May 6, 2026 • 40 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, John McOviney and Chris Russell.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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 (00:14):
Said, Get on Zealand, Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie
(00:36):
McKay the Rolling Stones. They have announced a new album
called Foreign Tongues. I think I'll check this during one
of the breaks. I think mix like eighty years old.
That's the same age as Winston. That's the same age.
I think Trump's knocking on the door of eighty years
of age. Who's in the best, Nick Winston, McK or
(00:57):
Donald Trump? You can send me your thoughts on at
text number five double O nine. We're going to kick
off the show. He's waiting on hold with a man
who would be fair to say has his moments with Winston.
David Seymour, Act Party Leader Deputy Prime Minister, Doctor Jaqueline
Rowath has been all over the country. She's down in
(01:19):
Southland about to make her way back up to her
home province of the Wye Padow. She was in Wellington,
i think last week for a climate change conference. John
mcaviny we alluded to this one yesterday. Why Tomo, Sheep
and Beef farmer chief executive at Steeford. He had five
hundred angus calves to sell at the Taalpo sale yesterday.
I wonder what he got for them. We'll ask him
(01:40):
if we can track him down. He's on his wait.
Tomo farm and Chris Russell, Our Australian correspondent. We've got
our budget coming up, I think on May the twenty eighth.
It's definitely May late May. Their's is coming up next Tuesday,
so we're going to have to talk about that what's
in it, or more importantly in Elbow's case, what's not
in it for farmers. Not very farmer friendly government over there.
(02:02):
And the scrapping of a huge inland rail project from
Brisbane to Melbourne. Apparently they were going to go through
the guts rather than going down the coast, so they
could have double decker sized containers on rails on the
rail cars because they didn't need to go through all
the tunnels on the overhead lines and all that sort
(02:23):
of stuff. Huge infrastructure project which has apparently been stored.
It's on a road or a track to nowhere. David
Seymour to kick off the show. He's at Millbrook today
(02:55):
kicking off the country today, Deputy Dave Seymour. Deputy Prime
Minister David Seymour had to drop you yesterday because the
Boss wanted to go on the wireless when he got
back from Singapore. So you're on today, David on Sunday,
I think it was Sunday you announced your new immigration policy.
Are you cutting Winston's lunch here?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Well, you didn't have to drop me, but that's a
choice you made. No, I'm responding to concerns people raised
with me just about every day, using policies that Act
has long harbored. You can go back to the book
I published at twenty seventeen where I said that there
should be some sort of infrastructure levy because if you've
(03:35):
got a group of people living in the country paying
tax funding infrastructure, that's sustainable. But then when you add
new people, you actually have to widen your infrastructure base.
The question is should the new people pay for that
or the existing people? And I think there's a strong
argument out of fairness the new people should make some
sort of extra contribution the way generations have. But on
(03:59):
the question and of values again, I'm on the record
ten years ago saying if you're not prepared to say
that men and women are equal and free speeches a
bottom line. Then you know, maybe your values don't quite
fit with New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
But once surely your six dollars daily fee for temporary
work visas be borne ultimately by the employer, which shall
ultimately be passed on to the consumer.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Well, I mean when you put a tax on someone,
there's always a debate about who's really paying. And the
answer is that depending on who needs who the most,
they break the cost up between them. So yes, you
can argue that some of it will go to the employer,
some of it will result in a lower take home
pay for the worker, and to the extent it goes
(04:51):
on to the employer, some will be paid by the consumers.
So you know, you can argue about tax incidents if
you like. The point is to raise the you and
that revenue I think is essential for infrastructure. Some people
in the rural space might say, look, you know, infrastructure
is mainly an urban problem. We believe there should be
(05:12):
a reduction or exemption for rural workers. I'm actually open
to that. And Andrew Hogart has said that all along
to us internally. I think the other way that you
might think about it is. You currently have this quite
high median wage requirement. You could knock seventy five cents
an hour off that, and that would cover the six
(05:34):
dollars a day at eight hours a day. So you know,
lots of ways to skin a cat. I think when
people come out and say it's a you know, attack
on rural New Zealand or an attack on small business,
it's almost as though they know more about my policy
than I do. But I haven't finalized it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
All right, David Seymour, we need migrant labor though, to
do the work on the farms and orchards of New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I agree with that, and that's why I've been strong
supporter of the RS scheme that is in need of
major reform, by the way. And yet if we want
to have an ongoing relationship with migrant labor, it needs
to remain politically sustainable. Any public policy has to be
politically sustainable. And if you look around the world, if
(06:18):
you ask people in New Zealand, there are a lot
of people who are saying, look, I appreciate the role
of migration in our history, but is it continuing to
build the key week character that we rely on for
most migrants, absolutely, but for a growing number perhaps not.
And are we keeping up with the infrastructure required for
a population that's growing pretty rapidly. You look at Dunedin, say,
(06:42):
you know, we add almost the Dunedin worth of people
every couple of years. The actual Dunedin took one hundred
and eighty years to build, and some people say it
still isn't finished. So you know, there's a question of
whether or not we have the right balance. Acts policies
are designed to do precisely that, while accepting the legitimate
concerns of people who say, hey, look, I know this
country is built by migration, but does it working for
(07:04):
us right now now?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
One of your other policies is a stronger English language requirement,
and I think generally that's probably been accepted. But are
they are migrants under your scheme going to have to
sit one of these migrant tests. I know that, for example,
the one in the UK is forty five minutes long.
It has twenty four questions. You've got to get eighteen
(07:26):
out of twenty four. And I was given some sample
questions for this migration test, and I don't know if
I don't think I would pass. Apparently most Brits.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Can't pass well, I mean, I'm not entirely surprised after
talking to you for a long time, Janie.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
But well, hang on, David, David, let's see how clever
you are. I'm going to throw this question at you.
History question, when did the Romans leave Britain?
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Well, some would argue they still have no.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
No, no, give me an answer, stop fudging.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I'm going to go with about four hundred AD.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Hundred and ten AD. So you got that wrong. Here's
a government question.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
I think, and I got it within ten years, over
two thousand years.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
It's still not right government. How many members are there
in the House of.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Commons About six hundred six sixty there.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Is six fifty. Once again, you're wrong, David. Three strikes
and you're out. Okay, I think you'll get this one.
What is the nickname for the Queen Elizabeth Tower in London?
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Oh? That one you've got me on. But just bear
in mind no.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
No, hang on, well no, that's big Ben. So you'll
strike that. You'll struck out none from three.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
That's absolute rubbish. First of all, that I'm sure the
multi choice I would have got those right. Second of all,
they're not actually I'm not actually trying to migrate to
the UK.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And well Winston might like you to.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, who knows. I'm not really worried about his preferences.
But you know, I think the wider point is, you
talk about English language, you talk about knowledge. A lot
of people in healthcare, a lot of people in education
saying hey, look, our job's materially harder because we are
dealing with people that don't have the language skills. Now,
yes we want people to come here, Yes we need
(09:12):
the source of labor, but should that cost be put
on to the other patients in the waiting room or
the other kids in the classroom. It's all about balance,
and I think it's high time that we had a
more sophisticated conversation than perhaps we've had lately with people
going on by the check in and all that. I
think we need to ask ourselves, you know, how do
(09:32):
we reconcile our heritage and our future is a country
of migrants with the real needs and concerns of people
already living here.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
A couple to funish on. I read a story on
the Herald this morning about labor versus taparty Mari. The
battle lines are being drawn for those Maori seats. But
I almost see, and I've said this to Chris Sipkins,
that he almost needs the overhang of to party Mariy
getting all the Maray seats to try and form a government.
Can could he possibly do it with just the Greens?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Well, you know that wouldn't completely destroy the country like
with TPM, and they're just mostly destroy the country. I suspect. Look,
I think that the reality is that we are climbing
out of a bloody tough period and thank God for
the farmers, and thank god for the commodity prices if
you are a farmer. Nonetheless, we now set the prospect
(10:29):
of a group of people who are economically bandless, can't count,
could never balance a checkbook, and they can't explain how
they would pay for any of the promises they're making
to their voters. And that's before you get into their
regulatory record of banning hole industries, declaring war on farmers,
declaring war on landlords, and basically just beating on groups
of New Zealanders to satisfy others. I mean, you know
(10:52):
you think things are bad, now, wait till those muppets
go back to their normal form. We will have serious
serious challenges as a country, at least those of us
still living here.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Will It doesn't be a thinking about Hey, you're at
Millbrook today. I don't know why you're not playing golf,
but apparently you've got some economic speech and I think
later later today.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
You're heading kIPS, but not the right type.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yes, later this afternoon a big announcement with our old
Mike Casey on electrification, and I think there's an embargo
on that one, but positive economic stories.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Look, I'm talking to people here about the economy and
what we're going to do to turn it around a lot.
We have done a lot of things coming into effect
very soon. If you look at resource management law, can't
say enough about it. It's the game changer for a
resource based country or land based country. But you know,
also just make the point, but if we don't figure
(11:45):
out how to get energy abundance in this country, then
our whole story of being first world becomes kind of academic.
So I'm looking forward to talking to Mike Casey about
how we can make a few things easier. When it
comes to solar because you know, the sun doesn't shine
every day, but it shines enough that we need to
take advantage of that.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Final question for you, David ce My, Act Party Leader
Deputy Prime Minister for the upcoming New Zealand test for migrants.
How many tales are wagging the coalition dog at the moment?
Two or three?
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Well, look, our government's about to put together it's third
budget with three parties that reduces the size of government
as a percentage of the economy three in a row,
less money being taken more for the private sector. Has
it gone as fast as the ACT Party would go?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
No?
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Has it gone faster than it would without us? Yes,
we can point to receipts literally where we've saved billions
of dollars as Act Ministers and that with Act policy.
All good stuff. However, I would just say, look, you know,
anyone that wishes that the part that the government was
divided only needs to look at the actual track record.
Three budgets in a row, save the the taxpayer money.
(13:01):
Pretty good stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
All right, David Seamore, thanks to your time as always,
enjoy your day at Melbrook. Yes, thank you, David. Nineteen
After twelve pretty tough questions if you wanted to pass
the UK migrant or immigration test, Michelle Watt came up
with that, test Or gave me the answers. I did
say to you to scurry away, Michelle and find out
(13:25):
the age of Mick Jagger, because Mick or Sir Micjagger,
they're going to be releasing a new album. I think
it is in July. Let me hang on.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Yeah, July tenth, I think is the day. It's called
foreign Tongues.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Foreign tungs. Thank you very much. So I said to you,
because I know Trump's about to turn eighty, isn't he?
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Yes, So he turns eighty actually not long after my
birth down on the fourteenth of during this yet.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Well, we'll be at Field Days and we're beat. I
wish Trump a happy birthday, bring you Trump hat. So
he's eighty, Okay, Winston, I know Winston because Winston's birthday
coincides with the birth of my fourth child, really Hocknui radio.
So that's the eleventh of April. But Winstance was the
(14:08):
eleventh of April nineteen forty five. He was born before
the end of the Second World War. That makes him
eighty one. How old's Mick.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Max eighty two, and of course turns eighty three. And
on the twenty sixth of July this year, and so
does Keith. Richards also turns eighty three.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And Keith looks a lot older than Keith. Keith looks
a lot older he does. I'll tell you what, if
you want a really good read, read Keith Richard's book.
I think I lent it to one of our didn't
I lend it to Calvin.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
I've got it now.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Oh, I know, I wish I would get it back.
I'm just anyhow. It is a great read, seriously, a
great read. He has lived life. Keith Richard's up next.
Someone else with a few who's been around the sun
a few times in terms of experience I'm talking about,
and that is, of course, none other than doctor Jack
(14:58):
willn Rowth. She's down on south On He's up next.
(15:21):
She's one of our leading primary sector academics and she
was in Southland, God's own farming province yesterday for a
Thriving Southland Day. Doctor Jack willin Rowath. Great to have
you on the show. I know you're about to jump
on a plane and head back to the tron or
the Waikato region. Isn't Southland looking a picture at the moment.
Speaker 6 (15:40):
It's just superb and the farmers are feeling pretty positive.
They're just like some clear signals strong policy people about
what is going to be best on their aspect. And
the titarist vangitaralist was talking yesterday, as was Hamish mar
and saying, you know the straight back approach. We just
(16:01):
need the data and we can do the deals.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I'd Warwick Kettow, who's an old friend of yours and mine,
on the show a yesterday and he was talking about
fertilizer and optimizing our returns because we know it costs
a hell of a lot to buy it, cart it
and spread it. And he had some really good suggestions.
But I'm thinking, won't farmers have figured this all out
(16:24):
themselves by now? This is not the nineteen eighties where
we used to just throw two hundredweight of super phosphate
on regardless and spread at Willy Nilly.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, there were.
Speaker 6 (16:34):
Different technologies available then, So I will say, as a
soil scientist, I've spent a lot of my work looking
at super pophate and nitrogen, and I have been impressed
over the last forty fifty years about how farmers have
adopted the new technologies to make sure that every nutrient
goes in the right amount at the right time, right
(16:55):
place and in the right form to make it best
available to the plant and therefore maximize productivity from that input.
Farmers are terrific the way they adopt the new technologies
and it makes sense on the bottom line.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
It's too expensive to waste. Last week you were at
the New Zealand Agricultural and Climate Change conference held in Wellington?
Was it all hot here?
Speaker 6 (17:19):
I was online? Therefore saving greenhouse gases and also therefore
able to observe quite a lot and various solutions were proposed,
but most farmers would say, we need it to beral,
fiscally neutral or a benefit in order not to be
able to cut back on the productivity that the country needs.
(17:41):
And so they're waiting for actual, real positive data from
on fun and we're still a way to go. But
that has been the case for some time, and it
is one of the problems with research, particularly when you're
trying to change the metabolism of the animal, which is
this vol to be what it is?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Is it a bit of a chicken and egg situation?
Do we save the world or do we feed the world?
Speaker 6 (18:08):
I think we go back to Paris Paris agreement is
our friend. It said, do everything you can to reduce
screenhouse gases, therefore saving the world without compromising food production.
And at the moment, our data suggests that we are
amongst the most efficient producers in the world. Of course,
there are various ways of doing these calculations, so we
(18:28):
need to go back to what the IPCC requests because
that's the global reporting metric at the moment for our framework.
And so we're pretty good and we have adapted our process.
It's like the fedilizer we started with. We make sure
that they fit the biophysical area that we're talking about.
So New Zealand is far more focused in regions that
(18:52):
suit the wine, the sheet and beef the dairy than
most countries because they grew up saying what does the
village need. They're more diverse and that creates its own
problems diversity.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Something and this is not on the script, but I'm
just going to throw it at you. We had Mike
McIntyre on the show yesterday and I'm fascinated by this
protein boom that's happening around the world off the back
of these weight loss drugs. Are he set up to
twenty percent of Americans have sampled or been customers of
these weight loss drugs and the fact that they're looking
for high value protein which to offset the muscle mass
(19:28):
loss they have when they're taking these weight loss drugs.
This is a game breaker for New Zealand, especially our dairy.
Speaker 6 (19:34):
Industry, dairy and meat. And three years ago there was oh,
they're going to put New Zealand out a business because
food won't be required. Nonsense. High quality accessible protein, which
is fundamentally animal protein, particularly milk then followed closely by meat,
is much more to the requirements than anything that you
(19:56):
can get to bomb plant sorry, plants kinwa. You could
get the same accessible protein from fundamentally, it would take
three times as many calories to get it from qinwa
than it would from milk. And if you're on one
of the weight loss drugs, presumably you're trying to cut
back on calories as well, So go for the milk.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Okay, Jacqueline, I've got to go. You've got to catch
a plane to get back to the tron.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Thanks for your time, Thanks a lot, jering bye, good on.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Your Jacqueline, safe travels. It is twenty eight after twelve
yep so on a text line five dob nine. Who's
the sharpest? Where are those ages? Sir Mick Jagger at
eighty two, Winston at eighty one or Trump eighty in
a month's time. Here's some of your text feedback coming in.
Let's have a look. You have to admit David Seymour
(20:48):
sounds good and this is coming from a National Party voter.
Mark Laura says the government are doing a good job. Jamie,
thank god the adults are in charge. And here's another
one saying instant is leading the charge. Your thoughts on
that one. We're going to take a break. Michelle's gott
rural news and we'll have a look at sports news
(21:08):
for you. I think I heard at the top of
the hour Steve Lancaster has been confirmed as the chief
executive of n Z Rugby, under the stewardship, of course
of David kirk On to straighten the place out. Awe,
but I would have thought before the end of the hour.
Chris Russell and Australia John mcabinnie in Waititomo if we
can find him some coverage issues there. Welcome back to
(21:52):
the country. Very shortly the latest and rural news. But
first we've got a special podcast coming your way. On
the Country Today. This one's with the Rural Support Trust
in Fonterra and I Reckon. This episode is a bit
of a foundation piece for everything we do on this show.
This week we've got not one but two guests. Michelle Rodell,
(22:12):
National and Northland chairperson for the Rural Support Trust who
do a great job, and our old mate Jered Vaughan,
the CEO of Farmstrong. Two organizations you've probably heard of,
but today we're getting right into what they actually do
because at the heart of it, both Michelle and Jared
are asking the same question, how do we keep rural
people well, how do we build the kind of resilience
(22:35):
that helps communities weather the tough times and not just
survive but actually thrive. And what both organizations offer, how
they compliment each other, and the practical steps we can
take to back ourselves and the people around us. Jump
on the free iHeart app and check out the Country
Podcast Today.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Beautiful were said, good Man?
Speaker 1 (23:02):
What the Country's world news with Cod Cadet, New Zealand's
leading right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot
co dot Nz for your locals doggist.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, good afternoon, Michelle, what a great library of work.
The Rolling Stones have got I made a point the
last time they were in New Zealand, I think it
was twenty fourteen at Mount Smart Stadium, went along with
mate of mine old Bernie McCone, Hello Bernie if you're listening,
and the other halfs took the program directly with me
as well, and they were a fantastic concert. So Mick
(23:34):
would have been what's that coming up? Sixteen years he
would have been about seventy. He was still running up
and down the stage like doing about ten k's he's amazing.
And Keith hasn't aged a day since then. He looked
eighty back then.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
He looks the same, doesn't know. We were just talking
about this off year before. But great band, amazing catalogs
loved them. And if I tell you what if the
tour again in the eighties, surely they're one of the
oldest rock bands to put on a tour around the
world if they do one for this album, this new album.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Comes well the Octagerians. Is that what you call someone
who's eighty years old? Eighty years old? Winston Mick and
Trump five Double O nine. Who's the sharpest of those three? Okay?
Have I played the rural news thing I have go okay,
So in rural news.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
New research is getting underway that could ease food safety
rules for deer hunters in some regions. Food Safety Minister
Andrew Hoggard says the work will review current restrictions around
broad broadifacorum bait station so it's a type of poison
in case you're wondering at the moment, deer can't be
hunted for food within two kilometers of a bait station
and those limits stand places for up to three years
(24:38):
after poison is laid. Mister Hoggards says that it can
take large areas of land out for use for commercial hunters,
often in rural areas where hunting supports local jobs. The
research also protects New Zealand's reputation producing high safe, high
quality meat, and Lincoln University and the Bioeconomy Science Institute
will lead the where it was fine is expected in November.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
There is Royal News that's have a look at sport.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Sport on the country with AFCO one hundred percent key
we owned that's rare.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yes, And as I teased earlier, New Zealand Rugby has
confirmed Steve Lancaster excuse me, as the organization's chief executive
had been in the interim role for six months. The
fifty five year old has been on the governing body's
executives team since twenty twenty and has led the community
arm of the sports since twenty sixteen. The former Crusaders
(25:30):
locks involvement in sports administration extends back over twenty years,
including roles at Enza Crusaders Rugby Canada and Netball New Zealand.
Enz R Chair David Kirk says Lancaster has demonstrated exceptional
leadership and has earned the board's trust and Paris Saint
Germain will play Arsenal in the Champions League Football Decider
(25:54):
on May thirty one, and Budapest after they sealed a
six y five Aggregates semifinal win over Bay in Munich.
That's your sports news. Up next, we're off to White
Tomo with John mcavinie. He is a White Tomo sheep
(26:25):
and beef farmer by day by night or is it
the other way around? Is the chief executive of steel
Fort John McAvennie joins us on the country. John. I
don't know whether your ears were burning yesterday, but we
had young Steve or Steve Young, your marketing guy in
the studio here, and I said to him, you need
to ask the boss for a pay rise tomorrow, I
e today, because this week you sold five hundred carves
(26:48):
at Talpo. They're the black ones, the Angus ones. This
would be a good time. You'd be right for the picking.
Speaker 7 (26:55):
Yeah, I think you're lining me up there, Jamie. But
we did good sale, and it was back a little
bit from it was what it was a month ago.
But you know we averaged nearly we averaged seventeen hundred.
You know, the top hit of the top stier calves
(27:15):
made seventeen hundred and sixty five dollars, So over five
hundred calves. You can work that out for yourself.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Well, it's not a bad check. Actually, you just cut
out momentarily. There, I'll repeat that number. You averaged thirteen
hundred and fifty seventeen hundred and sixty five for those
top stair calves. Look, it's not that long ago, John,
That seventeen hundred and sixty five dollars would have been
a big prime two or three year old stare.
Speaker 7 (27:40):
Yeah, I've never seen this in my you know, I've
been farming since nineteen seventy nine and I've never seen
anything like this. And the good thing about us it
looks sustainable. You know, there is a lot of solidarity
in the market and the States and Europe and China,
and I think you know, people want proteins. You know,
(28:03):
protein is required all over the world, and that's what
we're selling.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Well, we've been discussing this one for a few weeks now.
The protein boom off the back of the weight loss drugs. Look,
I think New Zealand farming the protein. We're the best
at converting grass into protein in the world. The future
is almost limitless. Okay, that's the beef side of your operation.
Are all the lambs gone this year? Because you're an
extensive sort of property there, I think you sell everything
(28:29):
as stores.
Speaker 7 (28:30):
Yeah, well, so you know, we sold about four thousand
odd lambs this year and I would say the top
ones made one hundred and eighty odd dollars, but I'd
say they're probably average one seventy one seventy five something
like that. And you know they've all gone now. So
you know, this is the time of the year that
(28:52):
we don't you know, if any time in farming is
a more quiet time it's in the next couple of months.
So yeah, we've done very well with the ends and
we've done very well with the cattle.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Now I want to talk to you about Halter. That
the more I talked to Craig Pigott, the more impressed
I am with what he's doing. He's at the bleeding edge,
the leading edge of technology with this one. I know,
you're introducing the wlter system on your farm, which is
hilly and extensive. Because of it'll effectively save a labor unit.
(29:26):
But I think even more importantly with extensive beef cattle operations,
now you can graze more effectively. It's a bit of
a no brainer, especially if you set about subdividing some
of that hill country. The cost is prohibitive.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Well, some of the chisty hector is you know, which
is you know, three hundred and fifty odd acres and
you know when you look at that and you can
put this virtual fencing down, I mean, you know, just
as an additor that you do. You've got cows and
calves together, you know, and you want the calves to
(30:03):
get to these feed Well, they don't have holters on them,
but the cows do. So the cows virtual fence the
calves can go through.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Well you're cutting sorry, John, you're cutting out away, but
on me there you need to go and stand on
a chair. So the gist of what you were saying
is the cows have got the hol to collar on
the calves, haven't. The calves can go where they want,
they get the preferential feeding. Look, we haven't got a
great line. Are you going to Are you going to
be at field Days?
Speaker 7 (30:30):
Yes? Yeah, we've got a very big contingent at the
field Days this year. You know, I don't say you know,
we haven't been there and we don't do a good
job there. But this year particularly, we are going to
make a real stamp for steel Fort, Little Master and
all the other products that we've got.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
And robotics are a big part of your offering these days.
Speaker 6 (30:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (30:52):
Well the robotics are going very very well. In fact,
my daughter and Kevin as the GM we have just
come back. Cloud sare today and they've got some fantastic
cat it coming up in the next twelve months.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
John, Look, we haven't got a great line. I'm going
to have to love you and nath you. We'll have
a chat at field Days in the meantime, you enjoy
spending that money, all that money that you're rolling around
it at the moment after selling five hundred Angus carbs.
Speaker 7 (31:19):
Well done, Okay, Jamie, thanks very much, but love talking
to you and it's great to catch up.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Good on you, John, good to catch up with you.
Looking forward to be one of the many many people
Michelle will be catching up with at Field Days. Not
long to go now, just over? What is it today?
The seventh? About five weeks away? Is it five weeks
to be five weeks yesterday? Yes, you haven't seen the
(31:45):
rolling stones, as I said. I saw them in twenty
fourteen at Mount Smart. They were brilliant. And what I
remember about it is walking out. I might have told
this story before, but a good story is worth repeating.
I'm walking out, a couple of us, or a couple
of couples walking out, and then I hear this voice
behind me, go your Tory bastard, And I look around.
(32:06):
Who should it be? None other than my socialist friend
Damien No con oh, he's always quick to fire a shot.
There you go. Anyhow, we might see Damien at Field
Days as well. It is bang on quarter away from
one here on the Country Mix eighty two, Winston's eighty one.
Trump turns eighty in a month. Who's the sharpest? Tell
(32:28):
Us on five double nine. I'll tell you another bloke is.
I won't ask him because it would be a bit
rudies and well into his seventies. In how he's a
very smart guy. Chris Russell our Ossie correspondent. He is
(33:02):
our Aussie correspondent based out of Sydney. Chris Russell's's name.
Next week Chris Elbow comes out with his budget. We've
got one here in New Zealand later in May. Is
there going to be anything and at all for farmers?
Does he care about farmers?
Speaker 4 (33:17):
Look, the only good thing we've heard so far that
might be coming on the cards is the possibility of
being to extend at the moment they get this instant
right off of up to twenty thousand dollars a year,
so anything up that costs up that that can be
written off in the year that it was purchased. They
brought that in in COVID and they seem to have
extended it, but it's never been a permanent feature. So
(33:38):
there is a rumor that they may make that a
permanent feature. Of people's tax returns. But that is the
only good news. I mean, they're considering imposing a minimum
thirty percent tax on family trust distributions. Now at the moment,
family trusts, which most of the farming successions and ownerships
are set around, only paid fifteen percent on the distribution,
(33:59):
and then of course your hands it's taxable at whatever
rate you pay, but fifteen percent tax is a lot lower.
And now they're talking about increasing that up to the
same as company tax, which is thirty percent. They're also
weighing whether to in fact get rid of some of
the capital gain scats concessions where you know, you can
(34:19):
reduce the value by fifty percent and then another fifty
percent depending on how long you've owned the item. So
and these, of course, anything before twenty I think it's
twenty September nineteen eighty five is capital gains tax free.
Speaker 7 (34:32):
That will remain.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
But the other concessions they think of getting rid of those.
So there's all sorts of things that are wheedling away.
They're removing the concessions that older people had for for
paying for their health insurance. So we've got a higher
concession once you turn over seventy understanding that you know
that you're probably on a pension, either paid yourself or
(34:55):
from the government, but all that looks like being even out,
so will be no different to a one year old.
And there's a big outcry about that. So this government's
desperate for money. They're bankrupt. We've got trillion dollars worth
of debt. Twenty years ago we had zero debt, and
they're just hunting around trying to find something that isn't
going to see them straight out on their ear and
the next election in two years time, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Farm prices have record highs.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
Yes, well that's something which I think that people are
surprised about. But there is in fact quite a low growth.
But there's about six million hectares of farmland was bought
and sold last year and fine process rose about two
point eight percent, and they're saying that this we're now
looking at a national medium price which is a record
(35:43):
of ten five hundred and sixteen dollars per hectare, so
that's quite a.
Speaker 7 (35:49):
Lot of money.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
But it's now showing clear signs of cooling. The demand
is going down and I think people are a bit
more feeling under pressure. We've got this Alnino. Potentially we've
got alsos of other factors which may mean this is
not quite as good a year, but nonetheless ten thousand
dollars a hect here. I remember, you know, when I
was a young fellow, if you, providing you were happy
to live in the outback, you could pick up country
(36:11):
for ten or twenty dollars an acre.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
You have talked or we have talked in the past
about this proposed inland rail route from Melbourne through to
the middle and then up to Brisbane. It's basically an
egg line. It's going to be stopped in its track,
snow pun and tended.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Yes, well, I've been building this for some time. It's
about sixteen hundred kilometers long. And the big attraction of
this is that for a start, you could have one
point eight kilometer long double stack train. Double stack means
one container on top of the other, So got a
forty foot container on top of another forty foot which
you can't do on the coast because all the tunnels
and overhead wires and things over the tracks which are
(36:54):
where it's going. But out there you could. So you've
got farmers in midwest New South Wales who could veggies
and flowers and then get them up to the New
World Camp Airport at Tawoomba and fly them into Singapore
within forty eight hours to have a whole new market
that they would never have dreamed about. Whereas the moment
they've got to be trucked to Sydney and then got
(37:14):
on a plane in Sydney, it's not nearly as feasible.
So this was a real, really exciting project for farmers.
And of course the government now has said, well, it
was supposed to cost twenty billion dollars, it's now up
to thirty billion with expected cost of another forty billion.
A lot of it because of the cost of some
of the regulation and green tape and red tape involved
(37:38):
in acquiring properties in midwestern New South Wales going through
national parks and state forests, and the government just said
it look too expensive, we're not going to do it anymore.
They've got little bits of it built, but there are
some key bits in the middle that aren't which make
the bits they've built almost useless. They're not going to
stop acquiring land because the National Party in the opposition
(37:59):
has that as soon as they get elected they will
immediately recommence it because they do have a real base
in rural Australia, whereas the Labor Party really don't have
a base there that don't get any votes there. I
don't care about it really, and therefore you know it's
in their interest to say, well, let's save that money
and put it into the NDS or one of the
other schemes that there's their pet scheme.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Anyhow, I've got to go, Chris, thanks for your time
as always on the Country. No worries Jamie, Chris Russell
almost wrapping the Country, going to wrap some of your feedback.
Who's the sharpest mc jagger, Winston or Trump? Jamie mcdefinitely
sharper than the other two. Winston nearly is sharp, but
Trump is a drongo. He's just all bluff and wind
(38:42):
and only got where he is by greasing the right palms.
Patrick's a bit tough on Trump, isn't it some of
your feedback? To wrap the show? Next welcome back to
the Country. Yeah, who's the show up? S McK Winston
or Trump. There's a Winston, there's a Trumps. Winnie and
(39:06):
Nick by light years not Donald. He's very blunt. I
can't see why America voted for him, or we've got
the midterm elections coming up. I think America might not
vote for him in those. Hey, Michelle, congratulations, you shouted
the coffee this morning. Good on you, and that's for
celebrating the final payment of your student loan. I won't
(39:26):
ask you how old you are, because it's not a
very gentlemanly thing to do, but you were an adult student.
In your defense, I was second time round.
Speaker 5 (39:34):
Took ten years to pay this one off, So I'm
a proper adult. Now I feel like a proper adult.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Finally, well, I didn't have student loans in my day.
In fact, when I went to a runa hostel in
nineteen seventy nine to start my commerce degree. Are you
because I got a b bursary all one hundred or
fifty dollars a year or whatever it was, I had
a wee bit of money left over to buy Bear,
and my god, I wasted some on Bear in nineteen
(40:02):
seventy nine. Anyhow, can't look back a anger. We'll see
you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
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 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 (00:14):
Said, Get on Zealand, Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie
(00:36):
McKay the Rolling Stones. They have announced a new album
called Foreign Tongues. I think I'll check this during one
of the breaks. I think mix like eighty years old.
That's the same age as Winston. That's the same age.
I think Trump's knocking on the door of eighty years
of age. Who's in the best, Nick Winston, McK or
(00:57):
Donald Trump? You can send me your thoughts on at
text number five double O nine. We're going to kick
off the show. He's waiting on hold with a man
who would be fair to say has his moments with Winston.
David Seymour, Act Party Leader Deputy Prime Minister, Doctor Jaqueline
Rowath has been all over the country. She's down in
(01:19):
Southland about to make her way back up to her
home province of the Wye Padow. She was in Wellington,
i think last week for a climate change conference. John
mcaviny we alluded to this one yesterday. Why Tomo, Sheep
and Beef farmer chief executive at Steeford. He had five
hundred angus calves to sell at the Taalpo sale yesterday.
I wonder what he got for them. We'll ask him
(01:40):
if we can track him down. He's on his wait.
Tomo farm and Chris Russell, Our Australian correspondent. We've got
our budget coming up, I think on May the twenty eighth.
It's definitely May late May. Their's is coming up next Tuesday,
so we're going to have to talk about that what's
in it, or more importantly in Elbow's case, what's not
in it for farmers. Not very farmer friendly government over there.
(02:02):
And the scrapping of a huge inland rail project from
Brisbane to Melbourne. Apparently they were going to go through
the guts rather than going down the coast, so they
could have double decker sized containers on rails on the
rail cars because they didn't need to go through all
the tunnels on the overhead lines and all that sort
(02:23):
of stuff. Huge infrastructure project which has apparently been stored.
It's on a road or a track to nowhere. David
Seymour to kick off the show. He's at Millbrook today
(02:55):
kicking off the country today, Deputy Dave Seymour. Deputy Prime
Minister David Seymour had to drop you yesterday because the
Boss wanted to go on the wireless when he got
back from Singapore. So you're on today, David on Sunday,
I think it was Sunday you announced your new immigration policy.
Are you cutting Winston's lunch here?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Well, you didn't have to drop me, but that's a
choice you made. No, I'm responding to concerns people raised
with me just about every day, using policies that Act
has long harbored. You can go back to the book
I published at twenty seventeen where I said that there
should be some sort of infrastructure levy because if you've
(03:35):
got a group of people living in the country paying
tax funding infrastructure, that's sustainable. But then when you add
new people, you actually have to widen your infrastructure base.
The question is should the new people pay for that
or the existing people? And I think there's a strong
argument out of fairness the new people should make some
sort of extra contribution the way generations have. But on
(03:59):
the question and of values again, I'm on the record
ten years ago saying if you're not prepared to say
that men and women are equal and free speeches a
bottom line. Then you know, maybe your values don't quite
fit with New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
But once surely your six dollars daily fee for temporary
work visas be borne ultimately by the employer, which shall
ultimately be passed on to the consumer.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Well, I mean when you put a tax on someone,
there's always a debate about who's really paying. And the
answer is that depending on who needs who the most,
they break the cost up between them. So yes, you
can argue that some of it will go to the employer,
some of it will result in a lower take home
pay for the worker, and to the extent it goes
(04:51):
on to the employer, some will be paid by the consumers.
So you know, you can argue about tax incidents if
you like. The point is to raise the you and
that revenue I think is essential for infrastructure. Some people
in the rural space might say, look, you know, infrastructure
is mainly an urban problem. We believe there should be
(05:12):
a reduction or exemption for rural workers. I'm actually open
to that. And Andrew Hogart has said that all along
to us internally. I think the other way that you
might think about it is. You currently have this quite
high median wage requirement. You could knock seventy five cents
an hour off that, and that would cover the six
(05:34):
dollars a day at eight hours a day. So you know,
lots of ways to skin a cat. I think when
people come out and say it's a you know, attack
on rural New Zealand or an attack on small business,
it's almost as though they know more about my policy
than I do. But I haven't finalized it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
All right, David Seymour, we need migrant labor though, to
do the work on the farms and orchards of New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I agree with that, and that's why I've been strong
supporter of the RS scheme that is in need of
major reform, by the way. And yet if we want
to have an ongoing relationship with migrant labor, it needs
to remain politically sustainable. Any public policy has to be
politically sustainable. And if you look around the world, if
(06:18):
you ask people in New Zealand, there are a lot
of people who are saying, look, I appreciate the role
of migration in our history, but is it continuing to
build the key week character that we rely on for
most migrants, absolutely, but for a growing number perhaps not.
And are we keeping up with the infrastructure required for
a population that's growing pretty rapidly. You look at Dunedin, say,
(06:42):
you know, we add almost the Dunedin worth of people
every couple of years. The actual Dunedin took one hundred
and eighty years to build, and some people say it
still isn't finished. So you know, there's a question of
whether or not we have the right balance. Acts policies
are designed to do precisely that, while accepting the legitimate
concerns of people who say, hey, look, I know this
country is built by migration, but does it working for
(07:04):
us right now now?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
One of your other policies is a stronger English language requirement,
and I think generally that's probably been accepted. But are
they are migrants under your scheme going to have to
sit one of these migrant tests. I know that, for example,
the one in the UK is forty five minutes long.
It has twenty four questions. You've got to get eighteen
(07:26):
out of twenty four. And I was given some sample
questions for this migration test, and I don't know if
I don't think I would pass. Apparently most Brits.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Can't pass well, I mean, I'm not entirely surprised after
talking to you for a long time, Janie.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
But well, hang on, David, David, let's see how clever
you are. I'm going to throw this question at you.
History question, when did the Romans leave Britain?
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Well, some would argue they still have no.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
No, no, give me an answer, stop fudging.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I'm going to go with about four hundred AD.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Hundred and ten AD. So you got that wrong. Here's
a government question.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
I think, and I got it within ten years, over
two thousand years.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
It's still not right government. How many members are there
in the House of.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Commons About six hundred six sixty there.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Is six fifty. Once again, you're wrong, David. Three strikes
and you're out. Okay, I think you'll get this one.
What is the nickname for the Queen Elizabeth Tower in London?
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Oh? That one you've got me on. But just bear
in mind no.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
No, hang on, well no, that's big Ben. So you'll
strike that. You'll struck out none from three.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
That's absolute rubbish. First of all, that I'm sure the
multi choice I would have got those right. Second of all,
they're not actually I'm not actually trying to migrate to
the UK.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And well Winston might like you to.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, who knows. I'm not really worried about his preferences.
But you know, I think the wider point is, you
talk about English language, you talk about knowledge. A lot
of people in healthcare, a lot of people in education
saying hey, look, our job's materially harder because we are
dealing with people that don't have the language skills. Now,
yes we want people to come here, Yes we need
(09:12):
the source of labor, but should that cost be put
on to the other patients in the waiting room or
the other kids in the classroom. It's all about balance,
and I think it's high time that we had a
more sophisticated conversation than perhaps we've had lately with people
going on by the check in and all that. I
think we need to ask ourselves, you know, how do
(09:32):
we reconcile our heritage and our future is a country
of migrants with the real needs and concerns of people
already living here.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
A couple to funish on. I read a story on
the Herald this morning about labor versus taparty Mari. The
battle lines are being drawn for those Maori seats. But
I almost see, and I've said this to Chris Sipkins,
that he almost needs the overhang of to party Mariy
getting all the Maray seats to try and form a government.
Can could he possibly do it with just the Greens?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Well, you know that wouldn't completely destroy the country like
with TPM, and they're just mostly destroy the country. I suspect. Look,
I think that the reality is that we are climbing
out of a bloody tough period and thank God for
the farmers, and thank god for the commodity prices if
you are a farmer. Nonetheless, we now set the prospect
(10:29):
of a group of people who are economically bandless, can't count,
could never balance a checkbook, and they can't explain how
they would pay for any of the promises they're making
to their voters. And that's before you get into their
regulatory record of banning hole industries, declaring war on farmers,
declaring war on landlords, and basically just beating on groups
of New Zealanders to satisfy others. I mean, you know
(10:52):
you think things are bad, now, wait till those muppets
go back to their normal form. We will have serious
serious challenges as a country, at least those of us
still living here.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Will It doesn't be a thinking about Hey, you're at
Millbrook today. I don't know why you're not playing golf,
but apparently you've got some economic speech and I think
later later today.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
You're heading kIPS, but not the right type.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yes, later this afternoon a big announcement with our old
Mike Casey on electrification, and I think there's an embargo
on that one, but positive economic stories.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Look, I'm talking to people here about the economy and
what we're going to do to turn it around a lot.
We have done a lot of things coming into effect
very soon. If you look at resource management law, can't
say enough about it. It's the game changer for a
resource based country or land based country. But you know,
also just make the point, but if we don't figure
(11:45):
out how to get energy abundance in this country, then
our whole story of being first world becomes kind of academic.
So I'm looking forward to talking to Mike Casey about
how we can make a few things easier. When it
comes to solar because you know, the sun doesn't shine
every day, but it shines enough that we need to
take advantage of that.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Final question for you, David ce My, Act Party Leader
Deputy Prime Minister for the upcoming New Zealand test for migrants.
How many tales are wagging the coalition dog at the moment?
Two or three?
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Well, look, our government's about to put together it's third
budget with three parties that reduces the size of government
as a percentage of the economy three in a row,
less money being taken more for the private sector. Has
it gone as fast as the ACT Party would go?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
No?
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Has it gone faster than it would without us? Yes,
we can point to receipts literally where we've saved billions
of dollars as Act Ministers and that with Act policy.
All good stuff. However, I would just say, look, you know,
anyone that wishes that the part that the government was
divided only needs to look at the actual track record.
Three budgets in a row, save the the taxpayer money.
(13:01):
Pretty good stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
All right, David Seamore, thanks to your time as always,
enjoy your day at Melbrook. Yes, thank you, David. Nineteen
After twelve pretty tough questions if you wanted to pass
the UK migrant or immigration test, Michelle Watt came up
with that, test Or gave me the answers. I did
say to you to scurry away, Michelle and find out
(13:25):
the age of Mick Jagger, because Mick or Sir Micjagger,
they're going to be releasing a new album. I think
it is in July. Let me hang on.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Yeah, July tenth, I think is the day. It's called
foreign Tongues.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Foreign tungs. Thank you very much. So I said to you,
because I know Trump's about to turn eighty, isn't he?
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Yes, So he turns eighty actually not long after my
birth down on the fourteenth of during this yet.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Well, we'll be at Field Days and we're beat. I
wish Trump a happy birthday, bring you Trump hat. So
he's eighty, Okay, Winston, I know Winston because Winston's birthday
coincides with the birth of my fourth child, really Hocknui radio.
So that's the eleventh of April. But Winstance was the
(14:08):
eleventh of April nineteen forty five. He was born before
the end of the Second World War. That makes him
eighty one. How old's Mick.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Max eighty two, and of course turns eighty three. And
on the twenty sixth of July this year, and so
does Keith. Richards also turns eighty three.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And Keith looks a lot older than Keith. Keith looks
a lot older he does. I'll tell you what, if
you want a really good read, read Keith Richard's book.
I think I lent it to one of our didn't
I lend it to Calvin.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
I've got it now.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Oh, I know, I wish I would get it back.
I'm just anyhow. It is a great read, seriously, a
great read. He has lived life. Keith Richard's up next.
Someone else with a few who's been around the sun
a few times in terms of experience I'm talking about,
and that is, of course, none other than doctor Jack
(14:58):
willn Rowth. She's down on south On He's up next.
(15:21):
She's one of our leading primary sector academics and she
was in Southland, God's own farming province yesterday for a
Thriving Southland Day. Doctor Jack willin Rowath. Great to have
you on the show. I know you're about to jump
on a plane and head back to the tron or
the Waikato region. Isn't Southland looking a picture at the moment.
Speaker 6 (15:40):
It's just superb and the farmers are feeling pretty positive.
They're just like some clear signals strong policy people about
what is going to be best on their aspect. And
the titarist vangitaralist was talking yesterday, as was Hamish mar
and saying, you know the straight back approach. We just
(16:01):
need the data and we can do the deals.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I'd Warwick Kettow, who's an old friend of yours and mine,
on the show a yesterday and he was talking about
fertilizer and optimizing our returns because we know it costs
a hell of a lot to buy it, cart it
and spread it. And he had some really good suggestions.
But I'm thinking, won't farmers have figured this all out
(16:24):
themselves by now? This is not the nineteen eighties where
we used to just throw two hundredweight of super phosphate
on regardless and spread at Willy Nilly.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, there were.
Speaker 6 (16:34):
Different technologies available then, So I will say, as a
soil scientist, I've spent a lot of my work looking
at super pophate and nitrogen, and I have been impressed
over the last forty fifty years about how farmers have
adopted the new technologies to make sure that every nutrient
goes in the right amount at the right time, right
(16:55):
place and in the right form to make it best
available to the plant and therefore maximize productivity from that input.
Farmers are terrific the way they adopt the new technologies
and it makes sense on the bottom line.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
It's too expensive to waste. Last week you were at
the New Zealand Agricultural and Climate Change conference held in Wellington?
Was it all hot here?
Speaker 6 (17:19):
I was online? Therefore saving greenhouse gases and also therefore
able to observe quite a lot and various solutions were proposed,
but most farmers would say, we need it to beral,
fiscally neutral or a benefit in order not to be
able to cut back on the productivity that the country needs.
(17:41):
And so they're waiting for actual, real positive data from
on fun and we're still a way to go. But
that has been the case for some time, and it
is one of the problems with research, particularly when you're
trying to change the metabolism of the animal, which is
this vol to be what it is?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Is it a bit of a chicken and egg situation?
Do we save the world or do we feed the world?
Speaker 6 (18:08):
I think we go back to Paris Paris agreement is
our friend. It said, do everything you can to reduce
screenhouse gases, therefore saving the world without compromising food production.
And at the moment, our data suggests that we are
amongst the most efficient producers in the world. Of course,
there are various ways of doing these calculations, so we
(18:28):
need to go back to what the IPCC requests because
that's the global reporting metric at the moment for our framework.
And so we're pretty good and we have adapted our process.
It's like the fedilizer we started with. We make sure
that they fit the biophysical area that we're talking about.
So New Zealand is far more focused in regions that
(18:52):
suit the wine, the sheet and beef the dairy than
most countries because they grew up saying what does the
village need. They're more diverse and that creates its own
problems diversity.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Something and this is not on the script, but I'm
just going to throw it at you. We had Mike
McIntyre on the show yesterday and I'm fascinated by this
protein boom that's happening around the world off the back
of these weight loss drugs. Are he set up to
twenty percent of Americans have sampled or been customers of
these weight loss drugs and the fact that they're looking
for high value protein which to offset the muscle mass
(19:28):
loss they have when they're taking these weight loss drugs.
This is a game breaker for New Zealand, especially our dairy.
Speaker 6 (19:34):
Industry, dairy and meat. And three years ago there was oh,
they're going to put New Zealand out a business because
food won't be required. Nonsense. High quality accessible protein, which
is fundamentally animal protein, particularly milk then followed closely by meat,
is much more to the requirements than anything that you
(19:56):
can get to bomb plant sorry, plants kinwa. You could
get the same accessible protein from fundamentally, it would take
three times as many calories to get it from qinwa
than it would from milk. And if you're on one
of the weight loss drugs, presumably you're trying to cut
back on calories as well, So go for the milk.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Okay, Jacqueline, I've got to go. You've got to catch
a plane to get back to the tron.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Thanks for your time, Thanks a lot, jering bye, good on.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Your Jacqueline, safe travels. It is twenty eight after twelve
yep so on a text line five dob nine. Who's
the sharpest? Where are those ages? Sir Mick Jagger at
eighty two, Winston at eighty one or Trump eighty in
a month's time. Here's some of your text feedback coming in.
Let's have a look. You have to admit David Seymour
(20:48):
sounds good and this is coming from a National Party voter.
Mark Laura says the government are doing a good job. Jamie,
thank god the adults are in charge. And here's another
one saying instant is leading the charge. Your thoughts on
that one. We're going to take a break. Michelle's gott
rural news and we'll have a look at sports news
(21:08):
for you. I think I heard at the top of
the hour Steve Lancaster has been confirmed as the chief
executive of n Z Rugby, under the stewardship, of course
of David kirk On to straighten the place out. Awe,
but I would have thought before the end of the hour.
Chris Russell and Australia John mcabinnie in Waititomo if we
can find him some coverage issues there. Welcome back to
(21:52):
the country. Very shortly the latest and rural news. But
first we've got a special podcast coming your way. On
the Country Today. This one's with the Rural Support Trust
in Fonterra and I Reckon. This episode is a bit
of a foundation piece for everything we do on this show.
This week we've got not one but two guests. Michelle Rodell,
(22:12):
National and Northland chairperson for the Rural Support Trust who
do a great job, and our old mate Jered Vaughan,
the CEO of Farmstrong. Two organizations you've probably heard of,
but today we're getting right into what they actually do
because at the heart of it, both Michelle and Jared
are asking the same question, how do we keep rural
people well, how do we build the kind of resilience
(22:35):
that helps communities weather the tough times and not just
survive but actually thrive. And what both organizations offer, how
they compliment each other, and the practical steps we can
take to back ourselves and the people around us. Jump
on the free iHeart app and check out the Country
Podcast Today.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Beautiful were said, good Man?
Speaker 1 (23:02):
What the Country's world news with Cod Cadet, New Zealand's
leading right on lawn Bower brand. Visit steel Ford dot
co dot Nz for your locals doggist.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, good afternoon, Michelle, what a great library of work.
The Rolling Stones have got I made a point the
last time they were in New Zealand, I think it
was twenty fourteen at Mount Smart Stadium, went along with
mate of mine old Bernie McCone, Hello Bernie if you're listening,
and the other halfs took the program directly with me
as well, and they were a fantastic concert. So Mick
(23:34):
would have been what's that coming up? Sixteen years he
would have been about seventy. He was still running up
and down the stage like doing about ten k's he's amazing.
And Keith hasn't aged a day since then. He looked
eighty back then.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
He looks the same, doesn't know. We were just talking
about this off year before. But great band, amazing catalogs
loved them. And if I tell you what if the
tour again in the eighties, surely they're one of the
oldest rock bands to put on a tour around the
world if they do one for this album, this new album.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Comes well the Octagerians. Is that what you call someone
who's eighty years old? Eighty years old? Winston Mick and
Trump five Double O nine. Who's the sharpest of those three? Okay?
Have I played the rural news thing I have go okay,
So in rural news.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
New research is getting underway that could ease food safety
rules for deer hunters in some regions. Food Safety Minister
Andrew Hoggard says the work will review current restrictions around
broad broadifacorum bait station so it's a type of poison
in case you're wondering at the moment, deer can't be
hunted for food within two kilometers of a bait station
and those limits stand places for up to three years
(24:38):
after poison is laid. Mister Hoggards says that it can
take large areas of land out for use for commercial hunters,
often in rural areas where hunting supports local jobs. The
research also protects New Zealand's reputation producing high safe, high
quality meat, and Lincoln University and the Bioeconomy Science Institute
will lead the where it was fine is expected in November.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
There is Royal News that's have a look at sport.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Sport on the country with AFCO one hundred percent key
we owned that's rare.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yes, And as I teased earlier, New Zealand Rugby has
confirmed Steve Lancaster excuse me, as the organization's chief executive
had been in the interim role for six months. The
fifty five year old has been on the governing body's
executives team since twenty twenty and has led the community
arm of the sports since twenty sixteen. The former Crusaders
(25:30):
locks involvement in sports administration extends back over twenty years,
including roles at Enza Crusaders Rugby Canada and Netball New Zealand.
Enz R Chair David Kirk says Lancaster has demonstrated exceptional
leadership and has earned the board's trust and Paris Saint
Germain will play Arsenal in the Champions League Football Decider
(25:54):
on May thirty one, and Budapest after they sealed a
six y five Aggregates semifinal win over Bay in Munich.
That's your sports news. Up next, we're off to White
Tomo with John mcavinie. He is a White Tomo sheep
(26:25):
and beef farmer by day by night or is it
the other way around? Is the chief executive of steel
Fort John McAvennie joins us on the country. John. I
don't know whether your ears were burning yesterday, but we
had young Steve or Steve Young, your marketing guy in
the studio here, and I said to him, you need
to ask the boss for a pay rise tomorrow, I
e today, because this week you sold five hundred carves
(26:48):
at Talpo. They're the black ones, the Angus ones. This
would be a good time. You'd be right for the picking.
Speaker 7 (26:55):
Yeah, I think you're lining me up there, Jamie. But
we did good sale, and it was back a little
bit from it was what it was a month ago.
But you know we averaged nearly we averaged seventeen hundred.
You know, the top hit of the top stier calves
(27:15):
made seventeen hundred and sixty five dollars, So over five
hundred calves. You can work that out for yourself.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Well, it's not a bad check. Actually, you just cut
out momentarily. There, I'll repeat that number. You averaged thirteen
hundred and fifty seventeen hundred and sixty five for those
top stair calves. Look, it's not that long ago, John,
That seventeen hundred and sixty five dollars would have been
a big prime two or three year old stare.
Speaker 7 (27:40):
Yeah, I've never seen this in my you know, I've
been farming since nineteen seventy nine and I've never seen
anything like this. And the good thing about us it
looks sustainable. You know, there is a lot of solidarity
in the market and the States and Europe and China,
and I think you know, people want proteins. You know,
(28:03):
protein is required all over the world, and that's what
we're selling.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Well, we've been discussing this one for a few weeks now.
The protein boom off the back of the weight loss drugs. Look,
I think New Zealand farming the protein. We're the best
at converting grass into protein in the world. The future
is almost limitless. Okay, that's the beef side of your operation.
Are all the lambs gone this year? Because you're an
extensive sort of property there, I think you sell everything
(28:29):
as stores.
Speaker 7 (28:30):
Yeah, well, so you know, we sold about four thousand
odd lambs this year and I would say the top
ones made one hundred and eighty odd dollars, but I'd
say they're probably average one seventy one seventy five something
like that. And you know they've all gone now. So
you know, this is the time of the year that
(28:52):
we don't you know, if any time in farming is
a more quiet time it's in the next couple of months.
So yeah, we've done very well with the ends and
we've done very well with the cattle.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Now I want to talk to you about Halter. That
the more I talked to Craig Pigott, the more impressed
I am with what he's doing. He's at the bleeding edge,
the leading edge of technology with this one. I know,
you're introducing the wlter system on your farm, which is
hilly and extensive. Because of it'll effectively save a labor unit.
(29:26):
But I think even more importantly with extensive beef cattle operations,
now you can graze more effectively. It's a bit of
a no brainer, especially if you set about subdividing some
of that hill country. The cost is prohibitive.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Well, some of the chisty hector is you know, which
is you know, three hundred and fifty odd acres and
you know when you look at that and you can
put this virtual fencing down, I mean, you know, just
as an additor that you do. You've got cows and
calves together, you know, and you want the calves to
(30:03):
get to these feed Well, they don't have holters on them,
but the cows do. So the cows virtual fence the
calves can go through.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Well you're cutting sorry, John, you're cutting out away, but
on me there you need to go and stand on
a chair. So the gist of what you were saying
is the cows have got the hol to collar on
the calves, haven't. The calves can go where they want,
they get the preferential feeding. Look, we haven't got a
great line. Are you going to Are you going to
be at field Days?
Speaker 7 (30:30):
Yes? Yeah, we've got a very big contingent at the
field Days this year. You know, I don't say you know,
we haven't been there and we don't do a good
job there. But this year particularly, we are going to
make a real stamp for steel Fort, Little Master and
all the other products that we've got.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
And robotics are a big part of your offering these days.
Speaker 6 (30:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (30:52):
Well the robotics are going very very well. In fact,
my daughter and Kevin as the GM we have just
come back. Cloud sare today and they've got some fantastic
cat it coming up in the next twelve months.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
John, Look, we haven't got a great line. I'm going
to have to love you and nath you. We'll have
a chat at field Days in the meantime, you enjoy
spending that money, all that money that you're rolling around
it at the moment after selling five hundred Angus carbs.
Speaker 7 (31:19):
Well done, Okay, Jamie, thanks very much, but love talking
to you and it's great to catch up.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Good on you, John, good to catch up with you.
Looking forward to be one of the many many people
Michelle will be catching up with at Field Days. Not
long to go now, just over? What is it today?
The seventh? About five weeks away? Is it five weeks
to be five weeks yesterday? Yes, you haven't seen the
(31:45):
rolling stones, as I said. I saw them in twenty
fourteen at Mount Smart. They were brilliant. And what I
remember about it is walking out. I might have told
this story before, but a good story is worth repeating.
I'm walking out, a couple of us, or a couple
of couples walking out, and then I hear this voice
behind me, go your Tory bastard, And I look around.
(32:06):
Who should it be? None other than my socialist friend
Damien No con oh, he's always quick to fire a shot.
There you go. Anyhow, we might see Damien at Field
Days as well. It is bang on quarter away from
one here on the Country Mix eighty two, Winston's eighty one.
Trump turns eighty in a month. Who's the sharpest? Tell
(32:28):
Us on five double nine. I'll tell you another bloke is.
I won't ask him because it would be a bit
rudies and well into his seventies. In how he's a
very smart guy. Chris Russell our Ossie correspondent. He is
(33:02):
our Aussie correspondent based out of Sydney. Chris Russell's's name.
Next week Chris Elbow comes out with his budget. We've
got one here in New Zealand later in May. Is
there going to be anything and at all for farmers?
Does he care about farmers?
Speaker 4 (33:17):
Look, the only good thing we've heard so far that
might be coming on the cards is the possibility of
being to extend at the moment they get this instant
right off of up to twenty thousand dollars a year,
so anything up that costs up that that can be
written off in the year that it was purchased. They
brought that in in COVID and they seem to have
extended it, but it's never been a permanent feature. So
(33:38):
there is a rumor that they may make that a
permanent feature. Of people's tax returns. But that is the
only good news. I mean, they're considering imposing a minimum
thirty percent tax on family trust distributions. Now at the moment,
family trusts, which most of the farming successions and ownerships
are set around, only paid fifteen percent on the distribution,
(33:59):
and then of course your hands it's taxable at whatever
rate you pay, but fifteen percent tax is a lot lower.
And now they're talking about increasing that up to the
same as company tax, which is thirty percent. They're also
weighing whether to in fact get rid of some of
the capital gain scats concessions where you know, you can
(34:19):
reduce the value by fifty percent and then another fifty
percent depending on how long you've owned the item. So
and these, of course, anything before twenty I think it's
twenty September nineteen eighty five is capital gains tax free.
Speaker 7 (34:32):
That will remain.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
But the other concessions they think of getting rid of those.
So there's all sorts of things that are wheedling away.
They're removing the concessions that older people had for for
paying for their health insurance. So we've got a higher
concession once you turn over seventy understanding that you know
that you're probably on a pension, either paid yourself or
(34:55):
from the government, but all that looks like being even out,
so will be no different to a one year old.
And there's a big outcry about that. So this government's
desperate for money. They're bankrupt. We've got trillion dollars worth
of debt. Twenty years ago we had zero debt, and
they're just hunting around trying to find something that isn't
going to see them straight out on their ear and
the next election in two years time, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Farm prices have record highs.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
Yes, well that's something which I think that people are
surprised about. But there is in fact quite a low growth.
But there's about six million hectares of farmland was bought
and sold last year and fine process rose about two
point eight percent, and they're saying that this we're now
looking at a national medium price which is a record
(35:43):
of ten five hundred and sixteen dollars per hectare, so
that's quite a.
Speaker 7 (35:49):
Lot of money.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
But it's now showing clear signs of cooling. The demand
is going down and I think people are a bit
more feeling under pressure. We've got this Alnino. Potentially we've
got alsos of other factors which may mean this is
not quite as good a year, but nonetheless ten thousand
dollars a hect here. I remember, you know, when I
was a young fellow, if you, providing you were happy
to live in the outback, you could pick up country
(36:11):
for ten or twenty dollars an acre.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
You have talked or we have talked in the past
about this proposed inland rail route from Melbourne through to
the middle and then up to Brisbane. It's basically an
egg line. It's going to be stopped in its track,
snow pun and tended.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Yes, well, I've been building this for some time. It's
about sixteen hundred kilometers long. And the big attraction of
this is that for a start, you could have one
point eight kilometer long double stack train. Double stack means
one container on top of the other, So got a
forty foot container on top of another forty foot which
you can't do on the coast because all the tunnels
and overhead wires and things over the tracks which are
(36:54):
where it's going. But out there you could. So you've
got farmers in midwest New South Wales who could veggies
and flowers and then get them up to the New
World Camp Airport at Tawoomba and fly them into Singapore
within forty eight hours to have a whole new market
that they would never have dreamed about. Whereas the moment
they've got to be trucked to Sydney and then got
(37:14):
on a plane in Sydney, it's not nearly as feasible.
So this was a real, really exciting project for farmers.
And of course the government now has said, well, it
was supposed to cost twenty billion dollars, it's now up
to thirty billion with expected cost of another forty billion.
A lot of it because of the cost of some
of the regulation and green tape and red tape involved
(37:38):
in acquiring properties in midwestern New South Wales going through
national parks and state forests, and the government just said
it look too expensive, we're not going to do it anymore.
They've got little bits of it built, but there are
some key bits in the middle that aren't which make
the bits they've built almost useless. They're not going to
stop acquiring land because the National Party in the opposition
(37:59):
has that as soon as they get elected they will
immediately recommence it because they do have a real base
in rural Australia, whereas the Labor Party really don't have
a base there that don't get any votes there. I
don't care about it really, and therefore you know it's
in their interest to say, well, let's save that money
and put it into the NDS or one of the
other schemes that there's their pet scheme.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Anyhow, I've got to go, Chris, thanks for your time
as always on the Country. No worries Jamie, Chris Russell
almost wrapping the Country, going to wrap some of your feedback.
Who's the sharpest mc jagger, Winston or Trump? Jamie mcdefinitely
sharper than the other two. Winston nearly is sharp, but
Trump is a drongo. He's just all bluff and wind
(38:42):
and only got where he is by greasing the right palms.
Patrick's a bit tough on Trump, isn't it some of
your feedback? To wrap the show? Next welcome back to
the Country. Yeah, who's the show up? S McK Winston
or Trump. There's a Winston, there's a Trumps. Winnie and
(39:06):
Nick by light years not Donald. He's very blunt. I
can't see why America voted for him, or we've got
the midterm elections coming up. I think America might not
vote for him in those. Hey, Michelle, congratulations, you shouted
the coffee this morning. Good on you, and that's for
celebrating the final payment of your student loan. I won't
(39:26):
ask you how old you are, because it's not a
very gentlemanly thing to do, but you were an adult student.
In your defense, I was second time round.
Speaker 5 (39:34):
Took ten years to pay this one off, So I'm
a proper adult. Now I feel like a proper adult.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Finally, well, I didn't have student loans in my day.
In fact, when I went to a runa hostel in
nineteen seventy nine to start my commerce degree. Are you
because I got a b bursary all one hundred or
fifty dollars a year or whatever it was, I had
a wee bit of money left over to buy Bear,
and my god, I wasted some on Bear in nineteen
(40:02):
seventy nine. Anyhow, can't look back a anger. We'll see
you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
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
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.