April 13, 2026 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Shane Jones, Peter McBride, Lucas Smith, and Todd Clark.
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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 a Suzu Get demo,
deals on the tough Dmax today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Jeez, how about over someone call over every because.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Half again?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I know you know that I made those misdays maybe
once sways, but once and twice I mean maybe a
couple or hundred times.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
So lam me or lamy myself tonight, I just.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Sa is it Lena to stay?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Sorry?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Can iez Ellen? Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay.
I don't think I've ever played Justin Bieber before. He's
headlining Coach Seller and sorry for our first kiss. The
Prince of the province is Matasha Jones to hurt? Does
he and Winston need to say sorry to us? He's
landers for being a roadblock in the way of the
Indian FDA. Let's see if we can get to the
(01:09):
bottom of that. One huge day for Fonterra or a
couple of days for Fonterra. Today they they're writing out
a check quite literally for five point four billion dollars,
including three point two billion for the two dollars per
share capital return. We'll chat to Peter McBride about that
one and yesterday's announcement of a new chief executive, Richard
(01:31):
Allen Lucas Smith. We've talked to Craig Piggot from Holter.
He has another dynamic young man who has a global startup.
His business is called called Wallaid Woolen Plasters and Bandages.
He's a young guy going place as Todd Clark's a
US correspondent. And Julia Jones is the MC at the
(01:51):
South Island Dairy event. Day one of the two day conference,
well three days if you count yesterday's field day. We'll
catch up with Julia, but up next, no show without punch.
It's the Prince of the Provinces.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Let's just get you that line.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Here is the self titled Prince of the Province's Martua,
Shane Jones. Let's talk about the Indian Free Trade Agreement
or at this stage the lack of one. Shane, you
and Winston have lost my vote, even though you know
how much I love the rest of your work. Why
don't you just swallow your pride and think of the
greater good rather than grandstanding.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
No, we're nationalists. We are not going to tolerate an
agreement that is a cunning devious way of handing over
authority to New Delhi for New Zealand immigration out of India.
We do not want unrestrained Indian immigration. We do not
want a continuation of the slave labor largely Indian experiences
(02:56):
in the Kiwi fruit have no doubts about what I say.
Speaker 6 (02:59):
Read the New.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Zealand Herald, and we have sadly perpetuated the folly of
Stephen Joyce for far too long, where he pursued unfettered
mass immigration from India under the guise of adult education
and actual fact that just proved to be an opportunity
(03:21):
for very unscrupulous people to oppress their own and that's
why the personality and the reputation of the Indian peopil
in the kiwifruit industry is in some cases mud.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
So you're prepared to wive goodbye, kiss goodbye to the
world's biggest market.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
A free trade deal minus unmitigated unfettered immigration was what
we thought the government was negotiating. We didn't know that
free trade meant free immigration, and we are unconvinced that
this deal will not outsource to New Delhi authority for
(04:02):
all immigration matters related to Indian applicants over to India.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Well, hang on, you talk about to stop. Yeah, you
talk about the government. You are the government. Why didn't
you argue the point a bit earlier in the process.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
I can assure you these points have been made by
my leader and my dear friend. Todd is under no
illusion as to how strongly we feel about unfettered immigration.
Roads that are clogged up, jobs that working class Kiwis
can no longer get, hospitals that are clogged up, Well.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Hang on, hang on, shape, working class Kiwis are too
lazy to do some of the jobs that the migrant
workforce is doing in this country. Let's be honest here.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Well, this is interesting because the farmers often trot out
that example that the New Zealanders are too lazy to work.
The farmers only make money in Fonterra because of the
bloc and a privilege that Helen Clark gave them. That
attitude coming from the New Zealand farming community is extremely disappointing.
(05:08):
There are no shortage of young Kiwis who are given
the right pay conditions, the right circumstances, or lineup and
work hard as their parents did. But we have now
driven down to third World wages in many cases because
of mass immigration, the circumstances of garden variety Kiwis. I
can tell you I'm absolutely right, and I've got lots
(05:29):
of Kiwis who will agree with me. Come the weekend
of November seventh.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Well, you might be losing a few as well with
your attitude over the free trade agreement. So if Chippy
doesn't come to the party and this falls over, be
it on your head, shine Jones.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
The reality is that the forest sector, the Kiwi fruit
sector and a variety of others can already trade with India,
and the Indian concessions through the free trade need to
be measured against the unmitigated access there has been proved
unwisely in our view for immigration. We're just not agreeing
with this mass immigration. Absolutely, We're not tolerted.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
All right, let's move on to your critical minerals deal
with Trump. You haven't been posting pictures of yourself as
a messiah, have you, Shane. I know you do call
yourself Martinua Shane Jones, but you haven't gone as far
as posting a picture of you as sort of a
black Jesus.
Speaker 7 (06:22):
Have you.
Speaker 8 (06:23):
No, I'm a brown Jesus.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Sorry, I haven't mounted the summit and started to spout
off scripture. And I think there'll be a lot of
people in Kaitai will sort of attack various sensitive parts
of my net be if I was, that's foolish. But look,
we have long been of the view let's dig news
(06:44):
and develop our mineral sector, in particular our critical minerals.
The opportunity a rod with a host of other nations
meeting in Washington some time ago with Winston Lai, are
just working through the process. There is some nervousness amongst
various members of the public. They don't want us to
be seen to working with the Trump regime. But the
(07:07):
reality is we're talking about the largest economy in the world.
We're talking about a host of investors who, with the
right circumstances would come here. They're already coming to Australia
and look, I look, I'm going to host a critical
Minerals seminar in Parliament where I will have representatives from
(07:28):
the US State Department and a variety of other investors.
And it's quite likely that people from Australia and other
places will attend a seminar and that is designed to
create traction and momentum. Now, look, I accept that some
of what I say jars on the delicate ears of
(07:51):
the South Islanders, but that's where the minerals are.
Speaker 8 (07:54):
And we're not going to have.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
These wild, sort of elitist, reckless voices running into the
front page of the Guardian, that left wing communist, communist
organ down and downing our own country. It is disappointed
when Sir sam Neil went and attacked his own country
(08:15):
in the front page.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Well it was you, Shane Jones. Was you who chickened
out of the debate with Saren Tayler.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Well, I would love to have had that debate, but
I'm good conscience. The New Zealand public need full visibility
of what I'm saying and what I'm doing in this
mining business. And I would have certainly have hosted and
enjoyed a debate in front of five hundred, probably would
have been a thousand people. But I mean, of course
I've already run that won the day, and so Ian
wanted to run it on his computer platform.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Do you realize you're starting to sound like someone in
Washington who's already won the war.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Look, you know as well as I do, we're politicians,
we have to deploy language that it has color from
time to time.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Does that mean you don't actually necessarily have to tell
the truth.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
No, no, no, no, no cleaving towards the truth. There's a
constant struggle for some politicians. But I'm one who likes
to put.
Speaker 8 (09:12):
It out there.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
And the only time where the facts may be a
bit fuzzy is that there's some legal reason as to
why we have to keep things confidential. But I would
have had the debate, but I didn't want to be
in a window liss room controlled by the Otago Media
and spouting only on c Ian's computer platform. That's just
noting with New Zealand first culture. But hey, there's a
(09:36):
lot going on mate. I mean, I know that.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Your listeners probably do get a bit poor high or.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Exasperated me going on about minerals, but we need every
arrow in the quiver striking an economic target, and you
haven't got a better blow to encourage people to pick
up a boat start firing.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Well, if only you were supporting the Indian FTA, I'd
vote for that anyhow. Sean Jones, thanks for your time.
Is always on the country.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
See you, buddy, see.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
A Shane right. The feedback's coming through thick and fast
on Martua Shane, I might have to pre read some
of it. Here's a good text that's coming. Filipino workers
in the New Zealand airy industry, and let's face it,
they're doing a lot of the heavy lifting get paid
the same rates as our Kiwi workers. Yeah, of course
they do. And I'm sticking with my point. Honestly, we
(10:25):
are literally too lazy as a nation. Sorry if I'm
offending anybody to do some of the work that migrant
workers are happy to do in this country. Anyhow, Up next,
here's the good news story for the day. Fonterra is
writing out a check today for five point four billion dollars.
Up next to talk about that, and the new chief
(10:46):
executive is the chairman, Peter McBride.
Speaker 8 (10:59):
It is a big.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Day for Fonterra farmer shareholders. Fonterra our biggest dairy company cooperative.
We'll be writing out a check today for five point
four billion dollars and it'll be hitting farmer's bank accounts today.
It's not all the capital repayment three point two billion
of it is that, But to tell us where all
that money's coming from, and where it's going to go to.
(11:22):
Fonterra Chair Peter McBride, Peter, good afternoon, welcome to the country.
Have you ever written out of check for five point
four billion before.
Speaker 7 (11:32):
Jamie, great to hear from you. Look, yeah, we've got
three point two billion going out as a capital return
and then seven hundred million is divinens and then on
the system or tomorrow the milk check goes with it,
which head's up to five point four.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
That is a big payday and i'll tell you what.
It comes at a time when the New Zealand economy
rarely needs a bit of a kick in the pants.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
Yeah, sure it is. It's going to be fall from
that perspective. You know, right now New Zealand economy is
pretty fragile, I would imagine. So you know, we're all
trying to see what's happening in the Middle East and
how it's going to impact us long term, and you know,
the longer it goes, the word suggets. So it's a
bit of a challenge.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Anecdotally. What are you hearing about what farmers are going
to do with their capital repayments money?
Speaker 7 (12:23):
Well, I think there's a mixture. I think, you know,
a chunk of it goes towards debt repayments only initially,
A lot of it will go towards that, A tunk
of it's going to go towards succession planning on farm,
you know, for families in particular, which is a great
opportunity for them, and then potentially for growth, and then
also some deferred maintenance. So it's quite a mixture, you know,
(12:45):
there's quite a range about things.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
It's been a big week for Fonterra. Not only do
you write out the check today, yesterday you announced ahead
of time, really just twenty eight days after Miles Hurrell's
resignation that Richard Allen would take over as the new
chief executive effect of May one. This was an inside job.
This was always going to happen. Was it even a
contested process?
Speaker 7 (13:08):
Peter McBride, Yeah, it was a contested process. And people
need to understand that this process started five years ago
in Miles and I had to chat about succession planning
and talent development, and I think this is really evidence
of what good talent development looks like. It was a
contested process. We also build external schemes. I guess it
(13:30):
starts with what are the attributes you're looking for and
going down into the type of candidates you want. So
for us, steep very industry knowledge and experience was really critical,
really good track we could of dealing with customers globally
and developing teams, but also understanding New Zealand farmers and
(13:51):
New Zealand culture. So when you overlay all of that,
it's quite a limited tample when you think about it, well.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I think we learned a less about external candidates without
relitigating history. And Richard Allen, like Miles Hurrell, has effectively
started at the coal face and worked his way up.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
Yeah, he's been in the business since two thousand and eight,
so you know he's got a good track record, especially
the last three years in the ingredients business. What he's
achieved in Europe and the US, in the Middle East
in particular has been pretty exceptional. And then moving into
the head of Global Ingredients in the last twelve months.
So Richard's been across the business. He's spent five years
(14:35):
through really challenging times as the head of farm Source.
He has deep experience and really decknowledge of the business
and you can under estimate farther of that.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Peter McBride. Just before I let you go, Chair of Fonterra,
you mentioned the trouble in the Middle East and what
an unsettled world we live in at the moment. This
season's forecast is or milk forecast price is at nine
dollars seventy. It's pretty much locked and loaded. Really, what
this will affect is twenty six twenty seven. How worried
are you.
Speaker 7 (15:06):
At this stage? We're in reasonably good shape, Like we've
done some reasonable workarounds in terms of logistics getting product
into the Middle East for iman and demand in particular.
Obviously it's a watch out and it's a moving feast.
Container availability and container displacements obviously going to impact Asian
markets as well, so that's a watch out. I think
(15:29):
the biggest variable for farmers is going to be the
knock on impact of inflation. So on farm inflation is
probably hitting ten percent already, so that's a watch out
for them. I guess the end the implication for inflation
and interest rates in the zelanders something farmers need to consider.
Speaker 8 (15:46):
I guess.
Speaker 7 (15:46):
So on the other side of it, you know there
are tools now for farmers to hedge and secure their
revenue line so while many farmers look at interest rates
has been the thing they should be considering, we're also
got to think about protecting their revenue line, so there's
an opportunity to do that. So I guess it just
comes down to how risk averse you are and will
(16:08):
you see it going home on the other side of it,
as with these costs going up on farm and it's
a global implication. What does that mean for food? Price
is generally in demand, so it's a bit of a three.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yeah, not to mention fertilizer. I'm a big fan by
the way of fixing interest rates and fixing milk price.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,
but I'm a wee bit conservative on that one. Peter
McBride's heare of Fonterra. Big week for the dairy co op.
Well done and good luck.
Speaker 8 (16:35):
Thanks Jamie, Thank you Peter.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
It is twenty seven after twelve year of the country.
You're getting stuck into Shane on the text line, although
not everyone is. Here's one Jamie no checks anymore. Ha
ha ha, says Steve. I'm speaking metaphorically, of course, Steve.
(16:57):
Here we go. Sorry, just lost my screen there for
a moment, potential immigrants Indians included must first satisfied the
schools criteria. Here's one that probably sums up the mood
of a lot of people at the moment, which is
why I think Winston and Shane need to be a
wee bit careful around this FTA with India. Like a
lot of farmers on weighing up between New Zealand First
(17:20):
and ACT, that's not necessarily good news for the NATS.
But that's what we're hearing out there. But it's an
easy decision to vote ACT now over there because of
New Zealand's New Zealand First free trade stance. You should
stop calling him Matua, writes another Texter. He is not
(17:42):
you are right about Kiwis being too lazy to work.
I am right. I know it. I've got investment in
the dairy industry. I know that sometimes, rightly or wrongly,
we're not prepared to get out and do the hard yards.
It wasn't for the Filipinos in Southland, half the cows
literally would not get milked. Great opportunity for young people
(18:02):
to get into that industry and work hard, and a
lot of them do as well. But we have got
a we've probably got a welfare system that's that in
the past, this might be controversial, has encouraged people to
sit on their ass. As Shane would say, you've got
to get the nefts off the couch. So look, I
think good migration is good for the economy. Get people
(18:25):
working hard, that's what we need. Up next, if you
if you are doubting the young people of New Zealand,
Lucas Smith's up next. He is going to inspire you.
A young man with a global startup company. He's up next.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Oh god, you can hear.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
I love chatting to dynamic young New Zealand is making
their way on the world stage. Recently we chatted to
Craig Pigot from Holter. Here's another one who's got a
global startup company. His name is Lucas Smith. The company
is wall Aid Lucas. I got your contact from Jeff
Ross from Lake Harwa Station. He said to me, you
(19:06):
need to talk to this young man because he's a
young man going places. Tell me about your woolen plasters
and bandages. Good afternoon, by the way.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Godathleen, Jammie, Hey, great to hear from you, and yeah
thanks thanks you and Jeff always always good to have
a leader in the Marino community. So, yes, my name
is Lucas and I'm the founder of a company called
wool Aid, and we make bandages, naval strips, and other
medical products from medical grade Marino woolf.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
So Marino wool biodegradable obviously, rather than plastics that we're
currently using for bandages and plasters. I put it to
you that mister Trump's probably doing you a bit of
a favor at the moment with your product because the
plastics getting more and more expensive.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Yeah, plastic is getting more and more expensive, and obviously
the vast majority of bandage and wound care use throughout
the world and the New Zealand as well as all
petroleum based. Not to say that farmingham puts aren't going
up as well. Obviously, you know the cost of producing
reno's going up too. But it also helps customers be
aware that there is an alternative to plastic in all
(20:09):
of this.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
So I think you're something like thirty years of age.
You've been on this crusade for ten years now, Lucas.
Speaker 8 (20:17):
Yeah, it takes a lot of time, especially in the
medical industries. So when we first started out, it was
a lot about the intellectual property and the patenting, so
actually protecting the idea and then the innovation of bringing
it to market. So yes, I was nineteen when this
whole process began, and now proud to say we're pretty
much all over North America, so you can find our
(20:38):
bandages coast to coast Canada, United States, and Mexico, which
is pretty exciting.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Did you have any difficulty or issues getting a patent
on this, because that can be tricky.
Speaker 8 (20:49):
It's quite hard to write a patent and to kind
of find someone to guide you through the patenting process.
I was really lucky to have a great intellectual property
lawyer in christ Church, a guy Robertson, who kind of
helped guide me through the process as a young person.
That's pretty confronting kind of doing all of that, but
we felt it necessary obviously given the scale of the
(21:09):
people we compete against. So it was a big journey.
But generally with intellectual property, you start with the United States.
So once we wrote our United States patent, it was
quite a journey to put it through the process and
pretty nerve wracking. When you get assigned an examiner, for example,
for a patent, you can see how many patents they've
(21:30):
previously passed or failed, and it turns out our examiner
had an eighty seven percent failure rate, So if all
the patents they saw, they failed eighty seven percent of them,
So pretty amazing to get us through.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Walleye is the product. You've got, the woolen plasters and
bandages made out of marino wool. It's a shame that
you couldn't make these out of strong crossbread wall. It
just wouldn't work.
Speaker 8 (21:54):
It does work, and we have patents for that. And
I grew up in the marino kind of world, so
Takeapo Timorrow's home for me. And so during my school
years I worked on Marino stations, so I'm Intel station
in Mackenzie Country. Kind of taught me the bulk of
my knowledge in Marino. And then when I left Mountain
(22:14):
Guiding to start this company, I got an internship at
a Marino wall mill in Italy, and that kind of
sparks the interest and how that process kind of works
strong well, amazing product. I just haven't had the time,
obviously thirty years old, to explore that supply chain as thoroughly,
whereas Marino wool has kind of been the last Yeah,
(22:37):
ten years of.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
My life, Walleye is the product. As I said, you've
got the woolen plasters and bandages. How durable are they
compared to the plastic product? And more importantly in this
day and age and the cost of living crisis, Lucasmith,
are you cost effective?
Speaker 8 (22:53):
Yeah, at the end of the day, a bandage has
to stay on. And so there was the whole motivation
behind this is I'm sure many farmers in pretty Uses
and Kruno that at the end of the day, when
you get a cut, you just want a bandage to
stay on. And so a big mission over our last
couple of years has been proving that it will work
in the most intense climates. So we sponsor a race
(23:13):
up in Alaska called the Idita Rod Trail Invitational. It's
one thousand miles on foot from Anchorage over the Great
Alaskan Range to a place called Nome and people are
out there for a month or two in the depths
of winter. And so our bandages are designed for that
kind of behavior, if you will, If it works in
(23:34):
those environments, and it will work in kind of day
to day use. In terms of the cost of our products, Look,
you need it to stay on and do like a
chronical job, but you need it to be affordable. So
our products start at ten dollars and then go up
to run a twenty dollars range.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Finally, this is a global startup. You're on your way up.
How are you financing all this? And I know that
Jeff and Justine Ross have been what cornerstone investors in
what you're doing.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Yes, so we are a family business. But in twenty
twenty one we took on some venture capital just to
kind of help open up the doors in the States,
in Canada, and so there's a small part of our
cap table that's invest in our venture capital. So we
have some great investors like Jeff and Justin Roth, Nick Astwick.
And then if any of your listeners with path find
(24:20):
are the key we save a fund, Pathfinder is an
investor with us too, so that's some amazing support from
that community. And then bandages are really consistent business. Obviously
people don't cut themselves any less each year, but it's
almost a commodity, so we needed to scale. So hence
raising capital enabled us to go to America open up
(24:42):
doors there. So it's some quite big distribution channels. So
We're distributed through kag Unfi and Liberty Mountain in America,
and then we're in five hundred Soviet stores across Canada.
So pretty exciting there.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
What a great story wall Aid the woolen plasters and bandages. Lucas,
it's great to talk to inspirational young Keiwis like yourself
and Craig Picket. You need to follow in his footsteps
and your company might be worth four billion dollars one day.
Speaker 8 (25:08):
Good luck mate, Thanks Jamy, appreciate it. And for anyone
in New Zealand's that fans is at Walla dot com
and yeah, keep your eyes killed. We get out their team.
Speaker 7 (25:16):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
That inspires you about the future of our country. People
like Lucas Smith from Wallaid. Here's some of your texts
coming in getting into it today. If the dairy farmers
paid a decent living wage enough to cover everyday living expenses,
many more New zealand As would be working for them.
It's got nothing to do with laziness and everything to
do with the ability to afford to live. The cheap
(25:39):
labor on farms has driven wages down and you can't
simply afford to be a farm worker now I disagree
with you because I know a wee bit about the
payment system on dairy farms. You can start as a
farm worker. You can become a herd manager, a contract milker,
you can become a shaer farmer. There's a shehaer milker.
There's a real rare path there. And I know lots
(26:02):
of people seriously working in the dairy industry who are
on six figures. They might also have a house provided
a bit of meat and milk. Compare that to some
Porschmuck and South Auckland working for three or four jobs
just to keep you know, food on the table. I
disagree with you, Texter, but thanks for your thoughts. Up
next to rural News and sports news. I can't believe
(26:30):
she's loaded me up with Justin Bieber, but here she
is with rural News Michelle Watt the.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Country's world news with Cod Cadet, New Zealand's leading right
on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co dot
inz for your locals.
Speaker 9 (26:44):
Douggist, just trying to introduce you to a new era
of music, Jamie outside.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Of the eighties.
Speaker 9 (26:50):
No thanks, okay, and ryal on you is this tis on? Actually?
With the topic we've been talking about. So dairy is
still a positive industry to be employed in. According to
results from the Dairy in Z twenty five Dairy Farm
employee survey, over eighty percent of employee surveyed in tended
to stay in the industry, citing positive aspects and key
reasons for choosing to work there, such as working with animals,
(27:11):
being outdoors, and the lifestyle. There are some areas for
improvement mentioned such as better leadership, communication, fair pay and
work rosters, and work life balance, with time off being
given as a common reason for people leaving the sector.
Now they've got a new survey out now dairy and
set it's open till May. So if you're an employee
in the dairy industry, go get your opinion hurt.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Yeah, Look, quit the cleaning job in South Auckland, go
down to South and milk cows. Get a house. Your
kids can go to a great little primary school and
breed the fresh air instead of looking at screens all day.
They can be out earning some money on the farm.
There you go. I'm solving all the world problems today.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Sports on the country with AFCO one hundred percent ke
we owned that's rare.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
Glenn Jackson will finish a two year tenure as Fijian
drew A coach at the end of the Super Rugby season.
The statement suggests neither party wanted to exercise the third
year option on his contract, and the International Cricket Council
has announced a fourteen point nine million dollar prize fund
for the Women's T twenty World Cup, a ten percent
(28:11):
increase on the twenty twenty four edition. Up next, on
the country, we head stateside to Kentucky. It's our US
farming correspondent, Todd Clark. Here's a US farming correspondent based
out of Lexington, Kentucky, and Todd Clark. At this time
of the year, as you head into the flush of spring,
(28:34):
that bluegrass, that wonderful Kentucky bluegrass, must be waving in
the wind. Good afternoon, New Zealand time.
Speaker 8 (28:42):
Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
It's as I said here in my truck talking to you,
looking out over a group of cattle, and the grass
is waving in the wind. But the concern is already
in spring that we're in drought. And so we've got
a green grass and in a fair amount of it,
(29:04):
but it's not raining, and it hasn't been raining for
well several weeks now. And it's not just us in Kentucky,
it's Arkansas and Tennessee and Alabama and Mississippi and so on,
and so there's a lot of concern across the US,
not only about fertilizer and fuel prices, but also whether
or not it's going.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
To rain very early in the season to be this dry.
What effect does that happen, for instance, on beef cattle prices,
because I know you guys are trying to rebuild your head,
but a drought's not going to help you.
Speaker 6 (29:37):
Yeah, drought's not going to help us at all. But
the Yeah, our beef prices, I'm almost embarrassed to say,
but they continue to increase ever so slightly week by week.
And so it's a good time to own beef cattle.
But long term, the US heard it currently it's not rebuilding,
and droughts certainly won't help that either.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
Why is it not rebuilding? Putting drought to one side?
Because I would have thought in terms of land use,
if you're a pastoral farmer, you would move. You know,
you don't want all your eggs in one basket, but
you would certainly try and perfect and I hate that
word towards a bit of beef production because the prospects
for beef we're certainly hearing here in New Zealand for
the next two to three years are very strong.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
We're hearing the same thing. One of the issues is
just culturally that the younger generation is not interested in
what we would refer to as caw calf. And so
if you don't have anyone interested in caw caf, it's
hard to the next sectors up the food chain to
(30:44):
supply the cattle. And so until we get people that
are interested in caw calf, we're going to have a problem.
One thing that may help long term, may not help me,
but help the beef industry in the US is a
low commodity his low grain and that sort of thing.
And so some of the fences in the corn belt
(31:05):
may go back in. And at this point, like we
hear weekly on your show, maybe maybe you don't need fences.
Maybe it's just callers, but some of the people are
going to have to transition into something else because they're
not making money on corn and soybeans. At the moment.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
Talking about callers, do you know anyone on the US.
Who's using the halt of system? And I know you
had a good look at it down at my old
home farm and riverstyle.
Speaker 6 (31:28):
I did have a good look at it, and I'm interested,
but haven't haven't made the taken the plunge yet. But yes,
I know someone up in South Dakota that's using using
halters or he's actually using a competitor's brand, but he
but a big operation. I think he's supplying about five
thousand breeding bulls in the US and so he has
(31:51):
quite quite the operation. And yeah, they were early adopters
for for callers.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Yeah, I think these these collar systems of it, fencing
systems will revolutionize. I'm struggling on that word. I'm a
bit like Trump pastoral farming. I can't talk to you
without talking about your glorious president. What a wonderful press
conference he had today. No, iays getting into Iran. Nothing
new there, stuck into the pope depicting himself as Jesus.
(32:20):
What is he smoking? Todd?
Speaker 6 (32:23):
I have to admit that you sent me a picture
of that earlier today, and I was convinced that it
was Ai and I was really disappointed when I researched
it and figured out that it wasn't Ai. Most Americans
don't pay attention to him, but with some of the
stuff that goes on, maybe we should pay closer attention.
It's appalling some of the some of the stuff, and
(32:44):
I think he actually does some good things, but all
of this other foolishness detracts from that. But at this point,
eighty years old or however old he is, we're not
going to change him. And so we got what we've got. Weekend,
I was talking with some friends and we were debating
whether or not there would be much change in US
(33:06):
politics after this term. And I think it just comes
down to when he decides to get out or when
he's mentally capable of still continuing to contribute. But I'm
concerned that whoever's next, that he's still going to be
a wet blanket over their presidency at this point.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Todd Clark, good luck, you need it. Thanks to your time.
We'll catch you again next month, and I hope you
get some rain.
Speaker 6 (33:34):
Appreciate it. Thanks Jamie night.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Away from one Julia Jones to wrap the country up next.
But here's a couple of texts. All of our junior
staff are paid well above the living wage average forty
hours a week across the year. I milk every morning
for the staff, and we struggle to attract new Zealanders
to come and work on farms. And here's another one
who raises a good point. Wages have improved on farm,
but some rosters are still shite. Time to get up
(33:58):
with the play, guys. Point up next Julia Jones from
day one of the South Island Airy Event.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Yes, but you want to.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Apologies for the extended beaver play there. Sorry about that apologized, Well,
there's no Julia Jones, to be fair, Julia is the
MC of the South Island Airy Event. We'll try and
get her on the show tomorrow. I think they're just
heading into their lunch break, but she's probably doing MC
sort of things so we can't catch up with her.
(34:59):
She's also so the GM of the Agri Women's Development
Trust and doing a good job there, of course, the
brainchild of Lyndy Nelson. Just some of your texts go
Jamie shoved up those sitting on their asses. I am Michelle,
I am sounding like a boomer are and I.
Speaker 9 (35:18):
It depends if that text was from you.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Well, you do have.
Speaker 9 (35:25):
A slight point but then also there's other points.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
To say, Well, we heard from Lucas Smith. I mean,
what a dynamic young guy that is having the balls
quite literally to go out onto the world stage with
the startup. And he's using New Zealand wall as well.
Absolutely fantastic. But and Shane Jones himself talks about this
(35:48):
getting the nefts off the couch. We've still got too
many people. And I know, Maggie that she used to say,
and I am sounding like a boomer right winger, hair,
I apologize. She used to say five percent of the
population's unemployable, and she's possibly right, But we are bringing
in people. I mean, look at aged care. There's another one.
(36:08):
And they tell me that the Filipino people are marvelous
and doing all the hard yards. And let's face it,
you know, wiping old people's backsides wouldn't be my cup
of tea. I'd be too lazy to do that, nearly
wipe my own.
Speaker 9 (36:28):
I think we do need to dairy farming, especially like
as someone who's had to go at milk and cows
just just a couple of times. It is a career
opportunity for someone out there, and I think it needs
to be promoted more.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Hey, Jamie, I'll tell you what. Out of all the politicians,
most of them are stupid and dumb. Pen pushes down
on Wellington. I'd trust Winnie and Shane and a handful
of others the most. James Shaw used to be amazing
as well. I agree with you, Actually, James Shaw was
very good. The Greens have completely gone to the pack
since he left. Because our text goes on to say,
(37:04):
at least this is Shane and Winnie. They're generally straight
up and honest with the media and give you an
answer when he has always given the media shite back
when they're stupid questions, and he doesn't put up with rubbish.
And you're dead right. There where's Bieber gone?
Speaker 8 (37:17):
There?
Speaker 4 (37:18):
He is there so and you are dead right. Our
current prime minister, who will be on the show tomorrow
could learn a lesson or two from Winston about how
to deal with the media. So look, really appreciate the
feedback coming in on five double oh nine. We won't
have time to get to it all, but I'm with you, Michelle. Look, honestly,
(37:40):
there is a career path in the dairy industry. Yes,
it can be long, as it can be hard. Work,
but so can having three cleaning jobs in South Auckland
and then driving the wood and breadth of Auckland to
do said jobs. So look, take the kids, go and
live on the farm, Go to South and God's own
farming province. We'll catch you back tomorrow. We'll leave you
(38:03):
with Biber not too much.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Though, you're so.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie Mackay. Thanks to Aisuzu, get demo deals
on the tough Dmax Today
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to a Suzu Get demo,
deals on the tough Dmax today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Jeez, how about over someone call over every because.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Half again?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I know you know that I made those misdays maybe
once sways, but once and twice I mean maybe a
couple or hundred times.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
So lam me or lamy myself tonight, I just.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Sa is it Lena to stay?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Sorry?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Can iez Ellen? Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay.
I don't think I've ever played Justin Bieber before. He's
headlining Coach Seller and sorry for our first kiss. The
Prince of the province is Matasha Jones to hurt? Does
he and Winston need to say sorry to us? He's
landers for being a roadblock in the way of the
Indian FDA. Let's see if we can get to the
(01:09):
bottom of that. One huge day for Fonterra or a
couple of days for Fonterra. Today they they're writing out
a check quite literally for five point four billion dollars,
including three point two billion for the two dollars per
share capital return. We'll chat to Peter McBride about that
one and yesterday's announcement of a new chief executive, Richard
(01:31):
Allen Lucas Smith. We've talked to Craig Piggot from Holter.
He has another dynamic young man who has a global startup.
His business is called called Wallaid Woolen Plasters and Bandages.
He's a young guy going place as Todd Clark's a
US correspondent. And Julia Jones is the MC at the
(01:51):
South Island Dairy event. Day one of the two day conference,
well three days if you count yesterday's field day. We'll
catch up with Julia, but up next, no show without punch.
It's the Prince of the Provinces.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Let's just get you that line.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Here is the self titled Prince of the Province's Martua,
Shane Jones. Let's talk about the Indian Free Trade Agreement
or at this stage the lack of one. Shane, you
and Winston have lost my vote, even though you know
how much I love the rest of your work. Why
don't you just swallow your pride and think of the
greater good rather than grandstanding.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
No, we're nationalists. We are not going to tolerate an
agreement that is a cunning devious way of handing over
authority to New Delhi for New Zealand immigration out of India.
We do not want unrestrained Indian immigration. We do not
want a continuation of the slave labor largely Indian experiences
(02:56):
in the Kiwi fruit have no doubts about what I say.
Speaker 6 (02:59):
Read the New.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Zealand Herald, and we have sadly perpetuated the folly of
Stephen Joyce for far too long, where he pursued unfettered
mass immigration from India under the guise of adult education
and actual fact that just proved to be an opportunity
(03:21):
for very unscrupulous people to oppress their own and that's
why the personality and the reputation of the Indian peopil
in the kiwifruit industry is in some cases mud.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
So you're prepared to wive goodbye, kiss goodbye to the
world's biggest market.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
A free trade deal minus unmitigated unfettered immigration was what
we thought the government was negotiating. We didn't know that
free trade meant free immigration, and we are unconvinced that
this deal will not outsource to New Delhi authority for
(04:02):
all immigration matters related to Indian applicants over to India.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Well, hang on, you talk about to stop. Yeah, you
talk about the government. You are the government. Why didn't
you argue the point a bit earlier in the process.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
I can assure you these points have been made by
my leader and my dear friend. Todd is under no
illusion as to how strongly we feel about unfettered immigration.
Roads that are clogged up, jobs that working class Kiwis
can no longer get, hospitals that are clogged up, Well.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Hang on, hang on, shape, working class Kiwis are too
lazy to do some of the jobs that the migrant
workforce is doing in this country. Let's be honest here.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Well, this is interesting because the farmers often trot out
that example that the New Zealanders are too lazy to work.
The farmers only make money in Fonterra because of the
bloc and a privilege that Helen Clark gave them. That
attitude coming from the New Zealand farming community is extremely disappointing.
(05:08):
There are no shortage of young Kiwis who are given
the right pay conditions, the right circumstances, or lineup and
work hard as their parents did. But we have now
driven down to third World wages in many cases because
of mass immigration, the circumstances of garden variety Kiwis. I
can tell you I'm absolutely right, and I've got lots
(05:29):
of Kiwis who will agree with me. Come the weekend
of November seventh.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Well, you might be losing a few as well with
your attitude over the free trade agreement. So if Chippy
doesn't come to the party and this falls over, be
it on your head, shine Jones.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
The reality is that the forest sector, the Kiwi fruit
sector and a variety of others can already trade with India,
and the Indian concessions through the free trade need to
be measured against the unmitigated access there has been proved
unwisely in our view for immigration. We're just not agreeing
with this mass immigration. Absolutely, We're not tolerted.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
All right, let's move on to your critical minerals deal
with Trump. You haven't been posting pictures of yourself as
a messiah, have you, Shane. I know you do call
yourself Martinua Shane Jones, but you haven't gone as far
as posting a picture of you as sort of a
black Jesus.
Speaker 7 (06:22):
Have you.
Speaker 8 (06:23):
No, I'm a brown Jesus.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Sorry, I haven't mounted the summit and started to spout
off scripture. And I think there'll be a lot of
people in Kaitai will sort of attack various sensitive parts
of my net be if I was, that's foolish. But look,
we have long been of the view let's dig news
(06:44):
and develop our mineral sector, in particular our critical minerals.
The opportunity a rod with a host of other nations
meeting in Washington some time ago with Winston Lai, are
just working through the process. There is some nervousness amongst
various members of the public. They don't want us to
be seen to working with the Trump regime. But the
(07:07):
reality is we're talking about the largest economy in the world.
We're talking about a host of investors who, with the
right circumstances would come here. They're already coming to Australia
and look, I look, I'm going to host a critical
Minerals seminar in Parliament where I will have representatives from
(07:28):
the US State Department and a variety of other investors.
And it's quite likely that people from Australia and other
places will attend a seminar and that is designed to
create traction and momentum. Now, look, I accept that some
of what I say jars on the delicate ears of
(07:51):
the South Islanders, but that's where the minerals are.
Speaker 8 (07:54):
And we're not going to have.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
These wild, sort of elitist, reckless voices running into the
front page of the Guardian, that left wing communist, communist
organ down and downing our own country. It is disappointed
when Sir sam Neil went and attacked his own country
(08:15):
in the front page.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Well it was you, Shane Jones. Was you who chickened
out of the debate with Saren Tayler.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Well, I would love to have had that debate, but
I'm good conscience. The New Zealand public need full visibility
of what I'm saying and what I'm doing in this
mining business. And I would have certainly have hosted and
enjoyed a debate in front of five hundred, probably would
have been a thousand people. But I mean, of course
I've already run that won the day, and so Ian
wanted to run it on his computer platform.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Do you realize you're starting to sound like someone in
Washington who's already won the war.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Look, you know as well as I do, we're politicians,
we have to deploy language that it has color from
time to time.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Does that mean you don't actually necessarily have to tell
the truth.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
No, no, no, no, no cleaving towards the truth. There's a
constant struggle for some politicians. But I'm one who likes
to put.
Speaker 8 (09:12):
It out there.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
And the only time where the facts may be a
bit fuzzy is that there's some legal reason as to
why we have to keep things confidential. But I would
have had the debate, but I didn't want to be
in a window liss room controlled by the Otago Media
and spouting only on c Ian's computer platform. That's just
noting with New Zealand first culture. But hey, there's a
(09:36):
lot going on mate. I mean, I know that.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Your listeners probably do get a bit poor high or.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Exasperated me going on about minerals, but we need every
arrow in the quiver striking an economic target, and you
haven't got a better blow to encourage people to pick
up a boat start firing.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Well, if only you were supporting the Indian FTA, I'd
vote for that anyhow. Sean Jones, thanks for your time.
Is always on the country.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
See you, buddy, see.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
A Shane right. The feedback's coming through thick and fast
on Martua Shane, I might have to pre read some
of it. Here's a good text that's coming. Filipino workers
in the New Zealand airy industry, and let's face it,
they're doing a lot of the heavy lifting get paid
the same rates as our Kiwi workers. Yeah, of course
they do. And I'm sticking with my point. Honestly, we
(10:25):
are literally too lazy as a nation. Sorry if I'm
offending anybody to do some of the work that migrant
workers are happy to do in this country. Anyhow, Up next,
here's the good news story for the day. Fonterra is
writing out a check today for five point four billion dollars.
Up next to talk about that, and the new chief
(10:46):
executive is the chairman, Peter McBride.
Speaker 8 (10:59):
It is a big.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Day for Fonterra farmer shareholders. Fonterra our biggest dairy company cooperative.
We'll be writing out a check today for five point
four billion dollars and it'll be hitting farmer's bank accounts today.
It's not all the capital repayment three point two billion
of it is that, But to tell us where all
that money's coming from, and where it's going to go to.
(11:22):
Fonterra Chair Peter McBride, Peter, good afternoon, welcome to the country.
Have you ever written out of check for five point
four billion before.
Speaker 7 (11:32):
Jamie, great to hear from you. Look, yeah, we've got
three point two billion going out as a capital return
and then seven hundred million is divinens and then on
the system or tomorrow the milk check goes with it,
which head's up to five point four.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
That is a big payday and i'll tell you what.
It comes at a time when the New Zealand economy
rarely needs a bit of a kick in the pants.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
Yeah, sure it is. It's going to be fall from
that perspective. You know, right now New Zealand economy is
pretty fragile, I would imagine. So you know, we're all
trying to see what's happening in the Middle East and
how it's going to impact us long term, and you know,
the longer it goes, the word suggets. So it's a
bit of a challenge.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Anecdotally. What are you hearing about what farmers are going
to do with their capital repayments money?
Speaker 7 (12:23):
Well, I think there's a mixture. I think, you know,
a chunk of it goes towards debt repayments only initially,
A lot of it will go towards that, A tunk
of it's going to go towards succession planning on farm,
you know, for families in particular, which is a great
opportunity for them, and then potentially for growth, and then
also some deferred maintenance. So it's quite a mixture, you know,
(12:45):
there's quite a range about things.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
It's been a big week for Fonterra. Not only do
you write out the check today, yesterday you announced ahead
of time, really just twenty eight days after Miles Hurrell's
resignation that Richard Allen would take over as the new
chief executive effect of May one. This was an inside job.
This was always going to happen. Was it even a
contested process?
Speaker 7 (13:08):
Peter McBride, Yeah, it was a contested process. And people
need to understand that this process started five years ago
in Miles and I had to chat about succession planning
and talent development, and I think this is really evidence
of what good talent development looks like. It was a
contested process. We also build external schemes. I guess it
(13:30):
starts with what are the attributes you're looking for and
going down into the type of candidates you want. So
for us, steep very industry knowledge and experience was really critical,
really good track we could of dealing with customers globally
and developing teams, but also understanding New Zealand farmers and
(13:51):
New Zealand culture. So when you overlay all of that,
it's quite a limited tample when you think about it, well.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I think we learned a less about external candidates without
relitigating history. And Richard Allen, like Miles Hurrell, has effectively
started at the coal face and worked his way up.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
Yeah, he's been in the business since two thousand and eight,
so you know he's got a good track record, especially
the last three years in the ingredients business. What he's
achieved in Europe and the US, in the Middle East
in particular has been pretty exceptional. And then moving into
the head of Global Ingredients in the last twelve months.
So Richard's been across the business. He's spent five years
(14:35):
through really challenging times as the head of farm Source.
He has deep experience and really decknowledge of the business
and you can under estimate farther of that.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Peter McBride. Just before I let you go, Chair of Fonterra,
you mentioned the trouble in the Middle East and what
an unsettled world we live in at the moment. This
season's forecast is or milk forecast price is at nine
dollars seventy. It's pretty much locked and loaded. Really, what
this will affect is twenty six twenty seven. How worried
are you.
Speaker 7 (15:06):
At this stage? We're in reasonably good shape, Like we've
done some reasonable workarounds in terms of logistics getting product
into the Middle East for iman and demand in particular.
Obviously it's a watch out and it's a moving feast.
Container availability and container displacements obviously going to impact Asian
markets as well, so that's a watch out. I think
(15:29):
the biggest variable for farmers is going to be the
knock on impact of inflation. So on farm inflation is
probably hitting ten percent already, so that's a watch out
for them. I guess the end the implication for inflation
and interest rates in the zelanders something farmers need to consider.
Speaker 8 (15:46):
I guess.
Speaker 7 (15:46):
So on the other side of it, you know there
are tools now for farmers to hedge and secure their
revenue line so while many farmers look at interest rates
has been the thing they should be considering, we're also
got to think about protecting their revenue line, so there's
an opportunity to do that. So I guess it just
comes down to how risk averse you are and will
(16:08):
you see it going home on the other side of it,
as with these costs going up on farm and it's
a global implication. What does that mean for food? Price
is generally in demand, so it's a bit of a three.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yeah, not to mention fertilizer. I'm a big fan by
the way of fixing interest rates and fixing milk price.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,
but I'm a wee bit conservative on that one. Peter
McBride's heare of Fonterra. Big week for the dairy co op.
Well done and good luck.
Speaker 8 (16:35):
Thanks Jamie, Thank you Peter.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
It is twenty seven after twelve year of the country.
You're getting stuck into Shane on the text line, although
not everyone is. Here's one Jamie no checks anymore. Ha
ha ha, says Steve. I'm speaking metaphorically, of course, Steve.
(16:57):
Here we go. Sorry, just lost my screen there for
a moment, potential immigrants Indians included must first satisfied the
schools criteria. Here's one that probably sums up the mood
of a lot of people at the moment, which is
why I think Winston and Shane need to be a
wee bit careful around this FTA with India. Like a
lot of farmers on weighing up between New Zealand First
(17:20):
and ACT, that's not necessarily good news for the NATS.
But that's what we're hearing out there. But it's an
easy decision to vote ACT now over there because of
New Zealand's New Zealand First free trade stance. You should
stop calling him Matua, writes another Texter. He is not
(17:42):
you are right about Kiwis being too lazy to work.
I am right. I know it. I've got investment in
the dairy industry. I know that sometimes, rightly or wrongly,
we're not prepared to get out and do the hard yards.
It wasn't for the Filipinos in Southland, half the cows
literally would not get milked. Great opportunity for young people
(18:02):
to get into that industry and work hard, and a
lot of them do as well. But we have got
a we've probably got a welfare system that's that in
the past, this might be controversial, has encouraged people to
sit on their ass. As Shane would say, you've got
to get the nefts off the couch. So look, I
think good migration is good for the economy. Get people
(18:25):
working hard, that's what we need. Up next, if you
if you are doubting the young people of New Zealand,
Lucas Smith's up next. He is going to inspire you.
A young man with a global startup company. He's up next.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Oh god, you can hear.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
I love chatting to dynamic young New Zealand is making
their way on the world stage. Recently we chatted to
Craig Pigot from Holter. Here's another one who's got a
global startup company. His name is Lucas Smith. The company
is wall Aid Lucas. I got your contact from Jeff
Ross from Lake Harwa Station. He said to me, you
(19:06):
need to talk to this young man because he's a
young man going places. Tell me about your woolen plasters
and bandages. Good afternoon, by the way.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Godathleen, Jammie, Hey, great to hear from you, and yeah
thanks thanks you and Jeff always always good to have
a leader in the Marino community. So, yes, my name
is Lucas and I'm the founder of a company called
wool Aid, and we make bandages, naval strips, and other
medical products from medical grade Marino woolf.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
So Marino wool biodegradable obviously, rather than plastics that we're
currently using for bandages and plasters. I put it to
you that mister Trump's probably doing you a bit of
a favor at the moment with your product because the
plastics getting more and more expensive.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Yeah, plastic is getting more and more expensive, and obviously
the vast majority of bandage and wound care use throughout
the world and the New Zealand as well as all
petroleum based. Not to say that farmingham puts aren't going
up as well. Obviously, you know the cost of producing
reno's going up too. But it also helps customers be
aware that there is an alternative to plastic in all
(20:09):
of this.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
So I think you're something like thirty years of age.
You've been on this crusade for ten years now, Lucas.
Speaker 8 (20:17):
Yeah, it takes a lot of time, especially in the
medical industries. So when we first started out, it was
a lot about the intellectual property and the patenting, so
actually protecting the idea and then the innovation of bringing
it to market. So yes, I was nineteen when this
whole process began, and now proud to say we're pretty
much all over North America, so you can find our
(20:38):
bandages coast to coast Canada, United States, and Mexico, which
is pretty exciting.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Did you have any difficulty or issues getting a patent
on this, because that can be tricky.
Speaker 8 (20:49):
It's quite hard to write a patent and to kind
of find someone to guide you through the patenting process.
I was really lucky to have a great intellectual property
lawyer in christ Church, a guy Robertson, who kind of
helped guide me through the process as a young person.
That's pretty confronting kind of doing all of that, but
we felt it necessary obviously given the scale of the
(21:09):
people we compete against. So it was a big journey.
But generally with intellectual property, you start with the United States.
So once we wrote our United States patent, it was
quite a journey to put it through the process and
pretty nerve wracking. When you get assigned an examiner, for example,
for a patent, you can see how many patents they've
(21:30):
previously passed or failed, and it turns out our examiner
had an eighty seven percent failure rate, So if all
the patents they saw, they failed eighty seven percent of them,
So pretty amazing to get us through.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Walleye is the product. You've got, the woolen plasters and
bandages made out of marino wool. It's a shame that
you couldn't make these out of strong crossbread wall. It
just wouldn't work.
Speaker 8 (21:54):
It does work, and we have patents for that. And
I grew up in the marino kind of world, so
Takeapo Timorrow's home for me. And so during my school
years I worked on Marino stations, so I'm Intel station
in Mackenzie Country. Kind of taught me the bulk of
my knowledge in Marino. And then when I left Mountain
(22:14):
Guiding to start this company, I got an internship at
a Marino wall mill in Italy, and that kind of
sparks the interest and how that process kind of works
strong well, amazing product. I just haven't had the time,
obviously thirty years old, to explore that supply chain as thoroughly,
whereas Marino wool has kind of been the last Yeah,
(22:37):
ten years of.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
My life, Walleye is the product. As I said, you've
got the woolen plasters and bandages. How durable are they
compared to the plastic product? And more importantly in this
day and age and the cost of living crisis, Lucasmith,
are you cost effective?
Speaker 8 (22:53):
Yeah, at the end of the day, a bandage has
to stay on. And so there was the whole motivation
behind this is I'm sure many farmers in pretty Uses
and Kruno that at the end of the day, when
you get a cut, you just want a bandage to
stay on. And so a big mission over our last
couple of years has been proving that it will work
in the most intense climates. So we sponsor a race
(23:13):
up in Alaska called the Idita Rod Trail Invitational. It's
one thousand miles on foot from Anchorage over the Great
Alaskan Range to a place called Nome and people are
out there for a month or two in the depths
of winter. And so our bandages are designed for that
kind of behavior, if you will, If it works in
(23:34):
those environments, and it will work in kind of day
to day use. In terms of the cost of our products, Look,
you need it to stay on and do like a
chronical job, but you need it to be affordable. So
our products start at ten dollars and then go up
to run a twenty dollars range.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Finally, this is a global startup. You're on your way up.
How are you financing all this? And I know that
Jeff and Justine Ross have been what cornerstone investors in
what you're doing.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Yes, so we are a family business. But in twenty
twenty one we took on some venture capital just to
kind of help open up the doors in the States,
in Canada, and so there's a small part of our
cap table that's invest in our venture capital. So we
have some great investors like Jeff and Justin Roth, Nick Astwick.
And then if any of your listeners with path find
(24:20):
are the key we save a fund, Pathfinder is an
investor with us too, so that's some amazing support from
that community. And then bandages are really consistent business. Obviously
people don't cut themselves any less each year, but it's
almost a commodity, so we needed to scale. So hence
raising capital enabled us to go to America open up
(24:42):
doors there. So it's some quite big distribution channels. So
We're distributed through kag Unfi and Liberty Mountain in America,
and then we're in five hundred Soviet stores across Canada.
So pretty exciting there.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
What a great story wall Aid the woolen plasters and bandages. Lucas,
it's great to talk to inspirational young Keiwis like yourself
and Craig Picket. You need to follow in his footsteps
and your company might be worth four billion dollars one day.
Speaker 8 (25:08):
Good luck mate, Thanks Jamy, appreciate it. And for anyone
in New Zealand's that fans is at Walla dot com
and yeah, keep your eyes killed. We get out their team.
Speaker 7 (25:16):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
That inspires you about the future of our country. People
like Lucas Smith from Wallaid. Here's some of your texts
coming in getting into it today. If the dairy farmers
paid a decent living wage enough to cover everyday living expenses,
many more New zealand As would be working for them.
It's got nothing to do with laziness and everything to
do with the ability to afford to live. The cheap
(25:39):
labor on farms has driven wages down and you can't
simply afford to be a farm worker now I disagree
with you because I know a wee bit about the
payment system on dairy farms. You can start as a
farm worker. You can become a herd manager, a contract milker,
you can become a shaer farmer. There's a shehaer milker.
There's a real rare path there. And I know lots
(26:02):
of people seriously working in the dairy industry who are
on six figures. They might also have a house provided
a bit of meat and milk. Compare that to some
Porschmuck and South Auckland working for three or four jobs
just to keep you know, food on the table. I
disagree with you, Texter, but thanks for your thoughts. Up
next to rural News and sports news. I can't believe
(26:30):
she's loaded me up with Justin Bieber, but here she
is with rural News Michelle Watt the.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Country's world news with Cod Cadet, New Zealand's leading right
on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co dot
inz for your locals.
Speaker 9 (26:44):
Douggist, just trying to introduce you to a new era
of music, Jamie outside.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Of the eighties.
Speaker 9 (26:50):
No thanks, okay, and ryal on you is this tis on? Actually?
With the topic we've been talking about. So dairy is
still a positive industry to be employed in. According to
results from the Dairy in Z twenty five Dairy Farm
employee survey, over eighty percent of employee surveyed in tended
to stay in the industry, citing positive aspects and key
reasons for choosing to work there, such as working with animals,
(27:11):
being outdoors, and the lifestyle. There are some areas for
improvement mentioned such as better leadership, communication, fair pay and
work rosters, and work life balance, with time off being
given as a common reason for people leaving the sector.
Now they've got a new survey out now dairy and
set it's open till May. So if you're an employee
in the dairy industry, go get your opinion hurt.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Yeah, Look, quit the cleaning job in South Auckland, go
down to South and milk cows. Get a house. Your
kids can go to a great little primary school and
breed the fresh air instead of looking at screens all day.
They can be out earning some money on the farm.
There you go. I'm solving all the world problems today.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Sports on the country with AFCO one hundred percent ke
we owned that's rare.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
Glenn Jackson will finish a two year tenure as Fijian
drew A coach at the end of the Super Rugby season.
The statement suggests neither party wanted to exercise the third
year option on his contract, and the International Cricket Council
has announced a fourteen point nine million dollar prize fund
for the Women's T twenty World Cup, a ten percent
(28:11):
increase on the twenty twenty four edition. Up next, on
the country, we head stateside to Kentucky. It's our US
farming correspondent, Todd Clark. Here's a US farming correspondent based
out of Lexington, Kentucky, and Todd Clark. At this time
of the year, as you head into the flush of spring,
(28:34):
that bluegrass, that wonderful Kentucky bluegrass, must be waving in
the wind. Good afternoon, New Zealand time.
Speaker 8 (28:42):
Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
It's as I said here in my truck talking to you,
looking out over a group of cattle, and the grass
is waving in the wind. But the concern is already
in spring that we're in drought. And so we've got
a green grass and in a fair amount of it,
(29:04):
but it's not raining, and it hasn't been raining for
well several weeks now. And it's not just us in Kentucky,
it's Arkansas and Tennessee and Alabama and Mississippi and so on,
and so there's a lot of concern across the US,
not only about fertilizer and fuel prices, but also whether
or not it's going.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
To rain very early in the season to be this dry.
What effect does that happen, for instance, on beef cattle prices,
because I know you guys are trying to rebuild your head,
but a drought's not going to help you.
Speaker 6 (29:37):
Yeah, drought's not going to help us at all. But
the Yeah, our beef prices, I'm almost embarrassed to say,
but they continue to increase ever so slightly week by week.
And so it's a good time to own beef cattle.
But long term, the US heard it currently it's not rebuilding,
and droughts certainly won't help that either.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
Why is it not rebuilding? Putting drought to one side?
Because I would have thought in terms of land use,
if you're a pastoral farmer, you would move. You know,
you don't want all your eggs in one basket, but
you would certainly try and perfect and I hate that
word towards a bit of beef production because the prospects
for beef we're certainly hearing here in New Zealand for
the next two to three years are very strong.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
We're hearing the same thing. One of the issues is
just culturally that the younger generation is not interested in
what we would refer to as caw calf. And so
if you don't have anyone interested in caw caf, it's
hard to the next sectors up the food chain to
(30:44):
supply the cattle. And so until we get people that
are interested in caw calf, we're going to have a problem.
One thing that may help long term, may not help me,
but help the beef industry in the US is a
low commodity his low grain and that sort of thing.
And so some of the fences in the corn belt
(31:05):
may go back in. And at this point, like we
hear weekly on your show, maybe maybe you don't need fences.
Maybe it's just callers, but some of the people are
going to have to transition into something else because they're
not making money on corn and soybeans. At the moment.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
Talking about callers, do you know anyone on the US.
Who's using the halt of system? And I know you
had a good look at it down at my old
home farm and riverstyle.
Speaker 6 (31:28):
I did have a good look at it, and I'm interested,
but haven't haven't made the taken the plunge yet. But yes,
I know someone up in South Dakota that's using using
halters or he's actually using a competitor's brand, but he
but a big operation. I think he's supplying about five
thousand breeding bulls in the US and so he has
(31:51):
quite quite the operation. And yeah, they were early adopters
for for callers.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Yeah, I think these these collar systems of it, fencing
systems will revolutionize. I'm struggling on that word. I'm a
bit like Trump pastoral farming. I can't talk to you
without talking about your glorious president. What a wonderful press
conference he had today. No, iays getting into Iran. Nothing
new there, stuck into the pope depicting himself as Jesus.
(32:20):
What is he smoking? Todd?
Speaker 6 (32:23):
I have to admit that you sent me a picture
of that earlier today, and I was convinced that it
was Ai and I was really disappointed when I researched
it and figured out that it wasn't Ai. Most Americans
don't pay attention to him, but with some of the
stuff that goes on, maybe we should pay closer attention.
It's appalling some of the some of the stuff, and
(32:44):
I think he actually does some good things, but all
of this other foolishness detracts from that. But at this point,
eighty years old or however old he is, we're not
going to change him. And so we got what we've got. Weekend,
I was talking with some friends and we were debating
whether or not there would be much change in US
(33:06):
politics after this term. And I think it just comes
down to when he decides to get out or when
he's mentally capable of still continuing to contribute. But I'm
concerned that whoever's next, that he's still going to be
a wet blanket over their presidency at this point.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Todd Clark, good luck, you need it. Thanks to your time.
We'll catch you again next month, and I hope you
get some rain.
Speaker 6 (33:34):
Appreciate it. Thanks Jamie night.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Away from one Julia Jones to wrap the country up next.
But here's a couple of texts. All of our junior
staff are paid well above the living wage average forty
hours a week across the year. I milk every morning
for the staff, and we struggle to attract new Zealanders
to come and work on farms. And here's another one
who raises a good point. Wages have improved on farm,
but some rosters are still shite. Time to get up
(33:58):
with the play, guys. Point up next Julia Jones from
day one of the South Island Airy Event.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Yes, but you want to.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Apologies for the extended beaver play there. Sorry about that apologized, Well,
there's no Julia Jones, to be fair, Julia is the
MC of the South Island Airy Event. We'll try and
get her on the show tomorrow. I think they're just
heading into their lunch break, but she's probably doing MC
sort of things so we can't catch up with her.
(34:59):
She's also so the GM of the Agri Women's Development
Trust and doing a good job there, of course, the
brainchild of Lyndy Nelson. Just some of your texts go
Jamie shoved up those sitting on their asses. I am Michelle,
I am sounding like a boomer are and I.
Speaker 9 (35:18):
It depends if that text was from you.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Well, you do have.
Speaker 9 (35:25):
A slight point but then also there's other points.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
To say, Well, we heard from Lucas Smith. I mean,
what a dynamic young guy that is having the balls
quite literally to go out onto the world stage with
the startup. And he's using New Zealand wall as well.
Absolutely fantastic. But and Shane Jones himself talks about this
(35:48):
getting the nefts off the couch. We've still got too
many people. And I know, Maggie that she used to say,
and I am sounding like a boomer right winger, hair,
I apologize. She used to say five percent of the
population's unemployable, and she's possibly right, But we are bringing
in people. I mean, look at aged care. There's another one.
(36:08):
And they tell me that the Filipino people are marvelous
and doing all the hard yards. And let's face it,
you know, wiping old people's backsides wouldn't be my cup
of tea. I'd be too lazy to do that, nearly
wipe my own.
Speaker 9 (36:28):
I think we do need to dairy farming, especially like
as someone who's had to go at milk and cows
just just a couple of times. It is a career
opportunity for someone out there, and I think it needs
to be promoted more.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Hey, Jamie, I'll tell you what. Out of all the politicians,
most of them are stupid and dumb. Pen pushes down
on Wellington. I'd trust Winnie and Shane and a handful
of others the most. James Shaw used to be amazing
as well. I agree with you, Actually, James Shaw was
very good. The Greens have completely gone to the pack
since he left. Because our text goes on to say,
(37:04):
at least this is Shane and Winnie. They're generally straight
up and honest with the media and give you an
answer when he has always given the media shite back
when they're stupid questions, and he doesn't put up with rubbish.
And you're dead right. There where's Bieber gone?
Speaker 8 (37:17):
There?
Speaker 4 (37:18):
He is there so and you are dead right. Our
current prime minister, who will be on the show tomorrow
could learn a lesson or two from Winston about how
to deal with the media. So look, really appreciate the
feedback coming in on five double oh nine. We won't
have time to get to it all, but I'm with you, Michelle. Look, honestly,
(37:40):
there is a career path in the dairy industry. Yes,
it can be long, as it can be hard. Work,
but so can having three cleaning jobs in South Auckland
and then driving the wood and breadth of Auckland to
do said jobs. So look, take the kids, go and
live on the farm, Go to South and God's own
farming province. We'll catch you back tomorrow. We'll leave you
(38:03):
with Biber not too much.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Though, you're so.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie Mackay. Thanks to Aisuzu, get demo deals
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