May 29, 2026 • 47 mins
Andy Muir talks to Bruce Eade, Scott Eade, James Edgar, David Stevens and Kylie Fisken.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
A very good morning. Welcome into the best of the muster,
a collaboration of interviews. It took our attention during a
busy week here in Hakanu e HQ. My name's Andy
muer Thanks for joining us. For starting off the yew,
will be heading to cowso catching it with dairy farmer
Bruce Seeds. The mazes off the paddacks has been the
topic of conversation for a lot of people in the
South regarding mace, but Bruce stands by his use of
(00:26):
the crop and he thinks has got an integral part
of his wintering operation. Another reed, but of a different
dilk Scott Eed coach of a South and Stags this year,
being pretty upfront about the situation and the job he
faces coaching the Stags and the MPC this year and
looking forward to the challenge. So Scott just tells us
from his perspective what he's hoping for in the job
(00:49):
this year and for Stags fans as well. James Egger
is based at maa Flat and he pulls no punches
in his chat this week regarding Wall he says we're
all celebrating meat yocrity around the fiber and where he
thinks we need to readlook at the way that we're
valuing will at the moment, because while it's better than
it was, he thinks it can do a lot better.
(01:10):
We need to celebrate better. David Stevens, dear farmer at
Balfer talking Venison, talking the schedule the such for the
deer industry heading into spring. We're hearing of all these
red meat contracts where Venison's come out with a pretty
good call, and David just says, look, the deer industry
at the moment's in a pretty good space all things considered.
And Kylie Fisken of Mount McLain plus more based hearing Gore,
(01:33):
we have a chat about everything is positive of the
rural scene here in south and at the moment from
an accountant's viewpoint. So we'll start the hour next with Bruceed.
You're listening to the best of the muster. Well, a
(01:55):
way to catch up with Bruceeds this afternoon farming at
cowso with his wife with his wife Tan, Yeah, dairy
farming that way of course. This is a Sergeant Dan
farming round up. Thanks for Sergeant Dan. Stock foods here
and good where we speak to various farmers around the
southern region get a bruce.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
How are you getting on today, Andy.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Can't complain yourself? Thanks, Yeah, no, pretty good. Really.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
We've got raw this morning, but hopefully the day is
going to come out all right. It's dry and that's
the main thing at this time of year.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
So everything's looking as it should be for this time
of year for you guys.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, probably better than normal. I mean we're usually bank
on heaven Kios and said by the fifteenth of May
and some snow and a bit of grotty weather about
the end two at touch Wood, it's been it's been
very favorable. Kios haven't been in so yet. You're actually
going to put them in tomorrow. We're gonna we're sort
of done air dash on the grass side of things
and got to where we want to be, so they'll
(02:47):
go in saw it and finish out the season from
living in the Hilton.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, of course you do split milkings.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
There, Yeah, yeah, split carving. So the robot cows are
they are in all the time and they've all carved
or autumn cares of all cards, so they're in there
doing their thing, and we've just got the outdoor cows
there the spring one's still going twice a day hammer down,
trying to make the most of the good payout, and
(03:12):
we'll look at wind and then down late next week
early the following.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So it's just a case of getting the silly string out,
doing what you have to do. Suppose, same budd story, right.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, not too much silly string around here with the
incarfisses are going to go into their barn tomorrow or
actually this afternoon, sorry, so that'll be then tucked up
for the winter. And we finally got our shed that
the snow disbanded all there two or three years ago.
We got that repaired, so erincrf hefses are going to
go on that in the next couple of weeks as well,
so we'll have outside. It'll be some autumn born cattle
(03:46):
from last earlings and a few balls and a few
beefies on some kale. So yeah, there's not too much
silly string up here in the winter.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah. Of course, your robotic milking system you've had to
them for a couple of years.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Now, Yep, that's just it's the norm for us now.
The cows just rolling and roll out do their own thing.
So yeah, know we've had a record season production wise,
and that's been a large part of it this year.
So we're more than happy.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Pretty good year as well being a Fonterra supplier.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, no, it certainly couldn't got a better year to
have a record, that's for sure. So no, it's it's
been pretty good. At the big payout that we got
there that went straight to paying off mortgage and a
bit of debt. So yeah, it certainly didn't go on
a holiday house and Wiker.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Now you've been ineffacant for maze down here in the
South for a couple of years. Now you grow quite
a bit of it, to be fair. How did it
end up from your side of it?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, it wasn't as bad as we thought. A lot
of people have probably seen a lot of frosted looking
maize crops as they are driving around the end near
the end of last month and started this month, and
once we got into ours here, it's actually surprising how
green it was. It hadn't effected the cop but the
cobs weren't as good this year as previous years, just
lacking that heat and sun and that sort of late
January February mar we didn't really have a proper summer,
(05:01):
as everyone knows, so that probably brought the yield back slightly,
but certainly wasn't right off. And those paddocks have now
been harvested and redrilled with green feed oats, so we'll
feed some kettle off them in the spring and then
tip it back over and go back into maze.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
A few people still cynical about may's being grown in
the South, Bruce, what would you say to that?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Oh, it's not for everybody, it's certainly not. It doesn't
suit every system, and that for us with the indoor cows'
it's just exactly what we've been looking for. So there's
probably a lot of people just standing back and watching,
just wait and see two or three years, and especially
after the frost this year, that'll make a lot of
people think yes or no, tip them either way. But
(05:45):
for us, it's like everything's like your thought to beat,
it's like your chale, it's like your swede. You get
good years and bad years, and you just roll with
the punches. The varieties that are pretty much specialized for
down here in South and obviously don't have the sunshine
ours and the big growing window that you know, Canterbury
and the North island have so two different sorts of
crops all right between the north island Maize and the
(06:06):
south of Maze. But it's certainly a lot better than
we've been trying to grow five or six years ago.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
You still got the grass growing out there albit just
slightly at the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I think the grass is still growing, yep, Paddax.
That we sort of numbed off in the last round.
You can see they have come again, so it is
still growing. We haven't had a lot of frosts and
they certainly haven't been heavy ones, so you know, and
when the sun does come out and get out of
that fog and cloud it is quite warm. So yeah,
it's nice to be going into the winter knowing that
(06:37):
it was growing when you're knocked off.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Last time we spoke to you, Bruce, the concern was
around fuel, allocations of fuel, just getting a hold of
it going forward into winter. How's it looking from your
perspective about six weeks on.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, I think we're probably over that humpa though you
never know with old Mateen in America wakes up in
the morning in a grump and that can affect everybody.
But we've got that to going about businesses as usual.
We're just doing the last roumbilical here today just to
get the pawns down the full winter. And we still
use a tractors feeding out and doing things like that.
(07:11):
So I don't think the supply thing at this point anyway,
at this moment in time, is of any concerning. The
price is still a bit high, if you ask me,
but hopefully that'll settle. It's amazing how it could go
up overnight but take two or three months to come
back down again. And when are we ever going to
see those dollar seventy levels again? I hope so, but
it could be a long way off.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yeah, just getting down to two dollars even would be a.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Win, It would be exactly right, yep. So you know
it's probably a good at a good time a year,
you know, as any further the farming industry, apart from
poor old cropping farmers, you know, But if that was
if we're in that situation the middle of November, a
hell of a lot of pain and some very large fuel.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Bills regarding counsel amalgamation, that's pretty much on the table
now there's not. It is about just under three months
for councils to get their ducks or worked out. Well,
what's your thoughts around it? Of course you're working with
your Tiger Regional Council.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
There in Yeah, we're a Targo reginal and closer. Yeah,
I just think there's so much double up and duplication.
You know, they would certainly make a saving if they
weren't buying one hundred and fifty range like double care
ranges at once, that's for sure. But no, it's like
all these things that my opinion, they're farming their own jobs,
a lot of them. You know what, I hear that,
(08:31):
what's the fancy room the Targo Regional councilor got in there?
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Is it a room?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
The zen room?
Speaker 2 (08:36):
You know, where are we in the world when we're
doing that sort of carry on? I'm paying for that.
I'm never going to get a hone in the Zen room,
that's for sure, So why should I be paying for it?
That's just one of the stupid things that you know
that they've wasted money on. When there's water infrastructure, there's
you know, sewage infrastructure, roading, things like that. The basics.
It's certainly not sexy, but it needs to have the
money spend on it long before you build a buddy's
(08:57):
n room and your council chambers. You know, I hear
the gravel thing. They might be staying south on up
south them, but you know, starting to give an attraction
on that gravel on the rivers carry on. You know
that's something that one says you can, but the other says, no,
they can't, and you know, it just delays the whole process. Meanwhile,
it's always it's putting farmland and things like that at
(09:18):
risk every time we have a fear of the rain.
So you know, they just need to quit mucking around
and get those things ducks in a row, I suppose
for a better phrase, so that we can get the
problem solved and move on to the next one.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Good on your Bruce, always appreciate your time on the Muster.
Enjoy the afternoon.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
Well do thanks Andy, Welcome back to the Muster Scott
ed as the coach of the South and Staggs just
taking up the role in the last six months or so.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Scott, good afternoon, Welcome to the Muster. First we congratulations
taking on the role for arguably one of the one
of the unions that is craving success for its supporters.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Yeah, thanks Andy, It's been a good, good six months. Busy,
probably in a different way to like you spin on
the grass, a lot of time on the laptop and
the phone. But we're, you know, we're trying to build
a I guess, a team that ourselfs and people are
going to be really proud of and get behind. And
we did a good job of that in the first
half of last season. But the goal and the expectation
(10:23):
is that needs to go for longer and this team
needs to go a bit deeper. So I feel like
we've sort of built a bit of a roster at
the stage that can hopefully get us, get us up
the ladder and get us in and I guess a
sustainable sort of spot where we're we're competing better and
better every year.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So howse planning going for the season, because we're not
too far away When you think about.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
It, it comes around fast, doesn't It said in March,
and you think you've got a whole lot of time,
and then you get to the end of main we're
almost we'll go. So now it's been it's been good.
The ones that draw come out where we could get
our sort of draft, our schedule up and how we
want to do things, and obviously the roster there was
a part of it already sorted, and we've managed to
get a good chunk of the group back from last year,
guys that we think will really grown on in the league,
(11:05):
and some of them who we've been watching on TV
play Super Rugby in seven, so that's been good to see.
And then we've got some guys down here that are
pushing really hard to make the squad as well locally.
So I think it's so good. There's a good balance
to our group this year. They'll be a few younger faces,
but we've also got some good experience as well.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Just how hard is it attracting players to come to
south of them, because let's be honest, it's not a
sixty union.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
It's not you You're right, not the easiest challenge in
the world. I've definitely rehearsed and refined the pet trug
you should call it. But now I think the biggest
thing we've got to do, mate, is we've got to
make it really our environment. And guys come out of
it in October and they go away and they talk
(11:50):
to other guys and they say, oh, they bloody love
the time and the Stags and they got better as
a Ruggy player, but they also had an awesome time
and part of our thing. I think our appeal needs
to be all around the region itself. Guys who love,
you know, the outdoors, get round about and guys go
down and spending that time, and then when we come
and do rugby, we we get into it. But we
(12:11):
also don't take ourselves too seriously. So I think I
think we've got to get that balance, and I think
that's how we help get guys down and to be fed.
As a couple of examples where I think we've got
some guys coming into our team this year where those
those sort of stories and that have have made a
positive difference. So yeah, we'll see how we go.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
So what would you call a successful season?
Speaker 5 (12:35):
I think from what point of view, I love winning
and I hate losing more than anyone, but they also
to be realistic around I guess who we are as
a union and where we're trying to get to. So
we're going to win games, that's the expectation. There will
be games, there will be some challenges. So for me,
it's about building our team for the next two to
(12:55):
three years. Sending some probably some good systems in the
background that people aren't going to see that will help
set us up to be a bit more or a
lot more consistent in terms of how we perform. So yeah,
there's probably a couple of things for me, and as
always trying to push players through the next level that
that's got to be the other one. So we've got
(13:16):
some young players who going to come in this year,
I really want to make sure that they are ending
up in a professional environment Super Rugby or usual sevens
twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
So that's sort of the big ones.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
And obviously, yeah, get the people behind us and having
a real bride in the Stags team every week.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Well on the PACIFICA. Their time in Super Rugby unfortunately
looks like it's coming to an end. But there's quite
a connection between the two teams now, between the Stags
and Milana.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
Yeah, it's really growing really and not through anything I
just guess you'd say structured or for more. It was
sort of just organically happened. I know it started back
with Matt Saunder's a panel pushing for me see a
couple of years ago, and then it's sort of morphed
into game just connections and wear in the mouth and
you get a couple more boys there, and then we
had yeah five in the main squad and young Hokatino
(14:12):
Silano who's been one of their wader training players. So
it's going to be a messive shame to lose them
next year, but I guess sets aim to get those
guys down here and get them into into other.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Jobs for next year.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Regarding club rugby here in South from Premier rugby is
rather limited, does that a big concern?
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Yeah, it's always there's always challenges in this year. Yeah,
there's no hiding from that, mate, So I think we've
got you know, the teams have been really competitive. Blues
have had probably a couple of tough days in particular
last week. There's no hiding away from that. But what
was awesome receive them come back and be really close
with Woodlands on Saturday. Yeah, it's and I think you
(15:00):
before like it's all around the country that Premier space
is becoming challenging and it's not a not a magic
bullet around. How we grow that and keep it getting better.
We've got six teams. I think that's probably the right
fit for our province. How do we make it more appealing,
more attractive, but also we got to understand that we've
got an awesome Division one, two and three for our
(15:23):
communities and our players who just want to sort of
play that that's sort of level of rugby. So yeah,
don't have the answer to make the magic answer, but
it's you're definitely something very aware of and putting a
lot of thought into and having some good conversations about.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, based on this got a few people say there's
a bit of a disconnect between town and the country
in a rugby sense. Do you think that's the case.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
I don't think so, mate, personally, but again I've got
my leans on it. Don't so I'm probably looking at
from a different perspective. Ice to feel like you look
at the Eastern Northern Barbarians and the work that they've done,
and I know that they may be don't the nate
with everyone, and that's fine, but I think the work
I think about the work the head coaches year A
j Akins done, the fact that they've really dove back
(16:09):
into their identity and taken their games around the clubs,
which I think is a great thing. I guess when
they were founded, when I was playing a few years
ago that that was a big thing. They used to
go around all the clubs and play there, and I
think that's awesome an initiative, and I think that's how
how we get that connection back as we take Premier
Rugby to the community. So that's I guess, you know,
(16:29):
going on tangent, but I think things like that are
really important for us to keep that connection that you
talk about and that try to get try and remove
that I guess perceived various.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
So this game is coming up on Wednesday, Scott tell
us about it.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Yeah, so Team the Group taking on Team with me.
Long story short, we've played a Targo for a couple
of years there and I guess you call it a
high performance game. And then May last year Targo pulled
out last minute, unfortunate and we were leaf with nothing.
So we felt that we need to take that into
our own hands. Obviously, we've got the Puppy Dikes shield
for at Rugby now which features Southern Country and South
(17:10):
of Metro, so we feel they've got a real clear
identity in place, so we felt we wanted to go
with something a bit different in this particular one off game.
So Bruder and Wilty, two great Southern figures and a
todo miis what is to be a professional foota player relatable,
recognizable to our young players. So two teams and we're
also got to get four of our premier club coaches involved.
(17:33):
There's a bit of coach development for them. We've also
had some young referees and our training last week. So
for us, it's about giving not only our players a
cracket I guess something the next step, but also coaches
and nefereason those persons now. So yeah, we have we'll
have crack on Wednesday, teams and we'll put out tomorrow.
We just had to get everyone through club rugby on
(17:53):
Saturday and make sure there was good health. Unfortunately, we've
probably lost seven to ten players through injury, but the
next guy out and we've got some yeah, good young
players that will be in the game and some guys
will performing really well in the first six six rounds
of club rugby.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Yeah, so there's a chance and players can force themselves
into consideration on Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
Absolutely, mate, I'm hoping. I'm hoping that's the case. And
there's particularly I think about the forwards. There's I've put
a marker out to especially our front rowers and our
props around someone go and grab it and owner and
say to us pick me. So yeah, I know this
is this is why we're having the game. We want
to see guys going against guys of a similar elk
(18:33):
and you guys going now the performance that definitely put
themselves in the bracket of being in our squad.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
So what are the dates around time of kickoff and
that on Wednesday?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So we're out at.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
Lee's George Oval. It's a pretty pretty good we ground.
So seven pm kickoff, Leeds George Oval. If you've got
nothing on Wednesday, it'd be great to have a bit
of support out there for the guys. We've got one
team will be in maroon and gold. The players that
know yet that we're gonna have a week challenge at
the training tomorrow night to determine who who's gonna wear
(19:04):
what playing strips. I'm sure it'll wear a wee bit
of fun and they'd a wee bit of spots to
it as well. So yeah, seven pm leaves George Over
a Wednesday night should be a good night.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Hey, good on your Scott, thanks for your time. We'll
catch up again. All the best for Wednesday, mate, I
appreciate it. We're away to Moa Flats to catch up
with James Igga farming out that way, sheep beef farmer
(19:34):
and dear farmer for that matter. Good afternoon, James. How
is everything in your neck of the woods.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
No, it's going well andy. Yeah, the autumn thankfully is
providing for us. We've sort of haven't got wet yet.
Now I've got all the cattle transition basically on the
fire beaten cheaper behind the wire and for the winter
rotation now and the feed budgets starting to line up,
which is nice. We're still a few lambs and a
few balls out at the gate quietly as they come
(20:02):
up to wait. Yeah, so sort of heading into the
maintenance mode, which is quite nice.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Well, it's valuably been pretty dry for May.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, it has been.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
We've had.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Not got probably reasonable growth for May. Mainly. I think
that just helps when it's been dry. With the utilization
we actually bought we bought some barley and we took
that up to a fertilizer bin upon him. This year
at one of the farms of my flat, the dry
one there will be feeding grain to the us for
a couple of weeks now, so we just felt with
(20:35):
the diesel price and cost of carriage that it was
more cost effective to buy grain and cut it up
than what it was to buy a bailage, which we
were sort of We sort of had some bailies lined
up in central Tago, some looser and bilage the sort
of had the name on and then they've actually been
so dry over there they didn't even cut it, So
(20:56):
sort of had to come up with play and b
and yeah, with the cost of tree bought a few
different bits and pieces. I sort of felt that, yeah,
the grain was the way to go. So we'll see
how that goes over the next few more weeks.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Where about some central the Targo are you talking when
it was that.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Dry down net trick, Yeah, they had some had some
LUs and on the flats there I sort of had
my name on and yeah, I know they didn't end
up cutting any because yeah, I've had a had a
bit of a diabolical sleep season over that way. So
but as I say, you've not much you know about
the weather, so you're just going to roll with it.
And you always thought the grain feeding was the way
(21:31):
to go for yous. Just you always end up with
a bit of tag and a bit of poorer grass
and hill country, so there's always enough to keep them full.
It's just not very good quality, so we're sort of
hoping with a bit of grain it all.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah, keep the weight on the sheep as well, rather
going to test into this straightaway, James, everybody's talking about
the positives of the wool industry, you're thinking other things.
Are you think they need to get the heads out
of the proverbial and smell the roses?
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah, I'm just sick of the sort of sick of
the low standards I guess for the wool industry. And
we're sort of talking they're off air. You were sort
of a bake Ragg news there to come out, and
you know, they were sort of championing the fact that
six months hearing they were going to break break even
paying all costs, and I just thought to myself, what
(22:18):
a phthetically low bar we have as an industry from
the height what it was probably in the nineteen seventies,
nineteen eighties, you know, and it's never going to go
back to there, don't get me wrong, but still an
extremely low bar when you've got commodity prices like you know,
the dairy prices mid nines, and beef prices are the same,
(22:39):
and lamb prices are you know, mid tens. So all
your sort of commodities that you make around the around
the farming operation, and you know, even the venison, I
was even going through my budget to be honest, and
we've got bugger all trees to be frank, but a
carbon credit payment is going to be more than their
wool after your take off sharing. So you know there's
(23:03):
a reasonably big operation. It's still still got a long
way to go against Andy. And yeah, there's a lot
of guys seems to be able to patent house on
the back quite quickly. When I still think they've got
a major problem and it's still looming, they haven't act.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
It's got a long.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Way to go, I'd say, I'd suggest it's got to
double again Andy to hold to hold the wall on sheep,
because it's definitely going I've definitely noticed a real differentiation
at the moment between the older generation and the younger ones.
Most of the guys my age that I talk to
to be fair going more cattle, less sheep, and they
(23:42):
would get rid of the wall just with workload and
like even and my farming career of twelve years, I
think if you're stacked all the years up, we're probably broken,
even with the wool things.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So it's not very good.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Well, it doesn't doesn't pay many bills when you're broken,
even though twelve years does it end when you're on
these farming operations?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
So who are these people then, James, that you think
need to kick out the bad Who are these people
as such?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yeah, it's pretty hard. I don't want to point too
many fingers, and I won't. I do realize everyone's working hard. Yeah,
I just find it hard, you know, even in the
media and stuff, and yeah, you're sort of everyone's sort
of championing in and saying how well everything is. And
to me that you've got an industry that somewhat breaks
even now. You know, an industry that used to have
(24:31):
seventy million sheep and now it's got heading towards twenty rapidly.
It's got about twenty three at the moment, and there's
really no sign of that stopping. Yeah. I wouldn't exactly
pin it up the wall and say how successful it is,
especially when we look at some of our other big
businesses around New Zealand sort of Fonterra and you know
some of these other We look at zespri, we look
(24:54):
at the rocket apples like you know, there's a myriad
of them, even Halter and different companies like that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Year.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, my point would be to sort of put up
the wool industry and talk it up in the same
sentence as companies like that sort of in my opinions,
are fairly low bar.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
That is a low bar, but at least remember we're
starting with a product that was down to one dollar
twenty just about for crossbreed prices at the moment, going
cleans into the five dollars rate five dollars range. Rome
wasn't built in a day, Oh absolutely.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
But we're also going to look at things like Kodiak
do you remember CDs andy? Yeah, you know, like just
because the product got low doesn't mean it has to
be saved. And you know, and that's the reality that
New Zealand will have to work out in the next
ten to fifteen years. I'm not saying that it's going
to be gone, I'm not saying it can't be saved.
But the reality is, if you want to accept mediocrity
(25:47):
for the next ten years, you will not have a
wool industry. So, yeah, it was just the reality of
the whole thing. Andy, you know, it was just something
that I thought you needed to have. As I say,
there has been a lot of things over the years,
you know, even though as I say the cdsman before
that you had the YEA and then yeah, and then
you had and you had the grandm at.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
What they had the eight I think it was the
eight tracks.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Yeah, So you know, I'm saying, so progress is always there,
and you will always get industries that end up getting
left behind if you're not if you're not careful. And
I think I mentioned some of the other companies here
I think are doing a great job at the moment
of really moving forward with the times. And yeah, apart
the will industry on the back because I've gotten to
(26:34):
somewhat but overbreak even, Yeah, I guess it's just a
long way to go. And I hope everyone keeps pointing
that out and doesn't accept doesn't accept it.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
You know, So what do we accept for the industry.
Then let's have some answers.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Well, I don't think it will be rude to say that,
like even if the commodity was just a straight commodity
like the rest of the commodity cycle we have currently
at the moment, in which case you look it, you know,
mid nine's andy, so you know, and that's what the
beef is and beefers, especially grinding beef and calkel. They
just straight commodity things into the US. So straight commodities.
(27:14):
The milk's is a bit the same, to be feared,
there's a lot of milks. It's not further process. That's
just a straight commodity and that's mid nine. So that
seems to me where the rest of the commodities are.
And before wants to just play in the commodity game,
it needs to be at least that.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Because you sound pretty dismissive of the industry. To be honest,
James Shedding Shaver, is there something you consider?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Yeah, as soon is there any good we're yeah, we're out.
I worked through it was actually me so we worked through.
Its one point five percent of my income will and
it's nine percent of my costs, and we we did
make some money, but as I say, it was we
made more out of carbon credits. It was it was
(27:55):
it was the lowest, lowest thing we make money out
of and we've got quite a diverse business, is the
only thing I'd say. And to be fair, in terms
of our hard work, he'll be quite a high percentage
of our hard work too, if I was honest about it.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
So do you order Levy reintroduced? What do we do?
Do we need to market better?
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I would be open to a wall Levy. I would
be wouldn't have a problem with that. At the end
of the day. It would have to be a decent
amount so that you can actually get some traction. They've
actually got a bit of money to spend, so I'd
certainly be open there. I think you'd. I think there'll
be an argument to do it with Beef and lamb personally,
(28:36):
because you've already got an organization there that's all set
up ready to go in terms of they've got the
right people in the right places fundamentally. So to me,
you wouldn't want to reinvent the wheel otherwise you just
end up with more directors and more middle management and
least outcome. So you'd probably want to key into something
like that.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Hey, we'll let you carry on. James. Always appreciate your
thoughts into eating, particularly today.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Oh thanks with Andy.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
David Stevens is a dear farmer based at Niedale, which
is just out of Bell for the name of his property,
and he joins us once again get a David house things.
Speaker 6 (29:19):
Good afternoon, Andy, yep, no good sitting in the sun. Yeah,
I can't complain.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
We had a wicked frost here and gore this morning.
But up there it sounds like just a bit of drizzle.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
No, no, we just had a just a jew yes, yeah, no,
it's a nice day. I mean if you get a
frost and you get a nice day out of it,
you can't complain either. But no, it's been good. You know,
we're almost June now, so one can't complain.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Ground conditions, how are they looking?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Pretty good?
Speaker 6 (29:48):
It gets a bit sloppy on top at water tables
quite low, so you know if there's a bit of
rain going through. But no, no, I mean it's very good.
First time a year.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Do you enjoy this time of year? David? Okay, it's
a bit cooler, but you get to set routeat in
the mornings. How do you find it?
Speaker 6 (30:06):
Oh, it's good. I enjoy autumnance well, particularly when they're
like this. But it's a nice time the year, really
quite settled and compared to other times of the year,
but no autumns, and particularly if you sneak through to
the central of the targets, the colors up there quite
beautifult the moment, so we've got to we block out
(30:27):
there so we're up there off and on and no
things a nice time the year.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Now we're saying we'd make contracts that have come out
by the meat companies regarding springtime going up into the
twelve dollars bracket. David Venison contracts have come out. How
are they looking.
Speaker 6 (30:46):
Round about the new season? Eleven seventy I think some
would like it a little higher than that, but just
going on the other light, lamb and beef, But no,
that's where things are. And the schedules at the moment
is sitting around about ten eighty ninety, which I would
(31:09):
think that this time of the year would be the
highest it's ever been for this time of the year,
so it's looking good. Obviously, costs for everybody have gone up,
so really you do need those schedules and contracts up
around that figure.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
But no.
Speaker 6 (31:27):
Attended the conference in Palmerston, North a couple of weeks
ago everybody seemed pretty positive. I mean, all the meat
companies are there and the marketers are there, and they
were very positive about where things are going. It's probably
a wee bit of a question over the shipping, mind you,
(31:49):
and saying that a lot of the product goes probably
fifty percent of the product goes into this is venice
and I'm talking about into the States, so that probably
doesn't affect it quite the same obviously the fuel does.
So you know, there's a wead of a question mark
over where that's going, how long that's going to last,
and just the effect on the cost of getting the
(32:11):
product to market. But they're looking pretty positive about things.
And also the velvet side of it, talking about that,
you know, there's some pretty exciting things going on there
with looking at more science going into the healthy function foods.
There's quite a lot of research going into that and
(32:31):
quite exciting what's coming out of it. So the other
thing with the velvet to they sort of predicting a
drop of about two hundred ton on this past season
compared to the season before. So it'll be interesting just
to see what the price of velvet is going into
next season because that's volumes dropping back and it may
(32:54):
even drop even fairly next season, so that could have
quite an effect on the event on the velvet returns
the farmers, given.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
It's a limited market regarding velvet supplied, telling the story
around New Zealand velvet, do we do it well?
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Probably? Well, there's still a lot of myth out there
in the people when you talk velvet, have certain opinions
of it that no, I mean, it's really just into
Asia obviously are strong. It's makes South Korea and China,
obviously a wee bit into New Zealand, Australia and other
(33:34):
countries the States, but probably not in the sense that
we probably need a little more science behind it. The
Western society is away bit that way that you've got
to prove it before they've ever tried. And I think
you know a lot of people take it for rights
in this country, but probably needs a bit more science
(33:56):
behind it just to make people confident in taking it.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Really, regarding the schedule, talking to you over the last
couple of years, you always talked about that ten dollar benchmark.
Given we've seen that cabin go, especially with the likes
of Lamb for example, do you think you need to
shave shift the gold posts again regarding venison and perhaps
look at twelve dollars.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
Ah, yes, yep, no, that's what everybody's I know at conference,
talking to even the Venison guys. I mean twelve dollars.
And then you've got to compete against the other sectors too,
if you're wanting to, I mean, people will be, no
doubt with lamb in the way it is. And saying that, Andy,
most deer farmers are also mixed farmers, so they're either
(34:38):
running before they're running lamb as well. So there's very
few just straight out deer farmers, but there is a
number that are, and most of those are probably quite
big velvet growers. But no, twelve dollars is probably the
benchmark now it's shifted up and obviously trying to keep
up with costs coming through too. Only the big advantage
(35:01):
I suppose for deer farming is your costs are probably
not quite the same as some of the other sectors.
You know, and all health costs, you know, your fuel
costs and that sort of thing really probably aren't. You know,
they aren't the same costs the less and the other sectors.
But in saying that, I mean, if you're fencing as
(35:22):
we're doing at the moment. That's the reasonably expensive exercise.
Once you see it up, it's a pretty good operation
to run.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Regarding the industry conference and was held in Palmerston, North,
I'll let you say you went along to it. What
was the big takeaways from the event.
Speaker 6 (35:39):
Well, we had some great speakers. I mean obviously the
a GMS Deer Farmers Association AGMS first thing in the morning,
and at that AGM that was announced that Richard Greer
down here he was elected to the nt dfa executive
So that'll be great to Richard involved in somebody down
(36:02):
here and he's yeah, he'll do the job well, but no,
it was great to see him elected. Really the opening
was Tom McClay actually opened the conference, and the rest
of the day full of speakers and reports, but the
highlight probably was Tim Gross. He was the past Trade
(36:25):
and Climate Change Minister with John Key's government between two
thousand and eight and fifteen, but he's also been an
ambassador in the States and obviously been involved in World
trade negotiation. Came right back to I think about late
seventies and just an amazing guy to listen to. I mean,
just looking at the landscape at the moment out there
(36:47):
with world trade, with the US taking the starts that
they have, just looking at New Zealand's opportunities as far
as negotiating negotiating new trade heels into the future and that.
It was a great presentation and we probably could have
(37:08):
sat there for another hour, but no things came out
of it. I mean, there's things going to India for
the deer industry, you know. One of the things was actually,
you know, it's dearly as a bit as there is,
and that was one thing that was discussed going into
(37:30):
the US. The market of venison marketers are talking about
pair food treats, big big market there and sort of
really makes it worth quite a bit when it comes
to actually putting something like that into the market. So no,
(37:52):
that was what came out of that. Out of the day.
In the evening we had and we had Twa Nikau
as a guest speaker and that was amazing. I mean,
that got that chap if you ever get a chance
to hear him. Really it was just talking about his
life and for those that follow a bit of league
(38:16):
obviously an icon at Melvin Storm and also still an
ambassador there, so it was just about us growing up
as challenges, the fact that he lost a leg and
also lost his first wife, so obviously he had some
really big, horrendous things happened for his life. And just look,
he was just looking at the taking positives out of life.
(38:37):
So it is a speaker that I could listen to
him for a bit longer too. So no, it was
a very good day, great dinner in the evening, and no,
just looking forward to the excellent next year. So but no,
it was a good conference, Andy.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Excellent David Stevens, Safety of time once again on the Muster.
You enjoyed that, Shoine this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (39:01):
Thanks Andy, it's please thank you, because.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Welcome back to the Muster on Hokanui. Kylie Fuskin of
Mount mcclaim plus more joins us in studio once again.
How are you doing. I'm great, You're always great, I know.
Speaker 7 (39:23):
So reflecting on the last time I was sitting in
this seat was the end of February, actually the twenty
fifth of February, and I remember saying how everything was
looking pretty rosy. Boy did that turn upside down really
quickly in the next few days after that.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
So it's your fault.
Speaker 7 (39:42):
Oh could be absolutely, it's not a.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Trumpet or you're the reason that was straights effort.
Speaker 7 (39:46):
Yeah, so that song in the intro probably describes my personality.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Right, no judgment here.
Speaker 7 (39:51):
Yeah, So yeah, everything felt uncertained again, and then just
a month later we bounced back with Fonterra's divnen and
capital we paid, and here we are. Honestly, I feel
like I've been through an emotionally financial roller coaster stepping back.
I'm not a doomsday er. I a farming businesses, for
the most part, are actually doing really well. So global
(40:12):
uncertainty obviously can move our margins around, but commodity prices
is sitting where they are, and we're probably talking about
a great year turning into a good year. It's definitely
not a bad one.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Compared to a couple of years ago. Anything's a good year.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
Though, Ah yeah, it hasn't left year.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Yeah, I know, but because for honest when we're speaking
to you guys, and especially yourself, Kylie, it's all about
just doing your due diligence and the likes. But we've
had a year where a lot of people have exceeded
their budgets, so there's a lot of positives at the moment,
you can't ignore.
Speaker 7 (40:42):
That and well and truly exceeding their budgets. So if
we look at Dairy, it looks like the twenty five
to twenty six season is pretty much shaping up similar
to last year in terms of profitability. So we've had
two strong years of profit plus a cash injection from
Frontier and a lot of has been paid down on
that capital return worth reminding people it isn't a windfall
(41:07):
or a bonus check. Farmers are paid for those shares
over their lifetime, and farming often with borrowed money, so
it's capital being returned, not free cash if you're listening
to the mainstream media.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
And of course the Fonterra opening payout for the next
season is due out in there predicting between nine to
fifty and ten bucks.
Speaker 7 (41:26):
Yeah, so no shots, there are.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
No absolutely not futures markets looking rosy at the moment.
So Daring once again continues to do what Daring's done.
Like you said for the last twenty four months.
Speaker 7 (41:36):
Again, it's a margin game, and you know, when we
get this announcement, we'll be flat into doing forecasts. Somebody
told me to budget farm working costs at seven dollars.
I'm not leaning into that. I think we can do better.
That would be conservative if you know what I mean
to say, a high farm working cost. Where's that driven fuel?
It's been unknown. We're not in their peak usage right
now in terms of their direct usage of fuel. In
(41:59):
direct yes, inflation pressures will come through how much, don't know. Fertilizer,
it's a may let's not panic yet.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
Yet. It's I like how you framed it with a pause.
Speaker 7 (42:13):
A lot of this sets outside the farm gate. So
the focus right now is what can we control, what
levers can we pull? And I tell you Fred Reps
will be working pretty hard over the coming months for
our farmers.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
One thing that's stuck out lately, though, Kylie, is the
fact that the fuel situation, it sounds as the supply issue.
It's died down. The price is going to remain high
for a while yet, but it is going to correct
itself eventually, hopefully.
Speaker 7 (42:41):
How long is a piece of strength exactly? It's pretty
hard to swallow when you heat your house with the
diesel fire.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
But oh well, well, you know, it depends how President
Trump wakes up in the morning, what side of the
bear he gets out of he's dictating how the world's flowing.
Speaker 7 (42:54):
Yeah, and that's the thing. At some point the world
stops listening to him and just carries on.
Speaker 5 (42:58):
Right.
Speaker 7 (42:58):
Hey, so red meat leams are gone. Money's in the bank,
and boys money in the bank. It's an extra two
dollars a kilo on last year probably around average cat
all same thing, extra two dollars a kilo, and you
can see it. Bank account balances in the last couple
of months have jumped signficantly. Creates really positive feeling. Feels
(43:20):
good to see a positive bank account, but it's also
it can cause temptation. So probably what I really wanted
to enforce is please please please talk to your advisors
before making decisions. Losses have been used up. Tax is
reel again. There's a good chunk of that cash that's
going to the ID. No winter escape holiday for me
(43:45):
to a tropical island, because I will be reviewing tax positions,
making for short professional taxes right and keeping our clients
at ird interest. But like I say, it's warm in
the office, it's not at home, so I might as
well be there.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
That's one way of view it. I what were people
budgeting for their lambs on the season, Bean, what were
you saying?
Speaker 7 (44:06):
Seven six seven six seven.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Don't say that word.
Speaker 7 (44:11):
I don't even know what that means.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
Any Oh, that's what's the CAD's It's a real HAPs thing.
But you don't need to know about I don't know,
I don't know exactly. You don't need to know about it. Then, Honestly,
it's of an adult's life. Parents and know what I'm
talking about. But look back on the straight and narrow
when we're seeing the opening shots for red meat contracts
for LAMB going in excess a twelve dollars for the
upcoming season. I mean, we talked about it a few
(44:34):
years ago, and not that many years ago. Jamie Guy
talked about one hundred dollars LAMB being with the epitome
of what the industry needed. And you look in the
rear view mirror what that is now when seeing people
have balanced sheets for LAMB curls going this year over
two hundred and seventy dollars for Pete's.
Speaker 7 (44:48):
Sake, Poor old Jamie living in the past, isn't he?
Speaker 1 (44:51):
No, No, it was just bringing out the point one
hundred dollars LAMB like, and he talks about the figure
now ten dollars for lamb, ten dollars for dairy and cattle,
and ten dollars for wall.
Speaker 7 (45:01):
Still a margin game, though, Andy, Yes, we are in
good times, but it's a margin game. It's the money
that falls out the bottom and what we can do
with that that makes it really interesting. So while we
have got this money falling out the bottom, we've been
through cycles.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
It's two years ago our.
Speaker 7 (45:17):
Conversations where we need to do our forecasts because we
need to know when we're going to run out of money, right,
and often that prepare of a forecast was driven by
the bank. Now we're doing forecasts because we need to
know what we're going to do with that surplus. It's
a much better place to be, but it still needs
(45:37):
planning and makes strategic decisions, not reactive ones, because good
years don't last forever, but smart decisions make goody in
good years do So.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
When you're talking to clients at the moment, though, and
reflecting the mood of the sectors, what.
Speaker 7 (45:52):
Would you say It is we're positive, but we're always cautious.
We're playing with a margin and uncertainty causes anxiety.
Speaker 1 (46:00):
And as the farmer's prerogative, you know you're always understating things,
especially from the southern southern PERSONA.
Speaker 7 (46:05):
Oh bless us.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
Okay, I'll finish up with this. He's a heart ending
question of life. Would you rather take on one hundred
duck sized horses or one joy and horse sized duck.
Speaker 7 (46:17):
I'm skeeter bird, so I'm going for the horses.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
Really yeah, absolutely, well, this is what the Labour Party
did for their team bonding the other day. It's been
a focus this week and I'm temply just to ask
people how they take things on. Giving it as a
season for getting a duck for the freezer, would you
not back yourself or even the duck just flows away?
And this problem averted.
Speaker 7 (46:34):
I've never had any media training, Andy, and if this
is how they do it, I'm severely disappointed.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
Well, this is how the Labour Party's looking at it,
not me personally, just what we're hearing. And you, Colie
fur Skin, I've mounted acclaim plus more. Wrapping up the
best of the muster. We're taking the day off of Monday.
It is King's Birthday weekend. My name's Andy Muyer. Enjoy
the long weekend. If you're playing sport. I'm a blinder
(47:01):
We'll catch you on Tuesday, right here in Okanoi.
A very good morning. Welcome into the best of the muster,
a collaboration of interviews. It took our attention during a
busy week here in Hakanu e HQ. My name's Andy
muer Thanks for joining us. For starting off the yew,
will be heading to cowso catching it with dairy farmer
Bruce Seeds. The mazes off the paddacks has been the
topic of conversation for a lot of people in the
South regarding mace, but Bruce stands by his use of
(00:26):
the crop and he thinks has got an integral part
of his wintering operation. Another reed, but of a different
dilk Scott Eed coach of a South and Stags this year,
being pretty upfront about the situation and the job he
faces coaching the Stags and the MPC this year and
looking forward to the challenge. So Scott just tells us
from his perspective what he's hoping for in the job
(00:49):
this year and for Stags fans as well. James Egger
is based at maa Flat and he pulls no punches
in his chat this week regarding Wall he says we're
all celebrating meat yocrity around the fiber and where he
thinks we need to readlook at the way that we're
valuing will at the moment, because while it's better than
it was, he thinks it can do a lot better.
(01:10):
We need to celebrate better. David Stevens, dear farmer at
Balfer talking Venison, talking the schedule the such for the
deer industry heading into spring. We're hearing of all these
red meat contracts where Venison's come out with a pretty
good call, and David just says, look, the deer industry
at the moment's in a pretty good space all things considered.
And Kylie Fisken of Mount McLain plus more based hearing Gore,
(01:33):
we have a chat about everything is positive of the
rural scene here in south and at the moment from
an accountant's viewpoint. So we'll start the hour next with Bruceed.
You're listening to the best of the muster. Well, a
(01:55):
way to catch up with Bruceeds this afternoon farming at
cowso with his wife with his wife Tan, Yeah, dairy
farming that way of course. This is a Sergeant Dan
farming round up. Thanks for Sergeant Dan. Stock foods here
and good where we speak to various farmers around the
southern region get a bruce.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
How are you getting on today, Andy.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Can't complain yourself? Thanks, Yeah, no, pretty good. Really.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
We've got raw this morning, but hopefully the day is
going to come out all right. It's dry and that's
the main thing at this time of year.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
So everything's looking as it should be for this time
of year for you guys.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, probably better than normal. I mean we're usually bank
on heaven Kios and said by the fifteenth of May
and some snow and a bit of grotty weather about
the end two at touch Wood, it's been it's been
very favorable. Kios haven't been in so yet. You're actually
going to put them in tomorrow. We're gonna we're sort
of done air dash on the grass side of things
and got to where we want to be, so they'll
(02:47):
go in saw it and finish out the season from
living in the Hilton.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, of course you do split milkings.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
There, Yeah, yeah, split carving. So the robot cows are
they are in all the time and they've all carved
or autumn cares of all cards, so they're in there
doing their thing, and we've just got the outdoor cows
there the spring one's still going twice a day hammer down,
trying to make the most of the good payout, and
(03:12):
we'll look at wind and then down late next week
early the following.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So it's just a case of getting the silly string out,
doing what you have to do. Suppose, same budd story, right.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, not too much silly string around here with the
incarfisses are going to go into their barn tomorrow or
actually this afternoon, sorry, so that'll be then tucked up
for the winter. And we finally got our shed that
the snow disbanded all there two or three years ago.
We got that repaired, so erincrf hefses are going to
go on that in the next couple of weeks as well,
so we'll have outside. It'll be some autumn born cattle
(03:46):
from last earlings and a few balls and a few
beefies on some kale. So yeah, there's not too much
silly string up here in the winter.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah. Of course, your robotic milking system you've had to
them for a couple of years.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Now, Yep, that's just it's the norm for us now.
The cows just rolling and roll out do their own thing.
So yeah, know we've had a record season production wise,
and that's been a large part of it this year.
So we're more than happy.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Pretty good year as well being a Fonterra supplier.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, no, it certainly couldn't got a better year to
have a record, that's for sure. So no, it's it's
been pretty good. At the big payout that we got
there that went straight to paying off mortgage and a
bit of debt. So yeah, it certainly didn't go on
a holiday house and Wiker.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Now you've been ineffacant for maze down here in the
South for a couple of years. Now you grow quite
a bit of it, to be fair. How did it
end up from your side of it?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, it wasn't as bad as we thought. A lot
of people have probably seen a lot of frosted looking
maize crops as they are driving around the end near
the end of last month and started this month, and
once we got into ours here, it's actually surprising how
green it was. It hadn't effected the cop but the
cobs weren't as good this year as previous years, just
lacking that heat and sun and that sort of late
January February mar we didn't really have a proper summer,
(05:01):
as everyone knows, so that probably brought the yield back slightly,
but certainly wasn't right off. And those paddocks have now
been harvested and redrilled with green feed oats, so we'll
feed some kettle off them in the spring and then
tip it back over and go back into maze.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
A few people still cynical about may's being grown in
the South, Bruce, what would you say to that?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Oh, it's not for everybody, it's certainly not. It doesn't
suit every system, and that for us with the indoor cows'
it's just exactly what we've been looking for. So there's
probably a lot of people just standing back and watching,
just wait and see two or three years, and especially
after the frost this year, that'll make a lot of
people think yes or no, tip them either way. But
(05:45):
for us, it's like everything's like your thought to beat,
it's like your chale, it's like your swede. You get
good years and bad years, and you just roll with
the punches. The varieties that are pretty much specialized for
down here in South and obviously don't have the sunshine
ours and the big growing window that you know, Canterbury
and the North island have so two different sorts of
crops all right between the north island Maize and the
(06:06):
south of Maze. But it's certainly a lot better than
we've been trying to grow five or six years ago.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
You still got the grass growing out there albit just
slightly at the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I think the grass is still growing, yep, Paddax.
That we sort of numbed off in the last round.
You can see they have come again, so it is
still growing. We haven't had a lot of frosts and
they certainly haven't been heavy ones, so you know, and
when the sun does come out and get out of
that fog and cloud it is quite warm. So yeah,
it's nice to be going into the winter knowing that
(06:37):
it was growing when you're knocked off.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Last time we spoke to you, Bruce, the concern was
around fuel, allocations of fuel, just getting a hold of
it going forward into winter. How's it looking from your
perspective about six weeks on.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, I think we're probably over that humpa though you
never know with old Mateen in America wakes up in
the morning in a grump and that can affect everybody.
But we've got that to going about businesses as usual.
We're just doing the last roumbilical here today just to
get the pawns down the full winter. And we still
use a tractors feeding out and doing things like that.
(07:11):
So I don't think the supply thing at this point anyway,
at this moment in time, is of any concerning. The
price is still a bit high, if you ask me,
but hopefully that'll settle. It's amazing how it could go
up overnight but take two or three months to come
back down again. And when are we ever going to
see those dollar seventy levels again? I hope so, but
it could be a long way off.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yeah, just getting down to two dollars even would be a.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Win, It would be exactly right, yep. So you know
it's probably a good at a good time a year,
you know, as any further the farming industry, apart from
poor old cropping farmers, you know, But if that was
if we're in that situation the middle of November, a
hell of a lot of pain and some very large fuel.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Bills regarding counsel amalgamation, that's pretty much on the table
now there's not. It is about just under three months
for councils to get their ducks or worked out. Well,
what's your thoughts around it? Of course you're working with
your Tiger Regional Council.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
There in Yeah, we're a Targo reginal and closer. Yeah,
I just think there's so much double up and duplication.
You know, they would certainly make a saving if they
weren't buying one hundred and fifty range like double care
ranges at once, that's for sure. But no, it's like
all these things that my opinion, they're farming their own jobs,
a lot of them. You know what, I hear that,
(08:31):
what's the fancy room the Targo Regional councilor got in there?
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Is it a room?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
The zen room?
Speaker 2 (08:36):
You know, where are we in the world when we're
doing that sort of carry on? I'm paying for that.
I'm never going to get a hone in the Zen room,
that's for sure, So why should I be paying for it?
That's just one of the stupid things that you know
that they've wasted money on. When there's water infrastructure, there's
you know, sewage infrastructure, roading, things like that. The basics.
It's certainly not sexy, but it needs to have the
money spend on it long before you build a buddy's
(08:57):
n room and your council chambers. You know, I hear
the gravel thing. They might be staying south on up
south them, but you know, starting to give an attraction
on that gravel on the rivers carry on. You know
that's something that one says you can, but the other says, no,
they can't, and you know, it just delays the whole process. Meanwhile,
it's always it's putting farmland and things like that at
(09:18):
risk every time we have a fear of the rain.
So you know, they just need to quit mucking around
and get those things ducks in a row, I suppose
for a better phrase, so that we can get the
problem solved and move on to the next one.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Good on your Bruce, always appreciate your time on the Muster.
Enjoy the afternoon.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
Well do thanks Andy, Welcome back to the Muster Scott
ed as the coach of the South and Staggs just
taking up the role in the last six months or so.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Scott, good afternoon, Welcome to the Muster. First we congratulations
taking on the role for arguably one of the one
of the unions that is craving success for its supporters.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Yeah, thanks Andy, It's been a good, good six months. Busy,
probably in a different way to like you spin on
the grass, a lot of time on the laptop and
the phone. But we're, you know, we're trying to build
a I guess, a team that ourselfs and people are
going to be really proud of and get behind. And
we did a good job of that in the first
half of last season. But the goal and the expectation
(10:23):
is that needs to go for longer and this team
needs to go a bit deeper. So I feel like
we've sort of built a bit of a roster at
the stage that can hopefully get us, get us up
the ladder and get us in and I guess a
sustainable sort of spot where we're we're competing better and
better every year.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So howse planning going for the season, because we're not
too far away When you think about.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
It, it comes around fast, doesn't It said in March,
and you think you've got a whole lot of time,
and then you get to the end of main we're
almost we'll go. So now it's been it's been good.
The ones that draw come out where we could get
our sort of draft, our schedule up and how we
want to do things, and obviously the roster there was
a part of it already sorted, and we've managed to
get a good chunk of the group back from last year,
guys that we think will really grown on in the league,
(11:05):
and some of them who we've been watching on TV
play Super Rugby in seven, so that's been good to see.
And then we've got some guys down here that are
pushing really hard to make the squad as well locally.
So I think it's so good. There's a good balance
to our group this year. They'll be a few younger faces,
but we've also got some good experience as well.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Just how hard is it attracting players to come to
south of them, because let's be honest, it's not a
sixty union.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
It's not you You're right, not the easiest challenge in
the world. I've definitely rehearsed and refined the pet trug
you should call it. But now I think the biggest
thing we've got to do, mate, is we've got to
make it really our environment. And guys come out of
it in October and they go away and they talk
(11:50):
to other guys and they say, oh, they bloody love
the time and the Stags and they got better as
a Ruggy player, but they also had an awesome time
and part of our thing. I think our appeal needs
to be all around the region itself. Guys who love,
you know, the outdoors, get round about and guys go
down and spending that time, and then when we come
and do rugby, we we get into it. But we
(12:11):
also don't take ourselves too seriously. So I think I
think we've got to get that balance, and I think
that's how we help get guys down and to be fed.
As a couple of examples where I think we've got
some guys coming into our team this year where those
those sort of stories and that have have made a
positive difference. So yeah, we'll see how we go.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
So what would you call a successful season?
Speaker 5 (12:35):
I think from what point of view, I love winning
and I hate losing more than anyone, but they also
to be realistic around I guess who we are as
a union and where we're trying to get to. So
we're going to win games, that's the expectation. There will
be games, there will be some challenges. So for me,
it's about building our team for the next two to
(12:55):
three years. Sending some probably some good systems in the
background that people aren't going to see that will help
set us up to be a bit more or a
lot more consistent in terms of how we perform. So yeah,
there's probably a couple of things for me, and as
always trying to push players through the next level that
that's got to be the other one. So we've got
(13:16):
some young players who going to come in this year,
I really want to make sure that they are ending
up in a professional environment Super Rugby or usual sevens
twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
So that's sort of the big ones.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
And obviously, yeah, get the people behind us and having
a real bride in the Stags team every week.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Well on the PACIFICA. Their time in Super Rugby unfortunately
looks like it's coming to an end. But there's quite
a connection between the two teams now, between the Stags
and Milana.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
Yeah, it's really growing really and not through anything I
just guess you'd say structured or for more. It was
sort of just organically happened. I know it started back
with Matt Saunder's a panel pushing for me see a
couple of years ago, and then it's sort of morphed
into game just connections and wear in the mouth and
you get a couple more boys there, and then we
had yeah five in the main squad and young Hokatino
(14:12):
Silano who's been one of their wader training players. So
it's going to be a messive shame to lose them
next year, but I guess sets aim to get those
guys down here and get them into into other.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Jobs for next year.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Regarding club rugby here in South from Premier rugby is
rather limited, does that a big concern?
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Yeah, it's always there's always challenges in this year. Yeah,
there's no hiding from that, mate, So I think we've
got you know, the teams have been really competitive. Blues
have had probably a couple of tough days in particular
last week. There's no hiding away from that. But what
was awesome receive them come back and be really close
with Woodlands on Saturday. Yeah, it's and I think you
(15:00):
before like it's all around the country that Premier space
is becoming challenging and it's not a not a magic
bullet around. How we grow that and keep it getting better.
We've got six teams. I think that's probably the right
fit for our province. How do we make it more appealing,
more attractive, but also we got to understand that we've
got an awesome Division one, two and three for our
(15:23):
communities and our players who just want to sort of
play that that's sort of level of rugby. So yeah,
don't have the answer to make the magic answer, but
it's you're definitely something very aware of and putting a
lot of thought into and having some good conversations about.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, based on this got a few people say there's
a bit of a disconnect between town and the country
in a rugby sense. Do you think that's the case.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
I don't think so, mate, personally, but again I've got
my leans on it. Don't so I'm probably looking at
from a different perspective. Ice to feel like you look
at the Eastern Northern Barbarians and the work that they've done,
and I know that they may be don't the nate
with everyone, and that's fine, but I think the work
I think about the work the head coaches year A
j Akins done, the fact that they've really dove back
(16:09):
into their identity and taken their games around the clubs,
which I think is a great thing. I guess when
they were founded, when I was playing a few years
ago that that was a big thing. They used to
go around all the clubs and play there, and I
think that's awesome an initiative, and I think that's how
how we get that connection back as we take Premier
Rugby to the community. So that's I guess, you know,
(16:29):
going on tangent, but I think things like that are
really important for us to keep that connection that you
talk about and that try to get try and remove
that I guess perceived various.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
So this game is coming up on Wednesday, Scott tell
us about it.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Yeah, so Team the Group taking on Team with me.
Long story short, we've played a Targo for a couple
of years there and I guess you call it a
high performance game. And then May last year Targo pulled
out last minute, unfortunate and we were leaf with nothing.
So we felt that we need to take that into
our own hands. Obviously, we've got the Puppy Dikes shield
for at Rugby now which features Southern Country and South
(17:10):
of Metro, so we feel they've got a real clear
identity in place, so we felt we wanted to go
with something a bit different in this particular one off game.
So Bruder and Wilty, two great Southern figures and a
todo miis what is to be a professional foota player relatable,
recognizable to our young players. So two teams and we're
also got to get four of our premier club coaches involved.
(17:33):
There's a bit of coach development for them. We've also
had some young referees and our training last week. So
for us, it's about giving not only our players a
cracket I guess something the next step, but also coaches
and nefereason those persons now. So yeah, we have we'll
have crack on Wednesday, teams and we'll put out tomorrow.
We just had to get everyone through club rugby on
(17:53):
Saturday and make sure there was good health. Unfortunately, we've
probably lost seven to ten players through injury, but the
next guy out and we've got some yeah, good young
players that will be in the game and some guys
will performing really well in the first six six rounds
of club rugby.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Yeah, so there's a chance and players can force themselves
into consideration on Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
Absolutely, mate, I'm hoping. I'm hoping that's the case. And
there's particularly I think about the forwards. There's I've put
a marker out to especially our front rowers and our
props around someone go and grab it and owner and
say to us pick me. So yeah, I know this
is this is why we're having the game. We want
to see guys going against guys of a similar elk
(18:33):
and you guys going now the performance that definitely put
themselves in the bracket of being in our squad.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
So what are the dates around time of kickoff and
that on Wednesday?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So we're out at.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
Lee's George Oval. It's a pretty pretty good we ground.
So seven pm kickoff, Leeds George Oval. If you've got
nothing on Wednesday, it'd be great to have a bit
of support out there for the guys. We've got one
team will be in maroon and gold. The players that
know yet that we're gonna have a week challenge at
the training tomorrow night to determine who who's gonna wear
(19:04):
what playing strips. I'm sure it'll wear a wee bit
of fun and they'd a wee bit of spots to
it as well. So yeah, seven pm leaves George Over
a Wednesday night should be a good night.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Hey, good on your Scott, thanks for your time. We'll
catch up again. All the best for Wednesday, mate, I
appreciate it. We're away to Moa Flats to catch up
with James Igga farming out that way, sheep beef farmer
(19:34):
and dear farmer for that matter. Good afternoon, James. How
is everything in your neck of the woods.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
No, it's going well andy. Yeah, the autumn thankfully is
providing for us. We've sort of haven't got wet yet.
Now I've got all the cattle transition basically on the
fire beaten cheaper behind the wire and for the winter
rotation now and the feed budgets starting to line up,
which is nice. We're still a few lambs and a
few balls out at the gate quietly as they come
(20:02):
up to wait. Yeah, so sort of heading into the
maintenance mode, which is quite nice.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Well, it's valuably been pretty dry for May.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, it has been.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
We've had.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Not got probably reasonable growth for May. Mainly. I think
that just helps when it's been dry. With the utilization
we actually bought we bought some barley and we took
that up to a fertilizer bin upon him. This year
at one of the farms of my flat, the dry
one there will be feeding grain to the us for
a couple of weeks now, so we just felt with
(20:35):
the diesel price and cost of carriage that it was
more cost effective to buy grain and cut it up
than what it was to buy a bailage, which we
were sort of We sort of had some bailies lined
up in central Tago, some looser and bilage the sort
of had the name on and then they've actually been
so dry over there they didn't even cut it, So
(20:56):
sort of had to come up with play and b
and yeah, with the cost of tree bought a few
different bits and pieces. I sort of felt that, yeah,
the grain was the way to go. So we'll see
how that goes over the next few more weeks.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Where about some central the Targo are you talking when
it was that.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Dry down net trick, Yeah, they had some had some
LUs and on the flats there I sort of had
my name on and yeah, I know they didn't end
up cutting any because yeah, I've had a had a
bit of a diabolical sleep season over that way. So
but as I say, you've not much you know about
the weather, so you're just going to roll with it.
And you always thought the grain feeding was the way
(21:31):
to go for yous. Just you always end up with
a bit of tag and a bit of poorer grass
and hill country, so there's always enough to keep them full.
It's just not very good quality, so we're sort of
hoping with a bit of grain it all.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah, keep the weight on the sheep as well, rather
going to test into this straightaway, James, everybody's talking about
the positives of the wool industry, you're thinking other things.
Are you think they need to get the heads out
of the proverbial and smell the roses?
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah, I'm just sick of the sort of sick of
the low standards I guess for the wool industry. And
we're sort of talking they're off air. You were sort
of a bake Ragg news there to come out, and
you know, they were sort of championing the fact that
six months hearing they were going to break break even
paying all costs, and I just thought to myself, what
(22:18):
a phthetically low bar we have as an industry from
the height what it was probably in the nineteen seventies,
nineteen eighties, you know, and it's never going to go
back to there, don't get me wrong, but still an
extremely low bar when you've got commodity prices like you know,
the dairy prices mid nines, and beef prices are the same,
(22:39):
and lamb prices are you know, mid tens. So all
your sort of commodities that you make around the around
the farming operation, and you know, even the venison, I
was even going through my budget to be honest, and
we've got bugger all trees to be frank, but a
carbon credit payment is going to be more than their
wool after your take off sharing. So you know there's
(23:03):
a reasonably big operation. It's still still got a long
way to go against Andy. And yeah, there's a lot
of guys seems to be able to patent house on
the back quite quickly. When I still think they've got
a major problem and it's still looming, they haven't act.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
It's got a long.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Way to go, I'd say, I'd suggest it's got to
double again Andy to hold to hold the wall on sheep,
because it's definitely going I've definitely noticed a real differentiation
at the moment between the older generation and the younger ones.
Most of the guys my age that I talk to
to be fair going more cattle, less sheep, and they
(23:42):
would get rid of the wall just with workload and
like even and my farming career of twelve years, I
think if you're stacked all the years up, we're probably broken,
even with the wool things.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So it's not very good.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Well, it doesn't doesn't pay many bills when you're broken,
even though twelve years does it end when you're on
these farming operations?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
So who are these people then, James, that you think
need to kick out the bad Who are these people
as such?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yeah, it's pretty hard. I don't want to point too
many fingers, and I won't. I do realize everyone's working hard. Yeah,
I just find it hard, you know, even in the
media and stuff, and yeah, you're sort of everyone's sort
of championing in and saying how well everything is. And
to me that you've got an industry that somewhat breaks
even now. You know, an industry that used to have
(24:31):
seventy million sheep and now it's got heading towards twenty rapidly.
It's got about twenty three at the moment, and there's
really no sign of that stopping. Yeah. I wouldn't exactly
pin it up the wall and say how successful it is,
especially when we look at some of our other big
businesses around New Zealand sort of Fonterra and you know
some of these other We look at zespri, we look
(24:54):
at the rocket apples like you know, there's a myriad
of them, even Halter and different companies like that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Year.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, my point would be to sort of put up
the wool industry and talk it up in the same
sentence as companies like that sort of in my opinions,
are fairly low bar.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
That is a low bar, but at least remember we're
starting with a product that was down to one dollar
twenty just about for crossbreed prices at the moment, going
cleans into the five dollars rate five dollars range. Rome
wasn't built in a day, Oh absolutely.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
But we're also going to look at things like Kodiak
do you remember CDs andy? Yeah, you know, like just
because the product got low doesn't mean it has to
be saved. And you know, and that's the reality that
New Zealand will have to work out in the next
ten to fifteen years. I'm not saying that it's going
to be gone, I'm not saying it can't be saved.
But the reality is, if you want to accept mediocrity
(25:47):
for the next ten years, you will not have a
wool industry. So, yeah, it was just the reality of
the whole thing. Andy, you know, it was just something
that I thought you needed to have. As I say,
there has been a lot of things over the years,
you know, even though as I say the cdsman before
that you had the YEA and then yeah, and then
you had and you had the grandm at.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
What they had the eight I think it was the
eight tracks.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Yeah, So you know, I'm saying, so progress is always there,
and you will always get industries that end up getting
left behind if you're not if you're not careful. And
I think I mentioned some of the other companies here
I think are doing a great job at the moment
of really moving forward with the times. And yeah, apart
the will industry on the back because I've gotten to
(26:34):
somewhat but overbreak even, Yeah, I guess it's just a
long way to go. And I hope everyone keeps pointing
that out and doesn't accept doesn't accept it.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
You know, So what do we accept for the industry.
Then let's have some answers.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Well, I don't think it will be rude to say that,
like even if the commodity was just a straight commodity
like the rest of the commodity cycle we have currently
at the moment, in which case you look it, you know,
mid nine's andy, so you know, and that's what the
beef is and beefers, especially grinding beef and calkel. They
just straight commodity things into the US. So straight commodities.
(27:14):
The milk's is a bit the same, to be feared,
there's a lot of milks. It's not further process. That's
just a straight commodity and that's mid nine. So that
seems to me where the rest of the commodities are.
And before wants to just play in the commodity game,
it needs to be at least that.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Because you sound pretty dismissive of the industry. To be honest,
James Shedding Shaver, is there something you consider?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Yeah, as soon is there any good we're yeah, we're out.
I worked through it was actually me so we worked through.
Its one point five percent of my income will and
it's nine percent of my costs, and we we did
make some money, but as I say, it was we
made more out of carbon credits. It was it was
(27:55):
it was the lowest, lowest thing we make money out
of and we've got quite a diverse business, is the
only thing I'd say. And to be fair, in terms
of our hard work, he'll be quite a high percentage
of our hard work too, if I was honest about it.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
So do you order Levy reintroduced? What do we do?
Do we need to market better?
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I would be open to a wall Levy. I would
be wouldn't have a problem with that. At the end
of the day. It would have to be a decent
amount so that you can actually get some traction. They've
actually got a bit of money to spend, so I'd
certainly be open there. I think you'd. I think there'll
be an argument to do it with Beef and lamb personally,
(28:36):
because you've already got an organization there that's all set
up ready to go in terms of they've got the
right people in the right places fundamentally. So to me,
you wouldn't want to reinvent the wheel otherwise you just
end up with more directors and more middle management and
least outcome. So you'd probably want to key into something
like that.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Hey, we'll let you carry on. James. Always appreciate your
thoughts into eating, particularly today.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Oh thanks with Andy.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
David Stevens is a dear farmer based at Niedale, which
is just out of Bell for the name of his property,
and he joins us once again get a David house things.
Speaker 6 (29:19):
Good afternoon, Andy, yep, no good sitting in the sun. Yeah,
I can't complain.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
We had a wicked frost here and gore this morning.
But up there it sounds like just a bit of drizzle.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
No, no, we just had a just a jew yes, yeah, no,
it's a nice day. I mean if you get a
frost and you get a nice day out of it,
you can't complain either. But no, it's been good. You know,
we're almost June now, so one can't complain.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Ground conditions, how are they looking?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Pretty good?
Speaker 6 (29:48):
It gets a bit sloppy on top at water tables
quite low, so you know if there's a bit of
rain going through. But no, no, I mean it's very good.
First time a year.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Do you enjoy this time of year? David? Okay, it's
a bit cooler, but you get to set routeat in
the mornings. How do you find it?
Speaker 6 (30:06):
Oh, it's good. I enjoy autumnance well, particularly when they're
like this. But it's a nice time the year, really
quite settled and compared to other times of the year,
but no autumns, and particularly if you sneak through to
the central of the targets, the colors up there quite
beautifult the moment, so we've got to we block out
(30:27):
there so we're up there off and on and no
things a nice time the year.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Now we're saying we'd make contracts that have come out
by the meat companies regarding springtime going up into the
twelve dollars bracket. David Venison contracts have come out. How
are they looking.
Speaker 6 (30:46):
Round about the new season? Eleven seventy I think some
would like it a little higher than that, but just
going on the other light, lamb and beef, But no,
that's where things are. And the schedules at the moment
is sitting around about ten eighty ninety, which I would
(31:09):
think that this time of the year would be the
highest it's ever been for this time of the year,
so it's looking good. Obviously, costs for everybody have gone up,
so really you do need those schedules and contracts up
around that figure.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
But no.
Speaker 6 (31:27):
Attended the conference in Palmerston, North a couple of weeks
ago everybody seemed pretty positive. I mean, all the meat
companies are there and the marketers are there, and they
were very positive about where things are going. It's probably
a wee bit of a question over the shipping, mind you,
(31:49):
and saying that a lot of the product goes probably
fifty percent of the product goes into this is venice
and I'm talking about into the States, so that probably
doesn't affect it quite the same obviously the fuel does.
So you know, there's a wead of a question mark
over where that's going, how long that's going to last,
and just the effect on the cost of getting the
(32:11):
product to market. But they're looking pretty positive about things.
And also the velvet side of it, talking about that,
you know, there's some pretty exciting things going on there
with looking at more science going into the healthy function foods.
There's quite a lot of research going into that and
(32:31):
quite exciting what's coming out of it. So the other
thing with the velvet to they sort of predicting a
drop of about two hundred ton on this past season
compared to the season before. So it'll be interesting just
to see what the price of velvet is going into
next season because that's volumes dropping back and it may
(32:54):
even drop even fairly next season, so that could have
quite an effect on the event on the velvet returns
the farmers, given.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
It's a limited market regarding velvet supplied, telling the story
around New Zealand velvet, do we do it well?
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Probably? Well, there's still a lot of myth out there
in the people when you talk velvet, have certain opinions
of it that no, I mean, it's really just into
Asia obviously are strong. It's makes South Korea and China,
obviously a wee bit into New Zealand, Australia and other
(33:34):
countries the States, but probably not in the sense that
we probably need a little more science behind it. The
Western society is away bit that way that you've got
to prove it before they've ever tried. And I think
you know a lot of people take it for rights
in this country, but probably needs a bit more science
(33:56):
behind it just to make people confident in taking it.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Really, regarding the schedule, talking to you over the last
couple of years, you always talked about that ten dollar benchmark.
Given we've seen that cabin go, especially with the likes
of Lamb for example, do you think you need to
shave shift the gold posts again regarding venison and perhaps
look at twelve dollars.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
Ah, yes, yep, no, that's what everybody's I know at conference,
talking to even the Venison guys. I mean twelve dollars.
And then you've got to compete against the other sectors too,
if you're wanting to, I mean, people will be, no
doubt with lamb in the way it is. And saying that, Andy,
most deer farmers are also mixed farmers, so they're either
(34:38):
running before they're running lamb as well. So there's very
few just straight out deer farmers, but there is a
number that are, and most of those are probably quite
big velvet growers. But no, twelve dollars is probably the
benchmark now it's shifted up and obviously trying to keep
up with costs coming through too. Only the big advantage
(35:01):
I suppose for deer farming is your costs are probably
not quite the same as some of the other sectors.
You know, and all health costs, you know, your fuel
costs and that sort of thing really probably aren't. You know,
they aren't the same costs the less and the other sectors.
But in saying that, I mean, if you're fencing as
(35:22):
we're doing at the moment. That's the reasonably expensive exercise.
Once you see it up, it's a pretty good operation
to run.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Regarding the industry conference and was held in Palmerston, North,
I'll let you say you went along to it. What
was the big takeaways from the event.
Speaker 6 (35:39):
Well, we had some great speakers. I mean obviously the
a GMS Deer Farmers Association AGMS first thing in the morning,
and at that AGM that was announced that Richard Greer
down here he was elected to the nt dfa executive
So that'll be great to Richard involved in somebody down
(36:02):
here and he's yeah, he'll do the job well, but no,
it was great to see him elected. Really the opening
was Tom McClay actually opened the conference, and the rest
of the day full of speakers and reports, but the
highlight probably was Tim Gross. He was the past Trade
(36:25):
and Climate Change Minister with John Key's government between two
thousand and eight and fifteen, but he's also been an
ambassador in the States and obviously been involved in World
trade negotiation. Came right back to I think about late
seventies and just an amazing guy to listen to. I mean,
just looking at the landscape at the moment out there
(36:47):
with world trade, with the US taking the starts that
they have, just looking at New Zealand's opportunities as far
as negotiating negotiating new trade heels into the future and that.
It was a great presentation and we probably could have
(37:08):
sat there for another hour, but no things came out
of it. I mean, there's things going to India for
the deer industry, you know. One of the things was actually,
you know, it's dearly as a bit as there is,
and that was one thing that was discussed going into
(37:30):
the US. The market of venison marketers are talking about
pair food treats, big big market there and sort of
really makes it worth quite a bit when it comes
to actually putting something like that into the market. So no,
(37:52):
that was what came out of that. Out of the day.
In the evening we had and we had Twa Nikau
as a guest speaker and that was amazing. I mean,
that got that chap if you ever get a chance
to hear him. Really it was just talking about his
life and for those that follow a bit of league
(38:16):
obviously an icon at Melvin Storm and also still an
ambassador there, so it was just about us growing up
as challenges, the fact that he lost a leg and
also lost his first wife, so obviously he had some
really big, horrendous things happened for his life. And just look,
he was just looking at the taking positives out of life.
(38:37):
So it is a speaker that I could listen to
him for a bit longer too. So no, it was
a very good day, great dinner in the evening, and no,
just looking forward to the excellent next year. So but no,
it was a good conference, Andy.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Excellent David Stevens, Safety of time once again on the Muster.
You enjoyed that, Shoine this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (39:01):
Thanks Andy, it's please thank you, because.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Welcome back to the Muster on Hokanui. Kylie Fuskin of
Mount mcclaim plus more joins us in studio once again.
How are you doing. I'm great, You're always great, I know.
Speaker 7 (39:23):
So reflecting on the last time I was sitting in
this seat was the end of February, actually the twenty
fifth of February, and I remember saying how everything was
looking pretty rosy. Boy did that turn upside down really
quickly in the next few days after that.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
So it's your fault.
Speaker 7 (39:42):
Oh could be absolutely, it's not a.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Trumpet or you're the reason that was straights effort.
Speaker 7 (39:46):
Yeah, so that song in the intro probably describes my personality.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Right, no judgment here.
Speaker 7 (39:51):
Yeah, So yeah, everything felt uncertained again, and then just
a month later we bounced back with Fonterra's divnen and
capital we paid, and here we are. Honestly, I feel
like I've been through an emotionally financial roller coaster stepping back.
I'm not a doomsday er. I a farming businesses, for
the most part, are actually doing really well. So global
(40:12):
uncertainty obviously can move our margins around, but commodity prices
is sitting where they are, and we're probably talking about
a great year turning into a good year. It's definitely
not a bad one.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Compared to a couple of years ago. Anything's a good year.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
Though, Ah yeah, it hasn't left year.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Yeah, I know, but because for honest when we're speaking
to you guys, and especially yourself, Kylie, it's all about
just doing your due diligence and the likes. But we've
had a year where a lot of people have exceeded
their budgets, so there's a lot of positives at the moment,
you can't ignore.
Speaker 7 (40:42):
That and well and truly exceeding their budgets. So if
we look at Dairy, it looks like the twenty five
to twenty six season is pretty much shaping up similar
to last year in terms of profitability. So we've had
two strong years of profit plus a cash injection from
Frontier and a lot of has been paid down on
that capital return worth reminding people it isn't a windfall
(41:07):
or a bonus check. Farmers are paid for those shares
over their lifetime, and farming often with borrowed money, so
it's capital being returned, not free cash if you're listening
to the mainstream media.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
And of course the Fonterra opening payout for the next
season is due out in there predicting between nine to
fifty and ten bucks.
Speaker 7 (41:26):
Yeah, so no shots, there are.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
No absolutely not futures markets looking rosy at the moment.
So Daring once again continues to do what Daring's done.
Like you said for the last twenty four months.
Speaker 7 (41:36):
Again, it's a margin game, and you know, when we
get this announcement, we'll be flat into doing forecasts. Somebody
told me to budget farm working costs at seven dollars.
I'm not leaning into that. I think we can do better.
That would be conservative if you know what I mean
to say, a high farm working cost. Where's that driven fuel?
It's been unknown. We're not in their peak usage right
now in terms of their direct usage of fuel. In
(41:59):
direct yes, inflation pressures will come through how much, don't know. Fertilizer,
it's a may let's not panic yet.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
Yet. It's I like how you framed it with a pause.
Speaker 7 (42:13):
A lot of this sets outside the farm gate. So
the focus right now is what can we control, what
levers can we pull? And I tell you Fred Reps
will be working pretty hard over the coming months for
our farmers.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
One thing that's stuck out lately, though, Kylie, is the
fact that the fuel situation, it sounds as the supply issue.
It's died down. The price is going to remain high
for a while yet, but it is going to correct
itself eventually, hopefully.
Speaker 7 (42:41):
How long is a piece of strength exactly? It's pretty
hard to swallow when you heat your house with the
diesel fire.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
But oh well, well, you know, it depends how President
Trump wakes up in the morning, what side of the
bear he gets out of he's dictating how the world's flowing.
Speaker 7 (42:54):
Yeah, and that's the thing. At some point the world
stops listening to him and just carries on.
Speaker 5 (42:58):
Right.
Speaker 7 (42:58):
Hey, so red meat leams are gone. Money's in the bank,
and boys money in the bank. It's an extra two
dollars a kilo on last year probably around average cat
all same thing, extra two dollars a kilo, and you
can see it. Bank account balances in the last couple
of months have jumped signficantly. Creates really positive feeling. Feels
(43:20):
good to see a positive bank account, but it's also
it can cause temptation. So probably what I really wanted
to enforce is please please please talk to your advisors
before making decisions. Losses have been used up. Tax is
reel again. There's a good chunk of that cash that's
going to the ID. No winter escape holiday for me
(43:45):
to a tropical island, because I will be reviewing tax positions,
making for short professional taxes right and keeping our clients
at ird interest. But like I say, it's warm in
the office, it's not at home, so I might as
well be there.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
That's one way of view it. I what were people
budgeting for their lambs on the season, Bean, what were
you saying?
Speaker 7 (44:06):
Seven six seven six seven.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Don't say that word.
Speaker 7 (44:11):
I don't even know what that means.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
Any Oh, that's what's the CAD's It's a real HAPs thing.
But you don't need to know about I don't know,
I don't know exactly. You don't need to know about it. Then, Honestly,
it's of an adult's life. Parents and know what I'm
talking about. But look back on the straight and narrow
when we're seeing the opening shots for red meat contracts
for LAMB going in excess a twelve dollars for the
upcoming season. I mean, we talked about it a few
(44:34):
years ago, and not that many years ago. Jamie Guy
talked about one hundred dollars LAMB being with the epitome
of what the industry needed. And you look in the
rear view mirror what that is now when seeing people
have balanced sheets for LAMB curls going this year over
two hundred and seventy dollars for Pete's.
Speaker 7 (44:48):
Sake, Poor old Jamie living in the past, isn't he?
Speaker 1 (44:51):
No, No, it was just bringing out the point one
hundred dollars LAMB like, and he talks about the figure
now ten dollars for lamb, ten dollars for dairy and cattle,
and ten dollars for wall.
Speaker 7 (45:01):
Still a margin game, though, Andy, Yes, we are in
good times, but it's a margin game. It's the money
that falls out the bottom and what we can do
with that that makes it really interesting. So while we
have got this money falling out the bottom, we've been
through cycles.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
It's two years ago our.
Speaker 7 (45:17):
Conversations where we need to do our forecasts because we
need to know when we're going to run out of money, right,
and often that prepare of a forecast was driven by
the bank. Now we're doing forecasts because we need to
know what we're going to do with that surplus. It's
a much better place to be, but it still needs
(45:37):
planning and makes strategic decisions, not reactive ones, because good
years don't last forever, but smart decisions make goody in
good years do So.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
When you're talking to clients at the moment, though, and
reflecting the mood of the sectors, what.
Speaker 7 (45:52):
Would you say It is we're positive, but we're always cautious.
We're playing with a margin and uncertainty causes anxiety.
Speaker 1 (46:00):
And as the farmer's prerogative, you know you're always understating things,
especially from the southern southern PERSONA.
Speaker 7 (46:05):
Oh bless us.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
Okay, I'll finish up with this. He's a heart ending
question of life. Would you rather take on one hundred
duck sized horses or one joy and horse sized duck.
Speaker 7 (46:17):
I'm skeeter bird, so I'm going for the horses.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
Really yeah, absolutely, well, this is what the Labour Party
did for their team bonding the other day. It's been
a focus this week and I'm temply just to ask
people how they take things on. Giving it as a
season for getting a duck for the freezer, would you
not back yourself or even the duck just flows away?
And this problem averted.
Speaker 7 (46:34):
I've never had any media training, Andy, and if this
is how they do it, I'm severely disappointed.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
Well, this is how the Labour Party's looking at it,
not me personally, just what we're hearing. And you, Colie
fur Skin, I've mounted acclaim plus more. Wrapping up the
best of the muster. We're taking the day off of Monday.
It is King's Birthday weekend. My name's Andy Muyer. Enjoy
the long weekend. If you're playing sport. I'm a blinder
(47:01):
We'll catch you on Tuesday, right here in Okanoi.
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