March 5, 2026 • 9 mins
Matt Ward looks at a good growth season at Morton Mains which is reflecting in good prices.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Matt Water is based at Morton, Mainz and joins us
on this beautiful afternoon down here in the south two
days in a roadmap. Good afternoon, I think we might
have got summer, finally got it yet.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's no, it's good, isn't it? Definitely can't complain with it.
Bit of hate.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
We've been hanging.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Out for it, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
So how hell's ground conditions there? I suppose?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, No, we're pretty good. Actually, we're pretty well set up. Yeah,
like to be feel we haven't had too much to
complain about all season. Really, it's just been I was
the we had good growing conditions, but lambs and cattle
they've just needed that but a sun on their backs,
I think more than anything. But we're definitely getting it now.
So yeah, that's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Really. So you haven't been too dry there or too wet?
I mean it sounds a bit silly, but a lot
of places in the province have talked about moisture deficit.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, I think we've been pretty good. To be fit,
it would have been six weeks ago we were oh,
like jeez, I feel bad even saying it. But for
us and Moldern Mains, we're probably getting just stry enough.
But it wasn't definitely wasn't hot and dro It was
just cold and cold and windy was sapping the moisture out.
Since then, we've been getting pretty regular rains and yeah,
(01:17):
everything's been growing not too bad, but you're getting days
like this. Man makes all the difference.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
It just changes the moon. It just resonates with what
we're saying in the sector at the moment as well.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Year one hundred percent. Yeah, Like I was saying to
someone the other day, like, you can never get a
perfect season, ken you. We were getting good prices and
a good season and good weather, but getting this good
weather this week, like it really is the cherry on top.
As long as it lasts right through the months, will
be pretty well set up for a good autumn too.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Is he much in the way of arable down on
your neck of the woods?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Ummmm no, no, not really. We get a few, like
got all the tulips around us, but of that piper's produced,
like all the veggies and stuff around us, but no
no real arable.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So traditionally just sheep and beef country around there.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Bit of dairy, Yeah, traditionally sheep and beef country but now,
as far as I can see, it's all diary. There's
what is there, one, two, three, four of us hanging
on sheep and beef and the rest is all is
all diary.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You say you're hanging on where you can We attempted
it all to convert back in the day when you're allowed.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, definitely, definitely was conversations around converting. But yeah, the
way it's traditionally sheep and beef, and I'd say, if well,
my grandfather's still around and if he's seen it getting
converted to dairy farming, yeah, might not have gone down
too well. But I always have the opinion like it
would make it perfect like where I am now, that
(02:43):
would make it perfect dairy farm, but it also makes
a perfect finishing sheep and beef farm. Whilst the prices
are right, you know that we're pretty summer safe and
like we can pump some feed when we need to,
So as long as we're getting paid well for it,
like we are this year, then yeah, that can't really
complain too much.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So productions pretty much pump pumping year.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
We are, Yeah, we are would probably like this is
my fourth summer home, and I'd say it was set
up for the like the best one we've had so far,
which is yeah, yeah, it's good. I'd sort of work
pretty hard for the first couple of years I was here,
getting decent enough genetics and and just changing things a weave.
It hemorrhaging money whilst I was doing it, But I
(03:26):
was sort of hoping that one day I would turn
around and then you get a year like this year
and you're pretty well set up, and it's yeah, it's
definitely paying paying dividends a.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Because Nige would he made the observation yesterday that when
he's older and wiser, he's going to look back at
this year as perhaps a watermark moment in his farming career.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, yeah, it'd be. Yeah, I'd say it's probably a
good shout to be fear Like. I definitely it's going
to be interested in the next few years.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Like it.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
I definitely feel like we're at the ceiling now. Got
to be very conscious, like it was only two years
ago we were at the bottom of the bottom and
now at the higher of the high. But I sort
of hope they've like companies have spread their risk, aweave
it and we're not going to go to the lows
of the lows, like even if we said at one
hundred and eighty dollars lamb, like, it's still it's still
good money. Yeah, I just need to keep in the
(04:14):
back of your mind that it's yeah, it doesn't take
too much to drop away completely. But then again, like
it was quite nice going to the field Days here
a couple of weeks ago and actually being able to
look at look at stuff, fire a shot and buy anything.
But compared to two years ago going to the field days,
like I felt bad even looking well, you're tempted to
buy something though, I mean not just a hot dog either.
(04:37):
Uh yeah, definitely tempted, definitely tempted, But it's still just
in the back of my mind, like there's yeah, yeah,
I don't want to get in that trap of having
a good year and gone and spending it all on
on stuff that I don't. Well, they're all still nice
to haves, aren't they. Whereas it's better keep a bit
of fed in the system for a few years time
when it potentially could turn turn again.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
You're well above budget for lambs fair cool Ah.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yes we are, Yeah, that we definitely are, and even
the weights just above where I've sort of budgeted too,
and even the kettle, like I've set my first load
of black Stairs up to five star last week, and
like they're a head of budget as well and a
head of white. So everything's sort of done, done well.
But I've sort of had to be because buying a
(05:24):
black stair back in on this market's just yeah, wee
a bit scary.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
He's not imagine it.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Nah, No, I work on I work on the selling
to buying prices, my margin, so there's still there's still
a good margin in it this year, but then it's
just what we're selling it for next year. But I
think we'll level, say failt and I thought around the theory.
I'm not the only one buying and selling black Stairs,
So if we're all in a sinking ship, least when
(05:53):
ort least I'm not going down by myself. At least
there'll be a few of us going down together, so
it won't be too bad.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Well, that's a good you to be a trader, remembering
we've still got these spring contracts to be issued.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yes, yes, exactly. It's going to be interested in what
the level was at that like those few stall lamb
ceils and stuff that have been hitten in recently like
that that crazy money, absolutely crazy money. So yeah, hopefully
the spring contracts come out and the year buyers aren't
getting getting pinched to weave it now.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I'll ask you this about walk because I remember not
that many months ago, Matt, you were very cynical about
the way the situation was regarding the fiver here in
New Zealand. The change the thinking has changed, the price
has risen up. Have you changed your thinking at all
towards it.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, I am still very positive about well, like I'm
sharing sharing all my us next week and it's nice
to know that those costs are going to be covered
and some I'm still very conscious that, like I know,
it's a supply and demand thing, and I'm just really
conscious that uh yeah, as long as it doesn't as
(07:03):
long as I'm just not buying buying up on the
wall just to level the market back out again, I
hope it lasts. But yeah, there's still that wee bit
of me that yeah, we wee bit conscious of the fact.
But I'll definitely take it. Definitely, we send them a
wall winds to town as soon as it as soon
as it comes off.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
But at the same time, you're looking at changing sharing
routine as far as perhaps going six to eight months
if you're not already, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I'm already eight months. I've always been a big believer
of getting the keeping the wall off them and just
trying to keep the quality of wall there, and I've
never really been too worried about the price of the war.
I've sort of always done it as a animal health aspect,
especially around my lambs, wall wind stuff as well. So
it's yeah, I won't be I'd love to go to
(07:51):
six months, but where we are here it's a weave
bit of a pain trying to get dry use in
that winter. So if I can only if I only
need to do it every second winter getting them dry,
then yeah, it's probably for the best for the meantime.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Anyway, Aiden Rugby your manager this year. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yes, it is. I went down head training last night
and saying that the boys reckon. It's actually more stressful
cooking the barbecue than of its planned IMLA. Yeah, yeah,
that was a worry making sure everyone's feed well and
the beers are cold, and I rather I'd rather be
making decisions on a field than having to worry about that.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But it's good.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
It's nice to be able to give back, and it's
nice to be able to catch out with all the boys.
And they seem to be training training after storm, So.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Who's Edendale got first pre season game?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
We are close to Valley and Crescent in the next
couple of weeks, so yes, they're not this weekend, but
the weekend after we start kicking into it, and then
must be a week off and then we're into the season.
So it's all just rolled around, rolled around rather quick, really.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah, rather quickly. Good on you, Matt. I'll let you
carry on. Always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yep, no, good man, Andy, thank you very much for that.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Matt Ward farming at Morton Mainz. You're listening to the
Master up next Terry Collins from the AA to put
some context around the fuel price situation and what we
can expect over the next while
Matt Water is based at Morton, Mainz and joins us
on this beautiful afternoon down here in the south two
days in a roadmap. Good afternoon, I think we might
have got summer, finally got it yet.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's no, it's good, isn't it? Definitely can't complain with it.
Bit of hate.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
We've been hanging.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Out for it, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
So how hell's ground conditions there? I suppose?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, No, we're pretty good. Actually, we're pretty well set up. Yeah,
like to be feel we haven't had too much to
complain about all season. Really, it's just been I was
the we had good growing conditions, but lambs and cattle
they've just needed that but a sun on their backs,
I think more than anything. But we're definitely getting it now.
So yeah, that's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Really. So you haven't been too dry there or too wet?
I mean it sounds a bit silly, but a lot
of places in the province have talked about moisture deficit.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, I think we've been pretty good. To be fit,
it would have been six weeks ago we were oh,
like jeez, I feel bad even saying it. But for
us and Moldern Mains, we're probably getting just stry enough.
But it wasn't definitely wasn't hot and dro It was
just cold and cold and windy was sapping the moisture out.
Since then, we've been getting pretty regular rains and yeah,
(01:17):
everything's been growing not too bad, but you're getting days
like this. Man makes all the difference.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
It just changes the moon. It just resonates with what
we're saying in the sector at the moment as well.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Year one hundred percent. Yeah, Like I was saying to
someone the other day, like, you can never get a
perfect season, ken you. We were getting good prices and
a good season and good weather, but getting this good
weather this week, like it really is the cherry on top.
As long as it lasts right through the months, will
be pretty well set up for a good autumn too.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Is he much in the way of arable down on
your neck of the woods?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Ummmm no, no, not really. We get a few, like
got all the tulips around us, but of that piper's produced,
like all the veggies and stuff around us, but no
no real arable.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So traditionally just sheep and beef country around there.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Bit of dairy, Yeah, traditionally sheep and beef country but now,
as far as I can see, it's all diary. There's
what is there, one, two, three, four of us hanging
on sheep and beef and the rest is all is
all diary.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You say you're hanging on where you can We attempted
it all to convert back in the day when you're allowed.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, definitely, definitely was conversations around converting. But yeah, the
way it's traditionally sheep and beef, and I'd say, if well,
my grandfather's still around and if he's seen it getting
converted to dairy farming, yeah, might not have gone down
too well. But I always have the opinion like it
would make it perfect like where I am now, that
(02:43):
would make it perfect dairy farm, but it also makes
a perfect finishing sheep and beef farm. Whilst the prices
are right, you know that we're pretty summer safe and
like we can pump some feed when we need to,
So as long as we're getting paid well for it,
like we are this year, then yeah, that can't really
complain too much.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So productions pretty much pump pumping year.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
We are, Yeah, we are would probably like this is
my fourth summer home, and I'd say it was set
up for the like the best one we've had so far,
which is yeah, yeah, it's good. I'd sort of work
pretty hard for the first couple of years I was here,
getting decent enough genetics and and just changing things a weave.
It hemorrhaging money whilst I was doing it, But I
(03:26):
was sort of hoping that one day I would turn
around and then you get a year like this year
and you're pretty well set up, and it's yeah, it's
definitely paying paying dividends a.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Because Nige would he made the observation yesterday that when
he's older and wiser, he's going to look back at
this year as perhaps a watermark moment in his farming career.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, yeah, it'd be. Yeah, I'd say it's probably a
good shout to be fear Like. I definitely it's going
to be interested in the next few years.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Like it.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
I definitely feel like we're at the ceiling now. Got
to be very conscious, like it was only two years
ago we were at the bottom of the bottom and
now at the higher of the high. But I sort
of hope they've like companies have spread their risk, aweave
it and we're not going to go to the lows
of the lows, like even if we said at one
hundred and eighty dollars lamb, like, it's still it's still
good money. Yeah, I just need to keep in the
(04:14):
back of your mind that it's yeah, it doesn't take
too much to drop away completely. But then again, like
it was quite nice going to the field Days here
a couple of weeks ago and actually being able to
look at look at stuff, fire a shot and buy anything.
But compared to two years ago going to the field days,
like I felt bad even looking well, you're tempted to
buy something though, I mean not just a hot dog either.
(04:37):
Uh yeah, definitely tempted, definitely tempted, But it's still just
in the back of my mind, like there's yeah, yeah,
I don't want to get in that trap of having
a good year and gone and spending it all on
on stuff that I don't. Well, they're all still nice
to haves, aren't they. Whereas it's better keep a bit
of fed in the system for a few years time
when it potentially could turn turn again.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
You're well above budget for lambs fair cool Ah.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yes we are, Yeah, that we definitely are, and even
the weights just above where I've sort of budgeted too,
and even the kettle, like I've set my first load
of black Stairs up to five star last week, and
like they're a head of budget as well and a
head of white. So everything's sort of done, done well.
But I've sort of had to be because buying a
(05:24):
black stair back in on this market's just yeah, wee
a bit scary.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
He's not imagine it.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Nah, No, I work on I work on the selling
to buying prices, my margin, so there's still there's still
a good margin in it this year, but then it's
just what we're selling it for next year. But I
think we'll level, say failt and I thought around the theory.
I'm not the only one buying and selling black Stairs,
So if we're all in a sinking ship, least when
(05:53):
ort least I'm not going down by myself. At least
there'll be a few of us going down together, so
it won't be too bad.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Well, that's a good you to be a trader, remembering
we've still got these spring contracts to be issued.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yes, yes, exactly. It's going to be interested in what
the level was at that like those few stall lamb
ceils and stuff that have been hitten in recently like
that that crazy money, absolutely crazy money. So yeah, hopefully
the spring contracts come out and the year buyers aren't
getting getting pinched to weave it now.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I'll ask you this about walk because I remember not
that many months ago, Matt, you were very cynical about
the way the situation was regarding the fiver here in
New Zealand. The change the thinking has changed, the price
has risen up. Have you changed your thinking at all
towards it.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, I am still very positive about well, like I'm
sharing sharing all my us next week and it's nice
to know that those costs are going to be covered
and some I'm still very conscious that, like I know,
it's a supply and demand thing, and I'm just really
conscious that uh yeah, as long as it doesn't as
(07:03):
long as I'm just not buying buying up on the
wall just to level the market back out again, I
hope it lasts. But yeah, there's still that wee bit
of me that yeah, we wee bit conscious of the fact.
But I'll definitely take it. Definitely, we send them a
wall winds to town as soon as it as soon
as it comes off.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
But at the same time, you're looking at changing sharing
routine as far as perhaps going six to eight months
if you're not already, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I'm already eight months. I've always been a big believer
of getting the keeping the wall off them and just
trying to keep the quality of wall there, and I've
never really been too worried about the price of the war.
I've sort of always done it as a animal health aspect,
especially around my lambs, wall wind stuff as well. So
it's yeah, I won't be I'd love to go to
(07:51):
six months, but where we are here it's a weave
bit of a pain trying to get dry use in
that winter. So if I can only if I only
need to do it every second winter getting them dry,
then yeah, it's probably for the best for the meantime.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Anyway, Aiden Rugby your manager this year. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yes, it is. I went down head training last night
and saying that the boys reckon. It's actually more stressful
cooking the barbecue than of its planned IMLA. Yeah, yeah,
that was a worry making sure everyone's feed well and
the beers are cold, and I rather I'd rather be
making decisions on a field than having to worry about that.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But it's good.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
It's nice to be able to give back, and it's
nice to be able to catch out with all the boys.
And they seem to be training training after storm, So.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Who's Edendale got first pre season game?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
We are close to Valley and Crescent in the next
couple of weeks, so yes, they're not this weekend, but
the weekend after we start kicking into it, and then
must be a week off and then we're into the season.
So it's all just rolled around, rolled around rather quick, really.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah, rather quickly. Good on you, Matt. I'll let you
carry on. Always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yep, no, good man, Andy, thank you very much for that.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Matt Ward farming at Morton Mainz. You're listening to the
Master up next Terry Collins from the AA to put
some context around the fuel price situation and what we
can expect over the next while
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