March 25, 2026 • 36 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Chris Brandolino, Mark Hooper, Pita Alexander, Chris Russell, and Andrew Pegler.
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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 Farmland's advice you can
trust products you can count on.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Oh yeah, tell you so.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I think you'll love thirst.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Say that Somber.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Holder Get a New Zealand. I'm Jamie McKay. This is
the Country, brought to you by Farmlands and I sesar
a bit of the Beatles. Couldn't get the song. I
couldn't find it in time. The song our first guest wanted,
Chris Brandellena. We've moved him up the batting order from
Earth Sciences, New Zealand. Because we have some serious weather
issues around the country. We're going to update those for
(00:53):
you very shortly with our guy, our Friday weather guy
on a Thursday, Mark Cooper, the guy in charge of
RMA reform for Federated Farmers. He's on a bit of
a roadie down to a field day, the Federated Farmer's
High Country Field Day, which I'm going to be at tomorrow,
Glenary Station in northern south on a beautiful farm. What
the hell's he doing down there? And he's very close
(01:15):
to Gore where he's none too pleased or the Fed's
up with what's happening with the local authority there. We're
going to talk to Peter Alexander some handy tips on
maybe how to save fuel and how do we crunch
the numbers as a nation. Chris Russell's our Ossie correspondent.
Am I going to tell you why you should be
putting some solar panels on the dairy shed or the
(01:37):
milking shed roof. It's all coming up on the country.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Weather, on the country with Fiji, where happiness comes naturally.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Well, Fiji might be the place to be a Chris
Brandolino from Earth Science, as New Zealand minds you, this
tropical storm has come from up that way. How bad
is that? Update?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
May It's raining hard. It's been raining hard for a
while across the Upper North Island. In fact, there are
multiple locations that are either approaching or have exceeded two
hundred millimeters of rain over the past say thirty six
hours or so across Northland, and a lot of areas
in Northland just by way of example, generally get one
(02:24):
hundred hundred and twenty millimeters of rain in the entire
month of March. So locations have exceeded and are nearly
doubling what they would normally get in thirty one days,
but they're getting it in a day or two and
that is the problem. So there is that red warning
issued by met Service for parts of Northland, other warnings
for rain and wind for other parts of the country,
(02:45):
including the top of the South Island. We can't overlook
and sleep on areas in Northwest, the northwest corner of
the South Island, of the Tasman region Nelson some heavy rain,
and there'll be some heavy rain that occurs over the
more traditional areas of the South Island Jamies, such as
the Southern Alps, but it's really a bay of plenty Cormandel,
Eastern Northland, maybe parts of the Auckland region that we
(03:08):
have to watch out for things like landslips and flooding.
And then I can't sleep on the northwest corner of
the South Island because that area will receive a good
drop of rain. The Southern Alps Sami, Yeah, good drop
of rain going there, but that's a bit more what
is what they're used to, you know, they get a
lot of rain, so that's closer to the normal side
of the spectrum.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, Northland's obviously been heads first as it hids south.
When does Northland start to get some respont.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Probably tonight and especially tomorrow. I think we'll see some
improvement there. Uh, there will be improvement too for the
Auckland region. I think tomorrow the probably the worst rain
is likely to fall tomorrow over say the Bay of
Plenty and the coram Mandel Peninsula, even Tadafidi Gisbin. But
I think it's the Cormandle and the Bay of Plenty
where the greatest chances for heavy rain will be for tomorrow.
(03:58):
We do have to watch for some localized understorms in
downpours tomorrow over the world. I guess western Waikato and
even portions of the Auckland region. There could be a
bit of sun, a bit of juice in the atmosphere
because of this tropical flow we're getting, and that could
ignite the some localized showers and thunderstorms for the west
of the South Isle. Tomorrow that's when the rain really
kicks in. So for those in western Southland, Fjordland, Host,
(04:21):
Hokatika and Graymouth, there'll be your rain comes tomorrow. And look,
this is part of this boom or bust rainfall Jamie,
and we've been talking about this right now, where we've
gone through a bust, so very little rain has been
dry for a while across the country. Now we're getting
into this boom period and then we're gonna see high pressure.
So after Monday, another round of rain for the Upper
(04:43):
North Island on Monday, which could be heavy locally, but
after that we're going to settle into a pretty stable
and settle pattern with high pressure, and that'll keep things
pretty palatable for a while. I know we could use
the rain in the South Island and that's one area
I'll have to watch with Tago's dry. Unfortunately, after the
the next five days is probably not going to be
much Jamie. And then after this quiet period, say toward
(05:06):
the start of week two of April, going out there
a little bit, so about two weeks or so from now,
the tropics make it quite active again and we'll have
to watch and see if something comes our way, sort
of toward the ninth to tenth, the eleventh, twelfth of April,
something to bookmark. Let's see if that happens. But it's
part of this boom or bust rainfall and we're gonna
have to watch it. I think the winter some aris
(05:26):
could be looking at dryness as you move the rest
of autumn into winter, and that's not good because winter,
as we know, is time for the ground water recharge.
You need to recharge the ground with water to set
us up for the next growing season. And if that
doesn't happen, we're on our back foot. And that's something
we're watching because of an emerging El Nino that's likely
to take shape as you're working to lay autumn and
especially winter.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah, okay, Chris Brandelena, thanks for the Tom you Tom?
Should I say the rony is some of the areas
that are getting plenty of round made it a bit, but.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Just not that much exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, right, good on you. Thanks to you. Tom. On
a Thursday or where's he got he has gone? Chris Brandolino.
That is thirteen after twelve. Up next Mark Cooper, who
is a Federated Farmer's National board member. There AREMA Reform spokesperson.
What the hell's going on with the Gore District Council.
(06:19):
Federated Farmers say controversial new requirements for every farmer and
Gore to have resource consents assessed against Night Tahoo cultural
values are excessive and unworkable. No kidding. We've got so
many issues in this world at the moment we shouldn't
be bothering with nonsense like this. That's just my humble
(06:41):
opinion of it. Anyhow, he's making his way down south.
He's going, I think to the High Federated Farmer's High
Country Field Day. Will confirm or deny that tomorrow that
I'm heading to really looking forward to that one at
Glenara Station. Maybe he should whip down the road and
have Ayanda Gore Mark Hooper up next. Before the end
of the Peter Alexander, how bad is this current situation historically?
(07:06):
What should the government be doing? Chris Russell's Oorrossie correspondents.
Some real issues in Australia, especially for the farmers. It's
seeding season for them. They can't get diesel, they can't
get seed into the ground. A bit of a disaster,
an absolute disaster. Plus Andrew Peglar from Well, we'll tell
you what he's going to tell it. I'll keep my
(07:27):
powder dry on him because he's an interesting character. He's
a mate of Mike Casey. So we're going to tell
you how you can become more self sustainable when it
comes to energy. I thank you one last.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Dude, don't make it by.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Take a side. Mark Cooper is a Taranaki cowcocky. He's
also a national board member for Federated Farmers and there
AREMA spokesperson. Mark, you're on a bit of a roady
south You're heading to Southland, God's own farming province and
you and I are going to spend some quality time
tomorrow at the Federated Farmer's High Country Field Day. I'm
(08:11):
really looking forward to this on Glenari Station, one of
the most magnificent farms in New Zealand. How does a
Taranaki cowcocky end up on a Southland hill country station.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Well, it's been a bit of a journey. I'm not
taking the short route. I'm taking the long route. I'm
coming down via the coast in heart at the moment
and making my way south. So we're really enjoying the
trip and looking forward to getting to glinarias. It's going
to be spectacular.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Okay, So, as the RMA reform spokesperson, how does this
tie into your portfolio? Sounds like a bit of a junket.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
To me, Mark, Yeah, no, Well it's a case of
generated Farmer's opportunity to engage with a bunch of politicians,
so as board members, as many of us possible try
to get down there so that we can take that
opportunity to talk about issues around TENA review, weed and peace,
(09:08):
wild in pine, biodiversity, you name it, all the big
issues that are associated with the high country and making
sure that people understand them.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Well, I can't believe how many politicians are fronting up
at Waikaia or inland from Waikaia tomorrow at Glenari Station,
they're all pulling a sickie and having a day on
a great farm.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Well it's a pretty rare opportunity and you know for
a lot of us to have an opportunity to get
out to look over these stations to understand what some
of the high country issues are. It's it's iconic New Zealand.
I mean, why wouldn't you.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You realize that you're going to be very close to Gore.
I know, you're coming down the west coast through Haars,
your head through Northern South and hopefully pass through the
capital of Northern South and Riversdale, and then you'll turn
off to Waikaia and Folly and O's up the Waikaia
River until you get to Glenaari Station. Gore's not a
mile away. We've been jumping up and down a bit
about Gore, particularly the Gore District Council. What's going on
(10:05):
there with these controversial new requirements for every farmer and
Gore to have resource consents assessed against Nitahu cultural values?
Is the successive and unworkable? Is this race related gobbledygook?
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Yeah? Look, I mean you summed it up pretty well there,
and I think the big picture context understand is that
we're working through this resource management reform process and we've
got to understand what are the issues that we're trying
to solve and doing that, and one of the issues
is that RMA has become very litigious. You have to
(10:44):
get consents for way too many things basic farming activities.
The second problem is that then when you do have
to get a consent, that've become very expensive, time consuming,
and unpredictable. And so those are the problems that we're
wanting to solve. And when you add an additional layer
of these cultural impact assessments over top of that, that
(11:06):
contributes to It's not the only factor, but it contributes
to that time cost, and uncertainty in terms of being
able to get a consent, And we really just need
to do better as a country in terms of identifying
what the core issues are in the plan making process
and enabling farmers to get on with the job basically,
and that's what the aim of new resource management reforms
(11:30):
is intended to do. Gore's a slightly unique situation in
terms of the way that they're managing their plan. It
adds additional complications, but really we wanted to see the
big picture legislation.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
So is the Gore District Council the only district council
or regional council that's in the firing line here? Is
Gore like a standalone in this one or do other
local authorities face the same issues.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Other local authorities. It's across the country. Really, some apply
it more heavily than others. The particularly issue with Gore
is that if you have a site of significance, what
we find is that most farmers, particularly if it's an
archaeological or heritage based site, they're really keen to do
what's right and protect it and put some management, good
(12:19):
management practices in around that to preserve those The problem
with Gore is that they haven't specifically identified clear sites.
It's kind of across the district and so it leaves
it quite open, quite ambiguous in terms of how the
cultural values that they need to assess issues against are applied.
And that's a problem too in terms of resource management
(12:41):
management because because really you're defaulting the decision making to
a third party, and it doesn't really matter who that
third party is. That decision making should be clear and
plain language law in the planned and set by the
elected representatives rather than defaulting the third party.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Absolutely agree, Thank you Mark for your time. Will catch
you tomorrow. Glenary Station, Federated Farmers High Country Field Day.
Three hundred people intending and attending, should I say, including
an incredible and an incredible number of politicians. I reckon
they just want to get out of Wellington for a day.
You can hardly blame them at the moment, but you
(13:20):
do have to wonder what's going on not only in Gore,
but another local body authorities or regional authorities. We're getting
bogged down on nonsense, absolute nonsense. We've got so many problems,
as I said, to deal with in the world at
the moment, not of our making either, but I would
have thought some of these cultural values are down the order,
(13:42):
down the pecking order. Aweyit talking about mister Trump and
his war. How the hell does he get out of it?
I don't know about that one. But what can New
Zealand do as a nation to make things a bit better?
To balance the books? A farm accountant rural rack on
tour Peter Alexander up next on the country age you do?
(14:07):
Mad me down.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
Maney two yrld.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Peter Alexander is a christ Church farm accountant and racon
Tour is going to amuse and inform us today, although
to be fair, what's happening with the Middle East crisis
at the moment isn't very amusing. Peter, you've been around
for a long long time. In other words, you're an
old bugger? How bad does this put it into historic
perspectives with other conflicts in the world? Sorry for calling
(14:43):
you an old bugger.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I have seen eight of these ups and downs worldwide
events that affect New Zealand since nineteen sixty five, and
this potentially could be the most serious if it goes
for very long.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Anyhow, you've written a column, you've written a piece on
how to save fuel. Well, might touch on that one.
But one of the key things that you've touched on
because you've been there before, you've done that, you're a
farm accountant. You've advised your clients diesel is so much
more important to our country and our economy than petrol.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Yes, it's much wider. I mean every household deals with petrol,
but the diesel is just much much wider in an
industrial sense, in every sense of the word.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
What's your advice to your farmer clients at the moment?
Are you're you're based in Canterbury. I'm assuming you've got
quite a few arable clients. What are you telling those guys?
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yes, I've had quite a number on the phone. You're
quite right, quite a number have some storage of diesel.
But it has turned out to me not enough, Jamie.
Something that's important here. Our government was starting to get
an energy problem long before this Iranian issue.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
We're going to talk to a guy shortly about solar
power and creating power on farm and maybe even selling
it back to the grid. We obviously stating the obvious,
isn't it. We need to be more self sustainable and
energy we do.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
It's been coming for a long time. Yes, absolutely, right,
the wind pair, solar pair, they've each got their own issue,
and you need really some base pair from coal or hydro.
But you're absolutely right. We need to be more focus
on sensible energy projects.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Dare I mention nuclear energy, No, we won't go there.
Right at the moment, what do you think the government
should do? Because we were just starting to see the
green shoots and I hate that word, it's like pivoting,
but we were starting to see the green shoots of
an economic recovery. A part of me feels very sorry
for Christopher Luxe and he gets in He's inherited a mess.
He gets Trump's tariffs last year, then he gets Trump's
(16:58):
war this year. They get a break.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
No, you're quite right in some ways looking around the world,
if we had more women running countries, that would be
a plus. But it's not an answer to your question.
At the moment, our government is going to take longer
to balance as cash flow than we had thought. It
was hoping about two thousand and thirty to get a balance.
(17:22):
That looks like being pushed out. We look as though
we're going to be borrowing some more money, which I'm
not at all keen about. I want our debt to
GDP ratio to hold at fifty percent, it's a marvelous
thing for our children and grandchildren if we can hold
at that sort of level.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Mind you, Peter Alexander, you're the accountant, not me. I'm
a failed accountant. A lot of European nations and the
States and nations like that are well over one hundred percent.
Maybe we just need to borrow our way out of
this crisis.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
No, no, don't even start that sort of talk. You're
quite right. The UK, Europe, Germany are now well. The
first two are well over one hundred and it's very
hard to see how they're going to pull out of it.
Places like France and UK are paying over five hundred
million dollars a day in New zenald dollars in debt interest.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
So what can the New Zealand government meaningfully do? Because
I know that you're suggesting we increase taxes, we reduce expenses.
The tax one you could probably do, but that would
that be a disincentive to the productive sector. Reducing expenses
is going to be hard, not impossible. And the other
one you're floating, and I think this one's got merit.
(18:35):
We just need to sell some state owned assets.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yes, we do three issues there that you've covered. Our
government needs more fiscal which is tax income. It's been
needing it for some time, but it needs it. Secondly,
we need to reduce expenses, which our politicians don't have
the stomach for and it would be very hard, but
it needs to happen. Thirdly, there's nothing wrong with our
(19:02):
governments selling a billion dollars of assays to the private
sector if necessary, least some of them back. There's nothing
wrong with it. I mean, the reason Japan is a
hell of a mess that is holding is that when
it borrows money, it borrows from its own people, and
this has sort of held them together.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Peter Alexander, thanks for your time. We might put some
of your suggestions up on our social channels. Always good
to chat and remember walk don't drive. That applies to
you as well, so none of your excessive trips driving
around the US for six weeks. See you later, No,
thank you, right, Jamie, good on you. Peter. Yes, yeah,
(19:42):
walk don't drive. Not always possible of course on a farm,
but I suppose you could hop on the motorbike rather
than the ute. We've all got to try and save
a but a fuel some of you, some of your
text feedback coming in regarding the Gor District Council situation.
Theoretically every farmer and gore will have to have resource
(20:06):
consents potentially assessed against NAHOO cultural values. Is that excess
of and unworkable? Yep, it is. Texter has texted in
and said, just call it what it is. Co governance
is continuing unabated. And here's a good one. From Where
is he gone? Robbie? I like this one, Robbie? I
(20:26):
like your work here. What's the difference between Vietnam and Iran?
Trump had a plan to get out of Vietnam. Well done,
Robbie and his course, referring to Trump's draft dodging efforts
when he didn't front up in Vietnam. Yeah, I don't
know how the hell he gets out of this one.
I honestly don't know. The world is a mess. But nevermind,
(20:50):
Chris Russell. If you think we're doing it tough here
at the moment, you want to go to Australia. The
poor old farmers over there can't get enough diesel. It's
their seeding season to get their crops in the ground.
Of course, they're all sown because I can't grow much
in the summer over there. Before the end of the hour,
we're going to tell you how you can save a
whole lot of money be self sustainable with your fuel
(21:12):
and energy. Good story to finish the country today. But
up next Michelle with rural news, and I'll have a
look at sports news for you.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
Lead me to.
Speaker 7 (21:28):
I need somebody, not just any far, you know, I need.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Someone welcome back to the country, twenty four away from one.
Help from the Beatles. That's what I was yelling out
to you this morning, Michelle. I have I told you
how much I love the editing function on our new
Zeta computer on air studio system.
Speaker 7 (21:51):
No, I don't think we have had that discussion at
least one hundred times.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
You heard some unsavory language this morning.
Speaker 7 (21:57):
I was my ears were you know, I'm very innocent
hearing those words.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Hey, you're from bout clothing. You're not that innocent, right.
I'm a bit tired and grumpy, to be fair, because
I stayed up and watched the cricket and then I
was I'm falling into a bad habit of doom scrolling.
That's especially I was getting bored with the cricket when
it was apparent that we weren't going to win, But
I did. In my doom scrolling last night, I did
find some great old Beatles videos, so we thought we'd
(22:22):
give them a whirl today. You know, it's just three
guys up there with guitars and a bloke on the drums,
and that's it.
Speaker 7 (22:30):
And I was named after a Beatles song, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Yes, Michelle, Well we'll try and play that one for you.
Were you actually named after?
Speaker 5 (22:39):
Well?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
There you go. The parents are obviously romantics. What do
you got for us? And what do you got for us?
And rural news Let me play the sweet sting thing.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
The Country's rural News with cub Cadet. It's one thing
to talk in a vas another to back it up,
drive it. We dare you visit steel for dot coto
Z for your local star guest.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
That line I nearly got you, didn't it nearly got me?
Speaker 7 (23:02):
There?
Speaker 3 (23:03):
There's too much of a pause there at Macavennie, John,
you need to fire somebody there. You need to compress
that down. We're always we're always just ready to go.
And then in comes some more steel Fort stuff. Oh,
John will be loving all this rain. Keep get all
the lawns growing in the North Island especially, and a
lot of it's coming south as well, and I hope
(23:24):
some of it gets to the drier regions of likes
of Otago and South and where it is. You know,
the farmers are telling me they definitely need some rain
anyhow where you go?
Speaker 7 (23:32):
Okay, talking about the North, the North and Balance Farm
Environment Awards. The Regional Supreme whin I was announced last night.
Allan Dobby of Waidoa Horticulture was named the North and
Regional Supreme winner. So all those winners will join up
to when the Good or going to win the Gordon
Stephenson Trophy in July. The big announcement. The next one
is an Auckland tonight.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
One of the judges I think as he was here
judged this year or had he retired. Jamie Strang used
to do it with Warwick Kaddow for years and years
and years. And Jamie he's the bloke who rode across
the cook straight at seventy six years of age. He
had a we surgical moment. But I think he's all right.
And Jamie, if you're listening, we hope you're doing okay.
(24:13):
Is that rural news.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
That's Royal news. You've got sport there.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Sports on the country with AFCO business well done.
Speaker 6 (24:21):
Well.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
We could have done with some rain last night at
Hagley Oval. It might have left the series tie, but anyhow,
so Africa got there three to two. Auckland's weather is
affecting the All Whites built up for tomorrow night's football
International against Finland at Eden Park. New Zealand were due
to train at North Harbor Stadium this afternoon but lashings
of rain I love that word. Lashings of rain have
(24:43):
placed that in doubt and Brad Shields has signed a
contract extension with the Hurricanes until the end of next
year's Super Rugby season. He is eleventh. He debuted way
back in twenty twelve. Up next our Ossie correspondent Chris
Russell in some real issues facing Ossie farmers. Oh, he's
(25:10):
our Australian correspondent, Chris Russell, based out of Sydney, Sydney
or the bush. Let's talk about the bush, the farmland
of Australia. Chris Russell. I'm hearing some horror stories about
fuel supplies, diesel supplies for some of your cropping farmers
in their seeding season.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Yeah, well, look they're all over the place, both fuel
and fertilizer. Wise, looks like we'll be going back and
using a medium nitrate, which is going to require some
releases from what it's mainly used for explosives these days,
because urea is about ten percent more nitroen available medium nita.
No one ever thought we'd go back to using medium
nitrate on crops, but it looks like we might this year,
(25:50):
just to get hold of enough of it. And then,
of course, even if we've got the fertilizer, we've got
the seed, we ain't got the diesel to put it
out with. These farmers are only being offered maybe half
or less of the fuel actually need to get this
crop seated.
Speaker 8 (26:03):
Now.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
It's not as if we can say, oh well, we'll
put it off till journal July when the war might
be ended. We only have a fairly short window to
get this wind to crop in, as you know. So
you know it's very difficult situation and farmers are not
happy generally in the bush at the moment.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Jamie.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Let's continue on with the energy theme. Your government had
a war game that predicted the fuel crisis nine months ago,
but no action ensued. It's a bit of a shame,
but what could you have realistically done?
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Well, that's exactly right. In twenty twenty two, the National
Emergency Management Agency was set up as the primary body
for disaster recovery in emergency management, and about nine months ago,
it was about May last year, they had a multi
agency exercise looking at the effect of a seventy five
(26:54):
percent loss of fuel imports to Australia and it predicted
exactly what's happened. It warned of severe economic impact, it's
warned of loss of crop planting. It was taking place
of all of different organizations that we be part of
something like this. But of course, what did the governor
do about it? Very little. They didn't increase their fuel
(27:18):
reserves that are in Australia. They're still sitting around thirty
days when they should be up around ninety days, even
by legislation. And we only found this report due to
a request by some of the press agencies against where
they couldn't actually refused to supply this misinformation that they
(27:40):
hadn't put out the government. So now we're sitch in
a situation that we knew would happened. And as in
Einstein said, definition of insanity is doing something which you've
done before and you find trying to get a different
result it ain't happening.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Let's talk about a couple of trade stories. You're having
issues with your BIF quota and to China, and the
other one is you're new FTA with the EU. You're
not happy with either. Let's start with the FTA with
the EU. What's wrong there?
Speaker 6 (28:10):
Well, we've secured apparently this agreement now with the with
the European Union as regards importing all our various products
and them importing exporting stuff to US. It seems that
neither group is happy. The EU actually have to get
their whole agreement through the twenty seven nations who are
(28:33):
members of that. That looks unlikely. They're not happy with
the amount of beef that we're bringing in. We're not
happy with the amount of beef quota we receive, which
is about half what we're asking for. As well as LAMB.
They're not happy with the fact we only reduced the
amount of a tax on luxury vehicles by five percent,
(28:55):
and of course our local consumers are not happy with
that either because they're still going to have to pay
these expensive cars, even though we don't actually make any
cars here in Australia. So I haven't heard anyone who's
happy with this, other than the wine industry, who have
reduced their amount of tarif they pay on wine by
about fourteen million dollars a year. So it's I think
(29:16):
a lose lose type agreement. I don't know what they're celebrating,
and in any case, it looks like it would be
very surprising if it gets through the European Union when
they put it to their twenty seven member states.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Jomie, talk to me very quickly because I'm running out
of time. About the China beef import quotas.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Okay, there's no doubt that we're in a situation. We've
used thirty four percent of outur quota. Brazil is the
only one close thirty three percent, but their quota is
about fifty percent higher than ours. In New Zealand's the
only one in good shape. It only used about nine
percent of theirs.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Well we'll take that as a one. Hey, Chris, I've
got to go amount of time. Catch you next week,
come rain, hail, snow or Pauline Hanson, how about that
we might discuss her next Mary Jomi see a lader
mate fun.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
I need somebody, not just an it far you know,
I need someone.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
So we've told you already on the show Ways to
save fuel. How about ways to save energy full stop?
Or even better, create some energy and sell it. I
were joined by Andrew Pegler. He is the founder of
Farmland's Flex. He's also a good mate of Mike Casey,
you know, the electric cherry guy, the chief executive of
Rewiring aart Rower. Andrew, before we talk about Farmland's Flex,
(30:36):
tell me about your background and your cred when it
comes to solar panels and creating energy.
Speaker 8 (30:44):
Thanks, Jemmy, I guess our background is very much based
in the electricity world and how to find the spaces
and a really restricted controlled markets a customer or a
farmer and grower can actually take a little bit of
controlack and find that gap where they can make some
money or gave some money. Because at the moment, the
(31:05):
way our energy market works, we kind of market takers.
And so for the last then sixteen years, me and
a few of my friends have been building businesses, which
electric was the last one where we opened up the
spot market to just a redential customer it had never
been done before. We were lucky enough to sort of
(31:25):
sell out of that and take what we did there
and the learnings and some of that money, and we
reinvested in a company called Black Current, which is now
owned part of that joint venture farm Land Slecks with
farm Lands.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
So my case is all about solar panels and fully
electric electrifying everything, rewiring AOTOA. Can farmers if they got
into this Farmland flex package, can they make money? Can
they sell electricity back to the grid. If you've got
I don't know, solar panels sitting on top of your
milking shed for instance, you can.
Speaker 8 (31:56):
And I mean the cool thing is if you just
got solar and so save your money. It's all kind
of about yourself consumption behind the gate. The difference to
Reflect is that we do an in solution and it's
about designing what you need. It's about building what you need,
it's about deploying it. But to be honest, paper people
do that. The part that makes some Inflect a little
(32:17):
bit different is using software and some pretty in depth
energy sort of experience. We not only aid the energy
for you, but we run your site and that moves
it from saving money and optimizing on site, making money
and creating new revenue streams that probably aren't available most
(32:41):
to day. And it's an old school new school way
of thinking. In restingly, you put on a nust solar
to fit withinside a youth profile, so you don't have
to worry about excess We design everything, I mean everything.
I have excess energy either sitting in solar panels or
more importantly, sitting in batteries. And the batteries give you
(33:03):
the ability and give us the ability to help our
farmers and growers when the market needs the most, therefore
monetizing it to the fallest extent that they can. And
it's not about today, and it's not about tomorrow, it's
about in the next twenty five to thirty years.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Andrew Pegler, if I was to put solar panels on
the roof of my dairy shed, for instance, or my
milk and shared or my wool shared or whatever sort
of shared I've got on my house for that matter,
with modern technology, how long do solar panels last for?
Because you're talking about managing this on behalf of farmers
for up to twenty five years. Do the panels last
(33:37):
that long?
Speaker 8 (33:39):
Yeah? And that's where the number comes from. So the
panels now last between twenty five and thirty years. Batteries
given at a single spark of a day will last
sort of twelve to fourteen. And there's another piece of
equipment called an inverter that sits out there to help
us control things. It's the kind of brains of the
operation that's attended twelve years. And so then when I
say we're helping manage it, we help manage the replacement
(34:01):
of those bits of equipment, we help manage the ongoing
maintenance of the equipment, and most importantly, we help manage
monetizing all of those different things into New Zealand Energy Grip.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Andrew Pegler out of Farmland's Flex. If you want to
find out more, talk to your local Farmland's rep or
go to Flex Energy dot co dot in zed. Now
more than ever we need to try and be self
sustainable when it comes to energy. And I think this
is a wonderful idea and anything that Mike Casey's involved
with you get one hundred percent enthusiasm. Andrew, great the chat,
(34:36):
Good luck with your venture the farmlands. Thanks Jammy, good
on you. Andrew. Yes, and this is not the Beatles.
This is Jones yet and the Black Hearts will tell
you why. For just the reason, here's someone who's just
texted and good Jamie. I invested one hundred k in
September on in Sola on my fifty four bowl rotary roof.
Best investment I have done for a long time, chairs,
(34:57):
says Brian. And you think of the big storms that
came through in October of last year and the only
ones that were milking without generators, with the kow Kokeys
who had solar panels on the roof. I think we've
all got to think of sort of stuff like that.
Manawatuo needs some rain badly. Hopefully you'll get some great
(35:17):
music today, says Don. I personally met the Beatles in
nineteen sixty four. What a great thing that is to say.
And Michelle, here's one for you. Have I got time
to tell the story. Yes, it's from that very cynical
and bitter man Jeremy Rooks. Must get him on the show,
he says Michelle. With you being from Bellcluther, I'm surprised
you're not named that. I'm surprised you're named after a
(35:39):
Beatles song. He thought you should be named jone Jet
because joone Jet was big in the eighties when you
were born.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
I do love jone Jet, but my parents had class.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Yes, well, we were discussing during the ad breaks. Really
kitch names from the eighties, but the troublers. You can't
say them because we'll have a listener whose name is
like that. Minds you I can talk. I'm Alexander James.
My parents called me Jamie because my father was Alec.
(36:10):
We didn't want too smart alex in the house. It's
been the bane of my life ever since. If you're
naming a kid, call them their first name first and
their second name second. Hey, I'm outa here, Hamish MacKaye
running the Cutter tomorrow. I'll catch your back on Monday.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
Catch you're the latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Farmland's advice you can
trust products you can count on.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Farmland's advice you can
trust products you can count on.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Oh yeah, tell you so.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I think you'll love thirst.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Say that Somber.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Holder Get a New Zealand. I'm Jamie McKay. This is
the Country, brought to you by Farmlands and I sesar
a bit of the Beatles. Couldn't get the song. I
couldn't find it in time. The song our first guest wanted,
Chris Brandellena. We've moved him up the batting order from
Earth Sciences, New Zealand. Because we have some serious weather
issues around the country. We're going to update those for
(00:53):
you very shortly with our guy, our Friday weather guy
on a Thursday, Mark Cooper, the guy in charge of
RMA reform for Federated Farmers. He's on a bit of
a roadie down to a field day, the Federated Farmer's
High Country Field Day, which I'm going to be at tomorrow,
Glenary Station in northern south on a beautiful farm. What
the hell's he doing down there? And he's very close
(01:15):
to Gore where he's none too pleased or the Fed's
up with what's happening with the local authority there. We're
going to talk to Peter Alexander some handy tips on
maybe how to save fuel and how do we crunch
the numbers as a nation. Chris Russell's our Ossie correspondent.
Am I going to tell you why you should be
putting some solar panels on the dairy shed or the
(01:37):
milking shed roof. It's all coming up on the country.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Weather, on the country with Fiji, where happiness comes naturally.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Well, Fiji might be the place to be a Chris
Brandolino from Earth Science, as New Zealand minds you, this
tropical storm has come from up that way. How bad
is that? Update?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
May It's raining hard. It's been raining hard for a
while across the Upper North Island. In fact, there are
multiple locations that are either approaching or have exceeded two
hundred millimeters of rain over the past say thirty six
hours or so across Northland, and a lot of areas
in Northland just by way of example, generally get one
(02:24):
hundred hundred and twenty millimeters of rain in the entire
month of March. So locations have exceeded and are nearly
doubling what they would normally get in thirty one days,
but they're getting it in a day or two and
that is the problem. So there is that red warning
issued by met Service for parts of Northland, other warnings
for rain and wind for other parts of the country,
(02:45):
including the top of the South Island. We can't overlook
and sleep on areas in Northwest, the northwest corner of
the South Island, of the Tasman region Nelson some heavy rain,
and there'll be some heavy rain that occurs over the
more traditional areas of the South Island Jamies, such as
the Southern Alps, but it's really a bay of plenty Cormandel,
Eastern Northland, maybe parts of the Auckland region that we
(03:08):
have to watch out for things like landslips and flooding.
And then I can't sleep on the northwest corner of
the South Island because that area will receive a good
drop of rain. The Southern Alps Sami, Yeah, good drop
of rain going there, but that's a bit more what
is what they're used to, you know, they get a
lot of rain, so that's closer to the normal side
of the spectrum.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, Northland's obviously been heads first as it hids south.
When does Northland start to get some respont.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Probably tonight and especially tomorrow. I think we'll see some
improvement there. Uh, there will be improvement too for the
Auckland region. I think tomorrow the probably the worst rain
is likely to fall tomorrow over say the Bay of
Plenty and the coram Mandel Peninsula, even Tadafidi Gisbin. But
I think it's the Cormandle and the Bay of Plenty
where the greatest chances for heavy rain will be for tomorrow.
(03:58):
We do have to watch for some localized understorms in
downpours tomorrow over the world. I guess western Waikato and
even portions of the Auckland region. There could be a
bit of sun, a bit of juice in the atmosphere
because of this tropical flow we're getting, and that could
ignite the some localized showers and thunderstorms for the west
of the South Isle. Tomorrow that's when the rain really
kicks in. So for those in western Southland, Fjordland, Host,
(04:21):
Hokatika and Graymouth, there'll be your rain comes tomorrow. And look,
this is part of this boom or bust rainfall Jamie,
and we've been talking about this right now, where we've
gone through a bust, so very little rain has been
dry for a while across the country. Now we're getting
into this boom period and then we're gonna see high pressure.
So after Monday, another round of rain for the Upper
(04:43):
North Island on Monday, which could be heavy locally, but
after that we're going to settle into a pretty stable
and settle pattern with high pressure, and that'll keep things
pretty palatable for a while. I know we could use
the rain in the South Island and that's one area
I'll have to watch with Tago's dry. Unfortunately, after the
the next five days is probably not going to be
much Jamie. And then after this quiet period, say toward
(05:06):
the start of week two of April, going out there
a little bit, so about two weeks or so from now,
the tropics make it quite active again and we'll have
to watch and see if something comes our way, sort
of toward the ninth to tenth, the eleventh, twelfth of April,
something to bookmark. Let's see if that happens. But it's
part of this boom or bust rainfall and we're gonna
have to watch it. I think the winter some aris
(05:26):
could be looking at dryness as you move the rest
of autumn into winter, and that's not good because winter,
as we know, is time for the ground water recharge.
You need to recharge the ground with water to set
us up for the next growing season. And if that
doesn't happen, we're on our back foot. And that's something
we're watching because of an emerging El Nino that's likely
to take shape as you're working to lay autumn and
especially winter.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah, okay, Chris Brandelena, thanks for the Tom you Tom?
Should I say the rony is some of the areas
that are getting plenty of round made it a bit, but.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Just not that much exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, right, good on you. Thanks to you. Tom. On
a Thursday or where's he got he has gone? Chris Brandolino.
That is thirteen after twelve. Up next Mark Cooper, who
is a Federated Farmer's National board member. There AREMA Reform spokesperson.
What the hell's going on with the Gore District Council.
(06:19):
Federated Farmers say controversial new requirements for every farmer and
Gore to have resource consents assessed against Night Tahoo cultural
values are excessive and unworkable. No kidding. We've got so
many issues in this world at the moment we shouldn't
be bothering with nonsense like this. That's just my humble
(06:41):
opinion of it. Anyhow, he's making his way down south.
He's going, I think to the High Federated Farmer's High
Country Field Day. Will confirm or deny that tomorrow that
I'm heading to really looking forward to that one at
Glenara Station. Maybe he should whip down the road and
have Ayanda Gore Mark Hooper up next. Before the end
of the Peter Alexander, how bad is this current situation historically?
(07:06):
What should the government be doing? Chris Russell's Oorrossie correspondents.
Some real issues in Australia, especially for the farmers. It's
seeding season for them. They can't get diesel, they can't
get seed into the ground. A bit of a disaster,
an absolute disaster. Plus Andrew Peglar from Well, we'll tell
you what he's going to tell it. I'll keep my
(07:27):
powder dry on him because he's an interesting character. He's
a mate of Mike Casey. So we're going to tell
you how you can become more self sustainable when it
comes to energy. I thank you one last.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Dude, don't make it by.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Take a side. Mark Cooper is a Taranaki cowcocky. He's
also a national board member for Federated Farmers and there
AREMA spokesperson. Mark, you're on a bit of a roady
south You're heading to Southland, God's own farming province and
you and I are going to spend some quality time
tomorrow at the Federated Farmer's High Country Field Day. I'm
(08:11):
really looking forward to this on Glenari Station, one of
the most magnificent farms in New Zealand. How does a
Taranaki cowcocky end up on a Southland hill country station.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Well, it's been a bit of a journey. I'm not
taking the short route. I'm taking the long route. I'm
coming down via the coast in heart at the moment
and making my way south. So we're really enjoying the
trip and looking forward to getting to glinarias. It's going
to be spectacular.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Okay, So, as the RMA reform spokesperson, how does this
tie into your portfolio? Sounds like a bit of a junket.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
To me, Mark, Yeah, no, Well it's a case of
generated Farmer's opportunity to engage with a bunch of politicians,
so as board members, as many of us possible try
to get down there so that we can take that
opportunity to talk about issues around TENA review, weed and peace,
(09:08):
wild in pine, biodiversity, you name it, all the big
issues that are associated with the high country and making
sure that people understand them.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Well, I can't believe how many politicians are fronting up
at Waikaia or inland from Waikaia tomorrow at Glenari Station,
they're all pulling a sickie and having a day on
a great farm.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Well it's a pretty rare opportunity and you know for
a lot of us to have an opportunity to get
out to look over these stations to understand what some
of the high country issues are. It's it's iconic New Zealand.
I mean, why wouldn't you.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You realize that you're going to be very close to Gore.
I know, you're coming down the west coast through Haars,
your head through Northern South and hopefully pass through the
capital of Northern South and Riversdale, and then you'll turn
off to Waikaia and Folly and O's up the Waikaia
River until you get to Glenaari Station. Gore's not a
mile away. We've been jumping up and down a bit
about Gore, particularly the Gore District Council. What's going on
(10:05):
there with these controversial new requirements for every farmer and
Gore to have resource consents assessed against Nitahu cultural values?
Is the successive and unworkable? Is this race related gobbledygook?
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Yeah? Look, I mean you summed it up pretty well there,
and I think the big picture context understand is that
we're working through this resource management reform process and we've
got to understand what are the issues that we're trying
to solve and doing that, and one of the issues
is that RMA has become very litigious. You have to
(10:44):
get consents for way too many things basic farming activities.
The second problem is that then when you do have
to get a consent, that've become very expensive, time consuming,
and unpredictable. And so those are the problems that we're
wanting to solve. And when you add an additional layer
of these cultural impact assessments over top of that, that
(11:06):
contributes to It's not the only factor, but it contributes
to that time cost, and uncertainty in terms of being
able to get a consent, And we really just need
to do better as a country in terms of identifying
what the core issues are in the plan making process
and enabling farmers to get on with the job basically,
and that's what the aim of new resource management reforms
(11:30):
is intended to do. Gore's a slightly unique situation in
terms of the way that they're managing their plan. It
adds additional complications, but really we wanted to see the
big picture legislation.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
So is the Gore District Council the only district council
or regional council that's in the firing line here? Is
Gore like a standalone in this one or do other
local authorities face the same issues.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Other local authorities. It's across the country. Really, some apply
it more heavily than others. The particularly issue with Gore
is that if you have a site of significance, what
we find is that most farmers, particularly if it's an
archaeological or heritage based site, they're really keen to do
what's right and protect it and put some management, good
(12:19):
management practices in around that to preserve those The problem
with Gore is that they haven't specifically identified clear sites.
It's kind of across the district and so it leaves
it quite open, quite ambiguous in terms of how the
cultural values that they need to assess issues against are applied.
And that's a problem too in terms of resource management
(12:41):
management because because really you're defaulting the decision making to
a third party, and it doesn't really matter who that
third party is. That decision making should be clear and
plain language law in the planned and set by the
elected representatives rather than defaulting the third party.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Absolutely agree, Thank you Mark for your time. Will catch
you tomorrow. Glenary Station, Federated Farmers High Country Field Day.
Three hundred people intending and attending, should I say, including
an incredible and an incredible number of politicians. I reckon
they just want to get out of Wellington for a day.
You can hardly blame them at the moment, but you
(13:20):
do have to wonder what's going on not only in Gore,
but another local body authorities or regional authorities. We're getting
bogged down on nonsense, absolute nonsense. We've got so many problems,
as I said, to deal with in the world at
the moment, not of our making either, but I would
have thought some of these cultural values are down the order,
(13:42):
down the pecking order. Aweyit talking about mister Trump and
his war. How the hell does he get out of it?
I don't know about that one. But what can New
Zealand do as a nation to make things a bit better?
To balance the books? A farm accountant rural rack on
tour Peter Alexander up next on the country age you do?
(14:07):
Mad me down.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
Maney two yrld.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Peter Alexander is a christ Church farm accountant and racon
Tour is going to amuse and inform us today, although
to be fair, what's happening with the Middle East crisis
at the moment isn't very amusing. Peter, you've been around
for a long long time. In other words, you're an
old bugger? How bad does this put it into historic
perspectives with other conflicts in the world? Sorry for calling
(14:43):
you an old bugger.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I have seen eight of these ups and downs worldwide
events that affect New Zealand since nineteen sixty five, and
this potentially could be the most serious if it goes
for very long.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Anyhow, you've written a column, you've written a piece on
how to save fuel. Well, might touch on that one.
But one of the key things that you've touched on
because you've been there before, you've done that, you're a
farm accountant. You've advised your clients diesel is so much
more important to our country and our economy than petrol.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Yes, it's much wider. I mean every household deals with petrol,
but the diesel is just much much wider in an
industrial sense, in every sense of the word.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
What's your advice to your farmer clients at the moment?
Are you're you're based in Canterbury. I'm assuming you've got
quite a few arable clients. What are you telling those guys?
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yes, I've had quite a number on the phone. You're
quite right, quite a number have some storage of diesel.
But it has turned out to me not enough, Jamie.
Something that's important here. Our government was starting to get
an energy problem long before this Iranian issue.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
We're going to talk to a guy shortly about solar
power and creating power on farm and maybe even selling
it back to the grid. We obviously stating the obvious,
isn't it. We need to be more self sustainable and
energy we do.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
It's been coming for a long time. Yes, absolutely, right,
the wind pair, solar pair, they've each got their own issue,
and you need really some base pair from coal or hydro.
But you're absolutely right. We need to be more focus
on sensible energy projects.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Dare I mention nuclear energy, No, we won't go there.
Right at the moment, what do you think the government
should do? Because we were just starting to see the
green shoots and I hate that word, it's like pivoting,
but we were starting to see the green shoots of
an economic recovery. A part of me feels very sorry
for Christopher Luxe and he gets in He's inherited a mess.
He gets Trump's tariffs last year, then he gets Trump's
(16:58):
war this year. They get a break.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
No, you're quite right in some ways looking around the world,
if we had more women running countries, that would be
a plus. But it's not an answer to your question.
At the moment, our government is going to take longer
to balance as cash flow than we had thought. It
was hoping about two thousand and thirty to get a balance.
(17:22):
That looks like being pushed out. We look as though
we're going to be borrowing some more money, which I'm
not at all keen about. I want our debt to
GDP ratio to hold at fifty percent, it's a marvelous
thing for our children and grandchildren if we can hold
at that sort of level.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Mind you, Peter Alexander, you're the accountant, not me. I'm
a failed accountant. A lot of European nations and the
States and nations like that are well over one hundred percent.
Maybe we just need to borrow our way out of
this crisis.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
No, no, don't even start that sort of talk. You're
quite right. The UK, Europe, Germany are now well. The
first two are well over one hundred and it's very
hard to see how they're going to pull out of it.
Places like France and UK are paying over five hundred
million dollars a day in New zenald dollars in debt interest.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
So what can the New Zealand government meaningfully do? Because
I know that you're suggesting we increase taxes, we reduce expenses.
The tax one you could probably do, but that would
that be a disincentive to the productive sector. Reducing expenses
is going to be hard, not impossible. And the other
one you're floating, and I think this one's got merit.
(18:35):
We just need to sell some state owned assets.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yes, we do three issues there that you've covered. Our
government needs more fiscal which is tax income. It's been
needing it for some time, but it needs it. Secondly,
we need to reduce expenses, which our politicians don't have
the stomach for and it would be very hard, but
it needs to happen. Thirdly, there's nothing wrong with our
(19:02):
governments selling a billion dollars of assays to the private
sector if necessary, least some of them back. There's nothing
wrong with it. I mean, the reason Japan is a
hell of a mess that is holding is that when
it borrows money, it borrows from its own people, and
this has sort of held them together.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Peter Alexander, thanks for your time. We might put some
of your suggestions up on our social channels. Always good
to chat and remember walk don't drive. That applies to
you as well, so none of your excessive trips driving
around the US for six weeks. See you later, No,
thank you, right, Jamie, good on you. Peter. Yes, yeah,
(19:42):
walk don't drive. Not always possible of course on a farm,
but I suppose you could hop on the motorbike rather
than the ute. We've all got to try and save
a but a fuel some of you, some of your
text feedback coming in regarding the Gor District Council situation.
Theoretically every farmer and gore will have to have resource
(20:06):
consents potentially assessed against NAHOO cultural values. Is that excess
of and unworkable? Yep, it is. Texter has texted in
and said, just call it what it is. Co governance
is continuing unabated. And here's a good one. From Where
is he gone? Robbie? I like this one, Robbie? I
(20:26):
like your work here. What's the difference between Vietnam and Iran?
Trump had a plan to get out of Vietnam. Well done,
Robbie and his course, referring to Trump's draft dodging efforts
when he didn't front up in Vietnam. Yeah, I don't
know how the hell he gets out of this one.
I honestly don't know. The world is a mess. But nevermind,
(20:50):
Chris Russell. If you think we're doing it tough here
at the moment, you want to go to Australia. The
poor old farmers over there can't get enough diesel. It's
their seeding season to get their crops in the ground.
Of course, they're all sown because I can't grow much
in the summer over there. Before the end of the hour,
we're going to tell you how you can save a
whole lot of money be self sustainable with your fuel
(21:12):
and energy. Good story to finish the country today. But
up next Michelle with rural news, and I'll have a
look at sports news for you.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
Lead me to.
Speaker 7 (21:28):
I need somebody, not just any far, you know, I need.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Someone welcome back to the country, twenty four away from one.
Help from the Beatles. That's what I was yelling out
to you this morning, Michelle. I have I told you
how much I love the editing function on our new
Zeta computer on air studio system.
Speaker 7 (21:51):
No, I don't think we have had that discussion at
least one hundred times.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
You heard some unsavory language this morning.
Speaker 7 (21:57):
I was my ears were you know, I'm very innocent
hearing those words.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Hey, you're from bout clothing. You're not that innocent, right.
I'm a bit tired and grumpy, to be fair, because
I stayed up and watched the cricket and then I
was I'm falling into a bad habit of doom scrolling.
That's especially I was getting bored with the cricket when
it was apparent that we weren't going to win, But
I did. In my doom scrolling last night, I did
find some great old Beatles videos, so we thought we'd
(22:22):
give them a whirl today. You know, it's just three
guys up there with guitars and a bloke on the drums,
and that's it.
Speaker 7 (22:30):
And I was named after a Beatles song, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Yes, Michelle, Well we'll try and play that one for you.
Were you actually named after?
Speaker 5 (22:39):
Well?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
There you go. The parents are obviously romantics. What do
you got for us? And what do you got for us?
And rural news Let me play the sweet sting thing.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
The Country's rural News with cub Cadet. It's one thing
to talk in a vas another to back it up,
drive it. We dare you visit steel for dot coto
Z for your local star guest.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
That line I nearly got you, didn't it nearly got me?
Speaker 7 (23:02):
There?
Speaker 3 (23:03):
There's too much of a pause there at Macavennie, John,
you need to fire somebody there. You need to compress
that down. We're always we're always just ready to go.
And then in comes some more steel Fort stuff. Oh,
John will be loving all this rain. Keep get all
the lawns growing in the North Island especially, and a
lot of it's coming south as well, and I hope
(23:24):
some of it gets to the drier regions of likes
of Otago and South and where it is. You know,
the farmers are telling me they definitely need some rain
anyhow where you go?
Speaker 7 (23:32):
Okay, talking about the North, the North and Balance Farm
Environment Awards. The Regional Supreme whin I was announced last night.
Allan Dobby of Waidoa Horticulture was named the North and
Regional Supreme winner. So all those winners will join up
to when the Good or going to win the Gordon
Stephenson Trophy in July. The big announcement. The next one
is an Auckland tonight.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
One of the judges I think as he was here
judged this year or had he retired. Jamie Strang used
to do it with Warwick Kaddow for years and years
and years. And Jamie he's the bloke who rode across
the cook straight at seventy six years of age. He
had a we surgical moment. But I think he's all right.
And Jamie, if you're listening, we hope you're doing okay.
(24:13):
Is that rural news.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
That's Royal news. You've got sport there.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Sports on the country with AFCO business well done.
Speaker 6 (24:21):
Well.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
We could have done with some rain last night at
Hagley Oval. It might have left the series tie, but anyhow,
so Africa got there three to two. Auckland's weather is
affecting the All Whites built up for tomorrow night's football
International against Finland at Eden Park. New Zealand were due
to train at North Harbor Stadium this afternoon but lashings
of rain I love that word. Lashings of rain have
(24:43):
placed that in doubt and Brad Shields has signed a
contract extension with the Hurricanes until the end of next
year's Super Rugby season. He is eleventh. He debuted way
back in twenty twelve. Up next our Ossie correspondent Chris
Russell in some real issues facing Ossie farmers. Oh, he's
(25:10):
our Australian correspondent, Chris Russell, based out of Sydney, Sydney
or the bush. Let's talk about the bush, the farmland
of Australia. Chris Russell. I'm hearing some horror stories about
fuel supplies, diesel supplies for some of your cropping farmers
in their seeding season.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Yeah, well, look they're all over the place, both fuel
and fertilizer. Wise, looks like we'll be going back and
using a medium nitrate, which is going to require some
releases from what it's mainly used for explosives these days,
because urea is about ten percent more nitroen available medium nita.
No one ever thought we'd go back to using medium
nitrate on crops, but it looks like we might this year,
(25:50):
just to get hold of enough of it. And then,
of course, even if we've got the fertilizer, we've got
the seed, we ain't got the diesel to put it
out with. These farmers are only being offered maybe half
or less of the fuel actually need to get this
crop seated.
Speaker 8 (26:03):
Now.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
It's not as if we can say, oh well, we'll
put it off till journal July when the war might
be ended. We only have a fairly short window to
get this wind to crop in, as you know. So
you know it's very difficult situation and farmers are not
happy generally in the bush at the moment.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Jamie.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Let's continue on with the energy theme. Your government had
a war game that predicted the fuel crisis nine months ago,
but no action ensued. It's a bit of a shame,
but what could you have realistically done?
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Well, that's exactly right. In twenty twenty two, the National
Emergency Management Agency was set up as the primary body
for disaster recovery in emergency management, and about nine months ago,
it was about May last year, they had a multi
agency exercise looking at the effect of a seventy five
(26:54):
percent loss of fuel imports to Australia and it predicted
exactly what's happened. It warned of severe economic impact, it's
warned of loss of crop planting. It was taking place
of all of different organizations that we be part of
something like this. But of course, what did the governor
do about it? Very little. They didn't increase their fuel
(27:18):
reserves that are in Australia. They're still sitting around thirty
days when they should be up around ninety days, even
by legislation. And we only found this report due to
a request by some of the press agencies against where
they couldn't actually refused to supply this misinformation that they
(27:40):
hadn't put out the government. So now we're sitch in
a situation that we knew would happened. And as in
Einstein said, definition of insanity is doing something which you've
done before and you find trying to get a different
result it ain't happening.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Let's talk about a couple of trade stories. You're having
issues with your BIF quota and to China, and the
other one is you're new FTA with the EU. You're
not happy with either. Let's start with the FTA with
the EU. What's wrong there?
Speaker 6 (28:10):
Well, we've secured apparently this agreement now with the with
the European Union as regards importing all our various products
and them importing exporting stuff to US. It seems that
neither group is happy. The EU actually have to get
their whole agreement through the twenty seven nations who are
(28:33):
members of that. That looks unlikely. They're not happy with
the amount of beef that we're bringing in. We're not
happy with the amount of beef quota we receive, which
is about half what we're asking for. As well as LAMB.
They're not happy with the fact we only reduced the
amount of a tax on luxury vehicles by five percent,
(28:55):
and of course our local consumers are not happy with
that either because they're still going to have to pay
these expensive cars, even though we don't actually make any
cars here in Australia. So I haven't heard anyone who's
happy with this, other than the wine industry, who have
reduced their amount of tarif they pay on wine by
about fourteen million dollars a year. So it's I think
(29:16):
a lose lose type agreement. I don't know what they're celebrating,
and in any case, it looks like it would be
very surprising if it gets through the European Union when
they put it to their twenty seven member states.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Jomie, talk to me very quickly because I'm running out
of time. About the China beef import quotas.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Okay, there's no doubt that we're in a situation. We've
used thirty four percent of outur quota. Brazil is the
only one close thirty three percent, but their quota is
about fifty percent higher than ours. In New Zealand's the
only one in good shape. It only used about nine
percent of theirs.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Well we'll take that as a one. Hey, Chris, I've
got to go amount of time. Catch you next week,
come rain, hail, snow or Pauline Hanson, how about that
we might discuss her next Mary Jomi see a lader
mate fun.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
I need somebody, not just an it far you know,
I need someone.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
So we've told you already on the show Ways to
save fuel. How about ways to save energy full stop?
Or even better, create some energy and sell it. I
were joined by Andrew Pegler. He is the founder of
Farmland's Flex. He's also a good mate of Mike Casey,
you know, the electric cherry guy, the chief executive of
Rewiring aart Rower. Andrew, before we talk about Farmland's Flex,
(30:36):
tell me about your background and your cred when it
comes to solar panels and creating energy.
Speaker 8 (30:44):
Thanks, Jemmy, I guess our background is very much based
in the electricity world and how to find the spaces
and a really restricted controlled markets a customer or a
farmer and grower can actually take a little bit of
controlack and find that gap where they can make some
money or gave some money. Because at the moment, the
(31:05):
way our energy market works, we kind of market takers.
And so for the last then sixteen years, me and
a few of my friends have been building businesses, which
electric was the last one where we opened up the
spot market to just a redential customer it had never
been done before. We were lucky enough to sort of
(31:25):
sell out of that and take what we did there
and the learnings and some of that money, and we
reinvested in a company called Black Current, which is now
owned part of that joint venture farm Land Slecks with
farm Lands.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
So my case is all about solar panels and fully
electric electrifying everything, rewiring AOTOA. Can farmers if they got
into this Farmland flex package, can they make money? Can
they sell electricity back to the grid. If you've got
I don't know, solar panels sitting on top of your
milking shed for instance, you can.
Speaker 8 (31:56):
And I mean the cool thing is if you just
got solar and so save your money. It's all kind
of about yourself consumption behind the gate. The difference to
Reflect is that we do an in solution and it's
about designing what you need. It's about building what you need,
it's about deploying it. But to be honest, paper people
do that. The part that makes some Inflect a little
(32:17):
bit different is using software and some pretty in depth
energy sort of experience. We not only aid the energy
for you, but we run your site and that moves
it from saving money and optimizing on site, making money
and creating new revenue streams that probably aren't available most
(32:41):
to day. And it's an old school new school way
of thinking. In restingly, you put on a nust solar
to fit withinside a youth profile, so you don't have
to worry about excess We design everything, I mean everything.
I have excess energy either sitting in solar panels or
more importantly, sitting in batteries. And the batteries give you
(33:03):
the ability and give us the ability to help our
farmers and growers when the market needs the most, therefore
monetizing it to the fallest extent that they can. And
it's not about today, and it's not about tomorrow, it's
about in the next twenty five to thirty years.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Andrew Pegler, if I was to put solar panels on
the roof of my dairy shed, for instance, or my
milk and shared or my wool shared or whatever sort
of shared I've got on my house for that matter,
with modern technology, how long do solar panels last for?
Because you're talking about managing this on behalf of farmers
for up to twenty five years. Do the panels last
(33:37):
that long?
Speaker 8 (33:39):
Yeah? And that's where the number comes from. So the
panels now last between twenty five and thirty years. Batteries
given at a single spark of a day will last
sort of twelve to fourteen. And there's another piece of
equipment called an inverter that sits out there to help
us control things. It's the kind of brains of the
operation that's attended twelve years. And so then when I
say we're helping manage it, we help manage the replacement
(34:01):
of those bits of equipment, we help manage the ongoing
maintenance of the equipment, and most importantly, we help manage
monetizing all of those different things into New Zealand Energy Grip.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Andrew Pegler out of Farmland's Flex. If you want to
find out more, talk to your local Farmland's rep or
go to Flex Energy dot co dot in zed. Now
more than ever we need to try and be self
sustainable when it comes to energy. And I think this
is a wonderful idea and anything that Mike Casey's involved
with you get one hundred percent enthusiasm. Andrew, great the chat,
(34:36):
Good luck with your venture the farmlands. Thanks Jammy, good
on you. Andrew. Yes, and this is not the Beatles.
This is Jones yet and the Black Hearts will tell
you why. For just the reason, here's someone who's just
texted and good Jamie. I invested one hundred k in
September on in Sola on my fifty four bowl rotary roof.
Best investment I have done for a long time, chairs,
(34:57):
says Brian. And you think of the big storms that
came through in October of last year and the only
ones that were milking without generators, with the kow Kokeys
who had solar panels on the roof. I think we've
all got to think of sort of stuff like that.
Manawatuo needs some rain badly. Hopefully you'll get some great
(35:17):
music today, says Don. I personally met the Beatles in
nineteen sixty four. What a great thing that is to say.
And Michelle, here's one for you. Have I got time
to tell the story. Yes, it's from that very cynical
and bitter man Jeremy Rooks. Must get him on the show,
he says Michelle. With you being from Bellcluther, I'm surprised
you're not named that. I'm surprised you're named after a
(35:39):
Beatles song. He thought you should be named jone Jet
because joone Jet was big in the eighties when you
were born.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
I do love jone Jet, but my parents had class.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Yes, well, we were discussing during the ad breaks. Really
kitch names from the eighties, but the troublers. You can't
say them because we'll have a listener whose name is
like that. Minds you I can talk. I'm Alexander James.
My parents called me Jamie because my father was Alec.
(36:10):
We didn't want too smart alex in the house. It's
been the bane of my life ever since. If you're
naming a kid, call them their first name first and
their second name second. Hey, I'm outa here, Hamish MacKaye
running the Cutter tomorrow. I'll catch your back on Monday.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
Catch you're the latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Farmland's advice you can
trust products you can count on.
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