The Muster- Michelle Watt: Country Crossover

Michelle Watt calls in from the National Fieldays.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
An only.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
I changed my mind. This just don't feel right to me. Well,
welcome back to the muster one. Hakanuis Michelle Watt is
the executive producer of the Country. She's been I don't well, basically,
you know e this week up in Hamilton at the
National Field, days at Mystery Creek breaking her Mystery Creek

(00:25):
cheery as such, Good afternoon.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Michelle, afternoon Andy. And yes it's my first, well second
time in the tront ever in my entire life. So
it has been a bit of an o n. It's
definitely been an experience opened my mind, opened my eyes
and as she I quite like the tron I do
feel a bit like and I said this on the show.
I think on the first day when Jamie asked me
what I thought, I said, I feel like the young
working dog pups has been let out in the paddocks

(00:47):
to finally round up the sheep.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
You're like an eighteen year old from south when they're
a rugby trip to christ Church for the first time.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, that's what it feels like. It feels like I'm
back in my youth. And honestly, it has been heaving
down here for the last three days. The sun was
absolutely shining. It was beautiful day, very criss mornings, but
very very dry up here, which has been good obviously
for the punters walking around. You don't have to worry
about wearing the gun boots, although obviously a lot of
people still are. But very dry, very sunny. Although today

(01:16):
is a little bit more overcast, but the crowds are
getting pumping out down here.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
So how would you say the mood's been, I dare
say pretty buoyant, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Pretty boyant. Everyone seems really positive, really happy, which is nice.
It's good to see the prima sector doing really well.
And of course we had the soapy announcements yesterday, which
is a situation for primary industries with Racemith, Tom McLay
and Chris Luxon. And great news across the board pretty much.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
There.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
There are a few that are struggling, like Arable and
things like that, but great news otherwise across the board.
It's really great to see.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Will end up seven percent again yesterday. I mean, this
is a good news story of the year for me
to put it into perspective. Michelle Crossbred rule was down
in the mid one dollar range one dollar fifty a
couple of years ago and I think clean fleece is
up towards the sixty seven dollars range, which is fantastic.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Oh, huge positives here with that, and I think definitely
it's helped the moode. Everything doing well, everyone's positive, and
it looks like the punters are spending well.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Here you go the crossbred flea flea, sorry, just brought
it up forty cent lift yesterday. Ninety nine percent clearance
is the course is out of christ Church. Average price
for a kg of clean crossbred wool if it's good
style is seven dollars forty outstanding of course.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
For the SOPs. Yesterday it was announced that there's been
a some of the other numbers across the sector. We've
got dairy forecast to increase five percent to a record
of twenty eight point six billion. Meat and wool is
forecast to increase fourteen percent to fourteen point one billion,
which is absolutely incredible. There's some really fantastic results across
the board here. I mean, I think you've just got

(02:51):
to take the positives, especially the wall thing. It's fantastic
to see it finally where it should be right. People
wanting sustainable products as well. I think the oil prices
and things like that are helping that too, because of
course you need oil to make plastic, you don't need
oil to make wall. So hopefully it keeps going that way,
although we don't want oil to keep going up in
price and affect our petrol prices.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
There's been a lot of talk around the no show
of Labor as far as having attempt they're visible. Their
argument is we're just walking around talking to people. But
there's the thing about these events. You look on your
program or your app whatever these days, you see where
they are, and you know exactly where you're heading to,
and I think that's where they've dropped the ball.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, it's interesting. I have been too busy to actually
see many labor MPs other than the ones I saw
at the Rural Leaders Support debate and auction and dinner
on Wednesday night. So it's really interesting times really with
that one, because I think Trippy is the only one
I've seen since I've been here, and it's because they

(03:51):
came to the show. But then, like I said, I
haven't actively been going out looking for them here.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
Politicians are not wearing brand you read bands.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
I hope I op't actually noticed that you're for the
red bands, Like I said, to be honest, I brought
my waterproof, nice winter work boots, and I'm glad I
had them yesterday in the last couple of mornings because
very heavy frosts up here. It's nice to have nice
warm toes, but walking around in them is not that
comfortable with the hard ground and the dry and you
don't really need them in the car parks where you

(04:18):
didn't the last couple of days. Today apparently showers possibly later,
but otherwise I don't know. I think that cloud will
hopefully burn off. It'll be another cracker.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
So how would you summize How would you summarize the
field days for somebody who hasn't been there, Michelle and
what you've seen.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
I think if you haven't been, you must come, regardless
of whether you are from the city or a country
or a farmer. Obviously, there's a lot of things to
see here. For farmers, a lot of equipment and stuff
like that to buy. But for someone from urban environment
there's a lot here too. It's just it's such a
cool place to come and meet people, network, see things
that you haven't seen before. The fantastic technology on offer,

(04:58):
and it's actually just a really good day.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
The fencing cop has always been a good one when
I'm up there, just go along for half an hour
while you gather your thoughts so much and go about
their business. Craig Wiggy Wiggins on the blower, it's really cool.
It just adds to the vibe of the event.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
Oh those guys are athletes, aren't they. I mean I
can't imagine putting up a fence in a hurry and
it being straight. It's exciting stuff to watch all that.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Now you've had Riley Kennedy as your chaperone. How's that been?

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Is it?

Speaker 2 (05:25):
You know? Because Roley's a good bugger. I had him
on for Yan on Wednesday. And as far as the
journalism where it goes, he's doing some really good stuff
in the egraspace.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
Oh, he's been a premium level showfield for US Andy.
We've really enjoyed having him and he's really looked after us.
I have to say he's been very patient with the
two country team members.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Now, as far as the media awards, last night you
went along and how was that?

Speaker 1 (05:49):
It was a fun time? Interesting. My first one obviously,
Shane that you weren't need to join a Sandy, but
you picked up.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
In a ward. It's not one for the fainthearted. I
think it's fair to say that.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
Event ah aw. You know what the rural environment can
be like. It's a bit like the rugby club right.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Right over. Michelle, Hey, safe travels back this afternoon and
we will catch up in a couple of weeks. Always
good to catch out, Michelle. One in the country Crossover,
of course, up at Mystery Creek at the National Field
Days which continues until tomorrow. You're listening to the muster
on Hakanui up next Greg miller On behalf of the
I HC. Caskime. You smile