July 22, 2026 • 40 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Shane Jones, Fran O'Sullivan, Katie Milne, and Chris Russell.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch you're the latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Farmlands helping to keep
animals fed and thriving.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You've got the power. You know your rest. Oh good afternoon,
New Zealand. Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay. The
show's brought to you by Farmlands. Good on them for
sponsoring Provincial NPC Rugby looking after the provinces and I
(00:40):
susu you. I have a test driver, one of those
m ux seventh seas Trust me, it's worth it. Radio
Gold Today is the theme song from one of my
favorite eighties New romantic spands spand Ow Ballet, because Gold
is on the mind of our first guess, none other
than Shane Jones, the Prince of the Province's Marta Shane.
He is on his way. He's just landed in Duned
(01:02):
and he's on his way to the McCrae's gold Mine
and Otago. We'll catch up with them very shortly. Lots
to talk about with Shane Jones, very controversial. We might
even touch on kneepads and Stuart Nash just because we
can now. Fran O'Sullivan is zed me. That's our umbrella company.
(01:22):
Here it's news Talk. Zb fran is the head of
business content. Now the Herald has come out with an
excellent twenty eight page agribusiness lift out. We're going to
look at some of the stories in there. And I
know if you're in the upper end of the North
Island you've probably got a Herald. But for the rest
of you, you can get a lot of this content
on our website, the Country dot co dot z. So
(01:45):
we'll talk about that. Katie melm the first female president
of Federated Farmers, is taking on a new challenge that's
standing for national in a home patch the West coast
Tasman Electric will catch up with Katie. I want to
get her thought on this emissions discussion. Have we missed
the boat there? And Chris Russell's our Rossie correspondent. He's
(02:08):
got some great stories for us today as well. And
with the en how we've got these AI centers and
they all need huge amounts of electricity. The other thing
they need are huge amounts of water. Now could AI
centers come at the expense of farming and irrigation? Chris
Russell having a look at that one. It's all on
(02:28):
the Country martoua Shane to kick it off. Shane Jones
(02:49):
is the New Zealand First Deputy Leader. Shane, I'm going
to come back to knee pads and Stewart Nash, but
I want to start with if I can, because I
know you're in Otargo today. I want to talk about
missions targets. In twenty nineteen, the woke hold Dunedin City
Council declared a climate emergency. It was sort of fashionable
to do so in those days. Now they've scrapped net
(03:10):
zero twenty thirty. These were ridiculous targets. We were never
going to meet. Are climate emergencies, so twenty nineteen and
Jacinder are dernished.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
These days, the climate emergency rhetoric has ebbed in the
face of sheer economic reality. What j Cinda at Dern
did in eighteen nineteen and twenty reflects that juvenile period
(03:42):
of political leadership. We cannot afford all these luxury beliefs.
We are already spending a great deal of money in
the South Island with your councils on boosting flood mitigation
through stopbanks and related work. That's the kind of result,
(04:03):
not the rhetorical flourishes that characterize Chippy and the Green
Party and various other fellow travelers.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Has Trump effectively changed the rules worldwide? Now it's all
about the cost of living and looking after yourself, basically
surviving day to day rather than saving the planet. And
have we got the wrong way round?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Well, all Trump has done is tapped into not to
use to obscure a word that was zeitgeist, the spirit
of the times. He's uncorked it in large parts of
the Western world. We're following on. But I want you
to know I have always been the doubting Thomas checked
(04:46):
any of my rhetorical contributions. I've said all along, till
every cow close every factory, you will not have zero
impact on the world's climate until America, India, China actually
pursue actions that meet the frottiness of that sort of rhetoric.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
You did have an opportunity way back in Jacinda's first term,
when you were standing behind and nodding allbit with your
hand over your eyes. You could have spoken up then, Shane.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Of course, at that particular time she sprung a captain's
call on us. But fortunately nine years on we're dealing
with the circumstances that surround us, and we're not living
in the past. We moved very quickly to a tone
I personally did for those misdeeds, and that's why a
lot of what I'm up to resonates well with you.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
South Island, New Zealand is at risk of missing all
its climate targets for what they're worth, and time to
get back on track is running out, according to the
Climate Change Commission. You're obviously not taking a jot of
notice about what they're talking about.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I'm only interested in our lomic robustness, our societal durability.
If you keep closing down all of the firms and
the key contributors to our economy, like the cement factory,
like Jacinda and Meghan, closing down the refinery will be
hollowed out, will be zombie like, but apparently we'll have
(06:20):
some sort of vicarious pleasure that we saved the planet.
That's the opposite of what enz at first believes.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Do you still believe in planting heaps of trees?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Right tree, right place, right tree, right place? And obviously
after I left, you were.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Never going to fit a billion trees in the right place.
Have you atoned for that terrible era?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Well, look, it's up to the land owners there in
charge of their own property. They're or planting trees, and
I don't think you should pluck one particular policy they've
got over in zuberant and and pins and pin some
stigmatized shane.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
That's called a sack.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
That's called selective memory. Come on, you've got to admit
your faults.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
There's nothing wrong with forestry and we will not be vaporizing.
We will not be assassinating the carbon forestry sector. They
have legitimate rights. But however, we will be refining, and
we will be dealing with the ragged edges of the
ets and the ridiculous expectations at the rest of the
(07:27):
world have on us through Paris.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, we're not going to meet these targets. But the
irony of the whole situation is when we don't meet
these targets, as we clearly won't, all we're going to
get is a slap over the wrist with a wet
bus ticket.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Yeah, well, there'll be an onslaught of fossy language from
the media. There'll be a few trading partners, I'm told,
But you know my message to the trading partners UK.
You people already are trying to reinvent a new avenue
back to explore, uncover gas and oil. Europe. You're burning
(08:06):
coal all the time China. Now just build a new
railway track. I'm told to bring Mongolian coal to China.
And here we are in New Zealand sort of fleecing ourselves,
closing down factories, allowing the gent tailors to rout what's
left of our productive economy. Of course, all that will
change after the election.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
You're a otargo today, you're heading up to your happy
place McCrae's mind. This is all part of your campaign. Well,
you're going to try and get a billion dollars to
survey the offshore oil and gas gas reserves and not
to mention, dig up everything you can on shore.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Well, it's nothing wrong with any modern nation having an
incredibly high quality reservoir, knowledge about the wealth the potential
that lies off the coastline, and then use that as
a basis to find ways of co investing with either
the Japanese or variety of others who may want to
(09:04):
secure our oil and gas, and we'll reserve some for ourselves.
I'm already presiding over a successful march of miners through
parts of the South Island and certain landscapes have to
be protected, and I'm willing to live within those guardrails.
And of course the reason I'm going to the gold
mine today within Otago is because there's something akin to
(09:27):
a talisman there. They're going to show me an incredibly
amazing gold bar. And you know, in another part of
my life, I would have maybe have got a job
as an gold miner, but I hope to actually put
a bit of gold in the tooth that I've recently lost.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Let's just finish on knee pads. And Stuart Nash, has
he been treated harshly? Have you got off lightly?
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Look the media they feasted on one colorful expression with
my reference quite frankly pertain to maintain our steadfastness. We
don't need to bow down to any foreign leader who
was holding an Ethno nationalist rally. I don't even know
how on earth that rally took place.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Come on, Shane, Shane, Shane, you're bullshitting a bullshitter here.
Now you know as well as I do. There was
a sexual reference to your comments.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Now you know as well as I do. It was
a whole woke, riddled younger generation of journos who conveniently
tried to inject something risque into that remark.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That completely innocent remark.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
I mean that remark could have related to health and safety.
You could have related to sport, could have related to gardening.
Oh five, too much.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Of it on to finish on Stuart Nash, He's a
bit accident prone. But my understanding is correct me if
I'm wrong. That was a private text to former National
Minister Chris Finnlersson, who has a podcast. Should Chris Finnlersen
have sat on that? Because I can tell you over
the years I've received texts communications from government ministers and
(11:02):
if I was to make them public they would be
hung out to dry. But you respect the privacy.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Well, look, Chris fin Layson has used this opportunity to
seek grace and favor within the National Party. It's sad
that the matter has ended in this way. I've known
Stu for a long time. But look at it was
probably Shakespeare who said it best were it done? When
(11:30):
it's done better done? Well?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Did Shakespeare quickly? Did Shakespeare say dig it up and
damn it up? Or was that you the other great wordsmith?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
You've already you've already corrected me. Look, Stewie offered his resignation.
I'm advised it's a sensible outcome. We wouldn't want this
distraction stewing indefinitely as we run up to the campaign.
Winston will be home soon from overseas and and no
doubt Stewiet will go on with his life and dress
(12:03):
local issues with his community is far.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
No.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
He is someone I've known for a long long time,
but he will not be a part of our campaign
running up to no end of the seventh.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Shane Jones, thanks to your time. Enjoy your day at
your happy place, the McCrae Mining gold Mine. See you buddy,
Thank you Shane. And he'll be right amongst it at
the gold at the gold mine just up the road
here from Dunedin. And I did reference. I think it's
front page of the ODT. Let me find it here.
It's sitting in the studio that we had a guy
(12:37):
called Aaron Hawkins who was the mayor of Dunedin at
the time Green Party member. He declared a climate emergency.
I don't know why we were insistent on declaring climate
emergencies for local bodies back in twenty nine, but we
declared one here in Dunedin, we we're very good at
wasting money, but now the Dunedin City Council has been
(12:58):
forced to scrap its nets zero twenty thirty policy. Look,
these targets are not attainable and what happens when we
don't meet them? We might discuss this a wee bit
further with Katie Milne, first female president of Federated Farmers.
I think she's got some comments to make about emissions,
especially ag emissions. But up next, actually, before I do
(13:20):
some of your feedback, there's a text, a very confusing
text here about Shane Jones, a limousine, a gold mine
and sex. I can't really make sense of that one.
Here's one here from yesterday. Hi, Jamie, spare a thought
for those North Canterbury farmers who use the Pegasus golf
course for time out. People like ste low Stu might
(13:44):
have sent me the text, plus all the retired farmers
who live on the course. Fast tracking should not be
used for this. I should have read this out to Shane,
shouldn't I developing a renowned golf course to a thousand
houses absolutely crazy? Says Dave and Dave for what it's worth,
I agree with you I've got a May two lives
at Pegasus, very good golfer two and I think it's
(14:05):
a wonderful golf course. And to build a thousand homes
in the middle of a whole lot of other homes
when you can have a wonderful green space for all
the community to enjoy, is wonderful. We need more golf courses,
not less they act as sponges. Anyhow, that's my thoughts.
You give me yours on five double O nine. Up next,
fran O'Sullivan. We've got some great content for you to
(14:27):
consume over the next couple of days. We'll tell you
about it next. It was great to catch up with
(14:56):
fran O'Sullivan, head of business content here at ENZ me
at Field Days and Franz said to me, you haven't
had me on the show for ages, And I said,
and fran I said, my bad. I apologize. I've got
a great reason to have you on the show today.
You and this is your baby, a twenty eight page
agribusiness and trade lift out in The Herald, A lot
of the contents available on our website The Country dot
(15:18):
co dot and said, this is great, if you don't
mind me saying so fran Oh.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Thank you. I always like some excellent feedback. It's wonderful
as it's made my day, Jamie, Well.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Thank you, Fran. Look, we can't cover off twenty eight pages,
but I want to highlight some of the stuff that
is in this lift out and as I said, available
on our website. You've covered topics like New Zealand rewiring
its global trade playbook, can AI make New Zealand agribusiness
more competitive? Election politics, who does the sector favor? And
(15:53):
this is a really interesting one as well. We'll wait
loss drugs, drive meat sales. I want to start if
I can, with your introductory column or story in this
lift out. You're talking about we're ready for the next
wave when it comes to technology, and this is off
the back of what you saw and experienced at Field Days.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Yeah, that was very much part of it. And one
of the things obviously really since the evolution of Halter,
and then of course you know, the Gallaghers have got
their own defense kind of app and everything else as well,
and so I've sort of been observing it and one
of the things I've done in each Field Days and
(16:35):
I've been going to them, must be about twenty odd
years is going to the innovation tent and seeing what
are the new things coming through and then watching how
they evolve over years. And this has been pretty astounding
to me and one of the things that jumps out
on the report as well as from the article that
(16:56):
Bill Bennett, who is a tech writer, who talked to
a number of players about AI, but also you know
the drones and other developments around precision farming. And there
was a quote from Brendan O'Connell from agu Tech New
Zealand who basically said he could see a day in
Decoes to come where agritech itself was bigger than our
(17:20):
dairy exports. And that is interesting because you've got all
these bright, younger people developing, you know, technology that really
not only makes our own farming more competitive, but it
actually makes it easier for farmers worldwide.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Well, you mentioned Holter, there's the story in here from
Graham Skellen who writes virtual fencing is now a smart
wire of farming. And you talk about smart young people
and agribusiness, they don't get much smarter than Craig Pigot.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
Well, that's right, and he's he's such a delight, he's
such an originally quite an underplayed guy, but now he's
you know, he's been in the US market, so you know,
he's taken on more of that flavor of ambition and
projection that you need to perform well there and build
(18:11):
basically unicorn companies, which course Holton now pretty much is.
So it's you know, it's seen and he came out
of the rocket Lab family and had a great idea
and he got a bit of backing also from Sir
Peter Beck and others and got that away. And now
that's just a sign of you know, what can happen
(18:33):
when breakdown people turn their minds to it.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Minde, we've got some bright older people in this country
as well into that you and I of course friand
but you know someone who would throw into that category,
he might mightn't like me calling them old as Ray Smith,
who's the director general of MPI obviously, and he said
we've earned the right to grow, but he says growth
must match environmental gains. And this is a really interesting column.
(18:59):
You can read this one on the country dot co
dot nz.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Yeah. And the interesting thing about Ray Smith, of course
is at MPI they've invested into Agrizero, which is this
group of backed by the government but also banks and
major companies in New Zealand who are looking to develop
ways to reduce methane and other emissions from on farm.
(19:27):
And he was pretty excited when I spoke to him
about a couple of developments which look as if they've
got a huge amount of promise. And one of them
is one of these bolus, kind of like a pill
or whatever that a cow will swallow. And as as
far as I understand, I haven't hope I haven't got
this wrong. Basically it acts within the system to you know,
(19:50):
stop so much methane being omitted by the car. And
then there's other things as well that he mentions in
the article. But he's always joy to interview and I
like the fact that he sees both sides. He comes
from the regulatory side, which MPI is, but he also
comes from the side of understanding what business and farmers
(20:13):
need to grow and putting some of the Crown's capital
behind that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, he used to run prisons, so he knows how
to get it and still a bit of discipline into
everyday life. Look, election politics, who does the sector, the
farming sector obviously favor that is one of the columns
in here, and I don't know what I mean. You've
been around a long time, for even longer than I have,
as I say it that the farming sector absolutely favors
(20:41):
a center right coalition government.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Yes, very much does. And it's a bit of a
pity really that the left of center hasn't at this
stage grasped just how much things are changing. And if
you look even from what fon Terror is doing, how
they've been working with their own farmer constituency on farm
(21:04):
to reduce their environmental footprint and you know, so basically
they can sustain their products being sold into international markets.
So which take all this stuff seriously. But it's interesting
that at Field Days, and I did observe it there,
the mood was quite different, and I think little things
(21:28):
like it was, you know, the Prime Minister and others
came to the announcement of Agrisera going to the next
stage where it was also putting more cash behind developments
that farmers might pick up. And also at the Ladin
News flexibility announcements and those sort of signs for government
(21:48):
has actually listened to the farming side of things. And
it's interesting at the moment I mean, obviously there's still
you know, a lot of issues out there, but at
the moment I would have to say they do have
farmer's facts.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Well, fran O'Sullivan, head of Business content for enzed me.
Great to catch up again, Great to catch up at
field Day's congratulations. This is excellent work. You can read
all about it on our website The Country dot co
dot nz. It is the Agribusiness and Trade lift out,
all twenty eight glorious pages of it. See you later,
Thank you, Thanks fran bang on twelve thirty here on
(22:26):
the Country. Some of your feedback coming in. I'm a mom, mom.
Let me get the stuff I can read out arm.
But the Pegasus residents forget this is to do with
the golf course that their houses were built on farmland
green area in the first place. I feel for their
golf course, but there's an element of nimbiism going on
(22:46):
and hypocrisy, writes one text. Another one says to me, Jamie,
your argument of wanting to maintain a failed or failing
golf course is no different to that of a marginal
sheep and beef farm wanting to sell to carbon forestry.
It's not the option we the locals want, but it's
probably the best option for the owner the individual. There
(23:08):
you go, Radio, so keep your feedback coming in on
five double nine. Michelle's on annual leave. Today Jane Smith
our online Jane Smith, No, she's a correspondent. Let's go
with Jane Ferguson, our online editor. We'll have rural news
for you all. Update sport for your New Zealand's best
rugby player male or female in my opinion, Georgia Miller
(23:29):
has resigned, so we'll tell you all about that one
before the end of the hour. Katie Millon on the
West Coast former president she broke the grass ceiling, former
president of Federated Farmers first female one. And Chris Russell,
our Ossie correspondent on why AI centers could be a
real threat to farming. Twenty six away from one. Here
(23:59):
is the greatest in rural news.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
The country's rural news with cub Cadet. It's one thing
to talk innovation, another to back it up, drive it.
We dare you visit steel for dot coto NZ for
your local star guest.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yes, and it's not Jane Smith reading the rural news.
It's Jane Ferguson. Although Jane Good afternoon, our online editor.
Your politics are pretty similar to Jane Smith's, right.
Speaker 6 (24:24):
I would defer to Jane in matters of politics. I
think she's just. She's rights and you know she's correct.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I'll just and who wants to argue, We'll go with
what she says. Every time you come in here, I
always play Spandel Ballet because you've got you You. Tony Hadley,
the lead singer for Spandel Ballet, eyed you up at
a bus stop. According to yourself, this is one of
your great trains. You know, I've got some good travel stories,
but I think you you trump me.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
It's the lamest celebrity story. And I love how you've
latched onto her all these years.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Well almost new romantics.
Speaker 6 (24:57):
I know, yeah, I mean personally, I was actually quite
impressed with Tony Hay.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
That was in your crazy partying days. Now you're in Nana.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
I am a sensible Nana.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
What do you got for I'll be like Stu Nash
get I'll get canceled. Sorry about that, Jane.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
No, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
That's just that's a reflection of how mature you are.
Thank you, Okay, I'm digging a whole stop dagging what's
rural news.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
You mean mature in years anyway?
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
New Zealand's largest malting plant is set to close at
the end of September, dealing a major blow to Barley
Grows and the Rangetiki economy. French owned company Malta Rop
has told growers it will shut its Martin operation, which
has long supplied malt for New Zealand's brewing industry. The
closer is expected to affect workers at the plant and
leave Barley Grows with fewer market options. Industry figures say
(25:47):
the decision comes amid challenging market conditions and will force
many arable farmers to reassess future crop plans.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And there you go. That is a rural news with
Jane ferguson Sport on.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
The country with AFCO business well done.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, and I see someone's taking me to task on
the text line about Georgia Mlari can she's the best
rugby player in New Zealand male or female. Well, she's
re signed with New Zealand Rugby through till the end
of twenty twenty nine. The twenty two year old she
only twenty two, is keen to play fifteen's against the
Lions on their inaugural twenty twenty seven tour, as well
(26:26):
as pursue Olympic seventh gold in twenty twenty eight. New
South Wales league coach Laurie Daily believes New Zealand's a
worthy host of the State of Origin match in Auckland
next year given the rise of league on the back
of the Warriors popularity and a familiar name has been
summoned to the Canterbury NPC rugby squad for a preseason
(26:47):
match against Tasman and Blenham tomorrow. First five Maclin Robertson,
son of former All Blacks number eight and coach Scott.
That's Raisa Robertson is covering for Richie Mwanga who is
nursing a calf injury, or as Richie just looking after
himself waiting for that pre planned injury call up to
(27:08):
the South African tour. There you go, there's my conspiracy
theory for the day. I'd have him over there, but
I like Reuben Love at verse five. Up next Katie
Milton on the West Coast, former president of Federated Farmers.
(27:30):
Twenty away from one. You're with the country brought to
you by Farmlands and I Suzu she's on the West coast,
probably on a street corner kissing a baby. Former president
of Federated Farmers, the first female president. She broke the
grass ceiling back And when was it, Katie Milne About
twenty seventeen, Good afternoon.
Speaker 7 (27:50):
Yep, twenty seventeen, it was Jamie.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Well hello, and you've decided to go the political way
and you haven't been sacked yet, like like Stu Nash.
So you've got to be carefre with your p's and
queues these days. You can't be politically incorrect, Katie.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
No, you can't be still going to be able to
put your opinion forward and make sure you just cover
all the bases and don't say anything that's completely stupid. Really.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Yeah, Well, I met Katie Nimman at the Hawks Bay
amp show and along with Catherine wed two Hawks Bay
current mpiece. I've really impressed by both of them. I mean,
that's just my opinion for what it's worth. Anyhow, Hey, omissions,
we talked to Shane Jones about these. I don't know
whether you're caught up on that you reckon there's an
untold story there around the cost of living.
Speaker 6 (28:38):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 7 (28:39):
I followed her missions obviously for a long time being
president of Federated Farmers and before that, and I've actually
been to two of the cops, one in Egypt and
one in Poland. And the piece that kept coming up
to me and also talking around New Zealand to business people, farmers,
whatever set me you're in, is the the carbon emissions costs.
(29:01):
It's built into everything now, so it just keeps getting
pushed over and down through the to the poor old
consumer at the end, and the cement falling over while
needing popping up to help the emissions was part of it,
Golden backed cement, and we've had instances of that here
on the coast as well, where the coal fired boilers,
(29:22):
you know, the emissions prices crept up and up and
up on those particular growers. They were growing Allbergimees down
on Harry Harry of all places through for the whole
of the South Island, and in the end they couldn't
keep up and the business had to fold because they
they were changing over to pallettes was not going to
be viable. They couldn't find it an alternative source. They
tried geo thermal because they were beside the fault line
(29:43):
all those things, second biggest employer and Harry Harry fourteen
people versus fifteen at the school, and it had to
go because of the imbedded you know, creeping up of
emissions costs.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Hey, Katie, I'm worried if we get a change of
government that egg will be dragged back into the ets.
For mine, that's the wrong decision. I think the current
government has made the right decision to keep it out.
I guess I'm not going to get an arguing argument
from you.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
No, because of course I was there in the thick
of that. I was a president from twenty seventeen to
twenty and that was when that all went through that
we were going to be pulled in. There was a
previous coalition government. I think the previous Speaker was involved
with that might have forgotten, and that would be really
tough because once that door is open, that's our cost
competitive advantage against the rest of the world. An agg
(30:32):
really is that we can grow efficiently from mainly pasture
based production.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
And if we have it's like.
Speaker 7 (30:39):
You know, you're putting an impediment on yourself to slow
yourself down when you're winning a race, and it just
seems like it would be a backward step, especially when
we're working on all these technologies that were mentioned before
that might make a difference, and new things are coming
in along all the time, like Pulter. I haven't actually
seen what that can do for a mission's reduction yet,
but I imagine there's things in there that will help
(31:01):
breeding for animals that have lower emission output, and all
those things. They're all going in the right direction. Watches,
adaptation and keeping efficient and continuing to continuing to do it,
growing better grasses, all those things. We can still make
a difference. Well, they're having to tax ourselves into it.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Can you make a lot of you talk a lot
of common sense. We could do worse than get you
to Wellington. Just very quickly. I've got thirty seconds left.
How's the campaign and going?
Speaker 7 (31:28):
Yeah, pretty good. Business is a very worried though. If
there's a change, what's going to happen? Same as farmers.
So yeah, people are really watching that. Get out and
see ministers. They're getting around the provinces right now, you know, Mike,
buttrick tomorrow at match waker PM. In a couple of weeks,
get in their faces and tell them what you need
is Kiwis.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Yep, what could possibly go wrong with Chloe's Minister of finance.
You're scared mangering see you, Katie cheers bike, There we go,
Katie Milk. Yep, she'll be a valuable addition, I would
think to the beehive. That's for the people on the
West coast to decide. Not me up next. Chris Russell,
our Australian correspondent's really interesting story on AI centers. He's
(32:17):
our Ossie correspondent, Chris Russell, based out of Sydney. We're
very worried here in New Zealand at the moment, as
you're well aware Chris about the bird flu. Now you've
got an interesting take on the bird flu. You're seeing
migrant Arctic birds in Australia for the first time this
century and that's a real worry considering they could be
bringing the bird flu with them. Good afternoon, goody Jamie.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
How are you going? Yes, well, it's a way in
one sense, it's I mean, the ornithologists are saying this
is fantastic for them. They're seeing birds like the ker
Gillon petrol and the gray petrol. They haven't seen those
off the coast in New South Wales this century. So
from that point of view it's interesting. But the question
(33:00):
is why are we seeing them up here. The obvious
answer is they're chasing food to goble warring. That's possibly true.
The other answer is, of course, that they're having some
very big storms down in Antarctica at the moment which
they think of blowing them up in this direction. But
that is also of course, these rare sightings. These animals
are potentially bringing bird flu H five N one, the
(33:25):
serious form, up to our shores, and we've now had
fifteen instances here. Unlike you who have discovered your first
native bird with bird flu in New Zealand, we haven't
jumped that barrier yet and seen any reports of native
birds here with bird flu. But I'm sure that's only
a matter of time till we see that. But yes,
(33:46):
it's a very interesting phenomenon. They say, these birds, as
soon as the storms glow down, may end up going back,
but they may find such a plethora of good food
up here that they decide to stay for a bit longer.
But hopefully the ones for the sick and the ones
that are bringing the various type of diseases up here,
including H five, then one, you know, have all been
(34:08):
found and we won't see too many more of them.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Jamie, here's a really interesting story water for data centers.
And we know all about how much electricity data centers use,
but water for data centers centers is likely to likely
to compete with irrigation during droughts. Which comes which gets precedents?
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Well, that's the question everybody's going to have to look
for here. You know, when we get to a situation
where we're short on water, as we often get during droughts,
how do we supply that? If you look at the
critical chain of water allocation in TRD times, household use
(34:47):
is number one, town use number two, and then we
get down to the environment, then we get to stockwater,
and then we only when we've been through all those
things that we finally get to situations of looking after
irrigation with permanent crops like trees and so on, and
then finally with annual crops like cotton and rice, where
so much money and whole town survive based on that
(35:11):
sort of scenario. So the question is with the huge
amounts of water that are being required for these data
centers to keep them cool, and because of their use
of energy predominantly. You know what's happening. Tasmania is facing
that question at the moment down there with a new
data center that's proposed for Tasmania, and I think that's
(35:32):
a question government's going to have to ask. Of course,
they've got another competer in that the labor government in particular,
which is chasing the green boat, is increasingly taking total
amounts of water out of the environment, putting them down
the river for environmentalists and their buyback of water mainly
from superannuation companies and large investors that actually have no
(35:54):
interest in the agriculture or food and fivera. They're just
there for monetary gain. So they have been open to
targets for the government to buy water back. They've just
brought another four hundred and eighty giga. Leaders of water
back and farmers are saying, well, all this means is
that the local towns just sit and watch all the
water go past them to evaporate out of those big
lakes down at the Maritha Murray. Is that really worth one?
(36:17):
It is worth what it's doing compared to producing far
more crop and prosperity for the local times.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Jamie, how worried are your arable farmers about diesel supply
for harvest.
Speaker 5 (36:29):
Yeah, they're definitely concerned. Not so much because of the supply.
There's plenty being produced, but the problem there that's now
hitting them is the transport of that to where it's
needed and these shipping blockades that they've had the potential
for more shipping blockades both on both sides of Saudi
Arabia now being threatened as Iran tries to get the
(36:51):
Hoosy rebels to block anything coming out of the Red
Sea as well. So that's why there's some nervousness about
global supply, even though there might be plenty actually being grown.
And they've seen the price go out fifteen to the
futures price go up fifteen dollars a ton just this
week on the quanana A wheat supply. Kranana is in
(37:14):
Western Australia and that predominantly looks at the Western Australian
wheat supply, Whereas because of the extra production we're seeing
around the world, we're actually seeing the futures price dropping
in previous months.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Jamie, Just to finish, here's a quirky little story. Barnaby
Joyce's dog gets more airtime than the Prime Minister. How
does that work?
Speaker 5 (37:35):
This is ridiculous. You know yesterday there was more airtime
spent on an interruption by Barnaby Joyce's sheep dog than
there was about what the Prime Minister was doing preparing
for the opening of the annual Labor Conference in Adelaide. So,
I mean he was in the middle of an interview
with one of our leading news programs here called Four
Corners with a various stute and very canny reporter of
(37:58):
the Avasira Ferguson, who was trying to pin him down
really on some of the comments that Pauline Hanson had made,
particularly on an overseas trip, and in the middle of it,
his dog, which was under the verandah on his property
up in the New England area of New South Wales,
was barking all the time. So he just turns his
head to one side and says why and with that
(38:21):
great yell of course, he then apologize, saying I'm sorry
that it was just the dog. Well, as you can imagine, Jamie,
I don't need to tell you the rest. All of
the do good societies are out now saying that's not
the way you treat to a dog, and you know,
of course it's way well everybody talks to their farm dogs.
I understand the tone of the voice and the volume
(38:42):
of the voice much more than the actual words. And
of course Stella, which was the name of this dog,
featured on every newspaper, on every television news show, and
as Parnaby Joyce said, you know we're in a pretty
poor state when my dog gets more airtime than the
Prime Minister of Australia.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
I can think of a few and towns that need
to be talked to like Barnaby talk to his dog.
Shut up anyhow, Rightio, Chris Gottigo. We'll catch you again,
same time, same place, next week.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Look forward to it, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Six away from one. We're going to wrap the country
with your feedback. Okay, wrapping the country with some of
your feedback. You should have fran O'Sullivan on your show more.
Jamie good to listen to and has a lot of knowledge.
She definitely has that she's been around for a long time.
(39:36):
Another one not so keen on what fran had to say.
She lost us at the bowlss BS, and another one saying,
hi Jamie. One thing for sure, we don't need the
methane bowlus is from Agri Zero, so they're not too
popular in some quarters. Anyhow, that's us done and dusted
for today. Thanks for listening. We'll catch you back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Lap catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie Mackay. Thanks to farmlands helping to
keep animals fed and thriving.
Catch you're the latest from the Land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Farmlands helping to keep
animals fed and thriving.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You've got the power. You know your rest. Oh good afternoon,
New Zealand. Welcome to the Country. I'm Jamie McKay. The
show's brought to you by Farmlands. Good on them for
sponsoring Provincial NPC Rugby looking after the provinces and I
(00:40):
susu you. I have a test driver, one of those
m ux seventh seas Trust me, it's worth it. Radio
Gold Today is the theme song from one of my
favorite eighties New romantic spands spand Ow Ballet, because Gold
is on the mind of our first guess, none other
than Shane Jones, the Prince of the Province's Marta Shane.
He is on his way. He's just landed in Duned
(01:02):
and he's on his way to the McCrae's gold Mine
and Otago. We'll catch up with them very shortly. Lots
to talk about with Shane Jones, very controversial. We might
even touch on kneepads and Stuart Nash just because we
can now. Fran O'Sullivan is zed me. That's our umbrella company.
(01:22):
Here it's news Talk. Zb fran is the head of
business content. Now the Herald has come out with an
excellent twenty eight page agribusiness lift out. We're going to
look at some of the stories in there. And I
know if you're in the upper end of the North
Island you've probably got a Herald. But for the rest
of you, you can get a lot of this content
on our website, the Country dot co dot z. So
(01:45):
we'll talk about that. Katie melm the first female president
of Federated Farmers, is taking on a new challenge that's
standing for national in a home patch the West coast
Tasman Electric will catch up with Katie. I want to
get her thought on this emissions discussion. Have we missed
the boat there? And Chris Russell's our Rossie correspondent. He's
(02:08):
got some great stories for us today as well. And
with the en how we've got these AI centers and
they all need huge amounts of electricity. The other thing
they need are huge amounts of water. Now could AI
centers come at the expense of farming and irrigation? Chris
Russell having a look at that one. It's all on
(02:28):
the Country martoua Shane to kick it off. Shane Jones
(02:49):
is the New Zealand First Deputy Leader. Shane, I'm going
to come back to knee pads and Stewart Nash, but
I want to start with if I can, because I
know you're in Otargo today. I want to talk about
missions targets. In twenty nineteen, the woke hold Dunedin City
Council declared a climate emergency. It was sort of fashionable
to do so in those days. Now they've scrapped net
(03:10):
zero twenty thirty. These were ridiculous targets. We were never
going to meet. Are climate emergencies, so twenty nineteen and
Jacinder are dernished.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
These days, the climate emergency rhetoric has ebbed in the
face of sheer economic reality. What j Cinda at Dern
did in eighteen nineteen and twenty reflects that juvenile period
(03:42):
of political leadership. We cannot afford all these luxury beliefs.
We are already spending a great deal of money in
the South Island with your councils on boosting flood mitigation
through stopbanks and related work. That's the kind of result,
(04:03):
not the rhetorical flourishes that characterize Chippy and the Green
Party and various other fellow travelers.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Has Trump effectively changed the rules worldwide? Now it's all
about the cost of living and looking after yourself, basically
surviving day to day rather than saving the planet. And
have we got the wrong way round?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Well, all Trump has done is tapped into not to
use to obscure a word that was zeitgeist, the spirit
of the times. He's uncorked it in large parts of
the Western world. We're following on. But I want you
to know I have always been the doubting Thomas checked
(04:46):
any of my rhetorical contributions. I've said all along, till
every cow close every factory, you will not have zero
impact on the world's climate until America, India, China actually
pursue actions that meet the frottiness of that sort of rhetoric.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
You did have an opportunity way back in Jacinda's first term,
when you were standing behind and nodding allbit with your
hand over your eyes. You could have spoken up then, Shane.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Of course, at that particular time she sprung a captain's
call on us. But fortunately nine years on we're dealing
with the circumstances that surround us, and we're not living
in the past. We moved very quickly to a tone
I personally did for those misdeeds, and that's why a
lot of what I'm up to resonates well with you.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
South Island, New Zealand is at risk of missing all
its climate targets for what they're worth, and time to
get back on track is running out, according to the
Climate Change Commission. You're obviously not taking a jot of
notice about what they're talking about.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I'm only interested in our lomic robustness, our societal durability.
If you keep closing down all of the firms and
the key contributors to our economy, like the cement factory,
like Jacinda and Meghan, closing down the refinery will be
hollowed out, will be zombie like, but apparently we'll have
(06:20):
some sort of vicarious pleasure that we saved the planet.
That's the opposite of what enz at first believes.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Do you still believe in planting heaps of trees?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Right tree, right place, right tree, right place? And obviously
after I left, you were.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Never going to fit a billion trees in the right place.
Have you atoned for that terrible era?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Well, look, it's up to the land owners there in
charge of their own property. They're or planting trees, and
I don't think you should pluck one particular policy they've
got over in zuberant and and pins and pin some
stigmatized shane.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
That's called a sack.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
That's called selective memory. Come on, you've got to admit
your faults.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
There's nothing wrong with forestry and we will not be vaporizing.
We will not be assassinating the carbon forestry sector. They
have legitimate rights. But however, we will be refining, and
we will be dealing with the ragged edges of the
ets and the ridiculous expectations at the rest of the
(07:27):
world have on us through Paris.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, we're not going to meet these targets. But the
irony of the whole situation is when we don't meet
these targets, as we clearly won't, all we're going to
get is a slap over the wrist with a wet
bus ticket.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Yeah, well, there'll be an onslaught of fossy language from
the media. There'll be a few trading partners, I'm told,
But you know my message to the trading partners UK.
You people already are trying to reinvent a new avenue
back to explore, uncover gas and oil. Europe. You're burning
(08:06):
coal all the time China. Now just build a new
railway track. I'm told to bring Mongolian coal to China.
And here we are in New Zealand sort of fleecing ourselves,
closing down factories, allowing the gent tailors to rout what's
left of our productive economy. Of course, all that will
change after the election.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
You're a otargo today, you're heading up to your happy
place McCrae's mind. This is all part of your campaign. Well,
you're going to try and get a billion dollars to
survey the offshore oil and gas gas reserves and not
to mention, dig up everything you can on shore.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Well, it's nothing wrong with any modern nation having an
incredibly high quality reservoir, knowledge about the wealth the potential
that lies off the coastline, and then use that as
a basis to find ways of co investing with either
the Japanese or variety of others who may want to
(09:04):
secure our oil and gas, and we'll reserve some for ourselves.
I'm already presiding over a successful march of miners through
parts of the South Island and certain landscapes have to
be protected, and I'm willing to live within those guardrails.
And of course the reason I'm going to the gold
mine today within Otago is because there's something akin to
(09:27):
a talisman there. They're going to show me an incredibly
amazing gold bar. And you know, in another part of
my life, I would have maybe have got a job
as an gold miner, but I hope to actually put
a bit of gold in the tooth that I've recently lost.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Let's just finish on knee pads. And Stuart Nash, has
he been treated harshly? Have you got off lightly?
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Look the media they feasted on one colorful expression with
my reference quite frankly pertain to maintain our steadfastness. We
don't need to bow down to any foreign leader who
was holding an Ethno nationalist rally. I don't even know
how on earth that rally took place.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Come on, Shane, Shane, Shane, you're bullshitting a bullshitter here.
Now you know as well as I do. There was
a sexual reference to your comments.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Now you know as well as I do. It was
a whole woke, riddled younger generation of journos who conveniently
tried to inject something risque into that remark.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That completely innocent remark.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
I mean that remark could have related to health and safety.
You could have related to sport, could have related to gardening.
Oh five, too much.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Of it on to finish on Stuart Nash, He's a
bit accident prone. But my understanding is correct me if
I'm wrong. That was a private text to former National
Minister Chris Finnlersson, who has a podcast. Should Chris Finnlersen
have sat on that? Because I can tell you over
the years I've received texts communications from government ministers and
(11:02):
if I was to make them public they would be
hung out to dry. But you respect the privacy.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Well, look, Chris fin Layson has used this opportunity to
seek grace and favor within the National Party. It's sad
that the matter has ended in this way. I've known
Stu for a long time. But look at it was
probably Shakespeare who said it best were it done? When
(11:30):
it's done better done? Well?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Did Shakespeare quickly? Did Shakespeare say dig it up and
damn it up? Or was that you the other great wordsmith?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
You've already you've already corrected me. Look, Stewie offered his resignation.
I'm advised it's a sensible outcome. We wouldn't want this
distraction stewing indefinitely as we run up to the campaign.
Winston will be home soon from overseas and and no
doubt Stewiet will go on with his life and dress
(12:03):
local issues with his community is far.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
No.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
He is someone I've known for a long long time,
but he will not be a part of our campaign
running up to no end of the seventh.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Shane Jones, thanks to your time. Enjoy your day at
your happy place, the McCrae Mining gold Mine. See you buddy,
Thank you Shane. And he'll be right amongst it at
the gold at the gold mine just up the road
here from Dunedin. And I did reference. I think it's
front page of the ODT. Let me find it here.
It's sitting in the studio that we had a guy
(12:37):
called Aaron Hawkins who was the mayor of Dunedin at
the time Green Party member. He declared a climate emergency.
I don't know why we were insistent on declaring climate
emergencies for local bodies back in twenty nine, but we
declared one here in Dunedin, we we're very good at
wasting money, but now the Dunedin City Council has been
(12:58):
forced to scrap its nets zero twenty thirty policy. Look,
these targets are not attainable and what happens when we
don't meet them? We might discuss this a wee bit
further with Katie Milne, first female president of Federated Farmers.
I think she's got some comments to make about emissions,
especially ag emissions. But up next, actually, before I do
(13:20):
some of your feedback, there's a text, a very confusing
text here about Shane Jones, a limousine, a gold mine
and sex. I can't really make sense of that one.
Here's one here from yesterday. Hi, Jamie, spare a thought
for those North Canterbury farmers who use the Pegasus golf
course for time out. People like ste low Stu might
(13:44):
have sent me the text, plus all the retired farmers
who live on the course. Fast tracking should not be
used for this. I should have read this out to Shane,
shouldn't I developing a renowned golf course to a thousand
houses absolutely crazy? Says Dave and Dave for what it's worth,
I agree with you I've got a May two lives
at Pegasus, very good golfer two and I think it's
(14:05):
a wonderful golf course. And to build a thousand homes
in the middle of a whole lot of other homes
when you can have a wonderful green space for all
the community to enjoy, is wonderful. We need more golf courses,
not less they act as sponges. Anyhow, that's my thoughts.
You give me yours on five double O nine. Up next,
fran O'Sullivan. We've got some great content for you to
(14:27):
consume over the next couple of days. We'll tell you
about it next. It was great to catch up with
(14:56):
fran O'Sullivan, head of business content here at ENZ me
at Field Days and Franz said to me, you haven't
had me on the show for ages, And I said,
and fran I said, my bad. I apologize. I've got
a great reason to have you on the show today.
You and this is your baby, a twenty eight page
agribusiness and trade lift out in The Herald, A lot
of the contents available on our website The Country dot
(15:18):
co dot and said, this is great, if you don't
mind me saying so fran Oh.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Thank you. I always like some excellent feedback. It's wonderful
as it's made my day, Jamie, Well.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Thank you, Fran. Look, we can't cover off twenty eight pages,
but I want to highlight some of the stuff that
is in this lift out and as I said, available
on our website. You've covered topics like New Zealand rewiring
its global trade playbook, can AI make New Zealand agribusiness
more competitive? Election politics, who does the sector favor? And
(15:53):
this is a really interesting one as well. We'll wait
loss drugs, drive meat sales. I want to start if
I can, with your introductory column or story in this
lift out. You're talking about we're ready for the next
wave when it comes to technology, and this is off
the back of what you saw and experienced at Field Days.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Yeah, that was very much part of it. And one
of the things obviously really since the evolution of Halter,
and then of course you know, the Gallaghers have got
their own defense kind of app and everything else as well,
and so I've sort of been observing it and one
of the things I've done in each Field Days and
(16:35):
I've been going to them, must be about twenty odd
years is going to the innovation tent and seeing what
are the new things coming through and then watching how
they evolve over years. And this has been pretty astounding
to me and one of the things that jumps out
on the report as well as from the article that
(16:56):
Bill Bennett, who is a tech writer, who talked to
a number of players about AI, but also you know
the drones and other developments around precision farming. And there
was a quote from Brendan O'Connell from agu Tech New
Zealand who basically said he could see a day in
Decoes to come where agritech itself was bigger than our
(17:20):
dairy exports. And that is interesting because you've got all
these bright, younger people developing, you know, technology that really
not only makes our own farming more competitive, but it
actually makes it easier for farmers worldwide.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Well, you mentioned Holter, there's the story in here from
Graham Skellen who writes virtual fencing is now a smart
wire of farming. And you talk about smart young people
and agribusiness, they don't get much smarter than Craig Pigot.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
Well, that's right, and he's he's such a delight, he's
such an originally quite an underplayed guy, but now he's
you know, he's been in the US market, so you know,
he's taken on more of that flavor of ambition and
projection that you need to perform well there and build
(18:11):
basically unicorn companies, which course Holton now pretty much is.
So it's you know, it's seen and he came out
of the rocket Lab family and had a great idea
and he got a bit of backing also from Sir
Peter Beck and others and got that away. And now
that's just a sign of you know, what can happen
(18:33):
when breakdown people turn their minds to it.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Minde, we've got some bright older people in this country
as well into that you and I of course friand
but you know someone who would throw into that category,
he might mightn't like me calling them old as Ray Smith,
who's the director general of MPI obviously, and he said
we've earned the right to grow, but he says growth
must match environmental gains. And this is a really interesting column.
(18:59):
You can read this one on the country dot co
dot nz.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Yeah. And the interesting thing about Ray Smith, of course
is at MPI they've invested into Agrizero, which is this
group of backed by the government but also banks and
major companies in New Zealand who are looking to develop
ways to reduce methane and other emissions from on farm.
(19:27):
And he was pretty excited when I spoke to him
about a couple of developments which look as if they've
got a huge amount of promise. And one of them
is one of these bolus, kind of like a pill
or whatever that a cow will swallow. And as as
far as I understand, I haven't hope I haven't got
this wrong. Basically it acts within the system to you know,
(19:50):
stop so much methane being omitted by the car. And
then there's other things as well that he mentions in
the article. But he's always joy to interview and I
like the fact that he sees both sides. He comes
from the regulatory side, which MPI is, but he also
comes from the side of understanding what business and farmers
(20:13):
need to grow and putting some of the Crown's capital
behind that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, he used to run prisons, so he knows how
to get it and still a bit of discipline into
everyday life. Look, election politics, who does the sector, the
farming sector obviously favor that is one of the columns
in here, and I don't know what I mean. You've
been around a long time, for even longer than I have,
as I say it that the farming sector absolutely favors
(20:41):
a center right coalition government.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Yes, very much does. And it's a bit of a
pity really that the left of center hasn't at this
stage grasped just how much things are changing. And if
you look even from what fon Terror is doing, how
they've been working with their own farmer constituency on farm
(21:04):
to reduce their environmental footprint and you know, so basically
they can sustain their products being sold into international markets.
So which take all this stuff seriously. But it's interesting
that at Field Days, and I did observe it there,
the mood was quite different, and I think little things
(21:28):
like it was, you know, the Prime Minister and others
came to the announcement of Agrisera going to the next
stage where it was also putting more cash behind developments
that farmers might pick up. And also at the Ladin
News flexibility announcements and those sort of signs for government
(21:48):
has actually listened to the farming side of things. And
it's interesting at the moment I mean, obviously there's still
you know, a lot of issues out there, but at
the moment I would have to say they do have
farmer's facts.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Well, fran O'Sullivan, head of Business content for enzed me.
Great to catch up again, Great to catch up at
field Day's congratulations. This is excellent work. You can read
all about it on our website The Country dot co
dot nz. It is the Agribusiness and Trade lift out,
all twenty eight glorious pages of it. See you later,
Thank you, Thanks fran bang on twelve thirty here on
(22:26):
the Country. Some of your feedback coming in. I'm a mom, mom.
Let me get the stuff I can read out arm.
But the Pegasus residents forget this is to do with
the golf course that their houses were built on farmland
green area in the first place. I feel for their
golf course, but there's an element of nimbiism going on
(22:46):
and hypocrisy, writes one text. Another one says to me, Jamie,
your argument of wanting to maintain a failed or failing
golf course is no different to that of a marginal
sheep and beef farm wanting to sell to carbon forestry.
It's not the option we the locals want, but it's
probably the best option for the owner the individual. There
(23:08):
you go, Radio, so keep your feedback coming in on
five double nine. Michelle's on annual leave. Today Jane Smith
our online Jane Smith, No, she's a correspondent. Let's go
with Jane Ferguson, our online editor. We'll have rural news
for you all. Update sport for your New Zealand's best
rugby player male or female in my opinion, Georgia Miller
(23:29):
has resigned, so we'll tell you all about that one
before the end of the hour. Katie Millon on the
West Coast former president she broke the grass ceiling, former
president of Federated Farmers first female one. And Chris Russell,
our Ossie correspondent on why AI centers could be a
real threat to farming. Twenty six away from one. Here
(23:59):
is the greatest in rural news.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
The country's rural news with cub Cadet. It's one thing
to talk innovation, another to back it up, drive it.
We dare you visit steel for dot coto NZ for
your local star guest.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yes, and it's not Jane Smith reading the rural news.
It's Jane Ferguson. Although Jane Good afternoon, our online editor.
Your politics are pretty similar to Jane Smith's, right.
Speaker 6 (24:24):
I would defer to Jane in matters of politics. I
think she's just. She's rights and you know she's correct.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I'll just and who wants to argue, We'll go with
what she says. Every time you come in here, I
always play Spandel Ballet because you've got you You. Tony Hadley,
the lead singer for Spandel Ballet, eyed you up at
a bus stop. According to yourself, this is one of
your great trains. You know, I've got some good travel stories,
but I think you you trump me.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
It's the lamest celebrity story. And I love how you've
latched onto her all these years.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Well almost new romantics.
Speaker 6 (24:57):
I know, yeah, I mean personally, I was actually quite
impressed with Tony Hay.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
That was in your crazy partying days. Now you're in Nana.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
I am a sensible Nana.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
What do you got for I'll be like Stu Nash
get I'll get canceled. Sorry about that, Jane.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
No, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
That's just that's a reflection of how mature you are.
Thank you, Okay, I'm digging a whole stop dagging what's
rural news.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
You mean mature in years anyway?
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
New Zealand's largest malting plant is set to close at
the end of September, dealing a major blow to Barley
Grows and the Rangetiki economy. French owned company Malta Rop
has told growers it will shut its Martin operation, which
has long supplied malt for New Zealand's brewing industry. The
closer is expected to affect workers at the plant and
leave Barley Grows with fewer market options. Industry figures say
(25:47):
the decision comes amid challenging market conditions and will force
many arable farmers to reassess future crop plans.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And there you go. That is a rural news with
Jane ferguson Sport on.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
The country with AFCO business well done.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, and I see someone's taking me to task on
the text line about Georgia Mlari can she's the best
rugby player in New Zealand male or female. Well, she's
re signed with New Zealand Rugby through till the end
of twenty twenty nine. The twenty two year old she
only twenty two, is keen to play fifteen's against the
Lions on their inaugural twenty twenty seven tour, as well
(26:26):
as pursue Olympic seventh gold in twenty twenty eight. New
South Wales league coach Laurie Daily believes New Zealand's a
worthy host of the State of Origin match in Auckland
next year given the rise of league on the back
of the Warriors popularity and a familiar name has been
summoned to the Canterbury NPC rugby squad for a preseason
(26:47):
match against Tasman and Blenham tomorrow. First five Maclin Robertson,
son of former All Blacks number eight and coach Scott.
That's Raisa Robertson is covering for Richie Mwanga who is
nursing a calf injury, or as Richie just looking after
himself waiting for that pre planned injury call up to
(27:08):
the South African tour. There you go, there's my conspiracy
theory for the day. I'd have him over there, but
I like Reuben Love at verse five. Up next Katie
Milton on the West Coast, former president of Federated Farmers.
(27:30):
Twenty away from one. You're with the country brought to
you by Farmlands and I Suzu she's on the West coast,
probably on a street corner kissing a baby. Former president
of Federated Farmers, the first female president. She broke the
grass ceiling back And when was it, Katie Milne About
twenty seventeen, Good afternoon.
Speaker 7 (27:50):
Yep, twenty seventeen, it was Jamie.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Well hello, and you've decided to go the political way
and you haven't been sacked yet, like like Stu Nash.
So you've got to be carefre with your p's and
queues these days. You can't be politically incorrect, Katie.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
No, you can't be still going to be able to
put your opinion forward and make sure you just cover
all the bases and don't say anything that's completely stupid. Really.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Yeah, Well, I met Katie Nimman at the Hawks Bay
amp show and along with Catherine wed two Hawks Bay
current mpiece. I've really impressed by both of them. I mean,
that's just my opinion for what it's worth. Anyhow, Hey, omissions,
we talked to Shane Jones about these. I don't know
whether you're caught up on that you reckon there's an
untold story there around the cost of living.
Speaker 6 (28:38):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 7 (28:39):
I followed her missions obviously for a long time being
president of Federated Farmers and before that, and I've actually
been to two of the cops, one in Egypt and
one in Poland. And the piece that kept coming up
to me and also talking around New Zealand to business people, farmers,
whatever set me you're in, is the the carbon emissions costs.
(29:01):
It's built into everything now, so it just keeps getting
pushed over and down through the to the poor old
consumer at the end, and the cement falling over while
needing popping up to help the emissions was part of it,
Golden backed cement, and we've had instances of that here
on the coast as well, where the coal fired boilers,
(29:22):
you know, the emissions prices crept up and up and
up on those particular growers. They were growing Allbergimees down
on Harry Harry of all places through for the whole
of the South Island, and in the end they couldn't
keep up and the business had to fold because they
they were changing over to pallettes was not going to
be viable. They couldn't find it an alternative source. They
tried geo thermal because they were beside the fault line
(29:43):
all those things, second biggest employer and Harry Harry fourteen
people versus fifteen at the school, and it had to
go because of the imbedded you know, creeping up of
emissions costs.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Hey, Katie, I'm worried if we get a change of
government that egg will be dragged back into the ets.
For mine, that's the wrong decision. I think the current
government has made the right decision to keep it out.
I guess I'm not going to get an arguing argument
from you.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
No, because of course I was there in the thick
of that. I was a president from twenty seventeen to
twenty and that was when that all went through that
we were going to be pulled in. There was a
previous coalition government. I think the previous Speaker was involved
with that might have forgotten, and that would be really
tough because once that door is open, that's our cost
competitive advantage against the rest of the world. An agg
(30:32):
really is that we can grow efficiently from mainly pasture
based production.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
And if we have it's like.
Speaker 7 (30:39):
You know, you're putting an impediment on yourself to slow
yourself down when you're winning a race, and it just
seems like it would be a backward step, especially when
we're working on all these technologies that were mentioned before
that might make a difference, and new things are coming
in along all the time, like Pulter. I haven't actually
seen what that can do for a mission's reduction yet,
but I imagine there's things in there that will help
(31:01):
breeding for animals that have lower emission output, and all
those things. They're all going in the right direction. Watches,
adaptation and keeping efficient and continuing to continuing to do it,
growing better grasses, all those things. We can still make
a difference. Well, they're having to tax ourselves into it.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Can you make a lot of you talk a lot
of common sense. We could do worse than get you
to Wellington. Just very quickly. I've got thirty seconds left.
How's the campaign and going?
Speaker 7 (31:28):
Yeah, pretty good. Business is a very worried though. If
there's a change, what's going to happen? Same as farmers.
So yeah, people are really watching that. Get out and
see ministers. They're getting around the provinces right now, you know, Mike,
buttrick tomorrow at match waker PM. In a couple of weeks,
get in their faces and tell them what you need
is Kiwis.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Yep, what could possibly go wrong with Chloe's Minister of finance.
You're scared mangering see you, Katie cheers bike, There we go,
Katie Milk. Yep, she'll be a valuable addition, I would
think to the beehive. That's for the people on the
West coast to decide. Not me up next. Chris Russell,
our Australian correspondent's really interesting story on AI centers. He's
(32:17):
our Ossie correspondent, Chris Russell, based out of Sydney. We're
very worried here in New Zealand at the moment, as
you're well aware Chris about the bird flu. Now you've
got an interesting take on the bird flu. You're seeing
migrant Arctic birds in Australia for the first time this
century and that's a real worry considering they could be
bringing the bird flu with them. Good afternoon, goody Jamie.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
How are you going? Yes, well, it's a way in
one sense, it's I mean, the ornithologists are saying this
is fantastic for them. They're seeing birds like the ker
Gillon petrol and the gray petrol. They haven't seen those
off the coast in New South Wales this century. So
from that point of view it's interesting. But the question
(33:00):
is why are we seeing them up here. The obvious
answer is they're chasing food to goble warring. That's possibly true.
The other answer is, of course, that they're having some
very big storms down in Antarctica at the moment which
they think of blowing them up in this direction. But
that is also of course, these rare sightings. These animals
are potentially bringing bird flu H five N one, the
(33:25):
serious form, up to our shores, and we've now had
fifteen instances here. Unlike you who have discovered your first
native bird with bird flu in New Zealand, we haven't
jumped that barrier yet and seen any reports of native
birds here with bird flu. But I'm sure that's only
a matter of time till we see that. But yes,
(33:46):
it's a very interesting phenomenon. They say, these birds, as
soon as the storms glow down, may end up going back,
but they may find such a plethora of good food
up here that they decide to stay for a bit longer.
But hopefully the ones for the sick and the ones
that are bringing the various type of diseases up here,
including H five, then one, you know, have all been
(34:08):
found and we won't see too many more of them.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Jamie, here's a really interesting story water for data centers.
And we know all about how much electricity data centers use,
but water for data centers centers is likely to likely
to compete with irrigation during droughts. Which comes which gets precedents?
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Well, that's the question everybody's going to have to look
for here. You know, when we get to a situation
where we're short on water, as we often get during droughts,
how do we supply that? If you look at the
critical chain of water allocation in TRD times, household use
(34:47):
is number one, town use number two, and then we
get down to the environment, then we get to stockwater,
and then we only when we've been through all those
things that we finally get to situations of looking after
irrigation with permanent crops like trees and so on, and
then finally with annual crops like cotton and rice, where
so much money and whole town survive based on that
(35:11):
sort of scenario. So the question is with the huge
amounts of water that are being required for these data
centers to keep them cool, and because of their use
of energy predominantly. You know what's happening. Tasmania is facing
that question at the moment down there with a new
data center that's proposed for Tasmania, and I think that's
(35:32):
a question government's going to have to ask. Of course,
they've got another competer in that the labor government in particular,
which is chasing the green boat, is increasingly taking total
amounts of water out of the environment, putting them down
the river for environmentalists and their buyback of water mainly
from superannuation companies and large investors that actually have no
(35:54):
interest in the agriculture or food and fivera. They're just
there for monetary gain. So they have been open to
targets for the government to buy water back. They've just
brought another four hundred and eighty giga. Leaders of water
back and farmers are saying, well, all this means is
that the local towns just sit and watch all the
water go past them to evaporate out of those big
lakes down at the Maritha Murray. Is that really worth one?
(36:17):
It is worth what it's doing compared to producing far
more crop and prosperity for the local times.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Jamie, how worried are your arable farmers about diesel supply
for harvest.
Speaker 5 (36:29):
Yeah, they're definitely concerned. Not so much because of the supply.
There's plenty being produced, but the problem there that's now
hitting them is the transport of that to where it's
needed and these shipping blockades that they've had the potential
for more shipping blockades both on both sides of Saudi
Arabia now being threatened as Iran tries to get the
(36:51):
Hoosy rebels to block anything coming out of the Red
Sea as well. So that's why there's some nervousness about
global supply, even though there might be plenty actually being grown.
And they've seen the price go out fifteen to the
futures price go up fifteen dollars a ton just this
week on the quanana A wheat supply. Kranana is in
(37:14):
Western Australia and that predominantly looks at the Western Australian
wheat supply, Whereas because of the extra production we're seeing
around the world, we're actually seeing the futures price dropping
in previous months.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Jamie, Just to finish, here's a quirky little story. Barnaby
Joyce's dog gets more airtime than the Prime Minister. How
does that work?
Speaker 5 (37:35):
This is ridiculous. You know yesterday there was more airtime
spent on an interruption by Barnaby Joyce's sheep dog than
there was about what the Prime Minister was doing preparing
for the opening of the annual Labor Conference in Adelaide. So,
I mean he was in the middle of an interview
with one of our leading news programs here called Four
Corners with a various stute and very canny reporter of
(37:58):
the Avasira Ferguson, who was trying to pin him down
really on some of the comments that Pauline Hanson had made,
particularly on an overseas trip, and in the middle of it,
his dog, which was under the verandah on his property
up in the New England area of New South Wales,
was barking all the time. So he just turns his
head to one side and says why and with that
(38:21):
great yell of course, he then apologize, saying I'm sorry
that it was just the dog. Well, as you can imagine, Jamie,
I don't need to tell you the rest. All of
the do good societies are out now saying that's not
the way you treat to a dog, and you know,
of course it's way well everybody talks to their farm dogs.
I understand the tone of the voice and the volume
(38:42):
of the voice much more than the actual words. And
of course Stella, which was the name of this dog,
featured on every newspaper, on every television news show, and
as Parnaby Joyce said, you know we're in a pretty
poor state when my dog gets more airtime than the
Prime Minister of Australia.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
I can think of a few and towns that need
to be talked to like Barnaby talk to his dog.
Shut up anyhow, Rightio, Chris Gottigo. We'll catch you again,
same time, same place, next week.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Look forward to it, Jamie.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Six away from one. We're going to wrap the country
with your feedback. Okay, wrapping the country with some of
your feedback. You should have fran O'Sullivan on your show more.
Jamie good to listen to and has a lot of knowledge.
She definitely has that she's been around for a long time.
(39:36):
Another one not so keen on what fran had to say.
She lost us at the bowlss BS, and another one saying,
hi Jamie. One thing for sure, we don't need the
methane bowlus is from Agri Zero, so they're not too
popular in some quarters. Anyhow, that's us done and dusted
for today. Thanks for listening. We'll catch you back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Lap catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie Mackay. Thanks to farmlands helping to
keep animals fed and thriving.
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