April 19, 2026 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Walt Cavendish, David Clark, David Seymour, Mark de Lautour, and Phil Duncan.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch are the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Aisuzu, Get Demo deals
on the tough Dmax Today.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I Love is a Love.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Get Amy Zealand Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay.
The show is brought to you by Farmlands and Isuzu.
On the show today, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour and
Luxan and Trump. David Clark, former Mid Canterbury President of
Federated Farmers, former National Arable Vice chair on the woes
(00:47):
of being an arable farmer at the moment, and that
looks like there's a bit of a rush on the
bank in Canterbury at the moment as some of those
arable farmers decide to go daring if indeed they can
get an Mark Delatore, Chief Executive of Open Country, Derry,
We've got another GDT auction this week. Can it hold
(01:07):
up in the face of all the international turmoil we've
got at the moment, and we certainly had plenty of
weather turmoil over the weekend. Phil Duncan's our resident Monday
weather man. We just can't buy a break, especially a
lot of folk in the North island at the moment.
We'll update the weather for you and hope you get
some decent weather ahead of the cleanup. But we're going
(01:29):
to kick off the show with Walt Cavendish. Now Federated
Farmers had a bit of a chip at him. Wayne
Lanthor was really none too pleased with Walt and is
fair for Farmer's campaign and over the weekend Walt has
decided to step away from that and Walt, for what
it's worth, I think it's a good decision on your behalf.
(01:50):
How did you end up getting tangled up with the
likes of Safe? Was this a misstep by you?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
No?
Speaker 5 (01:57):
Look, no, I wouldn't category as it is that I
am sort some assurances two and a half years ago
when I got involved, I understood that one of the
co executive directors had been a member of Safe or
very low on the list. You know, you can't hold
these sorts of things against people, and so you know,
I accepted that assurance, but it would seem that they
(02:20):
were slightly higher up the list or in the organization
then that and that's the deal breaker for me. You know,
I don't really care whether any of them have worked
for the Green party or anything else. It was just
that that particular been part of that attack on the
pork industry that to me, I just can't get pass
so on that basis, I unfortunately removed myself as a spokesperson,
(02:44):
but I'm still very passionate and driven on the issues.
Speaker 6 (02:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Well, I think you raised some fair points. Do you
infederated farmer's degree? I agree? Should I say on the
pork industry at the moment, because you're saying we should
have one standard for all. The problem for the poroal
pig farmers in this country is they've got to comply
to much higher standards than the international pork that we
all buy in the supermarket, especially the mis labeled stuff.
Speaker 7 (03:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
And what I would say Jamie is look, I want
to see some evidence that the public morals exemption won't
work from these trade officials and that if that's the
evidence that feeds are working on, and if that's the case,
we'll look at other options. But it's worthy to say
that the New Zealand Port Board and industry have been
asking for something similar well before Animal Policy International and
(03:33):
then Fear for Farmers have come along. This has been
being asked for and there was back in twenty seventeen
eighteen there was a petition by the pork industry sort
of asking for something similar. So bets don't agree with
us on the public morals exemption, but I think in
the talks I've had with them over the last forty
eight hours or so, they've actually accepted we've identified an
(03:57):
issue and are quite prepared to help where they can.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
You have a high profile on social media. Are you
a rebel looking for a cause an election year?
Speaker 6 (04:07):
What?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
No.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Look, I've been on this, Jamie for two and a
half years. Originally I just went along and spoke to
different people, parliamentarians, all sorts for two and a half years.
Just the sight of Christmas, we got the fear for
farmers part going just to sort of change tact a bit.
But now I've been on this for quite some time.
(04:29):
I mean, people say a flip flopped, you know, based
on resigning from FEDS and whatever else and stepping out
of the fear for farmers. But at the end of
the day, I've been hard on this for two and
a half years, and I'm very proud of that, and
I don't resile from it because it's the issue that
matters Actually, it's not whether or not or who's behind API.
The actual issue is that there is an issue that
(04:49):
affects the New Zealand pork industry. I want to find
a solution that works to fix that, and that's what
the mission I'm on.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So you've resigned from Federated Farmers, you've resigned from Fear
for Farming. Is this all to clear the path for
a run at in the general election? I see you're
going to stand as an independent in the Waikato electorate.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
Oh look, look I am, but I mean the thing is, no,
I left Fedsport for particular reasons around their positions on
the GMO stance and on this particular issue. But you
know I and again, leaving the Fear for Farmers was
simply a matter of principle. I didn't really want to
do it because I believe passionately in the work we've done.
(05:32):
And I mean there's other good farmers that are involved
in this Fear for Farmers, as you'll I'm sure you know.
But yeah, no, it's one of the issues that I
want to take up in the election. There's a huge
demand from the people that they want to know where
their food comes from and what's in it, and I
think that's something that Parliament should be able to address.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Can we all agree that, say, are the enemy of
farmers in the primary sector.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
I I would put it like this. I was very
skeptical when I got involved two and a half years ago.
I haven't spound them to be anywhere near what they
used to be. And yeah, I don't know. I don't
know that there are changed organization now without hands creep
there and things like that. But all I would say is,
from my point, what they did to the pork industry
(06:22):
under hands, creeps time at the top is unforgivable.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Okay, fair enough, all right, Well what good luck?
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Standing?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Is an independent Historically you haven't got much of a chance.
In fact, you've got no chance at all. But good
on you for putting your hand up. How's your farming
season going, Because when you're not being a political animal,
you are a white addo dairy farmer.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
It's wet, Jamie, bloody wet. Yeah, but they're still growing up,
the towers are still milking. You can't complain, no, And.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
It could be worse, Walt, you could be an arable
farmer down in Canterbury. They're having a real tough time
of it.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Yeah, but again, you know news ylland farmer should band
together and buy some of their grain because they produce
some of the best cleanest grain and seeds you know around.
I don't know why we don't support them more. It's
just a problem. We've got New Zealander not supporting our own.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Good on you well at less you're consistent on that
mash message. Walt Cavendish, Thanks for your.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
Time please, Jamie cheers.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Here we go and is fourteen after twelve? Well we
might stick with that theme. The arable farmers in Canterbury
David Clark, former Mid Canterbury president of Federated Farmers. You
might remember this was the bloke who late last year
or last year threw a bit of a spanner in
the works that he can, and good on them for
(07:41):
doing it as well, because he just wanted a resource
consent to carry on farming as an arable farmer. He
can made it so difficult for him that he said
it was much easier to get a consent to convert
his farm to drying. Does that make sense to you?
It doesn't to me. We'll also catch up with David
Seymour Mark de Latour, chief executive of Open Country Dairy
(08:04):
and Phil Duncan on the weather, and thoughts are with
all you fartner or not farmers or anyone who's been hammered.
I know Wellington's had a real caning from the weather.
We just don't seem to be able to get a break.
And in sports news, I might have to repeat the
story that I heard at the top of the hour
just as I was about to wander into the studio
(08:25):
the robot running seven minutes faster than a human did
in the half marathon and a really good finish in
the golf as well. So we've got lots to talk about,
and obviously Michelle will have rural and news for you.
Up next. David Clark in Mid Canterbury, Bavy god from me.
(08:56):
Tough times for the arable industry. Let's catch up with
well known mid Canterbury farmer, a former president of Federated Farmers,
former National Vice chairman of the Arable Section, David Clark. David,
as you chat to us this lunch time, you're sitting
in a tractor that is going to burn two six
(09:16):
hundred dollars worth of diesel today. How can you make
a buck because I don't think you are at the moment.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
So that's the problem that we all face at the
moment with fuel costs have just gone through the roof
as a result of what's going on in the Middle East. Look,
that might be a short term problem. The pain is
huge at the moment, and what we're doing with our
harvest and post harvest cultivation that may be short term.
But what there is is there's an underlying problem within
(09:45):
the arable industry that we are no longer financially sustainable.
Irrespective of the short term blip of the war, there's.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Been a bit of a rush on the bank. I
understand a number of arable farmers have converted or are
planning to convert to derry, but that's a finite number obviously.
Speaker 6 (10:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Look, I don't think we're alone or no, we're not
alone in looking at what our options are as ourrable farmers,
and that's being shown by the figures of consents that
are coming through. I think there's been forty or fifty
dairy conversions approved here in Canterbury recently. I would suggest
that number will probably double. Again. Everybody's looking at their
(10:25):
options and saying where's the financial sustainability and what we're doing.
And look, I think that's healthy to have a really
brutal look at a business and say, right, we can't
keep burning equity doing what we're doing if the market
doesn't require and value what we can grow. Let's look
(10:45):
at what else we can do with our land so
we can ensure that we're sustainable into the future. And
that's exactly what we're doing as a family, and what
a lot of other families like us are doing.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
It's a bit of a three headed monster. You've obviously
got the costs, the poor returns, but the other one
that's been really playing against you guys in Canterbury in
recent seasons. In fact, I think is it the last
three terrible harvest seasons?
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Yeah, they have. That's really impacted the profitability of arable
farms and also the morale. We've had three seasons in
a row now where we've got Christmas time and the
crops have been looking absolutely magnificent. Husband try has been
all right, the inputs are right, everything's shaping up for
a very very good harvest, and then we've got these
(11:32):
damp la Ninia weather patterns that have come in dumped
far too much rain and January impacted the flowering crops,
the white clover, the hybrid carrots, the radish block choys,
packed choys, all those specialist crops, and then made the
harvest process through January, Debuti and into March incredibly difficult,
(11:52):
and that has eroded any chance of profitability. But also
the the workload that it then creates with a lot
of drying of crop that has to be done, slow
crops to harvest, damage to machinery trying to get it harvested.
So look, that also has impacted on where we're all
(12:13):
sitting in the arable industry. But once again, it still
doesn't get away from the fundamental problem that we've got
in the structure of the industry that the core profitability
is not there, so we have to look at other
land uses and say what else can we do that issuers,
we're profitable.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You hit the headlines last year with consent issues around
staying as an arable farmer, and you were quoted as
saying it's much easier to get a consent to be
a dairy farmer than it is to stay being an
arable farmer, which seems rather anti logical to me.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Ironic, really isn't it, Jamie. So what that stems from
is that the way the algorithms work in Overseer is
that you can demonstrate a reduction in discharged the environment
with Overseer and show that by moving from an arable
rotation as we are at the moment to a fully
(13:08):
self contained dairy rotation, we can reduce our impact on
the environment. So that look, that's a really good news
story for Canterbury that we can do this and have
a lighter touch on the environment. But also too, it
is others ironic that we applied for a status quo
consent with e can and they gave us all sorts
(13:29):
of a run around which was widely canvassed at the time.
We didn't get the consent, we put it on hold
and we're now going to amend it and go back
an attempt to get a consent for dairy ing on
this property, which will leave us our options open for
our future to be everything from where we are here
(13:51):
at the moment as arable farmers right through to the
ultimate other end of the scale as being fully self
contained dairy farmers. Now, whether we convert or we're looking
at that, we're giving that a lot of thought. It's
an expensive development process to do, or we might land
somewhere in the middle that we might end up with
trading cattle, trading lambs, some winter raising and to marrable,
(14:17):
or we might end up with a dairy shed growing
a little bit of arable crops around the fringes. But
we're very keen to make sure that we keep our
options open so that we've got some flexibility going forward
and where that lands. Lots of really really neat discussions
going on within the family at the moment, and we'll
(14:38):
see where it lands. It's an expensive development and there's
a lot of upheaval and probably want to wait to
see how the war shakes out before we commit.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Well, you've also you've also got another event happening awey
bit later in the year. And I apologies for using
the word anti logical. There isn't one of those. Illogical
was the word I was searching for. You've not only
got the Middle East crisis and the w or you've
got an election a wee bit later in the year,
David and I put it to you, I'd be a
wee bit wary of spending vast amounts of capital on
(15:08):
farming at the moment if we've got to change the government.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
So quite simply here, we are not spending any capital
on anything until we see the outcome of the November election.
If we were to do a dart back to the
left with some of the absolutely ridiculous policies that are
being promoted at the moment by the left, if the
left of even got any policies, and I'm not sure
what they do, but if they are, they are going
(15:32):
to be anti business, anti growth, anti farming, anti actually
New Zealand society going forward, we're falling down the productivity
levels in the OECD that will be hastened if the
Left get back. And again, some of the things that
Chloe's promoting at the moment are just enough. So we're
(15:54):
not going to be spending anything on any capital development
until we see some political certainty in New Zealand. Meantime,
we certainly want to get out contents of the.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
David Clark, thanks for your time, good.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Luck, great good to talk to you, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yes, not only Canterbury farmers facing the weatherwoes Wellington. More
heavy rain predicted for this afternoon, some horrible scenes there.
We'll update that one with Phil Duncan from weather Watch
got a text in from Tikuwiti and the king Country
one hundred and ninety six mills over the past thirteen days.
I don't know if there's anywhere and I'll ask Phil
(16:29):
if there's anywhere in the country now that's looking for
a bit of top up moisture heading into winter in
late autumn. The latest we've got from our newsboths wire system.
Rain continues to lash Wellington as communities clean up from
this morning's thunderstorm. Flooding and slips have been reported in
many central and southern suburbs. News Talk said Bees spoken
(16:53):
to one man living in a home in Brooklyn who
says he hardly had any time to react after the
hill behind and his house crashed into his house, causing
his bedroom walls to cave and how terrifying would that be?
A one flatted cafe, says customers and staff from a
competing cafe showed up with shovels and mops to help
(17:13):
clean up debris. Locals are out helping to dig out
cars and unblocked trains and rocks and landslides on roads
around the city. Tough times in Wellington. We'll go to Wellington. Next,
that's the beehive Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour. He is
(17:51):
the ACT Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour.
You must be thankful that you're in a party that
has run under a dictatorship model, because you haven't got
any agitators on your backbench wanting your job.
Speaker 7 (18:05):
Well, I learned about teams when I was coaching and
captaining rugby, and what I found is that if you
create an environment where everybody feels like they valued, their
contributions are recognized, it's amazingly easy, especially if you've got
good people. And one thing the ACT Party has is
back in twenty twenty we went from one MP up
(18:25):
to ten. We've got a whole lot of people the
likes of Mark Cameron who didn't think in a million
years they'd get elected. Now some people say that the
best MPs are the ones that don't want to get elected,
and anyone who does want to be in Parliament shouldn't
be elected. We kind of lucked out in a way
and we've had a great culture and a great team
for a long time.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
What do you make of Christopher Luxen's lot at the
moment you must have a lot of sympathy for him.
Speaker 7 (18:52):
Look, one thing I say about Chris that I think
has been over looked as Yes, like any politician, he
has strengths and weaknesses. No politician is perfect. But one
of Chris's strengths that has been overlooked is his ability
to unite people and get the work done. So you
look at the National Party pretty much as soon as
(19:13):
Bill English went at the start of twenty eighteen, all
through twenty nineteen, all through twenty twenty, all through twenty
twenty one. I mean they were almost literally trying to
kill each other on a daily basis. Chris came along
and united them. Then you've got this coalition. Three parties
are worst enemies, always wish that it would fall apart
in a matter of months. You know, Chris has managed
(19:34):
to lead a united government and that has enabled us
to get a lot of stuff done. So you look
at the farm environment plans and the resource management reform,
and dealing to TURMANA or t I, and dealing to
significant national areas and co governance generally across government. Three
waters being thrown out and done a lot more sensibly.
(19:55):
I mean I could go on all day, but you know,
a huge amount of wa work has been done. This
government's now been accused of using far too much urgency
in parliament, and I think we should take that, you see,
because Parliament should be a sober body that considers things carefully.
But on the other hand, that's why I we've being
(20:18):
accused of going too fast. That's what Chris has made possible.
Or from an that party point of view. You know,
in our thirty year history, we've never had more wins
or made more progress for the people and the values
we support.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Okay, you stand on a chair because you're just cutting
in and out of webit there. Look, the Greens came
out as only the Greens could. Instead of State of
the Nation, they went straight to the planet. But I
do want to do state of the Planet with you.
In terms of how you see this Middle East crisis
slash war playing out. A lot of commentators are saying
(20:51):
it's going to be wrapped up this week. I don't
believe that, and I hope, like how I'm wrong? What
do you reckon? You're much closer to the action than
I am.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Well, Unfortunately, being a military commentator is not really my calling.
I saw our Foreign minister say it'll be over in
a matter of days at the start, and here we
are a month later, So I think everyone's been a
bit cautious about making predictions since then. Basically, everyone has
an incentive for trade to resume. There's so much value,
(21:20):
there's so much oil in that region. Getting it out
through the straight benefits just about everyone on the planet.
On the other hand, you've got some pretty wounded and
prittle characters there, none of whom want to easily come
and kiss and make up. So that process is clearly occurring.
I wish it would occur quicker. But in the long term,
(21:42):
everybody has an incentive for the Strait to open, and
I believe that will happen. I'm just not going to
predict it or happen in a few days or next week.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Could Trump's blockade ultimately be a smart move from a
bloke who's made a whole lot of dumb moves once
again my own opinion.
Speaker 7 (21:58):
Well, just remember New Zealand trading nation. We export most
of our produce on ships. We rely on freedom of
navigation of the seas. It's not a good thing when
any power, even our friends, start obstructing the sea because
what happens next is it's miters right and navy start
(22:19):
clashing in order to enforce the ability of ships from
their country and their allies to transit. Then you have
real trouble. So I understand the logic you know, show
the iranis that they need the sea to be open
as much as anyone by blocking their ships. But just
remember that their ships may be Chinese or Indian or
(22:41):
flagged from other countries, and that's when you get trouble.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
David Seymour o to be the act leader or the
New Zealand First leader for that matter. Dictatorships are so
much easier than democracies. Thanks for your time. Good on you, David.
It is twenty five away from one year with the country.
Some of your feedback. We've got the weather coming up
later in the show with Phil Duncan. Here's one from
(23:07):
Glenn in Roxburgh, driest autumn and twenty seven years here
in Roxburgh, New Lamb's on grazing. Been feeding out baileads
for a month. We'll take some of that rain. It's
my favorite golf course in New Zealand behind Beale McEwan, Roxburgh.
Jamie National should pay David Clark to be a cheerleader
given his anti left tirade. Plus, he could earn more
(23:31):
than he is arable farming, says Graham, and Tim says, gee,
David Clark talked or spoke really well. I'm in the
same boat. Obviously, Tim's an arable farmer as well. Look
when you're dealing. I think he mentioned two six hundred
dollars that he's going to burn on his track to
to day. I'm not sure whether he included it in
(23:52):
that interview, but when I was chatting to him before
we went to air, he said that on a big
day on his header. He had a big day on
his header over the Easter weekend, he burnt nine thousand
dollars worth of diesel. You know, returns a low costs
a high. I really have sympathy for our arable farmers.
Up next Rural News and Sports News.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
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Speaker 3 (24:24):
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Speaker 7 (25:32):
N Come.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
The country's world news with Cold Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co
dot Nz for your locals.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Doggist Okay, Michelle, what what do you got for us?
In rural news.
Speaker 8 (25:49):
Legal verification of the New Zealand India Feature Free Trade
Agreement has been completed, with both countries agreeing at signing
on the twenty seventh of April and New Delhi. The
historic agreement was concluded in December and eliminates or reduces
tariffs on ninety five percent of New Zealand's exports, which
is among the highest of any Indian FTA Ministry of
a Minister of Trade, sorry Todd McLay and from the
(26:10):
government will follow the established Parliamentary Treaty examination process for
the India FTA, allowing all parties to continue considering their
support as the public also scrutinizes the agreement.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
And before we go into.
Speaker 8 (26:22):
Sport, Jamie, do you know what happened today in sporting
history for New Zealand?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Ah?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
What is the date today? The twentieth of April. Give
me a clue.
Speaker 8 (26:32):
Runner, big famous running event that's actually on TV, probably.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
The New York Marathon, Boston Marathon, Allison Rowe.
Speaker 8 (26:39):
That's right, Allison, on this Dan history.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I can tell you my Boston Marathon story, but we
haven't got three hours and fifty five minutes or whatever
it was. Heartbreak Hill is a real challenge, I can
tell you that. And you're a much better runner than me.
And I don't want to get you started on running stories.
You'll embarrass me. There's Michelle. Actually, I've got a running
story for you. Michelle listened to this.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Sport on the country with afco Ke. We owned that's rare.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
I heard this one on the Midday Bulletin and I
thought I'd repeat it. Such a great story. A robot
has run almost seven minutes faster than the human world
record at a half marathon in Beijing and the human
world records under an hour, isn't it?
Speaker 9 (27:20):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Yeah, it is living up to its name. Lightning bolted.
Lightning must be the name of the robot bolted around
the twenty one point one kilometer course in fifty minutes
and twenty six seconds, around a minute clear of the
nearest rival and leaving the corresponding human winner in the
AI dust. However, several cyborgs are put in a disappointing showing.
(27:45):
One was stretched prone off the start line, another needed
panel beating after coming off second best with a with
a median barrier barrier, and some just ran out of
puff as you do. It's like an EV you might
have run out of back. And the other story is
Matt Fitzpatrick has won a PGA Tour golf playoff thriller
(28:06):
over Scottish Scheffler and South Carolina with a twelve foot
Birdie put on the eighteenth. Ryan Fox finished tied for sixteenth.
They went to playoff, by the way for that one.
So what do you reckon about? What's your best time
for half marathon one nine? I think, well, that's faster
than me, so we won't go any further down that line.
And then I'm a bit older than you as well. Anyhow, Yeah,
(28:28):
so running, and we haven't officially have had I need
to get onto Phil Duncan. But we haven't officially had
a human marathon that hasn't been paced under two hours?
Have we or have we?
Speaker 6 (28:38):
No?
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I think we had a paste one under two hours, not.
Speaker 8 (28:41):
Officially a paste one. I think under that Nike project,
someone will probably text.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Texas text us on five double O nine if there
has been and also text us if you still dry
at your place? Still dry in Rocksbury. We're going to
be talking to Phil Duncan before the end of the
hour because the problem in this country at the moment
isn't dryness, it's too much train. But up next, Mark
delatour Open Country Dairy. Here's the chief executive of Open
(29:11):
Country Dairy. His name is Mark Delatory. Stuck at the
airport in Auckland because there's d icing or the planes
d icing machine didn't work. Mark, I hope we can
get through this before you have to board. Hey, talk
to me about the GDT auction. This week. I've been
speaking to Mike McIntyre from Jardin. He said, futures are
predicting a small increase for the powders, a small drop
(29:33):
for the fats. What are you seeing.
Speaker 9 (29:36):
Yeah, we're predicting pretty much a flat return I think,
or flat change Jamie from the last auction. Obviously, there's
plenty going on in the world, but no one knows
what that's going to look like. So I think, you know,
pretty much supply and demand a pretty level at the moment.
So he's hoping for just some consistency futures markets.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
And I'm quoting Mike McIntyre again, dollars eighty three for
this season, which is a pretty solid number, and perhaps
more interestingly, next season sitting at nine dollars forty nine.
You know, those aren't bad numbers this far out, considering
the words the world's in turmoil.
Speaker 9 (30:14):
Yeah, that's right, Jane. I think you know, we're just
in the middle of doing a farmer supplier road shows
at the moment, and well it will be if the
pains fly, Jamie. But that's where we're what we're doing,
and we're predicting, you know, were our season. Next season
is starting at nine sixty. So I think we're pretty
pretty buoyant on where the world's going from from a
(30:37):
demand and pricing point of view. Obviously, we'll see what
the next few weeks you look like after the Iran
conflict settles.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
You think it's going to settle in the next two
or three weeks?
Speaker 9 (30:49):
No, no either do I But there you go. I
think you know, the main the main issues for us
of course, and that as it is for all the
Zealand it is diesel price.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So Mark Delatour, I know, getting called for the plane.
So we'll just rip into this. The income side of
the ledger for dairy farmers not really a problem at
the moment. The cost side, the expenditure side, is the
real issue. Obviously, diesel fuel and fertilized and fertilizer is
going to be a huge one for the dairy industry.
Speaker 9 (31:19):
Yeah, it is, indeed, I mean, certainly from the diesel
point of view, you know, I can say, you know,
thankfully we're not at peak because as it is now,
diesel costs for US are about thirty thousand dollars a
day more than they would be normally so or they
were using last year's rate, So huge cost increases on
that front. And you know, certainly New Zealand's back end
(31:42):
inflationary environments and it's bad inflation. I guess it's not
good inflation. It's not driven by demand, it's driven by costs.
So I think that's going to challenge everyone, and the
dairy industry is not immune from that. So good demand,
good prices need to continue so we can help offset
these costs increases.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Are you seeing any Fonterra farmers wanting to jump the
fence as it were, now that they've got their capital
repayment back.
Speaker 9 (32:07):
Yeah, Look, Jeremy, we've had a really good recruitment around
the last twelve months, and you know we're always in
a lot of contact with farmers or around New Zealand.
So yeah, I wouldn't say there's a surge, but there's
the same you know, we're having the same number of
conversations that we do in normal years.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
We've spoken to an arable farmer in mid Canterbury David Clark,
who's thinking of converting to dairying in some shape form
or other just because Arabele's not paying at the moment
and dairyings are looking pretty good. I know you have
no presence in Canterbury at the moment and it's a
crowded market. Obviously you've got sin Lay in there. Are
you thinking of having a bite of the cherry in there?
Because you guys are kind of in an expansionary mode.
Speaker 9 (32:50):
Not not really Jerman in terms of regional spread. I mean,
we're we're pretty much sticking to a missing and looking
just to invest in the areas of the Andrew that
we operate in now and very much. I mean it
probably does look like we're an expansionary mode, but really
our focus now for future carepex is about you know,
(33:10):
being a being a better manufacturer of what we do
now and also adding products to our portfolio, you know,
that ingredients portfolio that we've been consistently working on, just
adding to that and seeing if you can capture another
few dollars for every bucket of milk that we that
we collect, Jamie, So probably more around product mix and
(33:33):
value than it is on expansion.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
Final question for you because I know you're being called
to the plane on a happiness scale because you've been
doing the road shows. One to ten. Where are the
dairy farmers out of the moment.
Speaker 9 (33:45):
A solid eight and a half, Jamie. I think everyone's
pretty pretty confident. I guess there's all you know, there's
always things in the world that are going on, and
obviously the current situation is no exception. But you know,
all in all, prices are strong. Probably had two solid
seasons now, so that's a good outcome and of being
(34:06):
pretty confident with your awn balance sheets and the next season.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah, and we're staring down the barrel of the third
good season, Mark dall at or go catch you playing.
Thanks for your.
Speaker 9 (34:14):
Time, Thanks mate, got to go.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Good on your market is a tour late away from
one has some feedback coming in on Prime Minister Luxeon.
His fundamental weakness is that he has never shown leadership
in public rights. This texture all very well to be
a good manager behind the scenes, but you make yourself
a target as being weak when you never project decisiveness
and conviction when it is required. Easy fodder for the
(34:38):
dreadful media. National are not brave enough, says that text
give us your thoughts on five Double O nine Kipchogi
Ran one fifty nine, which was a paced project sponsored
by the failed All Black sponsor any else. It's good
documentary that one, if you get to see it up.
Next Fell Duncan in the Weather.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Weather on the Country with Fiji where happiness comes.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Naturally, Okay, Phil Duncan from Weather Watch wrapping the Country
on a Monday. Another day in Paradise is the song
from Phil Collins hardly describes poor old Wellington on the
lower North Island at the moments, are Phil Duncan, when
is especially the North Island going to get a break?
Good afternoon, Yeah, good afternoon.
Speaker 6 (35:32):
We've got a very large low pressure system at the
moment just west of the North Island over the Tasman Sea,
and that placement is driving down these big gown paws
with thunderstorms, and if you track them on the radar,
you can see them growing and getting larger, and then
all of a sudden they just break apart and fall apart.
Then they reform, so it's very hard to forecast. But
(35:53):
on the middle part of the country, that's where we've
got that rain again falling around Wellington. Also southern wide
and upper and as this low moves across the top
of the North Island tonight, it'll drive in some stronger
wind to the Lower North Island in the upper South
Island while high pressure tries to move in from the
southern part of the country, So that makes it quite
(36:14):
windy and wet for the central part of New Zealand,
which affects Marlborough at the moment, Nelson and Tasman, the
Lower North Island, but it'll move to the eastern side
of the country over the next twenty four to forty eight.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Hours, so we need some decent weather for the tidy
up for all the people who have been hammered by
the weather. Is that coming once the system passes through.
We just need a dirty, big high to plant itself
over the nation during the long Anzac weekend.
Speaker 6 (36:39):
Phil Well, we're doing that this weekend, yes, so looks
as though that's what we'll have. We've got the rain
and wind around places like Wellington for another day. The
wind will that strong southerly will start to finally ease
on Wednesday, and by Thursday we've got high pressure moving
into the country. It will smother all of New Zealand.
On Friday and Saturday. Not just that, it'll stretch all
(37:01):
the way up to Fiji, to Queensland and all the
way back to Western Australia. It is a huge system
and so that's going to definitely bring us some said
or weather going into the weekend. But by Sunday we
may already start to see those westerlyes returning in the
South Alan. But it's overall a pretty good forecast. Just
the next twenty four hours aren't very good still around
(37:21):
around the central part of the country in particular.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Okay, I've got thirty seconds left. Anything else to add, Phil.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
Not a lot more. Really, it's just expect the unexpected
today and tomorrow with these thunderstorms. Forecasts will get it
wrong from everybody. It's a chop and change kind of setup.
And knowing that it's half of knowing to be prepared.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Who would be a weather man A Phil? Everything conspires
against you. Thanks for your time, Phil Duncan. From where
the watch great? Where the man great? Where the man? Indeed,
I'm sounding he's a big beautiful Where the man is?
Trump would say, right from Phil Duncan to Phil Collins,
We'll leave you with Phil on another day in Paradise,
catch you back for another day in Paradise. On the
(38:02):
Country Tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
You can.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
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 are the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Aisuzu, Get Demo deals
on the tough Dmax Today.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I Love is a Love.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Get Amy Zealand Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay.
The show is brought to you by Farmlands and Isuzu.
On the show today, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour and
Luxan and Trump. David Clark, former Mid Canterbury President of
Federated Farmers, former National Arable Vice chair on the woes
(00:47):
of being an arable farmer at the moment, and that
looks like there's a bit of a rush on the
bank in Canterbury at the moment as some of those
arable farmers decide to go daring if indeed they can
get an Mark Delatore, Chief Executive of Open Country, Derry,
We've got another GDT auction this week. Can it hold
(01:07):
up in the face of all the international turmoil we've
got at the moment, and we certainly had plenty of
weather turmoil over the weekend. Phil Duncan's our resident Monday
weather man. We just can't buy a break, especially a
lot of folk in the North island at the moment.
We'll update the weather for you and hope you get
some decent weather ahead of the cleanup. But we're going
(01:29):
to kick off the show with Walt Cavendish. Now Federated
Farmers had a bit of a chip at him. Wayne
Lanthor was really none too pleased with Walt and is
fair for Farmer's campaign and over the weekend Walt has
decided to step away from that and Walt, for what
it's worth, I think it's a good decision on your behalf.
(01:50):
How did you end up getting tangled up with the
likes of Safe? Was this a misstep by you?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
No?
Speaker 5 (01:57):
Look, no, I wouldn't category as it is that I
am sort some assurances two and a half years ago
when I got involved, I understood that one of the
co executive directors had been a member of Safe or
very low on the list. You know, you can't hold
these sorts of things against people, and so you know,
I accepted that assurance, but it would seem that they
(02:20):
were slightly higher up the list or in the organization
then that and that's the deal breaker for me. You know,
I don't really care whether any of them have worked
for the Green party or anything else. It was just
that that particular been part of that attack on the
pork industry that to me, I just can't get pass
so on that basis, I unfortunately removed myself as a spokesperson,
(02:44):
but I'm still very passionate and driven on the issues.
Speaker 6 (02:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Well, I think you raised some fair points. Do you
infederated farmer's degree? I agree? Should I say on the
pork industry at the moment, because you're saying we should
have one standard for all. The problem for the poroal
pig farmers in this country is they've got to comply
to much higher standards than the international pork that we
all buy in the supermarket, especially the mis labeled stuff.
Speaker 7 (03:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
And what I would say Jamie is look, I want
to see some evidence that the public morals exemption won't
work from these trade officials and that if that's the
evidence that feeds are working on, and if that's the case,
we'll look at other options. But it's worthy to say
that the New Zealand Port Board and industry have been
asking for something similar well before Animal Policy International and
(03:33):
then Fear for Farmers have come along. This has been
being asked for and there was back in twenty seventeen
eighteen there was a petition by the pork industry sort
of asking for something similar. So bets don't agree with
us on the public morals exemption, but I think in
the talks I've had with them over the last forty
eight hours or so, they've actually accepted we've identified an
(03:57):
issue and are quite prepared to help where they can.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
You have a high profile on social media. Are you
a rebel looking for a cause an election year?
Speaker 6 (04:07):
What?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
No.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Look, I've been on this, Jamie for two and a
half years. Originally I just went along and spoke to
different people, parliamentarians, all sorts for two and a half years.
Just the sight of Christmas, we got the fear for
farmers part going just to sort of change tact a bit.
But now I've been on this for quite some time.
(04:29):
I mean, people say a flip flopped, you know, based
on resigning from FEDS and whatever else and stepping out
of the fear for farmers. But at the end of
the day, I've been hard on this for two and
a half years, and I'm very proud of that, and
I don't resile from it because it's the issue that
matters Actually, it's not whether or not or who's behind API.
The actual issue is that there is an issue that
(04:49):
affects the New Zealand pork industry. I want to find
a solution that works to fix that, and that's what
the mission I'm on.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So you've resigned from Federated Farmers, you've resigned from Fear
for Farming. Is this all to clear the path for
a run at in the general election? I see you're
going to stand as an independent in the Waikato electorate.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
Oh look, look I am, but I mean the thing is, no,
I left Fedsport for particular reasons around their positions on
the GMO stance and on this particular issue. But you
know I and again, leaving the Fear for Farmers was
simply a matter of principle. I didn't really want to
do it because I believe passionately in the work we've done.
(05:32):
And I mean there's other good farmers that are involved
in this Fear for Farmers, as you'll I'm sure you know.
But yeah, no, it's one of the issues that I
want to take up in the election. There's a huge
demand from the people that they want to know where
their food comes from and what's in it, and I
think that's something that Parliament should be able to address.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Can we all agree that, say, are the enemy of
farmers in the primary sector.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
I I would put it like this. I was very
skeptical when I got involved two and a half years ago.
I haven't spound them to be anywhere near what they
used to be. And yeah, I don't know. I don't
know that there are changed organization now without hands creep
there and things like that. But all I would say is,
from my point, what they did to the pork industry
(06:22):
under hands, creeps time at the top is unforgivable.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Okay, fair enough, all right, Well what good luck?
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Standing?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Is an independent Historically you haven't got much of a chance.
In fact, you've got no chance at all. But good
on you for putting your hand up. How's your farming
season going, Because when you're not being a political animal,
you are a white addo dairy farmer.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
It's wet, Jamie, bloody wet. Yeah, but they're still growing up,
the towers are still milking. You can't complain, no, And.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
It could be worse, Walt, you could be an arable
farmer down in Canterbury. They're having a real tough time
of it.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Yeah, but again, you know news ylland farmer should band
together and buy some of their grain because they produce
some of the best cleanest grain and seeds you know around.
I don't know why we don't support them more. It's
just a problem. We've got New Zealander not supporting our own.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Good on you well at less you're consistent on that
mash message. Walt Cavendish, Thanks for your.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
Time please, Jamie cheers.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Here we go and is fourteen after twelve? Well we
might stick with that theme. The arable farmers in Canterbury
David Clark, former Mid Canterbury president of Federated Farmers. You
might remember this was the bloke who late last year
or last year threw a bit of a spanner in
the works that he can, and good on them for
(07:41):
doing it as well, because he just wanted a resource
consent to carry on farming as an arable farmer. He
can made it so difficult for him that he said
it was much easier to get a consent to convert
his farm to drying. Does that make sense to you?
It doesn't to me. We'll also catch up with David
Seymour Mark de Latour, chief executive of Open Country Dairy
(08:04):
and Phil Duncan on the weather, and thoughts are with
all you fartner or not farmers or anyone who's been hammered.
I know Wellington's had a real caning from the weather.
We just don't seem to be able to get a break.
And in sports news, I might have to repeat the
story that I heard at the top of the hour
just as I was about to wander into the studio
(08:25):
the robot running seven minutes faster than a human did
in the half marathon and a really good finish in
the golf as well. So we've got lots to talk about,
and obviously Michelle will have rural and news for you.
Up next. David Clark in Mid Canterbury, Bavy god from me.
(08:56):
Tough times for the arable industry. Let's catch up with
well known mid Canterbury farmer, a former president of Federated Farmers,
former National Vice chairman of the Arable Section, David Clark. David,
as you chat to us this lunch time, you're sitting
in a tractor that is going to burn two six
(09:16):
hundred dollars worth of diesel today. How can you make
a buck because I don't think you are at the moment.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
So that's the problem that we all face at the
moment with fuel costs have just gone through the roof
as a result of what's going on in the Middle East. Look,
that might be a short term problem. The pain is
huge at the moment, and what we're doing with our
harvest and post harvest cultivation that may be short term.
But what there is is there's an underlying problem within
(09:45):
the arable industry that we are no longer financially sustainable.
Irrespective of the short term blip of the war, there's.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Been a bit of a rush on the bank. I
understand a number of arable farmers have converted or are
planning to convert to derry, but that's a finite number obviously.
Speaker 6 (10:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Look, I don't think we're alone or no, we're not
alone in looking at what our options are as ourrable farmers,
and that's being shown by the figures of consents that
are coming through. I think there's been forty or fifty
dairy conversions approved here in Canterbury recently. I would suggest
that number will probably double. Again. Everybody's looking at their
(10:25):
options and saying where's the financial sustainability and what we're doing.
And look, I think that's healthy to have a really
brutal look at a business and say, right, we can't
keep burning equity doing what we're doing if the market
doesn't require and value what we can grow. Let's look
(10:45):
at what else we can do with our land so
we can ensure that we're sustainable into the future. And
that's exactly what we're doing as a family, and what
a lot of other families like us are doing.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
It's a bit of a three headed monster. You've obviously
got the costs, the poor returns, but the other one
that's been really playing against you guys in Canterbury in
recent seasons. In fact, I think is it the last
three terrible harvest seasons?
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Yeah, they have. That's really impacted the profitability of arable
farms and also the morale. We've had three seasons in
a row now where we've got Christmas time and the
crops have been looking absolutely magnificent. Husband try has been
all right, the inputs are right, everything's shaping up for
a very very good harvest, and then we've got these
(11:32):
damp la Ninia weather patterns that have come in dumped
far too much rain and January impacted the flowering crops,
the white clover, the hybrid carrots, the radish block choys,
packed choys, all those specialist crops, and then made the
harvest process through January, Debuti and into March incredibly difficult,
(11:52):
and that has eroded any chance of profitability. But also
the the workload that it then creates with a lot
of drying of crop that has to be done, slow
crops to harvest, damage to machinery trying to get it harvested.
So look, that also has impacted on where we're all
(12:13):
sitting in the arable industry. But once again, it still
doesn't get away from the fundamental problem that we've got
in the structure of the industry that the core profitability
is not there, so we have to look at other
land uses and say what else can we do that issuers,
we're profitable.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You hit the headlines last year with consent issues around
staying as an arable farmer, and you were quoted as
saying it's much easier to get a consent to be
a dairy farmer than it is to stay being an
arable farmer, which seems rather anti logical to me.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Ironic, really isn't it, Jamie. So what that stems from
is that the way the algorithms work in Overseer is
that you can demonstrate a reduction in discharged the environment
with Overseer and show that by moving from an arable
rotation as we are at the moment to a fully
(13:08):
self contained dairy rotation, we can reduce our impact on
the environment. So that look, that's a really good news
story for Canterbury that we can do this and have
a lighter touch on the environment. But also too, it
is others ironic that we applied for a status quo
consent with e can and they gave us all sorts
(13:29):
of a run around which was widely canvassed at the time.
We didn't get the consent, we put it on hold
and we're now going to amend it and go back
an attempt to get a consent for dairy ing on
this property, which will leave us our options open for
our future to be everything from where we are here
(13:51):
at the moment as arable farmers right through to the
ultimate other end of the scale as being fully self
contained dairy farmers. Now, whether we convert or we're looking
at that, we're giving that a lot of thought. It's
an expensive development process to do, or we might land
somewhere in the middle that we might end up with
trading cattle, trading lambs, some winter raising and to marrable,
(14:17):
or we might end up with a dairy shed growing
a little bit of arable crops around the fringes. But
we're very keen to make sure that we keep our
options open so that we've got some flexibility going forward
and where that lands. Lots of really really neat discussions
going on within the family at the moment, and we'll
(14:38):
see where it lands. It's an expensive development and there's
a lot of upheaval and probably want to wait to
see how the war shakes out before we commit.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Well, you've also you've also got another event happening awey
bit later in the year. And I apologies for using
the word anti logical. There isn't one of those. Illogical
was the word I was searching for. You've not only
got the Middle East crisis and the w or you've
got an election a wee bit later in the year,
David and I put it to you, I'd be a
wee bit wary of spending vast amounts of capital on
(15:08):
farming at the moment if we've got to change the government.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
So quite simply here, we are not spending any capital
on anything until we see the outcome of the November election.
If we were to do a dart back to the
left with some of the absolutely ridiculous policies that are
being promoted at the moment by the left, if the
left of even got any policies, and I'm not sure
what they do, but if they are, they are going
(15:32):
to be anti business, anti growth, anti farming, anti actually
New Zealand society going forward, we're falling down the productivity
levels in the OECD that will be hastened if the
Left get back. And again, some of the things that
Chloe's promoting at the moment are just enough. So we're
(15:54):
not going to be spending anything on any capital development
until we see some political certainty in New Zealand. Meantime,
we certainly want to get out contents of the.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
David Clark, thanks for your time, good.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Luck, great good to talk to you, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yes, not only Canterbury farmers facing the weatherwoes Wellington. More
heavy rain predicted for this afternoon, some horrible scenes there.
We'll update that one with Phil Duncan from weather Watch
got a text in from Tikuwiti and the king Country
one hundred and ninety six mills over the past thirteen days.
I don't know if there's anywhere and I'll ask Phil
(16:29):
if there's anywhere in the country now that's looking for
a bit of top up moisture heading into winter in
late autumn. The latest we've got from our newsboths wire system.
Rain continues to lash Wellington as communities clean up from
this morning's thunderstorm. Flooding and slips have been reported in
many central and southern suburbs. News Talk said Bees spoken
(16:53):
to one man living in a home in Brooklyn who
says he hardly had any time to react after the
hill behind and his house crashed into his house, causing
his bedroom walls to cave and how terrifying would that be?
A one flatted cafe, says customers and staff from a
competing cafe showed up with shovels and mops to help
(17:13):
clean up debris. Locals are out helping to dig out
cars and unblocked trains and rocks and landslides on roads
around the city. Tough times in Wellington. We'll go to Wellington. Next,
that's the beehive Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour. He is
(17:51):
the ACT Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour.
You must be thankful that you're in a party that
has run under a dictatorship model, because you haven't got
any agitators on your backbench wanting your job.
Speaker 7 (18:05):
Well, I learned about teams when I was coaching and
captaining rugby, and what I found is that if you
create an environment where everybody feels like they valued, their
contributions are recognized, it's amazingly easy, especially if you've got
good people. And one thing the ACT Party has is
back in twenty twenty we went from one MP up
(18:25):
to ten. We've got a whole lot of people the
likes of Mark Cameron who didn't think in a million
years they'd get elected. Now some people say that the
best MPs are the ones that don't want to get elected,
and anyone who does want to be in Parliament shouldn't
be elected. We kind of lucked out in a way
and we've had a great culture and a great team
for a long time.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
What do you make of Christopher Luxen's lot at the
moment you must have a lot of sympathy for him.
Speaker 7 (18:52):
Look, one thing I say about Chris that I think
has been over looked as Yes, like any politician, he
has strengths and weaknesses. No politician is perfect. But one
of Chris's strengths that has been overlooked is his ability
to unite people and get the work done. So you
look at the National Party pretty much as soon as
(19:13):
Bill English went at the start of twenty eighteen, all
through twenty nineteen, all through twenty twenty, all through twenty
twenty one. I mean they were almost literally trying to
kill each other on a daily basis. Chris came along
and united them. Then you've got this coalition. Three parties
are worst enemies, always wish that it would fall apart
in a matter of months. You know, Chris has managed
(19:34):
to lead a united government and that has enabled us
to get a lot of stuff done. So you look
at the farm environment plans and the resource management reform,
and dealing to TURMANA or t I, and dealing to
significant national areas and co governance generally across government. Three
waters being thrown out and done a lot more sensibly.
(19:55):
I mean I could go on all day, but you know,
a huge amount of wa work has been done. This
government's now been accused of using far too much urgency
in parliament, and I think we should take that, you see,
because Parliament should be a sober body that considers things carefully.
But on the other hand, that's why I we've being
(20:18):
accused of going too fast. That's what Chris has made possible.
Or from an that party point of view. You know,
in our thirty year history, we've never had more wins
or made more progress for the people and the values
we support.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Okay, you stand on a chair because you're just cutting
in and out of webit there. Look, the Greens came
out as only the Greens could. Instead of State of
the Nation, they went straight to the planet. But I
do want to do state of the Planet with you.
In terms of how you see this Middle East crisis
slash war playing out. A lot of commentators are saying
(20:51):
it's going to be wrapped up this week. I don't
believe that, and I hope, like how I'm wrong? What
do you reckon? You're much closer to the action than
I am.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Well, Unfortunately, being a military commentator is not really my calling.
I saw our Foreign minister say it'll be over in
a matter of days at the start, and here we
are a month later, So I think everyone's been a
bit cautious about making predictions since then. Basically, everyone has
an incentive for trade to resume. There's so much value,
(21:20):
there's so much oil in that region. Getting it out
through the straight benefits just about everyone on the planet.
On the other hand, you've got some pretty wounded and
prittle characters there, none of whom want to easily come
and kiss and make up. So that process is clearly occurring.
I wish it would occur quicker. But in the long term,
(21:42):
everybody has an incentive for the Strait to open, and
I believe that will happen. I'm just not going to
predict it or happen in a few days or next week.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Could Trump's blockade ultimately be a smart move from a
bloke who's made a whole lot of dumb moves once
again my own opinion.
Speaker 7 (21:58):
Well, just remember New Zealand trading nation. We export most
of our produce on ships. We rely on freedom of
navigation of the seas. It's not a good thing when
any power, even our friends, start obstructing the sea because
what happens next is it's miters right and navy start
(22:19):
clashing in order to enforce the ability of ships from
their country and their allies to transit. Then you have
real trouble. So I understand the logic you know, show
the iranis that they need the sea to be open
as much as anyone by blocking their ships. But just
remember that their ships may be Chinese or Indian or
(22:41):
flagged from other countries, and that's when you get trouble.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
David Seymour o to be the act leader or the
New Zealand First leader for that matter. Dictatorships are so
much easier than democracies. Thanks for your time. Good on you, David.
It is twenty five away from one year with the country.
Some of your feedback. We've got the weather coming up
later in the show with Phil Duncan. Here's one from
(23:07):
Glenn in Roxburgh, driest autumn and twenty seven years here
in Roxburgh, New Lamb's on grazing. Been feeding out baileads
for a month. We'll take some of that rain. It's
my favorite golf course in New Zealand behind Beale McEwan, Roxburgh.
Jamie National should pay David Clark to be a cheerleader
given his anti left tirade. Plus, he could earn more
(23:31):
than he is arable farming, says Graham, and Tim says, gee,
David Clark talked or spoke really well. I'm in the
same boat. Obviously, Tim's an arable farmer as well. Look
when you're dealing. I think he mentioned two six hundred
dollars that he's going to burn on his track to
to day. I'm not sure whether he included it in
(23:52):
that interview, but when I was chatting to him before
we went to air, he said that on a big
day on his header. He had a big day on
his header over the Easter weekend, he burnt nine thousand
dollars worth of diesel. You know, returns a low costs
a high. I really have sympathy for our arable farmers.
Up next Rural News and Sports News.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Nine horse.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Roll Welcome back to the country very shortly the latest
and Rural News and Sports News. You've spent a lifetime
building the farm, but a strong legacy needs more than
just land to grow on. Building wealth beyond the boundary
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Speaker 7 (25:32):
N Come.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
The country's world news with Cold Cadet, New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co
dot Nz for your locals.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Doggist Okay, Michelle, what what do you got for us?
In rural news.
Speaker 8 (25:49):
Legal verification of the New Zealand India Feature Free Trade
Agreement has been completed, with both countries agreeing at signing
on the twenty seventh of April and New Delhi. The
historic agreement was concluded in December and eliminates or reduces
tariffs on ninety five percent of New Zealand's exports, which
is among the highest of any Indian FTA Ministry of
a Minister of Trade, sorry Todd McLay and from the
(26:10):
government will follow the established Parliamentary Treaty examination process for
the India FTA, allowing all parties to continue considering their
support as the public also scrutinizes the agreement.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
And before we go into.
Speaker 8 (26:22):
Sport, Jamie, do you know what happened today in sporting
history for New Zealand?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Ah?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
What is the date today? The twentieth of April. Give
me a clue.
Speaker 8 (26:32):
Runner, big famous running event that's actually on TV, probably.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
The New York Marathon, Boston Marathon, Allison Rowe.
Speaker 8 (26:39):
That's right, Allison, on this Dan history.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I can tell you my Boston Marathon story, but we
haven't got three hours and fifty five minutes or whatever
it was. Heartbreak Hill is a real challenge, I can
tell you that. And you're a much better runner than me.
And I don't want to get you started on running stories.
You'll embarrass me. There's Michelle. Actually, I've got a running
story for you. Michelle listened to this.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Sport on the country with afco Ke. We owned that's rare.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
I heard this one on the Midday Bulletin and I
thought I'd repeat it. Such a great story. A robot
has run almost seven minutes faster than the human world
record at a half marathon in Beijing and the human
world records under an hour, isn't it?
Speaker 9 (27:20):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Yeah, it is living up to its name. Lightning bolted.
Lightning must be the name of the robot bolted around
the twenty one point one kilometer course in fifty minutes
and twenty six seconds, around a minute clear of the
nearest rival and leaving the corresponding human winner in the
AI dust. However, several cyborgs are put in a disappointing showing.
(27:45):
One was stretched prone off the start line, another needed
panel beating after coming off second best with a with
a median barrier barrier, and some just ran out of
puff as you do. It's like an EV you might
have run out of back. And the other story is
Matt Fitzpatrick has won a PGA Tour golf playoff thriller
(28:06):
over Scottish Scheffler and South Carolina with a twelve foot
Birdie put on the eighteenth. Ryan Fox finished tied for sixteenth.
They went to playoff, by the way for that one.
So what do you reckon about? What's your best time
for half marathon one nine? I think, well, that's faster
than me, so we won't go any further down that line.
And then I'm a bit older than you as well. Anyhow, Yeah,
(28:28):
so running, and we haven't officially have had I need
to get onto Phil Duncan. But we haven't officially had
a human marathon that hasn't been paced under two hours?
Have we or have we?
Speaker 6 (28:38):
No?
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I think we had a paste one under two hours, not.
Speaker 8 (28:41):
Officially a paste one. I think under that Nike project,
someone will probably text.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Texas text us on five double O nine if there
has been and also text us if you still dry
at your place? Still dry in Rocksbury. We're going to
be talking to Phil Duncan before the end of the
hour because the problem in this country at the moment
isn't dryness, it's too much train. But up next, Mark
delatour Open Country Dairy. Here's the chief executive of Open
(29:11):
Country Dairy. His name is Mark Delatory. Stuck at the
airport in Auckland because there's d icing or the planes
d icing machine didn't work. Mark, I hope we can
get through this before you have to board. Hey, talk
to me about the GDT auction. This week. I've been
speaking to Mike McIntyre from Jardin. He said, futures are
predicting a small increase for the powders, a small drop
(29:33):
for the fats. What are you seeing.
Speaker 9 (29:36):
Yeah, we're predicting pretty much a flat return I think,
or flat change Jamie from the last auction. Obviously, there's
plenty going on in the world, but no one knows
what that's going to look like. So I think, you know,
pretty much supply and demand a pretty level at the moment.
So he's hoping for just some consistency futures markets.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
And I'm quoting Mike McIntyre again, dollars eighty three for
this season, which is a pretty solid number, and perhaps
more interestingly, next season sitting at nine dollars forty nine.
You know, those aren't bad numbers this far out, considering
the words the world's in turmoil.
Speaker 9 (30:14):
Yeah, that's right, Jane. I think you know, we're just
in the middle of doing a farmer supplier road shows
at the moment, and well it will be if the
pains fly, Jamie. But that's where we're what we're doing,
and we're predicting, you know, were our season. Next season
is starting at nine sixty. So I think we're pretty
pretty buoyant on where the world's going from from a
(30:37):
demand and pricing point of view. Obviously, we'll see what
the next few weeks you look like after the Iran
conflict settles.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
You think it's going to settle in the next two
or three weeks?
Speaker 9 (30:49):
No, no either do I But there you go. I
think you know, the main the main issues for us
of course, and that as it is for all the
Zealand it is diesel price.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So Mark Delatour, I know, getting called for the plane.
So we'll just rip into this. The income side of
the ledger for dairy farmers not really a problem at
the moment. The cost side, the expenditure side, is the
real issue. Obviously, diesel fuel and fertilized and fertilizer is
going to be a huge one for the dairy industry.
Speaker 9 (31:19):
Yeah, it is, indeed, I mean, certainly from the diesel
point of view, you know, I can say, you know,
thankfully we're not at peak because as it is now,
diesel costs for US are about thirty thousand dollars a
day more than they would be normally so or they
were using last year's rate, So huge cost increases on
that front. And you know, certainly New Zealand's back end
(31:42):
inflationary environments and it's bad inflation. I guess it's not
good inflation. It's not driven by demand, it's driven by costs.
So I think that's going to challenge everyone, and the
dairy industry is not immune from that. So good demand,
good prices need to continue so we can help offset
these costs increases.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Are you seeing any Fonterra farmers wanting to jump the
fence as it were, now that they've got their capital
repayment back.
Speaker 9 (32:07):
Yeah, Look, Jeremy, we've had a really good recruitment around
the last twelve months, and you know we're always in
a lot of contact with farmers or around New Zealand.
So yeah, I wouldn't say there's a surge, but there's
the same you know, we're having the same number of
conversations that we do in normal years.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
We've spoken to an arable farmer in mid Canterbury David Clark,
who's thinking of converting to dairying in some shape form
or other just because Arabele's not paying at the moment
and dairyings are looking pretty good. I know you have
no presence in Canterbury at the moment and it's a
crowded market. Obviously you've got sin Lay in there. Are
you thinking of having a bite of the cherry in there?
Because you guys are kind of in an expansionary mode.
Speaker 9 (32:50):
Not not really Jerman in terms of regional spread. I mean,
we're we're pretty much sticking to a missing and looking
just to invest in the areas of the Andrew that
we operate in now and very much. I mean it
probably does look like we're an expansionary mode, but really
our focus now for future carepex is about you know,
(33:10):
being a being a better manufacturer of what we do
now and also adding products to our portfolio, you know,
that ingredients portfolio that we've been consistently working on, just
adding to that and seeing if you can capture another
few dollars for every bucket of milk that we that
we collect, Jamie, So probably more around product mix and
(33:33):
value than it is on expansion.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
Final question for you because I know you're being called
to the plane on a happiness scale because you've been
doing the road shows. One to ten. Where are the
dairy farmers out of the moment.
Speaker 9 (33:45):
A solid eight and a half, Jamie. I think everyone's
pretty pretty confident. I guess there's all you know, there's
always things in the world that are going on, and
obviously the current situation is no exception. But you know,
all in all, prices are strong. Probably had two solid
seasons now, so that's a good outcome and of being
(34:06):
pretty confident with your awn balance sheets and the next season.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah, and we're staring down the barrel of the third
good season, Mark dall at or go catch you playing.
Thanks for your.
Speaker 9 (34:14):
Time, Thanks mate, got to go.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Good on your market is a tour late away from
one has some feedback coming in on Prime Minister Luxeon.
His fundamental weakness is that he has never shown leadership
in public rights. This texture all very well to be
a good manager behind the scenes, but you make yourself
a target as being weak when you never project decisiveness
and conviction when it is required. Easy fodder for the
(34:38):
dreadful media. National are not brave enough, says that text
give us your thoughts on five Double O nine Kipchogi
Ran one fifty nine, which was a paced project sponsored
by the failed All Black sponsor any else. It's good
documentary that one, if you get to see it up.
Next Fell Duncan in the Weather.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Weather on the Country with Fiji where happiness comes.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Naturally, Okay, Phil Duncan from Weather Watch wrapping the Country
on a Monday. Another day in Paradise is the song
from Phil Collins hardly describes poor old Wellington on the
lower North Island at the moments, are Phil Duncan, when
is especially the North Island going to get a break?
Good afternoon, Yeah, good afternoon.
Speaker 6 (35:32):
We've got a very large low pressure system at the
moment just west of the North Island over the Tasman Sea,
and that placement is driving down these big gown paws
with thunderstorms, and if you track them on the radar,
you can see them growing and getting larger, and then
all of a sudden they just break apart and fall apart.
Then they reform, so it's very hard to forecast. But
(35:53):
on the middle part of the country, that's where we've
got that rain again falling around Wellington. Also southern wide
and upper and as this low moves across the top
of the North Island tonight, it'll drive in some stronger
wind to the Lower North Island in the upper South
Island while high pressure tries to move in from the
southern part of the country, So that makes it quite
(36:14):
windy and wet for the central part of New Zealand,
which affects Marlborough at the moment, Nelson and Tasman, the
Lower North Island, but it'll move to the eastern side
of the country over the next twenty four to forty eight.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Hours, so we need some decent weather for the tidy
up for all the people who have been hammered by
the weather. Is that coming once the system passes through.
We just need a dirty, big high to plant itself
over the nation during the long Anzac weekend.
Speaker 6 (36:39):
Phil Well, we're doing that this weekend, yes, so looks
as though that's what we'll have. We've got the rain
and wind around places like Wellington for another day. The
wind will that strong southerly will start to finally ease
on Wednesday, and by Thursday we've got high pressure moving
into the country. It will smother all of New Zealand.
On Friday and Saturday. Not just that, it'll stretch all
(37:01):
the way up to Fiji, to Queensland and all the
way back to Western Australia. It is a huge system
and so that's going to definitely bring us some said
or weather going into the weekend. But by Sunday we
may already start to see those westerlyes returning in the
South Alan. But it's overall a pretty good forecast. Just
the next twenty four hours aren't very good still around
(37:21):
around the central part of the country in particular.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Okay, I've got thirty seconds left. Anything else to add, Phil.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
Not a lot more. Really, it's just expect the unexpected
today and tomorrow with these thunderstorms. Forecasts will get it
wrong from everybody. It's a chop and change kind of setup.
And knowing that it's half of knowing to be prepared.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Who would be a weather man A Phil? Everything conspires
against you. Thanks for your time, Phil Duncan. From where
the watch great? Where the man great? Where the man? Indeed,
I'm sounding he's a big beautiful Where the man is?
Trump would say, right from Phil Duncan to Phil Collins,
We'll leave you with Phil on another day in Paradise,
catch you back for another day in Paradise. On the
(38:02):
Country Tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
You can.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
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
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