September 26, 2025 • 46 mins
Andy Muir talks to Jamie King, Mark Dillon, Jason Herrick, Peter Gardyne and Sean Molloy.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
A very good morning and welcome along to the best
of the muster, a collaboration of interviews that took our
attention during a busy week here at Hokkinu EHQ. My
name's Andy Muer, Thanks for your company. Was starting off
for the hour, but going over to Lake Heroco and
catching up with Jamie King commenting on the Alliance sports situation,
the big vote's happening in the not too distant future
regarding Dawn Meets, but as well just how laming's been
(00:26):
over there in Western Southland. Mark Dylan has just recently
returned from the World Powing Championships in the Czech Republic
and fills us in and how it's all gone. Jason
Hererick is South Confederated Farmers. He's not very happy with
the way Environment Southland has gone about winter grazing and
reclaiming extra costs. So Jason, in his own words tells
us why he thinks this needs a bit of transparency
(00:47):
around it. Peter guard Ian once again the Alliance decision.
Peter says the counter offer there by five Southland Farmers
regarding recapitalizing Alliance group as interesting as he thinks there's
a lot of farming intellect in that greet needs to
be taken seriously. At sure molloy our peak farming correspondent
from out of Sheffield talking all things pork farming. Can
I read the round fairly? Shield changes to the pork board, naywork,
(01:10):
you name it? We talk. We talk all about it
with our correspondent based up there in Sheffield. So without
further ado, we start the best of the muster with
Jamie King. Jamie King farms over at Lake Heroco in
(01:43):
West and Southam and joins us in the Sergeant Dan
Farming update. Thanks for Sergeant Dan stock. Food's here on
the main street of Gored. Good afternoon, Jamie. How's everything good?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Mate? Here you going?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It's pretty good today. We diin to wist Ley and
but nowsome loss and warm, feels like spring Andy. Just
looking at the forecast, we're mutely getting lots of rain
right about now, but it hasn't come and I can
still see the mountains.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
So we will keep your fingers.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Crossed well up there.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
And for Jordland and the lights. You've had quite a
bit of late snow.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, yeah, no, there's probably been more snow on the
on the Princess and the hero Quoise on September and
what there was a winter, Mate, it has dissipitated a lot,
but I think what i'd say with at least top
one hundred and sixty five or seventy mill of rainy
up since the start of September, so that's more than
what we had probably for the last half of June
(02:35):
and July and August.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Mate, So jeordyyed talking figures over two hundred miles for
September up to last Thursday. So you're not allowed in
that as well, but certainly frustration when you need the
big yellow Oh that's right, mate.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Then on that note, it was starting to feel a
lot like last year, Andy, but I'll say that in
touch of it would because we haven't got to October yet.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
But we have been getting days with some.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Bit of it's been cold, what have you, but the
sun has been out. We're probably a lot better off
on speed covers, just cover the dirty you know, that
sort of thing. But I don't think even us scores
up here if you quite had the most actually torn
a Jordian down the southern plains coast of the coasts.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Sothwesters have been given them a.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Bit of a hurry hard tournament.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So when's been a real issia as well lately?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Now we too, I don't mind the wind, and we
don't get a lot of it in here, and when
it does blot so.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Draws a bit of stuff out.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
But it did blow like heck there on Saturday, and
I was anticipating all that rain that night. But I
nearly got eight or one million out of it, so
it obviously got sent up country.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
For example, here in Gore it was cool on Saturday afternoon.
But yesterday the boys had the hose house when we're
just going for a bit of a swim on the
lawn and such, because that northwester was blowing pretty good.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Yeah, that was beautiful over here to you.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I had a seven year old dead seat with a
week to go on away to the river for a swim,
never mind the river being still a meter higher than
what it normally is. He was king, he was keens.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That was good. Yeah, but now it was by me.
It was real.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
You could just hear the grass ground yesterday. But typical spring.
We've got all these males kicking around eating it, looking
for a bit of green stuff too.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
After the winter, so hell's lambing going so far pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I think for the most part, the mixed ages they
haven't got much cover just there. They sort of obviously
spread out early we're pretty a little bit light on crop,
but all the flats in there. So the engine room
they are good. Country is kicking away pretty well and
all the early ones are plugging away pretty pretty good.
But like, yeah, we're sort of a lot of their
(04:36):
country can be well classes an effective and a lot
of shell broend its. He don't really know until the
fat lady sings, mate, till you run the Battalian team.
But so what it looks a right.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So yeah, so you're lambing beat semi intensive, not so
muchural sort.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Of cat and Scottie or scoot and chatter, marble lets
a sort of things. No, they just they do sheeperd
They sheep it all the pedics that you can sheep comfortably.
We don't pack around over the hills too much. You
create more issues and what it's worth just with the
spring with it. But anything you can do, you know,
per se hundred percent, we do in a lot of that.
(05:13):
Note mate, there's not much else you can do this
on the utes to really start cheer and dirt happen.
It's a little bit of maintenance in between times and
fences and what have you.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
But yeah, it's sort of help, sort of seems to work.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Dawn Mates has proposal to buy into the Alliance group.
This all comes to the crunch over the next couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Next next week we start these roadshow meetings Dan be
in our railway here. I think it'll be interesting. One
carriage every single shoeholder or lats to get down and
have a listening. Possibly chilling for me as I'm not
a big one on looking back Andy, but it's probably
a couple of guys still up there that need their ears.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Treat on a fear bit.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
And I mean, it's not going to solve anything, mate,
but it probably might make us feel better. I'm just
probably brassed off. I don't think there's any other option, mate.
We've got to go yes, but on brust off. You know,
we've stayed.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Loyal for years and years and years.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
And we're getting nothing. It's been a cock op. To
be fair, I'll say, for support an independent guy, I
suppose it's got something on the line, not just you know,
check your head and get voted on and put you
hid in the trough and happy days. But you can
we've been chewing on it for any months and we
say something's got to happen, so we'll just wait and see.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Well you consider that Jamie looking got a smaller processing firm.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Oh possibly possibly Andy, I'll definitely going forward. Look as
far as we're concerned, their gloves are off here and
you know, I just yeah, we've sacrificed a lot of
money over the last few years while staying a little
bit loyal, and we have got nothing betterpart from a
fail co op, have we? So I just think co
(07:01):
op model with you know, there's obviously one quite successful
one in the country, but some of these smaller ones,
have you they just got two fat mate, you know,
and arguably there's a for company too that I would
put them in the same boat. Look at Farman's, look
at them more, and I just don't think it's I
don't think it's the future anymore. So we'll wait and see.
(07:22):
And there's a group still pretty keen on maintaining the
one hundred percent Coperti Iron model, but it just comes
with a lot of capable mate, And I mean the remix.
Sect hasn't got a lot of capabal just into the
environment and might do another couple of years if we
if we these procureing battles, but only be a couple
of years and they won't have a market, so yeah, yeah,
(07:42):
it'll be interesting. It's wearing for a good couple of
years on a bit. I'll just you know, you got
to look after number one now, I think, and not
so much worry about the well, you worry about the
bigger picture, but there's only so much we can do.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Wasn't here talking about the bigger picture? The Stags need
to look at the bigger picicture after the last two
or three.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Games, oh mate, obviously, I just I think they might
have been a boy a pile of We have ment
Hollas and minic lowers, don't we I don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Hopefully with a rock bottom, but yeah, there's a few few.
This is gone around the year.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
There's just there's some clever play on there. Hopefully they
will sit down and watch the woman's rugby on sidnight.
Ad Middlely we did lose that and Kenada were the
vast superior team, but it was good seat piece break
advantage line rugby mate, and it was actually the ball
stayed in hands a lot more than it was in
the year as well, so we just yeah, we won't
(08:34):
we won't go there.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Andy.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
It's been a whole month for freaking rugby on the
wholeway actually, but hell.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
The one real good news story in rugby, you can't
deny this as well at Targo doing the damage over
Canterbury and raising the ghosts of nineteen ninety four on
Lancaster Park when they had everything won but the points
on the school board in that game in the last minute.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Oh yeah, no, it was awesome. More only caught the
last few minutes.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
But that's that. Renfer Early is a great channel this year.
It's it's just it's traveled around the country and that's
what's all about it. It's probably kept us all more
some bester than their NPC, you know, amongst trials and tribulations.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But now it was really it was really good. It
was it was good to see and it's.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Doing some doing some laps and that's what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Well, how to hold on to your hat, Jamie. There's
two possible challenges left for the year. North Harbor's win this,
but they go to for South Bar this weekend to
play a targo and if it's a big if Harbor wins,
in case he's got the final.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Challenge, yeah that'll be interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Like yeah, I know, I mean, Harve's had a disastrous
season there or thereabouts. They're working on a club for
club player philosophy. Arguably they should have beaten North and
they got turfed at the final risks whistle yesterday. But
like you say the MPC, regardless of how our team's going,
it's just been a hell of a season.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Oh it has been, has been mate, Yeah, and it's
been really really really good and yeah and it's yeah,
it's what's all about. It's good rugby. And you sail
to watch a few of those younger players start coming
through and poke the heads up and yeah, in the
future is quart exlog I suppose and.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Then be interesting.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We'll wait and see and hopefully mister Rosa can get
the job done next week because he'll be joined his
fingernails to automation.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Good only Jamie, always appreciate your.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Time, Hey, spot on going the dye chess, he says.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
The muster one hacker nois Mark Dylan Plow. I'm an extraordinaire.
He's just returned from his second trip in as many
years over to the World Plowing Champs in Europe. Last
year it was Estonia, this year Prague at the Czech Republic.
He's just returned and telling it's all about how it
all unfolded from his perspective as we caught up with
Bob two or three weeks ago now just in the
(10:51):
lead up to the event, Bob, good afternoon and welcome back.
Does it seem like a bit of a blur, a
bit of a memory now that a couple of weeks
have passed.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Well, I still pre clanging a lot of things from
me hit what I could have done different? But yeah,
just picking to work. So it is a wee bit
of a blurr. But no, it was a good trip.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Really enjoyed it because we spoke to you Mark and
you were talking about the different soil types and the
moisture and everything. You want to be on your side
as far as the plot draw and you say you're
replaying things you do differently. But what would you do differently?
In hindsight, I suppose no.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
It was not much. Maybe run as the did different
shoes is a bit the only other thing I could
have done different. We had as much weighed on the
player as I could have had a frustrating on the
stubble day with a wheel marks with a combines and
the sprow probably not the conboys, but with the spros
and bulk he's run extremely had and on my crown
on my stubble day the player right out of the
ground three times, which is very hard to get a uniform,
but it's not on the ground.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
So when you're doing the plot draw you talked last
time that it was pretty pivotal for the day. What
did you get? How did that pan out.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
As far as level? And I thought that the plot
was probably as good as it is it any in
the Pettitt But it's just a whether I struck a
habit or what. It was just lack of the drawer.
But the Wheel or Marx works extremely hard until he
got down to full depth, and you eat under them
just when you're doing the crown, you when you're not
out full deep. But I've been prepary playing different scenarios
what I could have done, but I don't know if
as much really And then also in the Stubble Day,
(12:12):
there was a whole of extraw to contain with as well,
which is sort of challenging just trying to get the
player running a hundred percent to be the straw, and
that's sucked up an extra time, so they're going to
come through to my finish. I was just tired enough
on time and didn't get caught everything said how I wanted.
So as it was, I was went over fifty seconds
over time, which cost me penalty points, but not as
many as some people of the poor going next to me.
(12:33):
He was a team minute service that it's fifty four
tea lot cheaper.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Does it seem like it's a bit unfair how everybody's
got uneven fields? Quite a phrase or whatever you want.
There a pun perhaps that you're having to contend with
different conditions or is that the uniqueness of it?
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Yeah, I suppose that's a unique neatness of it. And
then yeah, there's the luck of the draw on those plots,
and then I suppose that the skill of the guy
that's in the seat, and there's the best ability to
deal with souls on the day.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
So Estonia last year, Czech Republic this year, what was
the major difference for you?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Did different? Suppose it was drawer this year, which everything's
just more challenging when it's drawer or the it's getting
the player to respond the way we're we're Grand's frere.
It's not that everything's just running smooth where it's hard.
It's everything sort of foorting or game be fording against
the sif to.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Keep it in.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
We have a lot of issues in the practice day
of being in colder stalks and Benie skimmer arms. This
was the grand conditions has been too hard and we
ended up supposing a nether seat of adjustable coders out
of Ireland, which then he turned up a couple of
days before the official competition. So different challenges we to
deal with on the day.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Has hormand banded such a thing in these events?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Oh we think so, jee. I know that all early
supposed to play on this ground read here since I
was a kid. So you've got a fear ordea what
it'slock and what do you expect and how much rain
will affect to different things. Prior to the competition over there,
we did thirty four there, sixty three days in not
a lot of rain, but then much of the year
there's one night there with fifty mils of a round
and that changed things dramatically, So just as showing we
(14:07):
didn't get another fifty or sixty milis and put us
off and everything else.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So is it a case of dealing with pressure when
you're saying the competitor beside you win over time? I
mean it must play if your top three inches quite badly.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
Yeah, and yeah it's he was pretty absolute with himself
and did he did the world. It's going to remember
the next day that tomorrow is another day. So it was,
I suppose, But I'm do you want to study grass
plot of the phoenigu stot starting the clean slaid here? You
don't worry about what it in the day before and
to under the best and protaple the tody. I thought
it was a pretty tidy plot in the grass.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Well, well, to be fair, though, the average plowman, what
you're doing over there? The crim do the cream of
the plowing world. Do you say there's no weaknesses when
it caps are doing a Pharaoh?
Speaker 5 (14:48):
No, everything's got to be perfect, and then there's not perfect,
devil judge, just pick it up and they toss your
ports and yeah, each mutual to the end.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Right, you've got to get your pet you've got to
get your machinery home. Is that right?
Speaker 5 (15:00):
He has been a bit of an issue. I've had
a bit of a challenge here. The can sort of explored.
I'm not sure it's the breakdown of communications something, but
the well in chain for commerce. Someone slipped up anyway,
and so there's been a bit of a urgamile getting
that sorder.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
But just a bit.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
I've got the paperwork s order now and then is
due to get on this play home.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So are you going to take it over for next
year or are you just going to borrow somebody's gear
as such that I mean, I definitely used.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
To use your own gear. So you bring it home.
We've got to quite a few modifications I want to
do and change put some pieces on the playoff. So
good at home, and I hope you it's home before
Christmas and they'll give me, i know, three or four
months to get it, get them all's done. I want
before we're this year's Nationals up and meeting in April.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Are you going in the Nationals next year? Because I
think I remember you saying I think it's Keny of
the year after next You're going to give it a
mess because the World's are happening on your becks doors
team following.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
Yeah, well, I've been talking to one of my plate
fellow club members down here and well, while we're up
at the top of the top of the game, I
think we need to keep edit and this is someone
ox us off their part, so I'm not sure how
we're going to manage it going away around.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
So not only do you have an au passport, you're
going to be trying for a Kenyan passport as well.
And on that bard does a nobody wear off going
over to Europort. You just enjoy it and embrace the moment.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
That I don't enjoy the plane of sort of it.
I don't sleep well on planes. So I think we
came home and it's forty four airs flying told me
a transfers and stuff like that with about four of
air slips, so the jetle except for a few days
to get called back up on it. And really I
don't think I'm just just one hundred yet because we're
as full fourteen airs out different to what we were
and we're in Prague as well. Oh yeah, any days
(16:35):
that'll help.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
And you were just we talked about this last time
as well. Plowing on the outskirts of Prague of a
major city airport wasn't too far away, like planes going
overhead and the likes, are you just zoned in?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Hew?
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Do you zone in for an event like this? I suppose, Oh, you.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Just need got to concentrate and block everything else out
and just concentrate on the task at hen.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Really so the camaraderie obviously recid of as competitors like yourselves.
You're getting to know a few people pretty good.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Yeah, it made it made a lot of make We
caught up with a lot of people were new and
they caught up and made made a few new friends
at will, which was awesome. So yeah, Yet a lot
of guys talking to them at the where we'll be
planning on hosting over here is going to be working
out well for them. It's sort of in between seasons
like August sort of is perhaps as well, so that
they know it's essentially had a message from a go
in Scotland, so I meet or Estonia last year, just
(17:23):
just quizzing me on when the dates are going to
be and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So give an example of what's going to happen to
Riversdale at the World Champs in twenty nine. What can
people expect? Is it twenty nine?
Speaker 5 (17:32):
Yeah, that's twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Yep, twenty nine.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Yeah, the town will be singing. There'll be a lot
of people, I would expect. I don't know what would
get I think in Messhing they had fifty days. I
don't if we're quite get the media in here. It
would be nice to think that. But yep, things we'll
be singing to be people every year and be a
lot of different people from all over the world. They
had a lot of paying people supporting them as well.
A lot of people said they're going to get you
a lot local podcunesand to just sort on their back list.
(17:56):
And it's a long way to go, so they want
to come over here and have a good look brand.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
That's a fair few home and school committees doing lunchers.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Oh yeah, there's going to be a lot of the
file and effects for local fundraisers and all the other
head ons and accommodation and everything's going to be huge.
It's gonna be a real good thing for the district.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Now, just tell us about the local plowing scene, Bob,
anybody that's interested. What's it like? Yeah, just a new
zeal by way Mere where you're based.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
So we just got a club as well. We're there's
not that many plowmen in disposed of myself and Murray,
and then the more boys will started playing them in
Ifew as well. And there's a few vendors cars as well,
so I suppose we'd have six or seven active plowerman
supposing the group in the club hodes Holish hosts. Sorry,
just you have an annual player match every year, which
were you try a toyism with the vendors club, So
(18:43):
we have a weekend of it and always come down
from all over South London Ontargo and it gives you
a good follow from from Kennerby come down to sport
Amensions as well.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Hey good on your bob, believe it there. Always appreciate
your time and once again congratulations. There's no mean fate
going over to Europe for the World Champs of Plowing
like you do. You got next year, It sounds as
though you got the yet you want to get a
Kendyd too, So all the best and we'll speak in
due course. Tell me what Jason Herrick as president of
(19:18):
South and Federated Farmers, he's been in the news recently
between Federated Farmers and Environments Southland regarding these winter grazing costs,
which Jason claims is nothing more than revenue gathering. We
haven't heard spoken to Jason for a couple of weeks.
He's coming on to say what's happened in a couple
of weeks since? Good afternoon, Jason.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
Good afternoon, Indian. What a cool song to come on
to a bit.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Of exponents for a Tuesday afternoon. Nothing better. Look the
matter in hand regarding Federative farmers and environments Southland. What's
the latest there?
Speaker 6 (19:55):
Hey, Look, I'm working through it day by day at
the moment and talking with farmers and helping farmers, you know,
at the table with them. It talks with environments south
and over the cost of recovery and voices and obviously
in dialogue with counselors and so on. And next step
for me is to organize a meeting with Environments South
(20:15):
and head Rob and Nicol horror as well. But you know,
there's been a lot of too in and throwing in
the media. There's been a lot of accusations been thrown
out there. And one thing I really want to clear
up today is that I have been accused of being
a one man band in this and this is my
own personal offndetta where it's actually not. I want to
(20:38):
make it known that I represent a full executive that
that has my back, and they're right behind me on this.
I don't do anything unless I have the okay from
my executive, which is seventeen representatives around the table, and
obviously the wider community as well, with all the phooncals
that I'm having with farmers and you know, and they're
asking me to do this on their behalf because they're
(21:00):
afraid that they will be targeted by Environments South and
if they put their head up and you know, and
so there's that element of fear coming true. And that's
one of the things I keep banging on about. So
I would like Environments South and to be honest with you,
to take ownership and actually, you know, admit that there's
a few issues going on in Environments South and they
need to sort it out listen to the message instead
(21:21):
of coming and attacking the messenger.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
But do you think dialogue should have happened last week
based on what's gone on? If has got to this stage,
I mean, everyone's adults here. It's a matter of getting
around the table and just making it work.
Speaker 6 (21:33):
Surely, absolutely, and I've been a big fan of that,
have done a lot of that in the past, and
to be honest, a lot of it falls on deafares.
And I've said it before that I have engaged with
Environments South and Staff with particular cases with farmers, and
you get bound from person to person and division to division,
and nothing ever gets resolved right, And a lot of
(21:55):
the time it's being being hidden behind the roma, been
hidden behind rules for this. There's absolutely no common sense
to a lot of it, and to me, it just
speaks that they are pushing it a particular narrative and
they're going to stick to it, and that narrative creates
the angst and fear that's out there in the community
towards Environment South. And so it's about building relationships back
(22:17):
the other way and Environment South. And I've got to
install confidence out there and farmers that they can be
trusted so people can be working with it. But the
way things are going at the moment, and more and
more farmers are coming forward now, especially around the point
that Environment South and Staff are entering farm without notification
or without the farmers on farm which in my opinion
(22:38):
is extremely wrong. And yeah, it needs to be sorted,
you know, sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
But you'll have Nichols phone number, you say, dialogue your
two way street. Surely you can just message them and
say we need.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
To talk one hundred percent. And I talked to Nickel
plenty of times and other counselors as well, right, And
it depends on who you talk to and whether you
get support or whether you don't. And everyone has a
difference of opinion, right, so you can agree to disagree
on a lot of things and I'm all for that,
but we need results out of this as well. Right,
(23:10):
And instead of hiding behind you know, the likes of
the r m A and the rules and so on,
when common sense can prevail with just a like you say,
a good chat at the table and and sort these
issues out where a lot of these issues are caused
because compliance staff are any doings they're told andy from
from the heads up the top to do the particular
(23:32):
job in a particular way. And to be honest, it's
confronting and very very off putting for farmers, you know,
I mean you take into accounter compliance officer turning up
with a body camera on. And I understand why they're
wearing body cameras for their own protection, but that's confronting
for a farmer, straight up, absolutely confronting. But then the
way they deliver themselves in certain dialogue only exacerbates the
(23:56):
situation and it gets it gets people off side straight away.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Jason, you talk about getting results out of this, what
exactly is a result given the nature of this set.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
The result is for farmers to be taken seriously and
that they not all but behaving in a bad way.
You know that they all want to do the right thing.
It's how you present yourself or how you deal with
the situation, you know. First up, So is that particular
training that needs to happen with staff or is that
(24:27):
particular training that needs to happen at a management level?
Is you know, because you're dealing with multiple personalities, different
people talking and and and you know, engaging with one another,
and quite often those personalities can clash, it's given the
training in the right right space to make sure you
get the best outcoming. And in this situation, the way
environments south and has gone about it I think is wrong.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
So why is the whole winter grazing situation blowing up
compared to other years.
Speaker 6 (24:57):
Again, it comes down to the way environments South and
the conducting things. And I understand that they've got a
role to do and they've got a job to do,
and they and they're trying to stick by the rules.
You know, at the moment we see the compliance officers
in particular, and environments south and seem to have more
power than the police. Do you know, police when they
(25:19):
come on to your property have to provide a warrant
to be able to come onto your property, where these
environments South and officers don't seem to have to have
a warrant at all. They've just got to have an
opinion or just cause to think that you are breaking
the rules or breaking the law without having a conversation
with farmers. So it's all in the way you approach things, Andy,
if you approach the farmer in the right manner, you
(25:40):
will get things done. And like I'll give you, I'll
give you a real prime example. You know, they did
the flyovers at the beginning of May and the beginning
of June. It took it two to three weeks before
those compliance offices ended up on farm and in a
lot of instances the farmers were getting wrung five minutes
before they show up. You know, they've had two weeks
to contact the f and then I hear excuses that
(26:02):
the contact details aren't always on file. We'll hang on
where do they send the rates to? They can certainly
send out accounts to the right right people, so why
can't they get in contact with the right people? So
you know that to me, that's just excuses and they've
got to get their processes right and make sure that
you get the trust of farmers back on board.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I suppose it's a case of getting malepractice out of
the winter grazing system too, though, and it's going.
Speaker 6 (26:24):
To take time, one hundred percent, of course. It's going
to take time and education. And we've had a wee
bit of a lapse in the in the colms out
of Environment South and started this year. And we did
point that out before winter grazing started on the ten
meter buffer that the coms weren't there. When that changed
all of a sudden accord, everyone might by surprise, right,
(26:44):
and that should have been you know first and for
Front of Environment South and stance and get out there
and do a bit of education. But there's also instances
out there where there's conflicting advice been given by one
compliance officer compared to another. Again, I reiterate the perception
of the rule from one compliance officer to another, or
a sustainability team member to another. Right, So it's all
(27:07):
around different people looking at different things.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
So that's one of the concerns compliance officers in your opinion,
they're not on the same hymn him seat hymn sheet
as such.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
It doesn't seem like, you know, wider sector of the
whole staff in environments out there on the same hymn sheet, right.
It seems like the divisions and they're are divided. They're
operating in their own silos and so on.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You know, good on you, Jason, will leave it there.
Always appreciate your time on the muster.
Speaker 6 (27:35):
You're welcome, Andy, And like I said, I want to
continue this dialogue and it's about having those conversations at
the table, doing the right thing and and and making
sure we get the best outcome for everybody involved, and
you know, to make sure that it's not going to
continue to hurt the economic powerhouse of South.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I you the train to come. It's all and around
of it, and I seen the suns Johanson on all
the Petagarda and farms at Napdale and joins us this
afternoon on the muster Pete. Good afternoon, you're doing the
lambing beet or been shedding out this morning into the
afternoon as well.
Speaker 7 (28:20):
It's been all go yeah, you've caught me shedding out
of paddock just at the top end of our farm there,
and it's one of those places where when you're working
a paddock up this topping a paddock, every place you
lot you get a different view and it's actually, yeah,
pretty cool spot, especially on a nice summer daylight today.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
That's one of the perhaps of being a cocky looking
around at the vistas that are around you. I mean,
if you don't take a couple of minutes just to
smell the roses and take in the scenery, why are
you doing the job?
Speaker 7 (28:48):
And you did right. We've got some staff houses up
here and they probably have one of the cracking best
views in the district. Unfortunately, where my house is, we
can see about three petdis in front of us in
a hill and that's a that yeah, and I think
that is yeah, that is one thing we do take
for granted, we do this job has its ups and
(29:09):
its downs, and don't you worry. We've put a few
hours in the last calendar month. But I don't know,
it is pretty cool and you look at other jobs
and you go here, I'm probably pretty happy doing what
I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Eh, So the laming's going okay, Yeah, lambing's.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Gone pretty good. We've had a few days that have
been not as fun as other days, but I mean,
we're leading himself and and if you think that that's
not going to happen, well you probably should be looking
at a different career. And and to be the north
of the hokanuis here, we do get probably a little
bit of a better run than the guy's south of here.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
What about rainfall figures? Where are you at there?
Speaker 7 (29:45):
Rainfall figures? I'm not one hundred percent sure. I haven't
been keeping a good eye on them. We're still like,
we can go play a paddit. We could probably we
could probably actually work paddicks right now at home. But
down at pop Rail it's still a bit damp down there.
But we've spent a lot of money drainage over a
period of time and we're not on the heaviest sools either.
So this is this is a pretty good sort of
(30:06):
rainfall for the napdeal sort of area in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
I'll just had time of year as well. Jillian to
Hierarichi on the show yesterday with a timely reminder on
the tractors around bird nests and the likes they're starting,
Pete to be aware.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
Yeah, one of our guys caught one in one of
the utes the other day, so yeah, there's definitely time
to watch out for those little mongrels.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Again.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Interesting this talk around the Alliance group and these high
profile South and farmers who want to look at an
alternative auction auction let's say, option that has been produced
by Dawn meets the Irish company who want to inject
two hundred and fifty million dollars for a sixty five
percent offering of Alliance. Where do you stand on this?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Is it too little too late?
Speaker 7 (30:51):
I find it quite interesting. Actually, I don't know heaps
about it pretty straight up around that, but I have
read a couple of newspaper articles last night and Mark
Wynn was sort of telling them that there are a
bunch of dreamers. I would probably counter that by telling
Mark when that some of those guys are pretty impressive operators,
(31:12):
and unlike somebody that comes and works for some of
these co ops that come in say that the last
guy was a silly monkey. Do seven years, get a
bit cold and handshake at the end of it, and
the next guy calls them a silly monkey. These farmers
that run those businesses, there's some pretty impressive businesses there,
and they're in it for the long haul, and they've
(31:33):
been doing it for a long time, and some of
them are doing pretty well. And one thing I did read,
and I've been a pretty strong advocate of this right
from the start, is that the sheer contribution argument when
they wanted four dollars of LAMB when we were on
one of their lowest LAMB payouts, especially when you're inflation
(31:53):
and adjust it for a long time, is completely bonkers.
And something I suggested that this is two mays ago,
so May twenty twenty four I suggested to Markwin and
Philly Weiss and another guy, was that a contribution, as
especially shareholders like me who are undershared because in the
(32:15):
earliest stage of my career, is that it should be
adjusted with the price of lamb and you know we've
just killed some you know, he's killing stuff a pretty
good coin at the moment, and we can afford to
put more back in. But when we're at the bottom
foot on as the head was way too much and yeah,
sort of yeah, I think I think it's worth a lock.
(32:36):
But yeah, I don't know enough details to say yes
or no.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
But would that be realistic? Kind of cocky who's running
say two and a half thousand and three thousand lambs
that he kills each season. He's running on a pretty
tight schedule as it is to give more outlay for
a company that's underperformed, well, I think you've.
Speaker 7 (32:54):
Got two different issues there that you've vanlined outlined pretty well.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
I think.
Speaker 7 (33:01):
The company has to perform and that's a non negotiable
and that is something that needs to be addressed pretty hard.
I actually would like to see some of those bigger
farmer guys actually on the on the board of Alliance
because I think they'd add a heat for a lot
of value, because those guys have seen some ups and
downs and they've they've made it through the other side
and then the other thing. So there's a you know
(33:23):
issue one issue to you know, a farmer of any size,
as long as a contribution is relative to their supply,
I don't see that being an issue. And I would
say right now, if you can't put five dollars I
read five dollars a lamb in the current environment, If
you can't put five dollars a lamb aside in this
current environment, you probably need to check your own budget.
(33:45):
And that probably sounds a bit harsh, but yeah, so
I think the investment A needs to be worthwhile alliance
needs to perform and then be in this current environment.
I think if you can't put five dollars a lamb aside,
your budget needs to check.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Well.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I think that's just the environment we're living in. Though.
You're hearing of a lot of guys who have interest
rates which have stung them severely over the last twenty
four months, and they're playing catch up, pure and.
Speaker 7 (34:10):
Simple, and honestly, that's us. Like our interest rates more
than tripled as their product prices went down, and when
they made this big announcement eighteen months or so ago,
it wasn't very fun at all. And that's that's us
as a business. And you know, that's where we're getting
(34:30):
away out the other side of it, and Kylie Fish
and the skin told us all to go by a
boat the other day. There won't be any boats getting
brought at Arkly Fun Limited, And we're knuckling down and
we're getting ourselves in a better position and where I
mean my goal this season, with the way things are looking,
is to make the most of what we've got and
(34:51):
to really put the runs on the board this season.
And there's this old saying about there's a time to
reap and there's a time to sew. And I think
a farm, as we look at that simplicity of springtime
time to say autumn time time to harvest, I actually
think it's a bit different, and I actually think you
can take that on a long term horizon, and I
(35:12):
actually think, you know, as a business, this is the
time to reef it back in and to put it
into stuff like debt repayment and the likes. And then
I think when things are bad, that's the time to
actually try and keep going. And something I said at
one of the Alliance things is when we have an
awesome year, that's when we put extra line on their paddockts.
That's when we buy some extra fence posts, and calls
(35:34):
of metting, and we put them aside so that in
the bad years we can pull back on that line
and we can keep putting fences up in the winter
without having to pay for materials. And I think that's
the nature of the business we're in. And you know
a lot of your listeners have done a lot more
cycles than I have. And yeah, as you've got me
in trouble the other day for talking about old people
(35:57):
and yeah, and I think that this is just to
time to reinvest in, pain down debt and to be fure.
I think that the alliance and it potentially could be
an option, but the alliance side of it needs to
stack up as well.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Everybody's middle aged as a farmer peat Just finally, though,
interesting you talked about it before, say more lest you're
saying the mentality of the top brass and alliance or
just co operat us in general, it needs to change
and they've got to start passing the back and start
taking accountability.
Speaker 7 (36:25):
Yeah, and I yeah, I think they too. And I
think I need to take a longer term view of
all these things because we're in a long term business
and you know, you can't go farming for a five
year period or a ten year period. You've got to
be in it for a long term. There's too many
ups and downs, and instead of being scared of that,
(36:46):
I think we actually need to embrace it. And I
think now we're in the time of the cycle to
not over excite ourselves and to knuckle down and put
ourselves in a position to ride out the next wave.
And on that other note, about everybody's in middle aged
farmer and one of the guys from down the road
proudly told me that he's now one of those old
farms that I talked about.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Name Are you prepared to name him? Shame or anonymous?
Speaker 7 (37:08):
Stays Oh, I must have met Namara from just down
the road, and he's a really good rooster.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Good on you, mister mcnamary. Good on your pete. Always
appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
No good.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Have you.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Away out to Sheffield this afternoon on the muster to
catch up with their pig farming correspondent Sean malloy. He's
faced at Sheffield, Sean, good afternoon. How's everything up in
Kennery Thesavo?
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (37:32):
Good, thanks Andy. Years sunshining and not a lot of winds,
so we're happy now.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
I believe up there it has been the polar opposite
weather that what we've had down here in the Deep South.
You guys have been having headeous North Westers for weeks
on the in temperatures going into twenty five plus degrees.
Speaker 8 (37:49):
Yeah, it's been pretty warm and yeah, a really strong winds.
So we're all getting a bit getting a bit sick
of it. And she's dry things out awey bit too.
So yeah, wondering what sort of season we're going to
get now.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Well, we spoke to you a couple of months ago.
What's the season been like since Thenshaw?
Speaker 8 (38:06):
Yeah, we started out pretty wet and the very start
of winter and we thought, oh should here he goes
it's going to be a wet winter. But that was
sort of it really, and it's it's been fairly dry.
Really been a nice winter, so yeah, I can't complain
on that front. And carving it has been brilliant as.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Far as grasscovers and everything you're reckon. You're getting starting
to get a little bit on the dry.
Speaker 8 (38:28):
Side, yeah, mate, just things haven't kicked away, you know.
I think that. Yeah, that wind's been so hard out
I think people just it's just all a bit tight
for feed at the moment. We haven't really kicked away
but the irrigation and that's back on now. But in
these big winds, you've got to be a bit brave
to face them out of the breeze and let them run,
(38:50):
Otherwise the money end up with them upside down. So yeah,
it's a bit of a double edged sword.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
So these winds have started earlier than previous seasons.
Speaker 8 (38:57):
No, it's pretty typical this time of year. Nor normally
get a couple of three weeks of heavy wins, just
that sort of spring spring equinox sort of stuff.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Now, as far as the pork side of things here,
like we say, you've got a piggery up there, everything
seems to be ticking over pretty well.
Speaker 8 (39:16):
Yeah, yep, No, we're going pretty good. Thanks. Yeah, the
price has been flat right through the last twelve months,
so yeah, we're yeah, it's going pretty good. But so
to get a few cost pictures in that now, so
I'm just got to be a bit mindful of that.
But no, we're in pretty good heart.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
So on farm inflation starting to kick on again, is
that what you're saying?
Speaker 8 (39:35):
Yeah, just bits and pieces a you're still that inflation
pressure of the year I think, So, yeah, it's not
that much fun.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
As far as pricing for pork, we were to be
at the moment for kilo, we're.
Speaker 8 (39:49):
It depends what size you're selling them. We sell bigger ones.
We're sort of about five five thirty five aikilo and
if they're a bit smaller than you might be up
to five sixty five sevening.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
So just on a whole, the industry seems to be
in reasonable heart then all things considered, because you are
a smaller industry in New Zealand as well.
Speaker 8 (40:07):
Yeah, absolutely we are. But no, in general we're pretty good.
But you know, every time we've talked about this for
the last two or three years, we're still waiting on
a wealthier code, So you know that's I guess that's
part of the reason what we're still in good heart.
No one, we haven't had any extra supply coming and
flooding the market or anything like that or putting ourselves
out of balance so to speak.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Yeah, I was going to stare away from the day
week code sure on because we now have spent a
bone of contention no pun intended there with the pork industry,
so we're no further ahead no.
Speaker 8 (40:39):
We're still sitting waiting, So yeah, I don't know. We
just we've just got to head down, just keep moving
forward and keeping well things are fairly well in good heart,
just spending money on keeping things maintained how we are,
and just making plans for what we what we might
need to do next. Really, so yeah, it's a bit frustrating,
(41:01):
but you just sort of just sort of get on
with what you can do what you can do with
what you can But.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
If it's taken so long to get these recommendations to
come through, was it almost a case of it it
could be like this for the next eighteen twenty four
months even.
Speaker 8 (41:15):
I don't think so from what we're hearing there there.
But it's really it's just some of the oddities in
the way that the acts written that the Minister has
to make sure that there's not going to be a
legal challenge from either side if they don't quite get
it right or other each side's not happy with what
(41:38):
comes out on the coat, so which is you know,
we don't want to put something out and then be
tied up for ages in a legal dispute which would
go on for another eighteen twenty four months. While they
try and sort that.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Out through the courts.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
But I don't think I've heard of anything that's ridiculous
as a pork industry trying to get confirmation from Naywik
regarding regulation for an undus. I mean, like you say,
this has been going on for so long, it's just
it's worse than taking the mickey.
Speaker 8 (42:05):
Yeah, but this is what happens when you put the
wrong people in the room to decide to a welfare
code and you're involved too many people that don't know
anything about what you do. I mean, it seems more
important to have people outside the industry so you're independent
who know nothing about it, and level the real stakeholders
that run the industry out in the cold, and as
(42:28):
you get shit results. And I mean we're seeing that
we're not the only code. I think every code's had
some real issues this time around with the wrong people
being in the room.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
Would you say the poork industry is well supported in
the efficacy space?
Speaker 2 (42:43):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
I think so who would you have there, for example,
sticking up for the industry.
Speaker 8 (42:47):
You mean, in the government and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
I'm thinking more just like so you've got your beef
and leaves your dairy and z's everybody else on the
lowest level. Who would you guys have there to work with?
Speaker 8 (42:57):
Yeh know, we're definitely involved in that. And there's a
few Lincolns the with with the red meat industry, and
I can't think off the top of my head what
the groups are, but we're in the air and I think,
you know, as this process has gone along, you know,
the other industries don't know a lot about the pork industry,
but I think they've found out a bit more about
what we do and realize that, you know, we know
(43:19):
what we're talking about, and we're facing some of the
issues that are now coming to the forth of beef
and lamb and dairy that we've been facing for us
in the chicken industry for a couple of decades now.
So yeah, you're getting a bit more support, but then
you have that import export tension where they might be
(43:40):
in support of us, but they don't want to say
too much, so they've got to protect you know, their
export industry. So it's a it's a real difficult one.
So you know, everybody's going to look after their own camper.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
But without using a part it's a case the chickens
coming home to hatch.
Speaker 8 (43:54):
For the other sectors, Yeah, I don't like to think
of it like that. It's just we're getting so many
people and well meaning people that don't know anything involved
in our industries and it's just it's right through from
environment to animal welfare. It's just poor, poor decisions and
(44:15):
sky is falling sort of stuff happening.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Pain they are as far as the pork industry though,
Eric Croiz finished up as the cheer for New Zealand
pork Paul Butcknell's taking over the reins there, so some
quality people you do have involved up at the top.
Speaker 8 (44:29):
Yeah, we've got some good continuity going there. Eric was
a really good man at the right time. He was
really well linked in for government. He was just some
great service for our industry. So yeah, no, we're hopefully
at the moment we're in pretty good shape.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
You talk about continuity. You've got to put this one on.
You're the MPC Kennibry. You have the shield. You managed
to hold it for two weeks, Well done, stags can
it for one week? Did it mean anything to you though,
being a rugby fan having the shield in the region
short or does it just get lost in translation in
an area that is that just has success so often
like Canterbury.
Speaker 8 (45:06):
Yeah, mate used to winning everything. Not really. I think
Super rugby's taken away from from the Loggerwood. I think
it means more for the players that are involved, because
you know, they understand what it's about. But that used
to be the premier year I guess trophy for us.
But now with Super Rugby, I guess it's that level up.
(45:27):
So it's not not quite the same. I don't reckon
it doesn't have the same manner personally.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
I believe I could be wrong.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Are you tempted to be become a ticket a ticket
season holder at KAHA the new stadium and it opens
next year?
Speaker 8 (45:41):
Oh yeah, fresh team today. It's going to be awesome.
I can't wait. Finally get a decent a decent stadium
and you know, concerts, the whole thing. That's really going
to give christ which in the whole region a real
good kick in the pants. It's going to be great.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
I can't wait, I said Sean Malloy. There pig Farmer
based up in Kennanbury, wrapping up the best of the muster.
Thanks very much for your company. I'm endy Muller, enjoy
the weekend. Go the AB's big game tonight. Do us proud, Ethan.
I'm sure you will enjoy the weekend. See you Monday,
A very good morning and welcome along to the best
of the muster, a collaboration of interviews that took our
attention during a busy week here at Hokkinu EHQ. My
name's Andy Muer, Thanks for your company. Was starting off
for the hour, but going over to Lake Heroco and
catching up with Jamie King commenting on the Alliance sports situation,
the big vote's happening in the not too distant future
regarding Dawn Meets, but as well just how laming's been
(00:26):
over there in Western Southland. Mark Dylan has just recently
returned from the World Powing Championships in the Czech Republic
and fills us in and how it's all gone. Jason
Hererick is South Confederated Farmers. He's not very happy with
the way Environment Southland has gone about winter grazing and
reclaiming extra costs. So Jason, in his own words tells
us why he thinks this needs a bit of transparency
(00:47):
around it. Peter guard Ian once again the Alliance decision.
Peter says the counter offer there by five Southland Farmers
regarding recapitalizing Alliance group as interesting as he thinks there's
a lot of farming intellect in that greet needs to
be taken seriously. At sure molloy our peak farming correspondent
from out of Sheffield talking all things pork farming. Can
I read the round fairly? Shield changes to the pork board, naywork,
(01:10):
you name it? We talk. We talk all about it
with our correspondent based up there in Sheffield. So without
further ado, we start the best of the muster with
Jamie King. Jamie King farms over at Lake Heroco in
(01:43):
West and Southam and joins us in the Sergeant Dan
Farming update. Thanks for Sergeant Dan stock. Food's here on
the main street of Gored. Good afternoon, Jamie. How's everything good?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Mate? Here you going?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It's pretty good today. We diin to wist Ley and
but nowsome loss and warm, feels like spring Andy. Just
looking at the forecast, we're mutely getting lots of rain
right about now, but it hasn't come and I can
still see the mountains.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
So we will keep your fingers.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Crossed well up there.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
And for Jordland and the lights. You've had quite a
bit of late snow.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, yeah, no, there's probably been more snow on the
on the Princess and the hero Quoise on September and
what there was a winter, Mate, it has dissipitated a lot,
but I think what i'd say with at least top
one hundred and sixty five or seventy mill of rainy
up since the start of September, so that's more than
what we had probably for the last half of June
(02:35):
and July and August.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Mate, So jeordyyed talking figures over two hundred miles for
September up to last Thursday. So you're not allowed in
that as well, but certainly frustration when you need the
big yellow Oh that's right, mate.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Then on that note, it was starting to feel a
lot like last year, Andy, but I'll say that in
touch of it would because we haven't got to October yet.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
But we have been getting days with some.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Bit of it's been cold, what have you, but the
sun has been out. We're probably a lot better off
on speed covers, just cover the dirty you know, that
sort of thing. But I don't think even us scores
up here if you quite had the most actually torn
a Jordian down the southern plains coast of the coasts.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Sothwesters have been given them a.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Bit of a hurry hard tournament.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So when's been a real issia as well lately?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Now we too, I don't mind the wind, and we
don't get a lot of it in here, and when
it does blot so.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Draws a bit of stuff out.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
But it did blow like heck there on Saturday, and
I was anticipating all that rain that night. But I
nearly got eight or one million out of it, so
it obviously got sent up country.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
For example, here in Gore it was cool on Saturday afternoon.
But yesterday the boys had the hose house when we're
just going for a bit of a swim on the
lawn and such, because that northwester was blowing pretty good.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Yeah, that was beautiful over here to you.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I had a seven year old dead seat with a
week to go on away to the river for a swim,
never mind the river being still a meter higher than
what it normally is. He was king, he was keens.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That was good. Yeah, but now it was by me.
It was real.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
You could just hear the grass ground yesterday. But typical spring.
We've got all these males kicking around eating it, looking
for a bit of green stuff too.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
After the winter, so hell's lambing going so far pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I think for the most part, the mixed ages they
haven't got much cover just there. They sort of obviously
spread out early we're pretty a little bit light on crop,
but all the flats in there. So the engine room
they are good. Country is kicking away pretty well and
all the early ones are plugging away pretty pretty good.
But like, yeah, we're sort of a lot of their
(04:36):
country can be well classes an effective and a lot
of shell broend its. He don't really know until the
fat lady sings, mate, till you run the Battalian team.
But so what it looks a right.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So yeah, so you're lambing beat semi intensive, not so
muchural sort.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Of cat and Scottie or scoot and chatter, marble lets
a sort of things. No, they just they do sheeperd
They sheep it all the pedics that you can sheep comfortably.
We don't pack around over the hills too much. You
create more issues and what it's worth just with the
spring with it. But anything you can do, you know,
per se hundred percent, we do in a lot of that.
(05:13):
Note mate, there's not much else you can do this
on the utes to really start cheer and dirt happen.
It's a little bit of maintenance in between times and
fences and what have you.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
But yeah, it's sort of help, sort of seems to work.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Dawn Mates has proposal to buy into the Alliance group.
This all comes to the crunch over the next couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Next next week we start these roadshow meetings Dan be
in our railway here. I think it'll be interesting. One
carriage every single shoeholder or lats to get down and
have a listening. Possibly chilling for me as I'm not
a big one on looking back Andy, but it's probably
a couple of guys still up there that need their ears.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Treat on a fear bit.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
And I mean, it's not going to solve anything, mate,
but it probably might make us feel better. I'm just
probably brassed off. I don't think there's any other option, mate.
We've got to go yes, but on brust off. You know,
we've stayed.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Loyal for years and years and years.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
And we're getting nothing. It's been a cock op. To
be fair, I'll say, for support an independent guy, I
suppose it's got something on the line, not just you know,
check your head and get voted on and put you
hid in the trough and happy days. But you can
we've been chewing on it for any months and we
say something's got to happen, so we'll just wait and see.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Well you consider that Jamie looking got a smaller processing firm.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Oh possibly possibly Andy, I'll definitely going forward. Look as
far as we're concerned, their gloves are off here and
you know, I just yeah, we've sacrificed a lot of
money over the last few years while staying a little
bit loyal, and we have got nothing betterpart from a
fail co op, have we? So I just think co
(07:01):
op model with you know, there's obviously one quite successful
one in the country, but some of these smaller ones,
have you they just got two fat mate, you know,
and arguably there's a for company too that I would
put them in the same boat. Look at Farman's, look
at them more, and I just don't think it's I
don't think it's the future anymore. So we'll wait and see.
(07:22):
And there's a group still pretty keen on maintaining the
one hundred percent Coperti Iron model, but it just comes
with a lot of capable mate, And I mean the remix.
Sect hasn't got a lot of capabal just into the
environment and might do another couple of years if we
if we these procureing battles, but only be a couple
of years and they won't have a market, so yeah, yeah,
(07:42):
it'll be interesting. It's wearing for a good couple of
years on a bit. I'll just you know, you got
to look after number one now, I think, and not
so much worry about the well, you worry about the
bigger picture, but there's only so much we can do.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Wasn't here talking about the bigger picture? The Stags need
to look at the bigger picicture after the last two
or three.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Games, oh mate, obviously, I just I think they might
have been a boy a pile of We have ment
Hollas and minic lowers, don't we I don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Hopefully with a rock bottom, but yeah, there's a few few.
This is gone around the year.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
There's just there's some clever play on there. Hopefully they
will sit down and watch the woman's rugby on sidnight.
Ad Middlely we did lose that and Kenada were the
vast superior team, but it was good seat piece break
advantage line rugby mate, and it was actually the ball
stayed in hands a lot more than it was in
the year as well, so we just yeah, we won't
(08:34):
we won't go there.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Andy.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
It's been a whole month for freaking rugby on the
wholeway actually, but hell.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
The one real good news story in rugby, you can't
deny this as well at Targo doing the damage over
Canterbury and raising the ghosts of nineteen ninety four on
Lancaster Park when they had everything won but the points
on the school board in that game in the last minute.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Oh yeah, no, it was awesome. More only caught the
last few minutes.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
But that's that. Renfer Early is a great channel this year.
It's it's just it's traveled around the country and that's
what's all about it. It's probably kept us all more
some bester than their NPC, you know, amongst trials and tribulations.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But now it was really it was really good. It
was it was good to see and it's.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Doing some doing some laps and that's what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Well, how to hold on to your hat, Jamie. There's
two possible challenges left for the year. North Harbor's win this,
but they go to for South Bar this weekend to
play a targo and if it's a big if Harbor wins,
in case he's got the final.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Challenge, yeah that'll be interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Like yeah, I know, I mean, Harve's had a disastrous
season there or thereabouts. They're working on a club for
club player philosophy. Arguably they should have beaten North and
they got turfed at the final risks whistle yesterday. But
like you say the MPC, regardless of how our team's going,
it's just been a hell of a season.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Oh it has been, has been mate, Yeah, and it's
been really really really good and yeah and it's yeah,
it's what's all about. It's good rugby. And you sail
to watch a few of those younger players start coming
through and poke the heads up and yeah, in the
future is quart exlog I suppose and.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Then be interesting.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We'll wait and see and hopefully mister Rosa can get
the job done next week because he'll be joined his
fingernails to automation.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Good only Jamie, always appreciate your.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Time, Hey, spot on going the dye chess, he says.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
The muster one hacker nois Mark Dylan Plow. I'm an extraordinaire.
He's just returned from his second trip in as many
years over to the World Plowing Champs in Europe. Last
year it was Estonia, this year Prague at the Czech Republic.
He's just returned and telling it's all about how it
all unfolded from his perspective as we caught up with
Bob two or three weeks ago now just in the
(10:51):
lead up to the event, Bob, good afternoon and welcome back.
Does it seem like a bit of a blur, a
bit of a memory now that a couple of weeks
have passed.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Well, I still pre clanging a lot of things from
me hit what I could have done different? But yeah,
just picking to work. So it is a wee bit
of a blurr. But no, it was a good trip.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Really enjoyed it because we spoke to you Mark and
you were talking about the different soil types and the
moisture and everything. You want to be on your side
as far as the plot draw and you say you're
replaying things you do differently. But what would you do differently?
In hindsight, I suppose no.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
It was not much. Maybe run as the did different
shoes is a bit the only other thing I could
have done different. We had as much weighed on the
player as I could have had a frustrating on the
stubble day with a wheel marks with a combines and
the sprow probably not the conboys, but with the spros
and bulk he's run extremely had and on my crown
on my stubble day the player right out of the
ground three times, which is very hard to get a uniform,
but it's not on the ground.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
So when you're doing the plot draw you talked last
time that it was pretty pivotal for the day. What
did you get? How did that pan out.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
As far as level? And I thought that the plot
was probably as good as it is it any in
the Pettitt But it's just a whether I struck a
habit or what. It was just lack of the drawer.
But the Wheel or Marx works extremely hard until he
got down to full depth, and you eat under them
just when you're doing the crown, you when you're not
out full deep. But I've been prepary playing different scenarios
what I could have done, but I don't know if
as much really And then also in the Stubble Day,
(12:12):
there was a whole of extraw to contain with as well,
which is sort of challenging just trying to get the
player running a hundred percent to be the straw, and
that's sucked up an extra time, so they're going to
come through to my finish. I was just tired enough
on time and didn't get caught everything said how I wanted.
So as it was, I was went over fifty seconds
over time, which cost me penalty points, but not as
many as some people of the poor going next to me.
(12:33):
He was a team minute service that it's fifty four
tea lot cheaper.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Does it seem like it's a bit unfair how everybody's
got uneven fields? Quite a phrase or whatever you want.
There a pun perhaps that you're having to contend with
different conditions or is that the uniqueness of it?
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Yeah, I suppose that's a unique neatness of it. And
then yeah, there's the luck of the draw on those plots,
and then I suppose that the skill of the guy
that's in the seat, and there's the best ability to
deal with souls on the day.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
So Estonia last year, Czech Republic this year, what was
the major difference for you?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Did different? Suppose it was drawer this year, which everything's
just more challenging when it's drawer or the it's getting
the player to respond the way we're we're Grand's frere.
It's not that everything's just running smooth where it's hard.
It's everything sort of foorting or game be fording against
the sif to.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Keep it in.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
We have a lot of issues in the practice day
of being in colder stalks and Benie skimmer arms. This
was the grand conditions has been too hard and we
ended up supposing a nether seat of adjustable coders out
of Ireland, which then he turned up a couple of
days before the official competition. So different challenges we to
deal with on the day.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Has hormand banded such a thing in these events?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Oh we think so, jee. I know that all early
supposed to play on this ground read here since I
was a kid. So you've got a fear ordea what
it'slock and what do you expect and how much rain
will affect to different things. Prior to the competition over there,
we did thirty four there, sixty three days in not
a lot of rain, but then much of the year
there's one night there with fifty mils of a round
and that changed things dramatically, So just as showing we
(14:07):
didn't get another fifty or sixty milis and put us
off and everything else.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So is it a case of dealing with pressure when
you're saying the competitor beside you win over time? I
mean it must play if your top three inches quite badly.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
Yeah, and yeah it's he was pretty absolute with himself
and did he did the world. It's going to remember
the next day that tomorrow is another day. So it was,
I suppose, But I'm do you want to study grass
plot of the phoenigu stot starting the clean slaid here? You
don't worry about what it in the day before and
to under the best and protaple the tody. I thought
it was a pretty tidy plot in the grass.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Well, well, to be fair, though, the average plowman, what
you're doing over there? The crim do the cream of
the plowing world. Do you say there's no weaknesses when
it caps are doing a Pharaoh?
Speaker 5 (14:48):
No, everything's got to be perfect, and then there's not perfect,
devil judge, just pick it up and they toss your
ports and yeah, each mutual to the end.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Right, you've got to get your pet you've got to
get your machinery home. Is that right?
Speaker 5 (15:00):
He has been a bit of an issue. I've had
a bit of a challenge here. The can sort of explored.
I'm not sure it's the breakdown of communications something, but
the well in chain for commerce. Someone slipped up anyway,
and so there's been a bit of a urgamile getting
that sorder.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
But just a bit.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
I've got the paperwork s order now and then is
due to get on this play home.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So are you going to take it over for next
year or are you just going to borrow somebody's gear
as such that I mean, I definitely used.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
To use your own gear. So you bring it home.
We've got to quite a few modifications I want to
do and change put some pieces on the playoff. So
good at home, and I hope you it's home before
Christmas and they'll give me, i know, three or four
months to get it, get them all's done. I want
before we're this year's Nationals up and meeting in April.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Are you going in the Nationals next year? Because I
think I remember you saying I think it's Keny of
the year after next You're going to give it a
mess because the World's are happening on your becks doors
team following.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
Yeah, well, I've been talking to one of my plate
fellow club members down here and well, while we're up
at the top of the top of the game, I
think we need to keep edit and this is someone
ox us off their part, so I'm not sure how
we're going to manage it going away around.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
So not only do you have an au passport, you're
going to be trying for a Kenyan passport as well.
And on that bard does a nobody wear off going
over to Europort. You just enjoy it and embrace the moment.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
That I don't enjoy the plane of sort of it.
I don't sleep well on planes. So I think we
came home and it's forty four airs flying told me
a transfers and stuff like that with about four of
air slips, so the jetle except for a few days
to get called back up on it. And really I
don't think I'm just just one hundred yet because we're
as full fourteen airs out different to what we were
and we're in Prague as well. Oh yeah, any days
(16:35):
that'll help.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
And you were just we talked about this last time
as well. Plowing on the outskirts of Prague of a
major city airport wasn't too far away, like planes going
overhead and the likes, are you just zoned in?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Hew?
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Do you zone in for an event like this? I suppose, Oh, you.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Just need got to concentrate and block everything else out
and just concentrate on the task at hen.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Really so the camaraderie obviously recid of as competitors like yourselves.
You're getting to know a few people pretty good.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Yeah, it made it made a lot of make We
caught up with a lot of people were new and
they caught up and made made a few new friends
at will, which was awesome. So yeah, Yet a lot
of guys talking to them at the where we'll be
planning on hosting over here is going to be working
out well for them. It's sort of in between seasons
like August sort of is perhaps as well, so that
they know it's essentially had a message from a go
in Scotland, so I meet or Estonia last year, just
(17:23):
just quizzing me on when the dates are going to
be and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So give an example of what's going to happen to
Riversdale at the World Champs in twenty nine. What can
people expect? Is it twenty nine?
Speaker 5 (17:32):
Yeah, that's twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Yep, twenty nine.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Yeah, the town will be singing. There'll be a lot
of people, I would expect. I don't know what would
get I think in Messhing they had fifty days. I
don't if we're quite get the media in here. It
would be nice to think that. But yep, things we'll
be singing to be people every year and be a
lot of different people from all over the world. They
had a lot of paying people supporting them as well.
A lot of people said they're going to get you
a lot local podcunesand to just sort on their back list.
(17:56):
And it's a long way to go, so they want
to come over here and have a good look brand.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
That's a fair few home and school committees doing lunchers.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Oh yeah, there's going to be a lot of the
file and effects for local fundraisers and all the other
head ons and accommodation and everything's going to be huge.
It's gonna be a real good thing for the district.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Now, just tell us about the local plowing scene, Bob,
anybody that's interested. What's it like? Yeah, just a new
zeal by way Mere where you're based.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
So we just got a club as well. We're there's
not that many plowmen in disposed of myself and Murray,
and then the more boys will started playing them in
Ifew as well. And there's a few vendors cars as well,
so I suppose we'd have six or seven active plowerman
supposing the group in the club hodes Holish hosts. Sorry,
just you have an annual player match every year, which
were you try a toyism with the vendors club, So
(18:43):
we have a weekend of it and always come down
from all over South London Ontargo and it gives you
a good follow from from Kennerby come down to sport
Amensions as well.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Hey good on your bob, believe it there. Always appreciate
your time and once again congratulations. There's no mean fate
going over to Europe for the World Champs of Plowing
like you do. You got next year, It sounds as
though you got the yet you want to get a
Kendyd too, So all the best and we'll speak in
due course. Tell me what Jason Herrick as president of
(19:18):
South and Federated Farmers, he's been in the news recently
between Federated Farmers and Environments Southland regarding these winter grazing costs,
which Jason claims is nothing more than revenue gathering. We
haven't heard spoken to Jason for a couple of weeks.
He's coming on to say what's happened in a couple
of weeks since? Good afternoon, Jason.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
Good afternoon, Indian. What a cool song to come on
to a bit.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Of exponents for a Tuesday afternoon. Nothing better. Look the
matter in hand regarding Federative farmers and environments Southland. What's
the latest there?
Speaker 6 (19:55):
Hey, Look, I'm working through it day by day at
the moment and talking with farmers and helping farmers, you know,
at the table with them. It talks with environments south
and over the cost of recovery and voices and obviously
in dialogue with counselors and so on. And next step
for me is to organize a meeting with Environments South
(20:15):
and head Rob and Nicol horror as well. But you know,
there's been a lot of too in and throwing in
the media. There's been a lot of accusations been thrown
out there. And one thing I really want to clear
up today is that I have been accused of being
a one man band in this and this is my
own personal offndetta where it's actually not. I want to
(20:38):
make it known that I represent a full executive that
that has my back, and they're right behind me on this.
I don't do anything unless I have the okay from
my executive, which is seventeen representatives around the table, and
obviously the wider community as well, with all the phooncals
that I'm having with farmers and you know, and they're
asking me to do this on their behalf because they're
(21:00):
afraid that they will be targeted by Environments South and
if they put their head up and you know, and
so there's that element of fear coming true. And that's
one of the things I keep banging on about. So
I would like Environments South and to be honest with you,
to take ownership and actually, you know, admit that there's
a few issues going on in Environments South and they
need to sort it out listen to the message instead
(21:21):
of coming and attacking the messenger.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
But do you think dialogue should have happened last week
based on what's gone on? If has got to this stage,
I mean, everyone's adults here. It's a matter of getting
around the table and just making it work.
Speaker 6 (21:33):
Surely, absolutely, and I've been a big fan of that,
have done a lot of that in the past, and
to be honest, a lot of it falls on deafares.
And I've said it before that I have engaged with
Environments South and Staff with particular cases with farmers, and
you get bound from person to person and division to division,
and nothing ever gets resolved right, And a lot of
(21:55):
the time it's being being hidden behind the roma, been
hidden behind rules for this. There's absolutely no common sense
to a lot of it, and to me, it just
speaks that they are pushing it a particular narrative and
they're going to stick to it, and that narrative creates
the angst and fear that's out there in the community
towards Environment South. And so it's about building relationships back
(22:17):
the other way and Environment South. And I've got to
install confidence out there and farmers that they can be
trusted so people can be working with it. But the
way things are going at the moment, and more and
more farmers are coming forward now, especially around the point
that Environment South and Staff are entering farm without notification
or without the farmers on farm which in my opinion
(22:38):
is extremely wrong. And yeah, it needs to be sorted,
you know, sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
But you'll have Nichols phone number, you say, dialogue your
two way street. Surely you can just message them and
say we need.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
To talk one hundred percent. And I talked to Nickel
plenty of times and other counselors as well, right, And
it depends on who you talk to and whether you
get support or whether you don't. And everyone has a
difference of opinion, right, so you can agree to disagree
on a lot of things and I'm all for that,
but we need results out of this as well. Right,
(23:10):
And instead of hiding behind you know, the likes of
the r m A and the rules and so on,
when common sense can prevail with just a like you say,
a good chat at the table and and sort these
issues out where a lot of these issues are caused
because compliance staff are any doings they're told andy from
from the heads up the top to do the particular
(23:32):
job in a particular way. And to be honest, it's
confronting and very very off putting for farmers, you know,
I mean you take into accounter compliance officer turning up
with a body camera on. And I understand why they're
wearing body cameras for their own protection, but that's confronting
for a farmer, straight up, absolutely confronting. But then the
way they deliver themselves in certain dialogue only exacerbates the
(23:56):
situation and it gets it gets people off side straight away.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Jason, you talk about getting results out of this, what
exactly is a result given the nature of this set.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
The result is for farmers to be taken seriously and
that they not all but behaving in a bad way.
You know that they all want to do the right thing.
It's how you present yourself or how you deal with
the situation, you know. First up, So is that particular
training that needs to happen with staff or is that
(24:27):
particular training that needs to happen at a management level?
Is you know, because you're dealing with multiple personalities, different
people talking and and and you know, engaging with one another,
and quite often those personalities can clash, it's given the
training in the right right space to make sure you
get the best outcoming. And in this situation, the way
environments south and has gone about it I think is wrong.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
So why is the whole winter grazing situation blowing up
compared to other years.
Speaker 6 (24:57):
Again, it comes down to the way environments South and
the conducting things. And I understand that they've got a
role to do and they've got a job to do,
and they and they're trying to stick by the rules.
You know, at the moment we see the compliance officers
in particular, and environments south and seem to have more
power than the police. Do you know, police when they
(25:19):
come on to your property have to provide a warrant
to be able to come onto your property, where these
environments South and officers don't seem to have to have
a warrant at all. They've just got to have an
opinion or just cause to think that you are breaking
the rules or breaking the law without having a conversation
with farmers. So it's all in the way you approach things, Andy,
if you approach the farmer in the right manner, you
(25:40):
will get things done. And like I'll give you, I'll
give you a real prime example. You know, they did
the flyovers at the beginning of May and the beginning
of June. It took it two to three weeks before
those compliance offices ended up on farm and in a
lot of instances the farmers were getting wrung five minutes
before they show up. You know, they've had two weeks
to contact the f and then I hear excuses that
(26:02):
the contact details aren't always on file. We'll hang on
where do they send the rates to? They can certainly
send out accounts to the right right people, so why
can't they get in contact with the right people? So
you know that to me, that's just excuses and they've
got to get their processes right and make sure that
you get the trust of farmers back on board.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I suppose it's a case of getting malepractice out of
the winter grazing system too, though, and it's going.
Speaker 6 (26:24):
To take time, one hundred percent, of course. It's going
to take time and education. And we've had a wee
bit of a lapse in the in the colms out
of Environment South and started this year. And we did
point that out before winter grazing started on the ten
meter buffer that the coms weren't there. When that changed
all of a sudden accord, everyone might by surprise, right,
(26:44):
and that should have been you know first and for
Front of Environment South and stance and get out there
and do a bit of education. But there's also instances
out there where there's conflicting advice been given by one
compliance officer compared to another. Again, I reiterate the perception
of the rule from one compliance officer to another, or
a sustainability team member to another. Right, So it's all
(27:07):
around different people looking at different things.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
So that's one of the concerns compliance officers in your opinion,
they're not on the same hymn him seat hymn sheet
as such.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
It doesn't seem like, you know, wider sector of the
whole staff in environments out there on the same hymn sheet, right.
It seems like the divisions and they're are divided. They're
operating in their own silos and so on.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You know, good on you, Jason, will leave it there.
Always appreciate your time on the muster.
Speaker 6 (27:35):
You're welcome, Andy, And like I said, I want to
continue this dialogue and it's about having those conversations at
the table, doing the right thing and and and making
sure we get the best outcome for everybody involved, and
you know, to make sure that it's not going to
continue to hurt the economic powerhouse of South.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I you the train to come. It's all and around
of it, and I seen the suns Johanson on all
the Petagarda and farms at Napdale and joins us this
afternoon on the muster Pete. Good afternoon, you're doing the
lambing beet or been shedding out this morning into the
afternoon as well.
Speaker 7 (28:20):
It's been all go yeah, you've caught me shedding out
of paddock just at the top end of our farm there,
and it's one of those places where when you're working
a paddock up this topping a paddock, every place you
lot you get a different view and it's actually, yeah,
pretty cool spot, especially on a nice summer daylight today.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
That's one of the perhaps of being a cocky looking
around at the vistas that are around you. I mean,
if you don't take a couple of minutes just to
smell the roses and take in the scenery, why are
you doing the job?
Speaker 7 (28:48):
And you did right. We've got some staff houses up
here and they probably have one of the cracking best
views in the district. Unfortunately, where my house is, we
can see about three petdis in front of us in
a hill and that's a that yeah, and I think
that is yeah, that is one thing we do take
for granted, we do this job has its ups and
(29:09):
its downs, and don't you worry. We've put a few
hours in the last calendar month. But I don't know,
it is pretty cool and you look at other jobs
and you go here, I'm probably pretty happy doing what
I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Eh, So the laming's going okay, Yeah, lambing's.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Gone pretty good. We've had a few days that have
been not as fun as other days, but I mean,
we're leading himself and and if you think that that's
not going to happen, well you probably should be looking
at a different career. And and to be the north
of the hokanuis here, we do get probably a little
bit of a better run than the guy's south of here.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
What about rainfall figures? Where are you at there?
Speaker 7 (29:45):
Rainfall figures? I'm not one hundred percent sure. I haven't
been keeping a good eye on them. We're still like,
we can go play a paddit. We could probably we
could probably actually work paddicks right now at home. But
down at pop Rail it's still a bit damp down there.
But we've spent a lot of money drainage over a
period of time and we're not on the heaviest sools either.
So this is this is a pretty good sort of
(30:06):
rainfall for the napdeal sort of area in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
I'll just had time of year as well. Jillian to
Hierarichi on the show yesterday with a timely reminder on
the tractors around bird nests and the likes they're starting,
Pete to be aware.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
Yeah, one of our guys caught one in one of
the utes the other day, so yeah, there's definitely time
to watch out for those little mongrels.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Again.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Interesting this talk around the Alliance group and these high
profile South and farmers who want to look at an
alternative auction auction let's say, option that has been produced
by Dawn meets the Irish company who want to inject
two hundred and fifty million dollars for a sixty five
percent offering of Alliance. Where do you stand on this?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Is it too little too late?
Speaker 7 (30:51):
I find it quite interesting. Actually, I don't know heaps
about it pretty straight up around that, but I have
read a couple of newspaper articles last night and Mark
Wynn was sort of telling them that there are a
bunch of dreamers. I would probably counter that by telling
Mark when that some of those guys are pretty impressive operators,
(31:12):
and unlike somebody that comes and works for some of
these co ops that come in say that the last
guy was a silly monkey. Do seven years, get a
bit cold and handshake at the end of it, and
the next guy calls them a silly monkey. These farmers
that run those businesses, there's some pretty impressive businesses there,
and they're in it for the long haul, and they've
(31:33):
been doing it for a long time, and some of
them are doing pretty well. And one thing I did read,
and I've been a pretty strong advocate of this right
from the start, is that the sheer contribution argument when
they wanted four dollars of LAMB when we were on
one of their lowest LAMB payouts, especially when you're inflation
(31:53):
and adjust it for a long time, is completely bonkers.
And something I suggested that this is two mays ago,
so May twenty twenty four I suggested to Markwin and
Philly Weiss and another guy, was that a contribution, as
especially shareholders like me who are undershared because in the
(32:15):
earliest stage of my career, is that it should be
adjusted with the price of lamb and you know we've
just killed some you know, he's killing stuff a pretty
good coin at the moment, and we can afford to
put more back in. But when we're at the bottom
foot on as the head was way too much and yeah,
sort of yeah, I think I think it's worth a lock.
(32:36):
But yeah, I don't know enough details to say yes
or no.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
But would that be realistic? Kind of cocky who's running
say two and a half thousand and three thousand lambs
that he kills each season. He's running on a pretty
tight schedule as it is to give more outlay for
a company that's underperformed, well, I think you've.
Speaker 7 (32:54):
Got two different issues there that you've vanlined outlined pretty well.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
I think.
Speaker 7 (33:01):
The company has to perform and that's a non negotiable
and that is something that needs to be addressed pretty hard.
I actually would like to see some of those bigger
farmer guys actually on the on the board of Alliance
because I think they'd add a heat for a lot
of value, because those guys have seen some ups and
downs and they've they've made it through the other side
and then the other thing. So there's a you know
(33:23):
issue one issue to you know, a farmer of any size,
as long as a contribution is relative to their supply,
I don't see that being an issue. And I would
say right now, if you can't put five dollars I
read five dollars a lamb in the current environment, If
you can't put five dollars a lamb aside in this
current environment, you probably need to check your own budget.
(33:45):
And that probably sounds a bit harsh, but yeah, so
I think the investment A needs to be worthwhile alliance
needs to perform and then be in this current environment.
I think if you can't put five dollars a lamb aside,
your budget needs to check.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Well.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
I think that's just the environment we're living in. Though.
You're hearing of a lot of guys who have interest
rates which have stung them severely over the last twenty
four months, and they're playing catch up, pure and.
Speaker 7 (34:10):
Simple, and honestly, that's us. Like our interest rates more
than tripled as their product prices went down, and when
they made this big announcement eighteen months or so ago,
it wasn't very fun at all. And that's that's us
as a business. And you know, that's where we're getting
(34:30):
away out the other side of it, and Kylie Fish
and the skin told us all to go by a
boat the other day. There won't be any boats getting
brought at Arkly Fun Limited, And we're knuckling down and
we're getting ourselves in a better position and where I
mean my goal this season, with the way things are looking,
is to make the most of what we've got and
(34:51):
to really put the runs on the board this season.
And there's this old saying about there's a time to
reap and there's a time to sew. And I think
a farm, as we look at that simplicity of springtime
time to say autumn time time to harvest, I actually
think it's a bit different, and I actually think you
can take that on a long term horizon, and I
(35:12):
actually think, you know, as a business, this is the
time to reef it back in and to put it
into stuff like debt repayment and the likes. And then
I think when things are bad, that's the time to
actually try and keep going. And something I said at
one of the Alliance things is when we have an
awesome year, that's when we put extra line on their paddockts.
That's when we buy some extra fence posts, and calls
(35:34):
of metting, and we put them aside so that in
the bad years we can pull back on that line
and we can keep putting fences up in the winter
without having to pay for materials. And I think that's
the nature of the business we're in. And you know
a lot of your listeners have done a lot more
cycles than I have. And yeah, as you've got me
in trouble the other day for talking about old people
(35:57):
and yeah, and I think that this is just to
time to reinvest in, pain down debt and to be fure.
I think that the alliance and it potentially could be
an option, but the alliance side of it needs to
stack up as well.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Everybody's middle aged as a farmer peat Just finally, though,
interesting you talked about it before, say more lest you're
saying the mentality of the top brass and alliance or
just co operat us in general, it needs to change
and they've got to start passing the back and start
taking accountability.
Speaker 7 (36:25):
Yeah, and I yeah, I think they too. And I
think I need to take a longer term view of
all these things because we're in a long term business
and you know, you can't go farming for a five
year period or a ten year period. You've got to
be in it for a long term. There's too many
ups and downs, and instead of being scared of that,
(36:46):
I think we actually need to embrace it. And I
think now we're in the time of the cycle to
not over excite ourselves and to knuckle down and put
ourselves in a position to ride out the next wave.
And on that other note, about everybody's in middle aged
farmer and one of the guys from down the road
proudly told me that he's now one of those old
farms that I talked about.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Name Are you prepared to name him? Shame or anonymous?
Speaker 7 (37:08):
Stays Oh, I must have met Namara from just down
the road, and he's a really good rooster.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Good on you, mister mcnamary. Good on your pete. Always
appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
No good.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Have you.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Away out to Sheffield this afternoon on the muster to
catch up with their pig farming correspondent Sean malloy. He's
faced at Sheffield, Sean, good afternoon. How's everything up in
Kennery Thesavo?
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (37:32):
Good, thanks Andy. Years sunshining and not a lot of winds,
so we're happy now.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
I believe up there it has been the polar opposite
weather that what we've had down here in the Deep South.
You guys have been having headeous North Westers for weeks
on the in temperatures going into twenty five plus degrees.
Speaker 8 (37:49):
Yeah, it's been pretty warm and yeah, a really strong winds.
So we're all getting a bit getting a bit sick
of it. And she's dry things out awey bit too.
So yeah, wondering what sort of season we're going to
get now.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Well, we spoke to you a couple of months ago.
What's the season been like since Thenshaw?
Speaker 8 (38:06):
Yeah, we started out pretty wet and the very start
of winter and we thought, oh should here he goes
it's going to be a wet winter. But that was
sort of it really, and it's it's been fairly dry.
Really been a nice winter, so yeah, I can't complain
on that front. And carving it has been brilliant as.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Far as grasscovers and everything you're reckon. You're getting starting
to get a little bit on the dry.
Speaker 8 (38:28):
Side, yeah, mate, just things haven't kicked away, you know.
I think that. Yeah, that wind's been so hard out
I think people just it's just all a bit tight
for feed at the moment. We haven't really kicked away
but the irrigation and that's back on now. But in
these big winds, you've got to be a bit brave
to face them out of the breeze and let them run,
(38:50):
Otherwise the money end up with them upside down. So yeah,
it's a bit of a double edged sword.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
So these winds have started earlier than previous seasons.
Speaker 8 (38:57):
No, it's pretty typical this time of year. Nor normally
get a couple of three weeks of heavy wins, just
that sort of spring spring equinox sort of stuff.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Now, as far as the pork side of things here,
like we say, you've got a piggery up there, everything
seems to be ticking over pretty well.
Speaker 8 (39:16):
Yeah, yep, No, we're going pretty good. Thanks. Yeah, the
price has been flat right through the last twelve months,
so yeah, we're yeah, it's going pretty good. But so
to get a few cost pictures in that now, so
I'm just got to be a bit mindful of that.
But no, we're in pretty good heart.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
So on farm inflation starting to kick on again, is
that what you're saying?
Speaker 8 (39:35):
Yeah, just bits and pieces a you're still that inflation
pressure of the year I think, So, yeah, it's not
that much fun.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
As far as pricing for pork, we were to be
at the moment for kilo, we're.
Speaker 8 (39:49):
It depends what size you're selling them. We sell bigger ones.
We're sort of about five five thirty five aikilo and
if they're a bit smaller than you might be up
to five sixty five sevening.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
So just on a whole, the industry seems to be
in reasonable heart then all things considered, because you are
a smaller industry in New Zealand as well.
Speaker 8 (40:07):
Yeah, absolutely we are. But no, in general we're pretty good.
But you know, every time we've talked about this for
the last two or three years, we're still waiting on
a wealthier code, So you know that's I guess that's
part of the reason what we're still in good heart.
No one, we haven't had any extra supply coming and
flooding the market or anything like that or putting ourselves
out of balance so to speak.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Yeah, I was going to stare away from the day
week code sure on because we now have spent a
bone of contention no pun intended there with the pork industry,
so we're no further ahead no.
Speaker 8 (40:39):
We're still sitting waiting, So yeah, I don't know. We
just we've just got to head down, just keep moving
forward and keeping well things are fairly well in good heart,
just spending money on keeping things maintained how we are,
and just making plans for what we what we might
need to do next. Really, so yeah, it's a bit frustrating,
(41:01):
but you just sort of just sort of get on
with what you can do what you can do with
what you can But.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
If it's taken so long to get these recommendations to
come through, was it almost a case of it it
could be like this for the next eighteen twenty four
months even.
Speaker 8 (41:15):
I don't think so from what we're hearing there there.
But it's really it's just some of the oddities in
the way that the acts written that the Minister has
to make sure that there's not going to be a
legal challenge from either side if they don't quite get
it right or other each side's not happy with what
(41:38):
comes out on the coat, so which is you know,
we don't want to put something out and then be
tied up for ages in a legal dispute which would
go on for another eighteen twenty four months. While they
try and sort that.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Out through the courts.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
But I don't think I've heard of anything that's ridiculous
as a pork industry trying to get confirmation from Naywik
regarding regulation for an undus. I mean, like you say,
this has been going on for so long, it's just
it's worse than taking the mickey.
Speaker 8 (42:05):
Yeah, but this is what happens when you put the
wrong people in the room to decide to a welfare
code and you're involved too many people that don't know
anything about what you do. I mean, it seems more
important to have people outside the industry so you're independent
who know nothing about it, and level the real stakeholders
that run the industry out in the cold, and as
(42:28):
you get shit results. And I mean we're seeing that
we're not the only code. I think every code's had
some real issues this time around with the wrong people
being in the room.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
Would you say the poork industry is well supported in
the efficacy space?
Speaker 2 (42:43):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
I think so who would you have there, for example,
sticking up for the industry.
Speaker 8 (42:47):
You mean, in the government and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
I'm thinking more just like so you've got your beef
and leaves your dairy and z's everybody else on the
lowest level. Who would you guys have there to work with?
Speaker 8 (42:57):
Yeh know, we're definitely involved in that. And there's a
few Lincolns the with with the red meat industry, and
I can't think off the top of my head what
the groups are, but we're in the air and I think,
you know, as this process has gone along, you know,
the other industries don't know a lot about the pork industry,
but I think they've found out a bit more about
what we do and realize that, you know, we know
(43:19):
what we're talking about, and we're facing some of the
issues that are now coming to the forth of beef
and lamb and dairy that we've been facing for us
in the chicken industry for a couple of decades now.
So yeah, you're getting a bit more support, but then
you have that import export tension where they might be
(43:40):
in support of us, but they don't want to say
too much, so they've got to protect you know, their
export industry. So it's a it's a real difficult one.
So you know, everybody's going to look after their own camper.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
But without using a part it's a case the chickens
coming home to hatch.
Speaker 8 (43:54):
For the other sectors, Yeah, I don't like to think
of it like that. It's just we're getting so many
people and well meaning people that don't know anything involved
in our industries and it's just it's right through from
environment to animal welfare. It's just poor, poor decisions and
(44:15):
sky is falling sort of stuff happening.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Pain they are as far as the pork industry though,
Eric Croiz finished up as the cheer for New Zealand
pork Paul Butcknell's taking over the reins there, so some
quality people you do have involved up at the top.
Speaker 8 (44:29):
Yeah, we've got some good continuity going there. Eric was
a really good man at the right time. He was
really well linked in for government. He was just some
great service for our industry. So yeah, no, we're hopefully
at the moment we're in pretty good shape.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
You talk about continuity. You've got to put this one on.
You're the MPC Kennibry. You have the shield. You managed
to hold it for two weeks, Well done, stags can
it for one week? Did it mean anything to you though,
being a rugby fan having the shield in the region
short or does it just get lost in translation in
an area that is that just has success so often
like Canterbury.
Speaker 8 (45:06):
Yeah, mate used to winning everything. Not really. I think
Super rugby's taken away from from the Loggerwood. I think
it means more for the players that are involved, because
you know, they understand what it's about. But that used
to be the premier year I guess trophy for us.
But now with Super Rugby, I guess it's that level up.
(45:27):
So it's not not quite the same. I don't reckon
it doesn't have the same manner personally.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
I believe I could be wrong.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Are you tempted to be become a ticket a ticket
season holder at KAHA the new stadium and it opens
next year?
Speaker 8 (45:41):
Oh yeah, fresh team today. It's going to be awesome.
I can't wait. Finally get a decent a decent stadium
and you know, concerts, the whole thing. That's really going
to give christ which in the whole region a real
good kick in the pants. It's going to be great.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
I can't wait, I said Sean Malloy. There pig Farmer
based up in Kennanbury, wrapping up the best of the muster.
Thanks very much for your company. I'm endy Muller, enjoy
the weekend. Go the AB's big game tonight. Do us proud, Ethan.
I'm sure you will enjoy the weekend. See you Monday,
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