January 21, 2026 • 7 mins
Dan Billing is newly elected Chair of the Farmers' Council and catches up to talk about the year ahead.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
The Muster Events Diary brought to you by Beef and
Lamb New Zealand. Go to Beef and laminsaid dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Dan Billing is the newly elected chair of the Beef
and Lamb Farmer Council and joins us this afternoon from
up near Denny Verk. I believe Dan, welcome to the
program house.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Things good Andy, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, thanks for joining Usmokee. Firstly, a bit of background
about where you're farming and what you're up to.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah, look, I'm based out of Dannybuk kif farming fifteen minutes,
he said, Dennybok farming a little block land out do
you keeping me well entertained as well as doing what
I do with beef and lamb and running a consultancy business.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Now out of danny Verck. We're hearing about the weather
events up north. What's the season been like.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It's been a great season up here on the East
coast to be feed Denny Bk in particular, just the
production season. Grass growing season has been a phenomenal. It's
been a phenomenal one. To be fair. You couple that
with the commodity prices and most of these meat farmers
have got nothing to complain at.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
We're seeing great things with the sector at the moment.
Regarding red meat prices. You've got the wool industry slowly
but surely. You know we're getting rises there whenever we
get in these having these sales lately, which is a positive.
You can't really suggest anything otherwise.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
No, you're right. This is one of those seasons where
all the stars have aligned and commodity prices, season conditions
have meant that everything's going the way of the rebeat
farmer at the moment in a long way. Continuing, Ye,
you look at the you start reading the tea leaves
as well, and some of those commodity prices are actually
forecast to last a little bit longer as well.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, because the may of comparison last week with Simon Cuilty,
I had him on the show towards the middle of
last year and he was talking about ten dollars for
the red meat sector and actually surpasses expectations. So Simon
will be an interesting guy to speak to at the
moment seeing where he thinks prices are going to head.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah, that's right, and he's last year at our at
the gate the beef and them out the gate pro
He came in one of the keynote speakers and he
was predicting that then and he's coming again in May
this year too to our out the gate event and
the interesting to see where he thinks the prices are
actually going to go this year too and offer advice.
(02:26):
Last year I ripped out and bought a whole lot
of lambs and a whole lot of cattle, and it
was It was a great It was a great way
to go.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So if you look back on twenty twenty five day
and relate it to the present, the present time, but
what's the biggest peak, what's the biggest take for you?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
I think twenty twenty five was a good turning point
last year for REDMK farmers. You know, we started seeing
a lot of the commodity price change starting to creep
through and manifest itself into you know, the prover and
loss accounts of the businesses. We started seeing their sentiment
and farmers and their mindset of farmers starting to change
positive as well. And that was with a few things
(03:00):
that happened from an industry point of view, ets pricing
going to that split gas approach, that was a huge win.
We looked at the free trains agreements with India, the
China agreement, and also the teriffs with with Donald Trump,
who coming off those were some big wins that actually
played to the psyche of the Readnick Farmer.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
When you think about the tariff situation with Donald Trump,
do you think as a producing nation we need to
be concerned or is it more reactive rather than proactive
regarding Trump?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Well, I think there's always consequences, right, but in the
instance of the direct impact to us is going to
be marginal. We're approtein producing nation and the world needs protein,
So irrespective of the terrafts that go on to it,
people are going to want out of product and it's
just going to be part of the course that people
are going to keep paying for it.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So we just got to take out the just going
to take the positives out of a situation at the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
That's exact set. Just looking let's look at the look
at the circle of a circle of influence as opposed
to the circling concerned what Camm's control, What can we
actually do something about, as opposed to what we can
only worry about and do.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Nothing of, as far as being evolve of beef and
lamb Dan. How long you've been with the organization?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Ah, it's somebody's asked me that a couple of times now,
and there's somewhere between seven and nine years, and my
memory is not that good anymore. So it's obviously on
their longer side given given that, but been part of
the Farmer Councils from a co op member into a
Levy Paine member and into this role now is the
chair of the national site. So it's been a good journey.
(04:41):
Farming in the year like this is actually like a
good golf shop. You play one good drive and it
keeps you going for the few other holes where you
shaker off the golf of the off the fairway. So
in this instance, you know this year will keep us
going through a couple of years when we start seeing
the downtown their cycle down people a people are starting
(05:03):
to fill back in those financial holes that they dug
over the last two or three years and get themselves
back to a point where they are happy and can
see a future in the industry.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Again, it's actually a great point. God can be highly
relevant to a lot of jobs and times that are
happening at the moment because it's such a frustrating game,
not that I play it, and there's a reason.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Yeah, that's exactly it. Farming is one of those things where, yeah,
you're right, and it's frustrating at times, but farmers as
a whole are resilient. So we take those frustrations, we
work through them, and we just keep on going and
come out the other side with a result that is
something that we can work with.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Now we look forward to twenty twenty six, stand the
out the Gate Forum happening in christ Church in May,
the Beef and Lem Awards and the likes. But look locally,
we've got the Southern Field Days of Wai Mumu happening
in a couple of weeks time, and I think we're
just going to see a continuation of what we've seen
over the previous six months or so with the sector.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
You're right, It's what we're going to see is people
building on the building on the winds I've had for
the last six months and looking at where the opportunities
are moving forward. And that's not just through what do
they do for expansion, it's industry wide in terms of
what do we do for succession, what do we do
for industry sustainability, what do we do for support services?
(06:21):
All those things come into play over the next six months.
As things done and proven, they'll continue to generate the
results that they are.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, you say those were as cautious optimism. I mean,
are we looking at everything with sprinkles and gum drop
buttons falling from the heavens at the moment, Dan, and
just living in the moment we need to look say
eighteen to thirty six months down the loane. Perhaps, Yeah,
we do.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
What we are notorious at doing is having a short memory.
As Farners. We sit there and we play. We play
the game that we've got right now. It's great now,
so we make hay while the sunshines. But we don't
have a tendency to look further afield. And you know,
like you say, they're aiding twenty four to thirty six
months ahead and those times there. We should be preparing
(07:08):
for those downtime by sitting ourselves up now in this
good time, because that's when our life becomes easier by
doing that.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Good on your Dan appreciated the chat on the Must
of Us afternoon. All the best up there around, Danny.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Breck, I thank very much.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Andy Dan Bolling of Beef and Lamb New Zealand. Click
beeflaminz dot com slash events to get the E Diary
sent to your m box Every Friday. Clayton Peters of
Peterson Enix is up next to before the end of
the Hour our residence sporting gury Nathan Burden. He's following
the tour of Southland
The Muster Events Diary brought to you by Beef and
Lamb New Zealand. Go to Beef and laminsaid dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Dan Billing is the newly elected chair of the Beef
and Lamb Farmer Council and joins us this afternoon from
up near Denny Verk. I believe Dan, welcome to the
program house.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Things good Andy, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, thanks for joining Usmokee. Firstly, a bit of background
about where you're farming and what you're up to.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah, look, I'm based out of Dannybuk kif farming fifteen minutes,
he said, Dennybok farming a little block land out do
you keeping me well entertained as well as doing what
I do with beef and lamb and running a consultancy business.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Now out of danny Verck. We're hearing about the weather
events up north. What's the season been like.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It's been a great season up here on the East
coast to be feed Denny Bk in particular, just the
production season. Grass growing season has been a phenomenal. It's
been a phenomenal one. To be fair. You couple that
with the commodity prices and most of these meat farmers
have got nothing to complain at.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
We're seeing great things with the sector at the moment.
Regarding red meat prices. You've got the wool industry slowly
but surely. You know we're getting rises there whenever we
get in these having these sales lately, which is a positive.
You can't really suggest anything otherwise.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
No, you're right. This is one of those seasons where
all the stars have aligned and commodity prices, season conditions
have meant that everything's going the way of the rebeat
farmer at the moment in a long way. Continuing, Ye,
you look at the you start reading the tea leaves
as well, and some of those commodity prices are actually
forecast to last a little bit longer as well.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, because the may of comparison last week with Simon Cuilty,
I had him on the show towards the middle of
last year and he was talking about ten dollars for
the red meat sector and actually surpasses expectations. So Simon
will be an interesting guy to speak to at the
moment seeing where he thinks prices are going to head.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah, that's right, and he's last year at our at
the gate the beef and them out the gate pro
He came in one of the keynote speakers and he
was predicting that then and he's coming again in May
this year too to our out the gate event and
the interesting to see where he thinks the prices are
actually going to go this year too and offer advice.
(02:26):
Last year I ripped out and bought a whole lot
of lambs and a whole lot of cattle, and it
was It was a great It was a great way
to go.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So if you look back on twenty twenty five day
and relate it to the present, the present time, but
what's the biggest peak, what's the biggest take for you?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
I think twenty twenty five was a good turning point
last year for REDMK farmers. You know, we started seeing
a lot of the commodity price change starting to creep
through and manifest itself into you know, the prover and
loss accounts of the businesses. We started seeing their sentiment
and farmers and their mindset of farmers starting to change
positive as well. And that was with a few things
(03:00):
that happened from an industry point of view, ets pricing
going to that split gas approach, that was a huge win.
We looked at the free trains agreements with India, the
China agreement, and also the teriffs with with Donald Trump,
who coming off those were some big wins that actually
played to the psyche of the Readnick Farmer.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
When you think about the tariff situation with Donald Trump,
do you think as a producing nation we need to
be concerned or is it more reactive rather than proactive
regarding Trump?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Well, I think there's always consequences, right, but in the
instance of the direct impact to us is going to
be marginal. We're approtein producing nation and the world needs protein,
So irrespective of the terrafts that go on to it,
people are going to want out of product and it's
just going to be part of the course that people
are going to keep paying for it.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So we just got to take out the just going
to take the positives out of a situation at the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
That's exact set. Just looking let's look at the look
at the circle of a circle of influence as opposed
to the circling concerned what Camm's control, What can we
actually do something about, as opposed to what we can
only worry about and do.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Nothing of, as far as being evolve of beef and
lamb Dan. How long you've been with the organization?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Ah, it's somebody's asked me that a couple of times now,
and there's somewhere between seven and nine years, and my
memory is not that good anymore. So it's obviously on
their longer side given given that, but been part of
the Farmer Councils from a co op member into a
Levy Paine member and into this role now is the
chair of the national site. So it's been a good journey.
(04:41):
Farming in the year like this is actually like a
good golf shop. You play one good drive and it
keeps you going for the few other holes where you
shaker off the golf of the off the fairway. So
in this instance, you know this year will keep us
going through a couple of years when we start seeing
the downtown their cycle down people a people are starting
(05:03):
to fill back in those financial holes that they dug
over the last two or three years and get themselves
back to a point where they are happy and can
see a future in the industry.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Again, it's actually a great point. God can be highly
relevant to a lot of jobs and times that are
happening at the moment because it's such a frustrating game,
not that I play it, and there's a reason.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Yeah, that's exactly it. Farming is one of those things where, yeah,
you're right, and it's frustrating at times, but farmers as
a whole are resilient. So we take those frustrations, we
work through them, and we just keep on going and
come out the other side with a result that is
something that we can work with.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Now we look forward to twenty twenty six, stand the
out the Gate Forum happening in christ Church in May,
the Beef and Lem Awards and the likes. But look locally,
we've got the Southern Field Days of Wai Mumu happening
in a couple of weeks time, and I think we're
just going to see a continuation of what we've seen
over the previous six months or so with the sector.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
You're right, It's what we're going to see is people
building on the building on the winds I've had for
the last six months and looking at where the opportunities
are moving forward. And that's not just through what do
they do for expansion, it's industry wide in terms of
what do we do for succession, what do we do
for industry sustainability, what do we do for support services?
(06:21):
All those things come into play over the next six months.
As things done and proven, they'll continue to generate the
results that they are.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, you say those were as cautious optimism. I mean,
are we looking at everything with sprinkles and gum drop
buttons falling from the heavens at the moment, Dan, and
just living in the moment we need to look say
eighteen to thirty six months down the loane. Perhaps, Yeah,
we do.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
What we are notorious at doing is having a short memory.
As Farners. We sit there and we play. We play
the game that we've got right now. It's great now,
so we make hay while the sunshines. But we don't
have a tendency to look further afield. And you know,
like you say, they're aiding twenty four to thirty six
months ahead and those times there. We should be preparing
(07:08):
for those downtime by sitting ourselves up now in this
good time, because that's when our life becomes easier by
doing that.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Good on your Dan appreciated the chat on the Must
of Us afternoon. All the best up there around, Danny.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Breck, I thank very much.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Andy Dan Bolling of Beef and Lamb New Zealand. Click
beeflaminz dot com slash events to get the E Diary
sent to your m box Every Friday. Clayton Peters of
Peterson Enix is up next to before the end of
the Hour our residence sporting gury Nathan Burden. He's following
the tour of Southland
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