah, hopefully get the movement happening that
way when they realize just the economic opportunity on the table.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
And I know you're a big fan of solar panels.
And obviously with the recent storm event that we had
down south and in Canterbury, the power went out for
several days over a week in some places, do you
think everyone should consider solar panels.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
I think it's the resilience in the future. Our mutual
friend Blocker, he got his solar and battery system installed
on his farm down south and about ten days before
that weather event hit and he could, yeah, offer his
tenants and his workmates and his colleagues and his neighbor's
warm showers while everybody else was scrambling around for generators.
So you know, no matter what happens with weather or
earthquakes or whatever it might be, the sun comes up
(13:41):
the following day. And I think that's the real answer
to resilience, you know, Whereas previously I think we've been
talking a lot about survival. So moving from survival to
resilience is the work of the future. And ruin his own.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Blocker's got a solar panel on top of his head.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
Yeah, Darz, it's the problem is that reflects too much light.
The idea of soul powers he went to to absorb
the life.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Well, as I say, for people who are unaware who
you are, and most people do know who you are.
That's why you've been nominated for the New Zealand of
the Year. Just tell us briefly, like in about thirty seconds,
your story and how you came from being a tech
entrepreneur in Sydney to growing organic cherries, electric cherries and Cromwell.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Yeah. So after I sold my tech business in Sydney,
I moved back to New Zealand. Getting into farming was
always something I wanted to do ever since I was
a little boy. I don't know why. It's a bit
days and confused that way, but yeah, I ended up
planting nine and three hundred cherry trees just north of
Cromwell Beere. And because we were starting with a blank canvas,
needed to buy twenty one machines essentially to run the farm.
(14:40):
And I was really into technology and electrification and renewable energy,
and I started to do the numbers on the lifetime
costs of all these machines as I bought them, and
the electric one usually always worked out conveniently, particularly in
flat land horticulture where you know, the electric technology was
available at the time, unlike high country sheep stations. But yeah,
bought twenty one electric machines, say ridiculous amounts of money,
(15:01):
tens of thousands of dollars a year overall, you know,
including the cost of capital and the cost of you know,
financing that. And now I'm all about sort of sharing
that journey and also you know, some some data with
the rest of New Zealand to see if we can
start to electrify more and more of it. New Zealand
has been collectively thirty five million dollars a day on
fossil fuels, and most of that money evaporates out of
(15:22):
your and my wallets. That evaporates out of our communities.
And most importantly, and I think something that you know,
even seeing where your previous guests would be excited about,
is you know, that evaporates out of our countries. So
keeping that money in New Zealand by running machines on
New Zealand electrons rather than Saudi Arabian molecules is pretty
much what I'm all about.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Now, Well, good on you. You're a marketing wiz and
you're and you're an entrepreneur, there's no doubt about that.
Do you get a meaningful premium for your organic electric cherries?
Speaker 5 (15:49):
Yeah, we're really really starting to like a lot of
New Zealanders are buying my cherries that I guess what
we would get is export gate returns. And what makes
the premium really essentially is I don't have to ship
these cherries that are bought in New Zealand over to
Taiwan or Shanghai or Beijing. You know the problem with
farming is you have to play freight to get all
your product to market over there. And so being able
(16:11):
to sell to New Zealanders and some of the things
that we're doing around New Zealanders and their families are
adopting cherry trees now so they get the fruit from
their trees every year. It's just a different way of
thinking about these things, and I'm really excited to see
where we can grow. I've got nine and three hundred
cherry trees and I think just about four hundred of
them now have been adopted by households around New Zealand,
so they get their cherries from their tree every year,
(16:32):
and that actually, you know, makes my business more secure
and more profitable.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
See, well, I might adopt them. I might adopt one
of those because I love Central Otago cherries. I don't
let Blizzard hear of that and blend them. But there's
something magic about Central Otago stone fruit. How much is
the We've got two boxes of cherries to give away
from electric cherries. How much are they worth if I
went along and drove past your roadside stall or whatever
and bought one? What would it cost me?
Speaker 5 (16:56):
So that two kilo boxes eighty eight bucks a box
is what it works out to, but that includes shipping.
So yeah, yeah, it's they're getting up there these days.
But that's, you know, largely because cherries still have to
be hand picked. There's a huge labor costs associated with
harvest and yeah, so they end up being pretty pricey
but also the perfect treat for pretty much news. Yeah
(17:16):
you find.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Really well, good on you. I might see what I
can do about swapping some makaisa for some cherries off here.
Always up for a dodgy deal. But for two of
our listeners out there, Mike casey. All they need to
do is text us. And this is going to ruin
my text line for any other feedback, because they'll go
nuts on this text on on our text sign five
(17:38):
double nine, write electric cherries and your name and your
career address, and Michelle and I will pick out a
couple of winners and we'll let you know who won
them tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
So Mike, yeah, even better, Jamie, I reckon they should
say where is their favorite place in central Otargo to visit?
And you can be the judge of that, because I will,
of course say Cromwell, but yeah, where is the best
place in central Otago to visit over summer? And if
Jamie agrees with you, that's just coming your way.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Well, no, you know what I'd say. I'd say the
Rocksburgh golf Course. It's my favorite golf course.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Well, now you've given away the answer, so you're gonna
have to pick your second favorite spot. Now.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah, we'll keep it simple, silly, let's just start all stupid,
not on your case. That's a Bill Clinton comment, I think.
So anyhow, elect they're coming in thick and fast, electric chaeries.
We gotter have not change the rule. Your name and
your career address will announce the winners tomorrow. Mike Casey,
you're a great blog. Are you keep up the good
work chewing ears in Wellington?
Speaker 5 (18:35):
And I've got one final thing, Jamie, which is my
finalist for Rural News.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Ye yeah, how remiss of me? Who are they?
Speaker 5 (18:43):
Well, you got to go past way in Landford. I
think that guys are actually legend. And the stuff that
he's doing for farming in New Zealand is amazing. Tarny Hooton,
who's the CEO of Farmlands. What she's done this year
in terms of rolling out solar products for farmers, I
think is really awesome. And then Aiden Jen from ASB
who man, he's just done so well with those zero
(19:04):
percent loans for farmers. I think they're absolutely leading their
way when it comes to solar adoption through finance on farms.
So those have been my three packs and you can
pick one of them.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Well, no, you've got to pick one. I think Tarania
Houghton's done a really I think Farmlands has had a
really good turnaround. Aidan if he's listening, he could lower
the interest rates for some of the loans that I
that I owe. But anyhow, and who was the other one.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Oh Wayne Langle Lane Langthor if you can't go past them,
can you?
Speaker 3 (19:30):
No, No, he's probably a permanent nominee. Okay, so those
are your nominees. You've got to pick one where you go.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
Oh if I had absolutely shows, I reckon Tanya. I
think she's doing absolutely amazing things in the space at
the moment and looking forward to seeing farmlands be really
successful with their solar roll out next year.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Yeah, okay, they've had a good year. I'll give them that. Okay,
thank you very much, Mike Casey, thank you for your time.
We're getting way over time here. I'm going to run
out of time to chat to everybody. Up next, it
is Riley Kennedy, the Business editor from the Rural Editor
from Business Desk. He's done some great work in twenty
twenty five. Remember Electric Cherries, you're all coming in thick
(20:09):
and fast. Good on you. I'm not even going to
be anal about the spelling today, Electric Cherries. Your name
and your courier address and we'll send a box to
the North Island and a box to the South Island.
Courtesy of Mike Casey. Up next, Roley Kennedy, The countdown
(20:44):
to Christmas continues on the country. We get some of
our regular correspondents and not so regular to name their
AG Person of the Air. I think this next guy
has been a bit of an unsung hero in the
rural media. His name is Riley Kennedy. He's the business
editor at Business Desk. Does great work, Riley. Now you're
(21:06):
going to name your AG Person of the Air, but
before you do, I think you were at Fonterra this
morning for some sort of meeting there and you were
surrounded by Greenpeace. Some things don't change and very.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Good as to you. Yes, it was very exciting. I
turned up and outside the door and someone stuck a
camera in my face and they said do you work here?
And I said no, I'm just passing by him off
to your new deal and then I snuck around the
back and got on the background of the Funday team.
But it's very exciting. I'm not actually sure I can
get out because the farmergator here and the police are
real with Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Well, good luck getting out of Fonterra. You weren't at
Fonterra sucking up to the boss, Miles hur Or, don't
tell me he's your AG Person of the Year, although
I must say he's a bit of an early favorite
along with last year's AGG Person of the Year Todd
McLay and another name that's been thrown out there I
think Mike Peterson did last week Craig Pigott from Holter,
(21:57):
So who are you got.
Speaker 7 (22:00):
Would definitely be Mark Winnen from Alliance Group. You can't
fault his efforts this year.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
It was.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
A job that probably know and our flant to take
on and he had to front it for probably the
best part of the year up until whenever that transaction settled,
which was about a week or two ago. He's definitely
my AG Person of the Year Jamie, And of.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Course Mark one is the chair of the Alliance Group,
former chief executive of Balanced Agra and Nutrients and it
was a bit of a poison shallis I must say,
And you follow this closer than I do, Riley, But
all the noise seems to have faded over the Alliance deal.
I think the shareholders are just getting on with it now.
Speaker 6 (22:39):
Yeah. I see.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
They had their first trade on the USX, which is
where the co op is now listed. So it's an
exciting milestone for a nerd like me. But you know,
make he really had to. I mean, who really would
have wanted that job, having to front the five down
there that tried to put up a fight. He literally
had to fight every day to get that deal over
(23:00):
the line, and then at the end of it he
ended up losing his job and now he's just a director.
He lost the cheer which I asked about that a
while ago and he said, oh, I know, this is
bigger than any personal governance job.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Well, I think he engineered himself out of a job,
didn't he.
Speaker 7 (23:16):
Yes, yeah he did. But you know it's not very
often you see people that actively go like that.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Yeah, well, yeah, okay, that's a really interesting one. What
about the I mean Todd McLay. Of course, if he
could have got that free trade deal across the line
before Christmas, you would have had to have gone with
him again. But Craig Piggot's a really interesting one if
you had much to do with Halter.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
A little bit.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
But yea, it is a very interesting business. I see
in Australia last week that it was actually banned to
use wearables in two states like Victoria and New South Wales,
which I've actually I was reading a headline this morning,
so that'll open up a big growth market for him.
It is a hugely interesting business that I think it's
(23:59):
got lot of potential.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
A bit later in the week, I'm going to be
chatting to a lady by the name of Ali Shanks.
Do you remember who she is or was?
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Is?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Olympic and Commonwealth Games cyclist remember a now yep? Well
she works for Holton now, so that might be an
interesting yarn for a bit later in the week. Riley
Kennedy at Fonterra HQ, good luck getting out of there.
I hope Green Peace don't kidnap you.
Speaker 7 (24:26):
I hope not, but there's a lot to kidnap, so
I mean good luck to them if they try.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Good on you, mate. You keep up the good work.
You've done an excellent job on business desk and once
again a shame was plug in for one of nzme's products.
It's worth subscribing. It's as cheap as chips and you
get like a dozen or more stories every day. Keep
up the good work. You have a good break. We'll
catch you back in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Thanks Jamie, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Riley, excuse me, twenty three away from one. You are
going nuts on the electric cherries. We're getting close to
breaking the all time record. Once we paired up oysters.
Where is my air conditioner throwing out moisture? That's a
bit of a worry. We've paired up oysters with wine
and I think we set the Farming Shows Slash Country
(25:14):
record for all time entries fifteen or sixteen hundred. You're
giving it a good nudge today. If you want to
win the cherries, just text Electric Cherries to five double nine,
write your name and your courier address will announce the
winners tomorrow. Up next to Michelle's in here, we're going
to announce the winner from Friday Show of the Cherrybank Cherries.
I love giving away cherries and of course the hunters
(25:35):
wines fun packs. Before the end of the air, who
have we got? I've got pieces of paper everywhere but
apart from a run sheet off the top of my head.
Doctor Chuck Willin Roweth and Phil Duncan on the Weather
(25:57):
Welcome back to the Country. The show's brought to you
by Brand Jamie McKay, Shorty Michelle Watt were the latest
and rural news, but first farmers and growers looking to
score a win by getting ahead of the game this summer. Well,
Farmland's has got your back. Being prepared for a dry
summer spell. That's the one. Now's the time to invest
in your water infrastructure, you know, ensure tanks, troughs and
(26:18):
fittings and pipes are in good nick, preventing nasties like pests,
weeds and disease from eating away summer gains. That's a
win too, scoring a healthier return because your animals were healthy.
Healthier should I say another one? All possible with the
right animal management tools and products. Looking slick for the
social season, Well, that's just looking like a winner, isn't it.
(26:40):
Scrub up with new summer gear from Farmlands that will
take you from the paddock to the pub. The team
at your local farmland store or your Farmland's technical field specialist,
they're thinking, like you, what do I need to get
sorted to score a win this summer? So that's who
to chat too to get some runs on the board
head and store, or order through far month's pro or
(27:01):
talk to your rap about Farmland's summer office.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
The Country's world views with cald Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower Brand visit steel Ford dot co
dot nz for your locals doggist.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Okay, Michelle, you've got two jobs. One is to announce
the winners from Friday's Cherrybank Hunter's Wines promo, Thank you
Blizzard and Jane. And the other one you had an
unofficial poll or was it unscientific or unofficial? Maybe both?
I don't know. It's overhand versus Lamb for Christmas, So
away you go.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Okay, So the winners from Friday with the cherries and
the bubbles is Melissa Hopcroft from Tara and Phil Johnson
from hok It's like they both were very excited when
I rung them great prizes.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Well, you're gonna have to pick another couple of oneers
amongst all that lot that's on the text machine. Maybe
don't enter for the electric cherries anymore because you haven't
got so many entries, which is wonderful. We do appreciate
you entering. And what was the other one?
Speaker 4 (28:00):
So on Facebook over the weekend, I thought might be
fun just to find out what our listeners are having
for Christmas dinner? Did our own unofficial unscientific ham will
lamb for Christmas? Pole and Ham came out on top
with twenty five votes. Lamb was twenty one, Turkey had two,
and Hogitt had three, which I was very happy about.
Hog It deserves a place at the table mate hog
It great again?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Yeah, or maybe a big fat, dry two tooth, who
knows anyhow, So yeah, I think a lot of farmers
was like me when I was a kid, grew up
on a farm. We ate mutton and lamb quite a
bit obviously, so ham was a bit more of a treat.
But anyhow, thank you for participating in our pole. There
is rural news, and Michelle, you need to scurry away
(28:39):
and try and sort out a couple of winners for
the electrics. Go take a while.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
I think, looking at the numb on your.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Captain notes, you may be some time sports on.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
The country with a FCO business.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Well done well. The Kansas City Chiefs, friend of mine's daughters,
a marketing for the Kansas City Chiefs, have crashed out
of the NFL playoff contention with the sixteen thirteen lost
to the Los Angeles Chargers. The I haven't even caught
up with this one this weekend. I was too busy
playing bad golf myself. The Australasian combination of Lydia Cow
(29:12):
and Jason Day have spluttered to an equal last finish
in the teams event on the PGA Tour in Florida.
I fairly pain and a record breaking swim for Lewis Clearbert.
In Australia, He's broken a national record in the two
hundred meter freestyle at the Queensland Championships, shaving a zero
point six of a second off the twenty twelfth time
(29:35):
set by Matt Stanley. That is your sports news. Up next,
I was going to say professor. She used to be
a professor. These days she's a doctor, doctor Choquelin, Choquelin,
Jacqueline Roweth. And the reason I got tongue tied. No, No,
the reason I got tongue tight is for years I
called a doctor Jacqueline Roweth. And now I'm training myself
(29:58):
to say Roweth.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
I've got a point.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
I've never really thought about how I say it.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Well, you've got to say Roweth. She went uncomplaining for
several years. Someone else corrected me. Oh, it might have
been the program director at home. She's pretty good at
correcting me. But anyhow, doctor Jacqueline or Roweth. Next she
(30:24):
is one of our leading primary sector academics, and I
wonder who her AG Person of the Year is as
she has her final shot at the title today on
the Country. Doctor Jacqueline Roweth is with us. Will come
back to your AG Person of the Year. As always,
you write a thought provoking column and this one is
about rubbish.
Speaker 8 (30:44):
Yes, very sad as I drive around the countryside and
see that the contrast between the lovely smiling faces on
the silage bags, you know, the silage rap that's decorated
for Christmas, with all the people that are descending on
the countryside, and I also see there are recks the
after math of people's parties on the roadside, or getting
(31:07):
rid of the rubbish from their gowers because they don't
want it and just leaving it in ditches.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
They is Your theory is, sorry, Jaquelin, I've coming over
the top of you. Your theory is perhaps if we
make it free, people might encourage bit of behavior, because
there's nothing worse than seeing human waste quite literally dumped
on a roadside.
Speaker 8 (31:27):
It's awful. And the flight of thing has increased or
appears to have increased since the dump fees went up
under the previous government, and I think there is a link,
and we've seen this, it's being seen in the UK
and Europe as well. So what would happen if we
actually got rid of the fees and said here are
the dumps, please bring it instead of taking your ute
(31:50):
piled high with sofa tires, mattress appeared in the ditch
near me recently they take them to the dump into
said it's the same loading and unloading, but it's in
a tidier place and we can deal with it there.
It's just sad what's happening with our environment.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Be a tidy key with this Christmas now, just a
couple of other things because we're short on time. In
our final week. Denmark has chosen to lower limits on
nitrate and drinking water. Do you think New Zealand will
come under similar pressure to do likewise?
Speaker 8 (32:23):
Well, I'm sure it will come under pressure, but we
really need to consider whether it's sensible or not, because
the work that's been done in Denmark keeps saying, oh,
it's not clear whether there is a health link or
not a health link, And the current basis for lowering
it is done on some economic analysis that fundamentally says, well,
(32:44):
if there is a link, this is how much we
could save. But if there isn't a link, which is
what they've said two or three times, then they're not
going to be saving anything. I think that health is
a very much more complex system than just saying we
get rid of nitrate in drinking water and then it'll
(33:05):
all be all right. I doubt whether it would well.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Greenpeace would have nothing else to do, Jacqueline.
Speaker 8 (33:10):
So they could talk about fossil feel And there's the
excite thing about Denmark Ale. The thing that makes me excited,
which is that they've got a huge amount of historic
money from oh gosh, nor Sea oil and gas, and
so they are in the position of having done a
certain amount of burning and making money and now they're
(33:30):
able to do other things for their society. And what
we're trying to do with as farmers is create good
food for people, and we sold quite a lot of it,
so there is some money coming into the economy which
Gosh might be able to give us free rubbish dumps.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
Indeed, let's just finish. We've got two things to finish
on your egg person at the air. We're building it
to a crescendo here, Jacqueline but what about the season
thus far in the Waikato region, which is of course
the dairy farming capital of the country.
Speaker 8 (34:00):
It is it is, and of interest it might be
that it doesn't have high telerectal cancer in this area,
so we might like to look at why. And I
would say that it's drawing out from the amount of
rain that we have had to now the drawing has
been really rapid, and for instance, the maze, some of
(34:20):
it around this district went in only last week, but
up in Northland it's practically tasseling. And we would be
expecting the maze in this area to be approaching fence
height between Christmas and New Year, and some of it
is only just getting out of the ground.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Okay, drum roll, if I have one id, play it,
Jack Quillin. Who is your twenty twenty five egg person
of the Year.
Speaker 8 (34:43):
It is doctor John Carradice, who is part of Well.
He's a scientist. He was a plant breeder. He is
now the chief technical officer for Grasslands Technology, and he's
had a fine history in plant breeding and then commercialization
of particularly pastoral plants and end of fights. And he
(35:06):
is one of the scientists that I hear saying because
he's old school like me, like some others, but were
increasingly retiring or dying, saying, I don't know the answer
to that question yet, I haven't read all the literature.
And he said that in particular to me when he
was looking at whether gene edited plants could survive with
(35:27):
organic plants. You know, can the two systems cohabitate in
the same area.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
And he does the.
Speaker 8 (35:33):
Evaluation from scratch, which is what all scientists should do,
but in this chasing the money environment, they don't always
do it. Let us look to doctor John Cowardice as
a model for the future. Keep your mind open and
ask the searching questions that get back to basics, and
then take it forward to practical reality.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Doctor Jack weil n Rowt. Merry Christmas and a prosperous
new farming here. Thanks for your time. Well tetch you
again next year.
Speaker 8 (36:01):
Two fast thanks bye.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Weather on the country with farmlands helping to prevent parasite
outbreaks this summer.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Phil Duncan wrapping the show for the final Monday of
twenty twenty five for us. Anyhow, I know a lot
of you farmers will be working on Phil. I'm going
to try and sneak you back a week later in
the week for a closer to Christmas forecast. But before
you name your ag person of the year for the
farmers in the dryer regions, have they got any rain
coming this week? I think that's the important question to ask.
(36:34):
That would be a good present from Santa.
Speaker 6 (36:36):
Yeah, it would be good, Jamie. We've got mostly a
westerly flow this week, so those eastern areas might get
a little bit of spill over, especially in the South Island,
but the North Island, Hawks Bay especially looks very dry,
so there's most of Northland as well, particularly the far North.
So those are probably the two dryer theories, Hawks Bay
and Northland, and the Nelson Marlborough can sort of in
(37:00):
the next category gown. So there might be a bit
of spillover, but most of the rain is on the
west coast, Southland and Otago and Tatunaki. And that's because
we're going back into a spring weather pattern right up
until Christmas Day, so that means westerly driven weather, windy
at times, and temperatures fluctuating up and down.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, and there could be some meaningful rainfall on some regions. Okay, Phil,
because I'm going to try and get you back later
in the week. As I said, for a pre Christmas
forecast or a Christmas forecast. Who is your agg Person
of the Air twenty twenty five?
Speaker 6 (37:31):
My person of the Year this year, I wanted to
go with the Young Farmer of the Year, Hugh Jackson,
fifth MG Young Farmer of the Air. I think he
deserves to be mentioned.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Well, good on you, and it's yeah, the future of
farming is in good hands when you look at the
like Sir Hugh Jackson and George Dodson and Emma Paul
and sim Danjon and all those other young Farmers of
the Year. They're great ambassadors for the industry.
Speaker 6 (37:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
That's us Tomorrow Tomorrow Nadia lem and Carlos bag Gree
plus My final Argument of the Year with Damian O'Connor.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Catch all the latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deer construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Cal the so.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
A bub on Newborn, kutasy.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
P fest bit.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Swavering, Good afternoon a New Zealand. This is the country
for the final week in twenty twenty five. That's a
reasonable excuse to play some Christmas music. This is one
of my favors. Bob Seeger and Little Drummer Boy. Also
loved the Bing Crosby David Bowie one as well. Anyhow,
(00:58):
we are going to off the show not with a
little drummer boy, but a boy man who marches to
the beat of his own drum quite often. Deputy Prime
Minister Act Party Leader David Seymour. And this week's all
about the AG Person of the Year. We've already had
some nominees and we want to hear yours as well.
On five double O nine we will name our ag
(01:22):
Person of the Year on Friday show David Seymour. To
kick off proceedings today, Mike Casey from Electric Cherries. Okay,
this is the guy who does everything without starting an
internal combustion engine up on his Cromwell Cherry Farm. He's
a real interesting character. He is in Wellington today and
(01:44):
if you listen out to what Mike has to say,
we're going to give you to give you the chance
to win a couple of boxes of his beautifully big,
plump organic cherries. They are to die for. Riley Kennedy,
Rural Editor, Its Desk. He's done a lot of good
work this year, especially around things like the Fonterra story,
(02:07):
the Alliance group story. Will get his ag person of
their doctor, Jack willn Roweth is going to talk rubbish
and Phil Duncan on the weather. Is it too early
for a Christmas Day forecast? Probably not from philm because
it's his last shout on the show this year. We'll
have rural news for you as well and sports news.
(02:28):
But as I said, remember to listen out to Mike Casey.
We've got some cherries to give away and we'll announce
the winner. From Friday show, Michelle sorted it all out
of the m of the Hunter's Wines, fun packs and
the Cherrybank cherries from Blizzard McLean. What a great day.
(02:48):
Tis the season forgiving up? Next David Seymour for the
(03:08):
final time and twenty twenty five and kicking off the
country today, Deputy Prime Minister Act Party Leader David Seymour
a good defender of farmers, that would be fair to say.
And I'm very keen David to hear your agg Person
of the Year, but I want you to keep your
powder dry just for a moment, HIFU the half year
Economic and Fiscal Update one pm tomorrow. What's going to
(03:32):
be in it?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, if I tell you that, I'll probably lost my job.
Is one of the things I've ever been minister is
that you're supposed to be able to keep secrets and
I'm just filling to Damie McKay. So there's some support
for here in Wellington, Davy. And if I tell you
what was in the food now very bad, you have
(03:53):
to wait until it amounts tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Okay, We'll throw me a bit of a bone here.
Am I going to feel more inspired about the future
of our economy after one pm tomorrow? Yes?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Or no?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I think you're going to be glad that we've got
a government that is actually holding the line on fiscal discipline,
because if we don't hold the line, go loose again
like the days of Robbo, then you won't feel better,
You'll feel a lot worse.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
We are supposedly going to get back to surplus by
what twenty seven twenty eight financial year or is that
now a pipe dream?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well again, it could be the same, it could be different.
Every hiyaphu can change that, and I can't say what's
in it, but I know that the ACT Party has
done an honorable job of saving taxpayers money around fourteen
billion directly attributable to ACT policies and ministers in this government.
In fact, if you're one of the people who gave
(04:51):
your party vote to ACT, on average, you've saved fifty
seven thousand dollars for the taxpayer. So maybe we need
a few more of those next time to get back in.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Oh, go vote ACT and save fifty seven thousand dollars. Hey,
I was mistakenly calling it hifu. Is it hiifu?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
It's the half year Economic and Fiscal Update, so hi yifu.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, Hey, you were quoted this week as saying or
over the weekend, I think is saying this debate and
this is going to be reached for the popcorn grab
a machaisas sit back and enjoy this one. Is Ruth
Richardson versus Nikola Willis. You said, it's like an early
Christmas dinner. It's your aunt arguing with your sister.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Well, it feels that way, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I mean, it's probably not really helping make the boat
go faster, if I'm honest. Nicolas, our finance minister, has
I think, done a pretty good job of battling down
the hatches.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
The act Party, of.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Course, always argues that we should be saving more despite
what we've already done, and Ruthus is advancing that view.
I believe it. It's more important to be in the
gub making the change you can than outside the government
wishing that we could make even bigger changes that aren't real.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, but see, I guess and principle, you'd be backing
ruth more than Nicola, even though Nichola is your finance minister,
because Act sort of believes in ruth and Asia.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Well, I mean, before we went into this government, we
left a message in a bottle and that was our
alternative budget. And yes, our alternative budget said that we
should be saving more. When the government stends less, the
people eat more. And the ACT Party is so the
right of this government. There's no doubt about that. On
the other hand, we have formed a government precisely to
(06:40):
keep the other guys out, and our commitment is to
be collegial and keep keeping them out while also you know,
driving the savings and driving the change, which I think
we could say.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
That, but surely, David Seemore, extreme austerity isn't the answer.
We saw that in Ruth Richardson's days.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And saw what two point four productivity growth year on
year through the nineties after her corrections. Now we couldn't
dream of that today.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
We couldn't dream of it.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
David Seymour, Deputy Prime Minister, who is your ag Person
of the Year for twenty twenty five And you're not
allowed to say Andrew Hoggard or Mark Cameron?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Well, I'm going to say Mark Cameron because he has
led the charge for the last five years on methane
and it's come true.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
I mean, the.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Guy's been in a sick bed in isolation waiting for
his kidney to be transplanted so that he can get
off dialysis for most of this year and he's still
managed to keep a presence. He has held the line
on methane and the methane numbers have been halved. That's
pretty good for a backbench MP, the cheer of a
(07:44):
select committee. He's put a stake in the ground, he's
been fearless. The change has happened and the net result
as the New Zealand farmers can keep on farming without
the kind of disruptions that the Zero CARBONAC would have had.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
And again it's something you know. ACT was the only
party to vote against the Zero CARBONAC.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Now it's been significantly downgraded and that I think reflects
the influence that we've had. And I know you didn't
want me to puck Mark Cameron, but I think this
year he absolutely deserves it.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Okay, I might let you off because I'll tell you
what about Mark Cameron, from what I know of him
anyhow and my dealings with him, he's just a bloody
good bloke, a humble Northland cowcocky who went down to Wellington,
took his gum boots off, put a suit on and
actually made a bit of a difference. Has made a
bit of a difference.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Yeah, thank you very much. I couldn't agree, So well.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
There you go. You're agreeing with me. You and enjoy
and MacKaye's over Christmas on me. And feel free to
give it some shameless plugs on your social media channels.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I will be sure to thank you for all the chats, Jamie,
and thanks to everyone who's put up with and listened.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
To us for the year.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Okay, Chris, good on you remember Vote Act and save
fifty seven thousand dollars. Merry Christmas both for there. Thank you.
David is sixteen after twelve. You are with the country right,
this is the season forgiving. Michelle will be in here
at the bottom of the hour with the Rural news
from the Sports News and she has in a hot
little hand the winners of Friday's Cherries and the fun
(09:07):
packs from Hunters Wines. You're going to have some fun
with those packs, I can tell you, especially the mirror mirror,
the bubbles brilliant. But up next it is Mike Casey
from Cromwell who's in Wellington today. He's never at home,
that bloke, and he's the founder of Electric Cherries, the
organic Everything's done electrically. Does that make sense on his
(09:27):
cherry farm in Cromwell. As I said so, he's up
next to your chance to win a couple of boxes
of those big fat, juicy plump Central Otago cherries. Doesn't
get much better than that.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
The chinesestar lights up were up.
Speaker 7 (09:58):
All across the land.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
Jawn's a brand new.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
More Welcome back to the country. Twenty after twelve. I
love Billy T. James. What a great song. This one
is our next guest Mike Casey from Electric Cheries. I said,
what's your favorite Christmas song? And Mike, good afternoon. You
said fairy Tale of New York by the Pogues. But
(10:23):
it's such a good song I can't play it this
early in the week. Apologies, good afternoon.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
Merry Christmas, Jamie. And yet I can completely understand the
onely going to say the best.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Slas absolutely what are you doing in Wellington? Are you Everett?
Shouldn't you be in Crumwell picking cherries?
Speaker 5 (10:39):
Yeah, this is the last trip for the year. Just
getting in a couple of more MP's ears about the yeah,
the future of the energy system of New Zealand and
what it means for farmers in particular, and then pretty
much home and off comes the off comes the Wellington
shoes and on goes the boots and we're straight into harvest.
So very very exciting times back in Central Have you got.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
An audience with the Prince of the province as Marto
as Shane Jones. And if you did get one, Mike Casey,
would he take would he listen?
Speaker 5 (11:08):
I've already had a good capital of yards to Shane Jones,
and I reckon, we're getting there. You know, there's a lot,
there's a lot to think about when it comes to
energy transformation. But you know, the big thing about Shane
is he's big on the rural New Zealand, big on
the provinces, and there's a there's a win in there.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
But Mike, he he loves his fossil fuels.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
I think we are, Yeah, he does, and I think
in all honesty, we've just got to keep in his
ear and you know, hopefully at some point change his
mind or at least make him realize that there's a
there's a big future opportunity, especially when it comes to
farmers generating solar, generating their own electricity and using that
on their farm system.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
So people who might not know who you are, although
I'm sure most people do, you're a very well known
New Zealander now and in fact you're a finalist for the
New Zealander of the Year.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
Well done, yeah, thank you, it was I was pretty
flattered by that. It's a good way to finish the year.
And I don't know if I'll actually make the finals
or not, but if I do it, the award's night
lands right on pretty much bang on my forty second birthday,
So wouldn't that be a nice.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Well fantastic You've certainly been a champion for the electrification
of New Zealand farming. It's all very well on a
flat cherry orchard and Cromwell to have all electric vehicles
doesn't work quite so well when you're on the hill
and you need the High Lucks or the John Dare
or whatever.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
I agree with you like I think one of the
biggest things around this stuff when it comes to renewable
energy and climate, there's a lot of time there's been
a lot of virtue signaling going on. The short answer is,
if the technology exists, I'm just encouraging people to do
their numbers and it might be that there's some really
good money to save. And if the technology doesn't exist yet,
well I'm not going to tell you to stop farming.
That's a certain It's all about what is right for
(12:52):
everybody's individual businesses. And your farm is not my business.
So yeah, all I'm there is to show people what
I've done, and yeah, hopefully get the movement happening that
way when they realize just the economic opportunity on the table.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
And I know you're a big fan of solar panels.
And obviously with the recent storm event that we had
down south and in Canterbury, the power went out for
several days over a week in some places, do you
think everyone should consider solar panels.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
I think it's the resilience in the future. Our mutual
friend Blocker, he got his solar and battery system installed
on his farm down south and about ten days before
that weather event hit and he could, yeah, offer his
tenants and his workmates and his colleagues and his neighbor's
warm showers while everybody else was scrambling around for generators.
So you know, no matter what happens with weather or
earthquakes or whatever it might be, the sun comes up
(13:41):
the following day. And I think that's the real answer
to resilience, you know, Whereas previously I think we've been
talking a lot about survival. So moving from survival to
resilience is the work of the future. And ruin his own.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Blocker's got a solar panel on top of his head.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
Yeah, Darz, it's the problem is that reflects too much light.
The idea of soul powers he went to to absorb
the life.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Well, as I say, for people who are unaware who
you are, and most people do know who you are.
That's why you've been nominated for the New Zealand of
the Year. Just tell us briefly, like in about thirty seconds,
your story and how you came from being a tech
entrepreneur in Sydney to growing organic cherries, electric cherries and Cromwell.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Yeah. So after I sold my tech business in Sydney,
I moved back to New Zealand. Getting into farming was
always something I wanted to do ever since I was
a little boy. I don't know why. It's a bit
days and confused that way, but yeah, I ended up
planting nine and three hundred cherry trees just north of
Cromwell Beere. And because we were starting with a blank canvas,
needed to buy twenty one machines essentially to run the farm.
(14:40):
And I was really into technology and electrification and renewable energy,
and I started to do the numbers on the lifetime
costs of all these machines as I bought them, and
the electric one usually always worked out conveniently, particularly in
flat land horticulture where you know, the electric technology was
available at the time, unlike high country sheep stations. But yeah,
bought twenty one electric machines, say ridiculous amounts of money,
(15:01):
tens of thousands of dollars a year overall, you know,
including the cost of capital and the cost of you know,
financing that. And now I'm all about sort of sharing
that journey and also you know, some some data with
the rest of New Zealand to see if we can
start to electrify more and more of it. New Zealand
has been collectively thirty five million dollars a day on
fossil fuels, and most of that money evaporates out of
(15:22):
your and my wallets. That evaporates out of our communities.
And most importantly, and I think something that you know,
even seeing where your previous guests would be excited about,
is you know, that evaporates out of our countries. So
keeping that money in New Zealand by running machines on
New Zealand electrons rather than Saudi Arabian molecules is pretty
much what I'm all about.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Now, Well, good on you. You're a marketing wiz and
you're and you're an entrepreneur, there's no doubt about that.
Do you get a meaningful premium for your organic electric cherries?
Speaker 5 (15:49):
Yeah, we're really really starting to like a lot of
New Zealanders are buying my cherries that I guess what
we would get is export gate returns. And what makes
the premium really essentially is I don't have to ship
these cherries that are bought in New Zealand over to
Taiwan or Shanghai or Beijing. You know the problem with
farming is you have to play freight to get all
your product to market over there. And so being able
(16:11):
to sell to New Zealanders and some of the things
that we're doing around New Zealanders and their families are
adopting cherry trees now so they get the fruit from
their trees every year. It's just a different way of
thinking about these things, and I'm really excited to see
where we can grow. I've got nine and three hundred
cherry trees and I think just about four hundred of
them now have been adopted by households around New Zealand,
so they get their cherries from their tree every year,
(16:32):
and that actually, you know, makes my business more secure
and more profitable.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
See, well, I might adopt them. I might adopt one
of those because I love Central Otago cherries. I don't
let Blizzard hear of that and blend them. But there's
something magic about Central Otago stone fruit. How much is
the We've got two boxes of cherries to give away
from electric cherries. How much are they worth if I
went along and drove past your roadside stall or whatever
and bought one? What would it cost me?
Speaker 5 (16:56):
So that two kilo boxes eighty eight bucks a box
is what it works out to, but that includes shipping.
So yeah, yeah, it's they're getting up there these days.
But that's, you know, largely because cherries still have to
be hand picked. There's a huge labor costs associated with
harvest and yeah, so they end up being pretty pricey
but also the perfect treat for pretty much news. Yeah
(17:16):
you find.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Really well, good on you. I might see what I
can do about swapping some makaisa for some cherries off here.
Always up for a dodgy deal. But for two of
our listeners out there, Mike casey. All they need to
do is text us. And this is going to ruin
my text line for any other feedback, because they'll go
nuts on this text on on our text sign five
(17:38):
double nine, write electric cherries and your name and your
career address, and Michelle and I will pick out a
couple of winners and we'll let you know who won
them tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
So Mike, yeah, even better, Jamie, I reckon they should
say where is their favorite place in central Otargo to visit?
And you can be the judge of that, because I will,
of course say Cromwell, but yeah, where is the best
place in central Otago to visit over summer? And if
Jamie agrees with you, that's just coming your way.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Well, no, you know what I'd say. I'd say the
Rocksburgh golf Course. It's my favorite golf course.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Well, now you've given away the answer, so you're gonna
have to pick your second favorite spot. Now.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah, we'll keep it simple, silly, let's just start all stupid,
not on your case. That's a Bill Clinton comment, I think.
So anyhow, elect they're coming in thick and fast, electric chaeries.
We gotter have not change the rule. Your name and
your career address will announce the winners tomorrow. Mike Casey,
you're a great blog. Are you keep up the good
work chewing ears in Wellington?
Speaker 5 (18:35):
And I've got one final thing, Jamie, which is my
finalist for Rural News.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Ye yeah, how remiss of me? Who are they?
Speaker 5 (18:43):
Well, you got to go past way in Landford. I
think that guys are actually legend. And the stuff that
he's doing for farming in New Zealand is amazing. Tarny Hooton,
who's the CEO of Farmlands. What she's done this year
in terms of rolling out solar products for farmers, I
think is really awesome. And then Aiden Jen from ASB
who man, he's just done so well with those zero
(19:04):
percent loans for farmers. I think they're absolutely leading their
way when it comes to solar adoption through finance on farms.
So those have been my three packs and you can
pick one of them.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Well, no, you've got to pick one. I think Tarania
Houghton's done a really I think Farmlands has had a
really good turnaround. Aidan if he's listening, he could lower
the interest rates for some of the loans that I
that I owe. But anyhow, and who was the other one.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Oh Wayne Langle Lane Langthor if you can't go past them,
can you?
Speaker 3 (19:30):
No, No, he's probably a permanent nominee. Okay, so those
are your nominees. You've got to pick one where you go.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
Oh if I had absolutely shows, I reckon Tanya. I
think she's doing absolutely amazing things in the space at
the moment and looking forward to seeing farmlands be really
successful with their solar roll out next year.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Yeah, okay, they've had a good year. I'll give them that. Okay,
thank you very much, Mike Casey, thank you for your time.
We're getting way over time here. I'm going to run
out of time to chat to everybody. Up next, it
is Riley Kennedy, the Business editor from the Rural Editor
from Business Desk. He's done some great work in twenty
twenty five. Remember Electric Cherries, you're all coming in thick
(20:09):
and fast. Good on you. I'm not even going to
be anal about the spelling today, Electric Cherries. Your name
and your courier address and we'll send a box to
the North Island and a box to the South Island.
Courtesy of Mike Casey. Up next, Roley Kennedy, The countdown
(20:44):
to Christmas continues on the country. We get some of
our regular correspondents and not so regular to name their
AG Person of the Air. I think this next guy
has been a bit of an unsung hero in the
rural media. His name is Riley Kennedy. He's the business
editor at Business Desk. Does great work, Riley. Now you're
(21:06):
going to name your AG Person of the Air, but
before you do, I think you were at Fonterra this
morning for some sort of meeting there and you were
surrounded by Greenpeace. Some things don't change and very.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Good as to you. Yes, it was very exciting. I
turned up and outside the door and someone stuck a
camera in my face and they said do you work here?
And I said no, I'm just passing by him off
to your new deal and then I snuck around the
back and got on the background of the Funday team.
But it's very exciting. I'm not actually sure I can
get out because the farmergator here and the police are
real with Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Well, good luck getting out of Fonterra. You weren't at
Fonterra sucking up to the boss, Miles hur Or, don't
tell me he's your AG Person of the Year, although
I must say he's a bit of an early favorite
along with last year's AGG Person of the Year Todd
McLay and another name that's been thrown out there I
think Mike Peterson did last week Craig Pigott from Holter,
(21:57):
So who are you got.
Speaker 7 (22:00):
Would definitely be Mark Winnen from Alliance Group. You can't
fault his efforts this year.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
It was.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
A job that probably know and our flant to take
on and he had to front it for probably the
best part of the year up until whenever that transaction settled,
which was about a week or two ago. He's definitely
my AG Person of the Year Jamie, And of.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Course Mark one is the chair of the Alliance Group,
former chief executive of Balanced Agra and Nutrients and it
was a bit of a poison shallis I must say,
And you follow this closer than I do, Riley, But
all the noise seems to have faded over the Alliance deal.
I think the shareholders are just getting on with it now.
Speaker 6 (22:39):
Yeah. I see.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
They had their first trade on the USX, which is
where the co op is now listed. So it's an
exciting milestone for a nerd like me. But you know,
make he really had to. I mean, who really would
have wanted that job, having to front the five down
there that tried to put up a fight. He literally
had to fight every day to get that deal over
(23:00):
the line, and then at the end of it he
ended up losing his job and now he's just a director.
He lost the cheer which I asked about that a
while ago and he said, oh, I know, this is
bigger than any personal governance job.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Well, I think he engineered himself out of a job,
didn't he.
Speaker 7 (23:16):
Yes, yeah he did. But you know it's not very
often you see people that actively go like that.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Yeah, well, yeah, okay, that's a really interesting one. What
about the I mean Todd McLay. Of course, if he
could have got that free trade deal across the line
before Christmas, you would have had to have gone with
him again. But Craig Piggot's a really interesting one if
you had much to do with Halter.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
A little bit.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
But yea, it is a very interesting business. I see
in Australia last week that it was actually banned to
use wearables in two states like Victoria and New South Wales,
which I've actually I was reading a headline this morning,
so that'll open up a big growth market for him.
It is a hugely interesting business that I think it's
(23:59):
got lot of potential.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
A bit later in the week, I'm going to be
chatting to a lady by the name of Ali Shanks.
Do you remember who she is or was?
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Is?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Olympic and Commonwealth Games cyclist remember a now yep? Well
she works for Holton now, so that might be an
interesting yarn for a bit later in the week. Riley
Kennedy at Fonterra HQ, good luck getting out of there.
I hope Green Peace don't kidnap you.
Speaker 7 (24:26):
I hope not, but there's a lot to kidnap, so
I mean good luck to them if they try.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Good on you, mate. You keep up the good work.
You've done an excellent job on business desk and once
again a shame was plug in for one of nzme's products.
It's worth subscribing. It's as cheap as chips and you
get like a dozen or more stories every day. Keep
up the good work. You have a good break. We'll
catch you back in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Thanks Jamie, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Riley, excuse me, twenty three away from one. You are
going nuts on the electric cherries. We're getting close to
breaking the all time record. Once we paired up oysters.
Where is my air conditioner throwing out moisture? That's a
bit of a worry. We've paired up oysters with wine
and I think we set the Farming Shows Slash Country
(25:14):
record for all time entries fifteen or sixteen hundred. You're
giving it a good nudge today. If you want to
win the cherries, just text Electric Cherries to five double nine,
write your name and your courier address will announce the
winners tomorrow. Up next to Michelle's in here, we're going
to announce the winner from Friday Show of the Cherrybank Cherries.
I love giving away cherries and of course the hunters
(25:35):
wines fun packs. Before the end of the air, who
have we got? I've got pieces of paper everywhere but
apart from a run sheet off the top of my head.
Doctor Chuck Willin Roweth and Phil Duncan on the Weather
(25:57):
Welcome back to the Country. The show's brought to you
by Brand Jamie McKay, Shorty Michelle Watt were the latest
and rural news, but first farmers and growers looking to
score a win by getting ahead of the game this summer. Well,
Farmland's has got your back. Being prepared for a dry
summer spell. That's the one. Now's the time to invest
in your water infrastructure, you know, ensure tanks, troughs and
(26:18):
fittings and pipes are in good nick, preventing nasties like pests,
weeds and disease from eating away summer gains. That's a
win too, scoring a healthier return because your animals were healthy.
Healthier should I say another one? All possible with the
right animal management tools and products. Looking slick for the
social season, Well, that's just looking like a winner, isn't it.
(26:40):
Scrub up with new summer gear from Farmlands that will
take you from the paddock to the pub. The team
at your local farmland store or your Farmland's technical field specialist,
they're thinking, like you, what do I need to get
sorted to score a win this summer? So that's who
to chat too to get some runs on the board
head and store, or order through far month's pro or
(27:01):
talk to your rap about Farmland's summer office.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
The Country's world views with cald Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower Brand visit steel Ford dot co
dot nz for your locals doggist.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Okay, Michelle, you've got two jobs. One is to announce
the winners from Friday's Cherrybank Hunter's Wines promo, Thank you
Blizzard and Jane. And the other one you had an
unofficial poll or was it unscientific or unofficial? Maybe both?
I don't know. It's overhand versus Lamb for Christmas, So
away you go.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Okay, So the winners from Friday with the cherries and
the bubbles is Melissa Hopcroft from Tara and Phil Johnson
from hok It's like they both were very excited when
I rung them great prizes.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Well, you're gonna have to pick another couple of oneers
amongst all that lot that's on the text machine. Maybe
don't enter for the electric cherries anymore because you haven't
got so many entries, which is wonderful. We do appreciate
you entering. And what was the other one?
Speaker 4 (28:00):
So on Facebook over the weekend, I thought might be
fun just to find out what our listeners are having
for Christmas dinner? Did our own unofficial unscientific ham will
lamb for Christmas? Pole and Ham came out on top
with twenty five votes. Lamb was twenty one, Turkey had two,
and Hogitt had three, which I was very happy about.
Hog It deserves a place at the table mate hog
It great again?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Yeah, or maybe a big fat, dry two tooth, who
knows anyhow, So yeah, I think a lot of farmers
was like me when I was a kid, grew up
on a farm. We ate mutton and lamb quite a
bit obviously, so ham was a bit more of a treat.
But anyhow, thank you for participating in our pole. There
is rural news, and Michelle, you need to scurry away
(28:39):
and try and sort out a couple of winners for
the electrics. Go take a while.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
I think, looking at the numb on your.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Captain notes, you may be some time sports on.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
The country with a FCO business.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Well done well. The Kansas City Chiefs, friend of mine's daughters,
a marketing for the Kansas City Chiefs, have crashed out
of the NFL playoff contention with the sixteen thirteen lost
to the Los Angeles Chargers. The I haven't even caught
up with this one this weekend. I was too busy
playing bad golf myself. The Australasian combination of Lydia Cow
(29:12):
and Jason Day have spluttered to an equal last finish
in the teams event on the PGA Tour in Florida.
I fairly pain and a record breaking swim for Lewis Clearbert.
In Australia, He's broken a national record in the two
hundred meter freestyle at the Queensland Championships, shaving a zero
point six of a second off the twenty twelfth time
(29:35):
set by Matt Stanley. That is your sports news. Up next,
I was going to say professor. She used to be
a professor. These days she's a doctor, doctor Choquelin, Choquelin,
Jacqueline Roweth. And the reason I got tongue tied. No, No,
the reason I got tongue tight is for years I
called a doctor Jacqueline Roweth. And now I'm training myself
(29:58):
to say Roweth.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
I've got a point.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
I've never really thought about how I say it.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Well, you've got to say Roweth. She went uncomplaining for
several years. Someone else corrected me. Oh, it might have
been the program director at home. She's pretty good at
correcting me. But anyhow, doctor Jacqueline or Roweth. Next she
(30:24):
is one of our leading primary sector academics, and I
wonder who her AG Person of the Year is as
she has her final shot at the title today on
the Country. Doctor Jacqueline Roweth is with us. Will come
back to your AG Person of the Year. As always,
you write a thought provoking column and this one is
about rubbish.
Speaker 8 (30:44):
Yes, very sad as I drive around the countryside and
see that the contrast between the lovely smiling faces on
the silage bags, you know, the silage rap that's decorated
for Christmas, with all the people that are descending on
the countryside, and I also see there are recks the
after math of people's parties on the roadside, or getting
(31:07):
rid of the rubbish from their gowers because they don't
want it and just leaving it in ditches.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
They is Your theory is, sorry, Jaquelin, I've coming over
the top of you. Your theory is perhaps if we
make it free, people might encourage bit of behavior, because
there's nothing worse than seeing human waste quite literally dumped
on a roadside.
Speaker 8 (31:27):
It's awful. And the flight of thing has increased or
appears to have increased since the dump fees went up
under the previous government, and I think there is a link,
and we've seen this, it's being seen in the UK
and Europe as well. So what would happen if we
actually got rid of the fees and said here are
the dumps, please bring it instead of taking your ute
(31:50):
piled high with sofa tires, mattress appeared in the ditch
near me recently they take them to the dump into
said it's the same loading and unloading, but it's in
a tidier place and we can deal with it there.
It's just sad what's happening with our environment.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Be a tidy key with this Christmas now, just a
couple of other things because we're short on time. In
our final week. Denmark has chosen to lower limits on
nitrate and drinking water. Do you think New Zealand will
come under similar pressure to do likewise?
Speaker 8 (32:23):
Well, I'm sure it will come under pressure, but we
really need to consider whether it's sensible or not, because
the work that's been done in Denmark keeps saying, oh,
it's not clear whether there is a health link or
not a health link, And the current basis for lowering
it is done on some economic analysis that fundamentally says, well,
(32:44):
if there is a link, this is how much we
could save. But if there isn't a link, which is
what they've said two or three times, then they're not
going to be saving anything. I think that health is
a very much more complex system than just saying we
get rid of nitrate in drinking water and then it'll
(33:05):
all be all right. I doubt whether it would well.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Greenpeace would have nothing else to do, Jacqueline.
Speaker 8 (33:10):
So they could talk about fossil feel And there's the
excite thing about Denmark Ale. The thing that makes me excited,
which is that they've got a huge amount of historic
money from oh gosh, nor Sea oil and gas, and
so they are in the position of having done a
certain amount of burning and making money and now they're
(33:30):
able to do other things for their society. And what
we're trying to do with as farmers is create good
food for people, and we sold quite a lot of it,
so there is some money coming into the economy which
Gosh might be able to give us free rubbish dumps.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
Indeed, let's just finish. We've got two things to finish
on your egg person at the air. We're building it
to a crescendo here, Jacqueline but what about the season
thus far in the Waikato region, which is of course
the dairy farming capital of the country.
Speaker 8 (34:00):
It is it is, and of interest it might be
that it doesn't have high telerectal cancer in this area,
so we might like to look at why. And I
would say that it's drawing out from the amount of
rain that we have had to now the drawing has
been really rapid, and for instance, the maze, some of
(34:20):
it around this district went in only last week, but
up in Northland it's practically tasseling. And we would be
expecting the maze in this area to be approaching fence
height between Christmas and New Year, and some of it
is only just getting out of the ground.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Okay, drum roll, if I have one id, play it,
Jack Quillin. Who is your twenty twenty five egg person
of the Year.
Speaker 8 (34:43):
It is doctor John Carradice, who is part of Well.
He's a scientist. He was a plant breeder. He is
now the chief technical officer for Grasslands Technology, and he's
had a fine history in plant breeding and then commercialization
of particularly pastoral plants and end of fights. And he
(35:06):
is one of the scientists that I hear saying because
he's old school like me, like some others, but were
increasingly retiring or dying, saying, I don't know the answer
to that question yet, I haven't read all the literature.
And he said that in particular to me when he
was looking at whether gene edited plants could survive with
(35:27):
organic plants. You know, can the two systems cohabitate in
the same area.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
And he does the.
Speaker 8 (35:33):
Evaluation from scratch, which is what all scientists should do,
but in this chasing the money environment, they don't always
do it. Let us look to doctor John Cowardice as
a model for the future. Keep your mind open and
ask the searching questions that get back to basics, and
then take it forward to practical reality.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Doctor Jack weil n Rowt. Merry Christmas and a prosperous
new farming here. Thanks for your time. Well tetch you
again next year.
Speaker 8 (36:01):
Two fast thanks bye.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Weather on the country with farmlands helping to prevent parasite
outbreaks this summer.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Phil Duncan wrapping the show for the final Monday of
twenty twenty five for us. Anyhow, I know a lot
of you farmers will be working on Phil. I'm going
to try and sneak you back a week later in
the week for a closer to Christmas forecast. But before
you name your ag person of the year for the
farmers in the dryer regions, have they got any rain
coming this week? I think that's the important question to ask.
(36:34):
That would be a good present from Santa.
Speaker 6 (36:36):
Yeah, it would be good, Jamie. We've got mostly a
westerly flow this week, so those eastern areas might get
a little bit of spill over, especially in the South Island,
but the North Island, Hawks Bay especially looks very dry,
so there's most of Northland as well, particularly the far North.
So those are probably the two dryer theories, Hawks Bay
and Northland, and the Nelson Marlborough can sort of in
(37:00):
the next category gown. So there might be a bit
of spillover, but most of the rain is on the
west coast, Southland and Otago and Tatunaki. And that's because
we're going back into a spring weather pattern right up
until Christmas Day, so that means westerly driven weather, windy
at times, and temperatures fluctuating up and down.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, and there could be some meaningful rainfall on some regions. Okay, Phil,
because I'm going to try and get you back later
in the week. As I said, for a pre Christmas
forecast or a Christmas forecast. Who is your agg Person
of the Air twenty twenty five?
Speaker 6 (37:31):
My person of the Year this year, I wanted to
go with the Young Farmer of the Year, Hugh Jackson,
fifth MG Young Farmer of the Air. I think he
deserves to be mentioned.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Well, good on you, and it's yeah, the future of
farming is in good hands when you look at the
like Sir Hugh Jackson and George Dodson and Emma Paul
and sim Danjon and all those other young Farmers of
the Year. They're great ambassadors for the industry.
Speaker 6 (37:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
That's us Tomorrow Tomorrow Nadia lem and Carlos bag Gree
plus My final Argument of the Year with Damian O'Connor.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Catch all the latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
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