March 20, 2025 • 36 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Chris Brandolino, Blair McLean, Kevin Smiley Barrett, Stu Duncan, Stu Loe, and Barry Soper.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch you're the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Get Ainye Zealand and welcome to the Country. My name's
Jamie McKay. I was going to kick off the show
with dry Spell by Bo's Skaggs, but I couldn't find it,
so I've got Sea the Greatest. Apparently see has had
a secret baby or something like that like that. I
don't even know who Sia is, but I know who
Barz Skaggs is, and I know who our first guest
(00:48):
is today on the Country, Chris Brandolino ad Aniwa a
weekly rain dance. I'm going to catch up with Smiley
Barrett a wee bit later in the our well known
Taranaki dairy farmer and try and put the dry spell
in his region anyhow into some sort of historic perspective.
How are they getting on? How are they going to
get through it? Blair MacLean blizzard out of Marlborough. It's
(01:08):
getting a bit dry there too, I understand. On a
day where we learn that the four point five billion
dollar Kiwi fruit industry is expecting a record crop two
hundred and five million trays and near record returns. The
wine industry finds itself in a glut as reducing global consumption.
We'll see grapes left unharvested on the vines this season.
(01:32):
Tough times for grape growers, especially in the Marlboro region.
That today's farmer panels stew Duncan and Stewlo's buying expensive
carves somewhere, and stew Duncan's been down in my home
patch in Southland, he says, Southland's looking a picture. Verry
Soper on the trade trips to India in the US
is what luxen in his happy place? There is Winston
(01:54):
doing a great job on the world stage. And what's
up with the Greens visit Dane Whitcliffe in prison and
demanding that he'd be released. Didn't he murder somebody? Anyhow?
All that on the show today, let's kick it off
with Chris Brandolino. Hello, Chris, and I had asking you
this every week on a Friday. But when is it
(02:15):
going to rain in the dry parts?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Well, let's focus on a little bit of good news, Jamie.
We did have some very welcome rain the past couple
of days over the Tantanaki region soils, at least at
the top part of the soils, I'm sure showed a
bit of an uptick in some moisture, but unfortunately it's
not nearly enough, as we all know, and we're probably
not going to see a lot of rain over the
next five days. So we'll start with the next five days.
(02:39):
Across the country, I would say that between now and
when we talk again next Friday, I say, deeply, much
of the North Island a bar say Hawk's Bay and Gisban.
Much of the North Island, and this includes the dry areas,
probably not going to get ten millimeters of rain. In fact,
(03:01):
there'll be some areas that don't get five milimeters of
rain over the next say, five to seven days, So
not much improvement there. So it looks dry over the
next four, five, six seven days, very little rainfall. What
about beyond that? Look, if you know, when a couple
of weeks ago, it was certainly more optimistic that late
March early April sort of that you know, that period
(03:22):
which joined the two months, we could see some useful rain,
some really needed rain. Something we're double digit rainfall mounts
or widespread. Those hopes were slipping away. I think we're
probably going to have to wait until deeper into autumn
before we get you know, the odds tilt in our
favor for some really you know, proper rain, and that's
(03:44):
not good news. I acknowledge. And look, maybe something will
happen where this this rainfall in late March early April
that we've been in materializes. But unfortunately, I'll bet you
hazing a steak dinner that I think the models have
been a bit too optimistic and I think unfortunately that
continues certainly in the short term.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
All right, well, Chris, anything else to add before we go,
because I know you're not delivering good news, and I
don't want to shoot the messenger, but you better to
be fore warned and forearmed.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah, this is it. Look, in terms of temperature, we'll
have a good range. It'll be up and down. We'll
have some periods of exceptionally warm weather like this weekend.
Looks like next week we'll get a period of chill temperatures,
probably later in the week. I think, as I said before,
we probably have to wait till May or June for
any like I think proper significant change in the pattern
where something is sustained. And as farmers know, once the
(04:35):
rain does come, and it will come, it does take
a while, so drought may end, but the effective drought
will persist. So even when the rain does come eventually
we're not out of the woods yet. There still will
be lingering impact. So hopefully things change. I'll certainly keep
the updated, but that's how things are looking now.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Goot on you. Then we got Chris Briandolena from Newa
Boys on the Country on a Friday. Yes see us
secret baby revealed as she f for divorce from husband
after two years of marriage. That's not very good for
that young kid anyhow. That's seaa's problem, not ours. Chris Brandolina,
as I said, wanted some balls skags. I might play
(05:11):
some bold skags before the end of the hour. Up
next though, great news for the Kiwi fruit industry. It's
apparently now worth four point five billion. It's given the
Kiwi fruit industry as a stand alone. It's the biggest
part of the horticulture pie if you want. It's starting
to give forestry a bit of a run for its money.
(05:32):
A record crop has expected two hundred and five million trays,
but trouble at mill for the wine and industry. Greats
are going to be left unharvested. We're hearing this season
as though the as the picking season just gets underway.
Talking about dry regions, We're going to chat to Smiley
Barrett in the Taranaki, ste Duncan's and the many A Toto.
(05:54):
It's it's a bit dry traditionally a bit summer dry.
Stew Lae in North Canterbury. A farmer panel North Canterbury's
pretty good stews are a calf sail. He'll be paying
big dollars for that. You must have a bit of
feed if he's buying some calves. And Barry Sober wrapping
the week in politics. Best quote for me this week,
(06:16):
and it's dogging the government when they're doing good work.
And India and the US. The school lunches, Richard Prebble.
Free school lunches are a solution looking for a problem.
All that before the end of the hour, let's head
(06:45):
to blend him. Yes, the wine capital of the country.
Trouble at mill for the wine industry. As the savalanche
is about to begin. Blair Blizzard MacLean is our guy
there from fruit feed supplies. What are we going to
do with all the greats the share blayer.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah, good afternoon, Jamie. Well, good point. I mean, as
we've had perfect conditions as we had for growing other crops.
We've had a wonderful winter chill in twenty twenty four,
we had an awesome spring and then a great dry
summer all those I look around the river hills, it's
probably a bit too dry. But we have a fairly
big crop of savion blanc, and most wineries are restricting
(07:26):
growers to what they call their caps, so they'll say
you're only allowed to take say fifteen ton of hectare,
and some growers might have a bit more than that.
They might have twenty, so they'll be leaving five ton
of hectare behind of their fruit, which will have to
be harvested onto the ground. Yeah, a bit of a
worry because savin blanc has obviously down or even around
(07:46):
the world as far as drinking out all winer is.
In general, our growlers are getting paid less per ton now.
You know, back a few years ago, I was around
that twenty four hundred for a ton of serv on blanc.
This year could average out around eighteen hundred dollars a ton,
so growers to getting hit sort of both ways, and
of course all their costs are going up as well.
(08:06):
So yeah, it's pretty tough times industry. And the fruit.
I've just been out walking some vines actually with a client,
and the fruit is beautiful and the wine will be delicious.
But they had tough times ahead.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And yet our wine sales to the US have increased
for the sixteenth year in a row. That's the one
bright light on the horizon, I guess, until Trump puts
a tariff on it.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah. Yeah, So a lot of new markets in the
States fifty two states of course to sell wine into
and all got their own different different distributors, and Americans
like drinking New Zealand wine in fact, and around the
tourism here in Marlborough there's a lot of Americans and
they love coming to the Cloudy Bays or the Babbage
or the Riscoes and trying their wine at the cellar doors.
(08:51):
So it has been a good, big potential market, probably
more than Asia is for New Zealand Wine company, so
that has been increasing. Yeah, there's a wee bit of
nervousness around what Donald Trump will do to to the tariffs.
We're probably two percent of the wine consumption worldwide. So
(09:11):
I don't imagine we're putting millions and billions of liters
into the States. So hopefully there's some room that we
can just keep ticking our ticking on our sevy and
blanc into the States.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Why is wine consumption across the globe reducing? Why are
people substituting away from wine?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I think it's probably well, there's there's a big peak
and low alcohol wine, low alcohol beer, low alcohol lollipop drinks.
So I think people's health is more important, you know now,
and everyone's looking at what's good. Alcohol's obviously not the best.
Although you know, we always like to have a glass
of wine. I know I do, so I think that's
(09:49):
a fair idea why we're not, you know, wine consumption
is down people looking at other alternatives. Maybe also the gin,
the new gin coming through. I know my daughters don't
drink a lot of wine. They're into the his pre mix,
boker things and all that sort of stuff. So yeah,
just maybe that new genus. Old fellows who like drinking
like you, Jamie, the cougar juice are probably getting older, and.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Well I think your pencheon holding me there, I'm I'm flexible.
I'm flexible in my drinking habits. Are we seeing a
move from red wine to white wine around the world,
because if we are, that bodes well for New Zealand
because most of our exports are white wine.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Yeah, that's right, seventy five percent sev on blanc and
then there's peen agree and chardonnay of course, which New
Zealand produced beautiful chardonnais as well, especially in the Hawks Bay. Yeah.
I haven't seen those stats, but I mean there's lots
of reds in Australia, of course, in their industry has
been in a lot of trouble after losing a billion
dollars worth of business to China as France, you know,
(10:49):
there's still a lot of reds around them. I haven't
seen the numbers, but hopefully there is, because that does
bode well for New Zealand and sav on blanc. I
don't think the bubbles burst. We have lots of people
talk about she's all over for serving and blanc, but
I don't believe that's the case. There's a pro wine
on in Germany right now, Jamian. There's lots of our
wine companies over there and they're having great success. They've
(11:09):
got awesome labels and there's heaps of people there wanting
to taste and buy our wine.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Just to finish on, I'm going to ask you about
the possibility of growing Kiwi fruit in Marlborough because Zesprey's
just come out. They're forecasting a record crop of two
hundred and five million trays, beating last year's record of
one hundred and ninety million trays. I remember, not that
long ago it was one hundred and forty five million trays.
(11:35):
The Kiwi fruit industry is worth four point five billion
to us. I think wine to be fair is over
a billion. But will you see potentially some grape vines
being ripped out and replaced with Kiwi fruit vines, because
I'm hearing that, for instance, Topoki they have some trouble.
It's getting a bit warm. They may not get the
winter chill needed. That won't be a problem in Marlborough.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, good, good point, Jamie. Yeah, there is key fruit
used to be grown in Marlborough, probably many many years
before I got here, Like you know, in their late eighties,
even and Rapara Road and the Golden Mile we call
it was full of summer fruit cherries, apricots, apples and
Marlbury used to grow lots of those successfully because you
have the great warm summers and the cold winters, so
(12:19):
Kiwi fruit would work absolutely down here. And there's been
lots of chatter about other crops. We here in Malbourn
need to grow more food and be diversifying into Kiwi fruit, apples, cherries,
Kiwi berries a whole lot. So there's certainly a lot
of talk about that. We would like to sort of
(12:41):
help along those lines. And you get zespri down here
and some are fruit in New Zealand and apple and
pier and talk to growers and have some of some
workshops and make that happen. But yeah, it's just that
some of the setup costs are up there, so growls
will just have to be prepared to pay.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Well. Blessed McClean, thanks for your time today on the
Country listeners. You need to do your bit for the
New Zealand wine industry. I don't want to encourage alcoholism,
but a nice glass of wine with dinner will go
a long way to supporting our local industry. Thanks for
your time.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
No problem, Jamien. Go the Highlanders against the Reds this weekend.
Go the Mighty Islander.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Good on your blissard. You go the Mighty Highlanders. They're
actually a reasonably firm favorite against the Reds. A dollar
fifty the Reds paying two forty five. Reds have won
three out of four of their games. Might have to
place a happy bet on the Reds. Can't do that.
They can't bet against the Highlanders. I see some value
(13:38):
in the Crusaders Outsiders against the Blues as well, Chiefs
or smash Wina Pacifica. Now are you doing your bit
for the wine industry? Michelle Watt.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
No, I'm actually giving up drinking for a while the
health life.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
No, but that's good. That's good. But a lot of
people around the world are doing that, especially younger people.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
I think it's more of a turn towards house like
Leir was saying. But I just said to you before
the boomers single handley holding up the blind industry, the penogrea.
Have you got your storage and there are you doing
your bit?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I'm doing my bit for the wine industry. Although I
have four AFDs a week and what that is, yes,
alcohol free days. It balances out right, yeah, And my
alcohol free days are no alcohol as opposed to my
old mate, Dick Taylor and Colin Meads. They sound like
a name drop a hebbit they used to have. They
used to have alcohol free days, but their alcohol free
(14:32):
days were when they didn't actually have to buy a bear.
And anyone who knew Colin Meads knew whenever he walked
into a pub or a club anywhere in the country,
he never had to buy a bear. So that was
there a definition of an alcohol free day. Up next
to man who I don't think he has many alcohol
free days because when he goes touring around the world
(14:52):
following his All Black Sons, Smiley Barrett, his rulers on tour,
you've got to have a bear in your hand at midnight.
He's up next. But we're not going to talk drinking
habits with Smiley. We are going to talk about this
lingering dry, the drought that's really starting to bite hard
in the North Island. We'll head to the Taranaki next.
(15:26):
We've been talking about the big dry in the North Island. Well,
one of the worst effective areas is the Taranaki region.
Our man there is Kevin Smiley Barret. He's been a
dairy farmer since he was sixteen years of age. Started
out in the early eighties, Smiley, have you known a
worse drought?
Speaker 6 (15:43):
Oh good afternoon, Jamie, and make me see a long
journey for four years here. But yeah, it was I
left school eighty one and I think I remember dad
talking back then seventy seven was pretty bad and you
hit the old farmers were talking, you know, going back
that long. I think that is when tomorrows that was
(16:04):
a Nelson fishing boat that ran a ground that year
and on the coast there, and I remember that was
about this time of the year. It might have been
but later April. Then then when that running ground, really
it didn't stop runing yet. It just just kept coming
down because we were we're we had a lot of
terrorists there and site seas coming down to the beach
and you're getting your car stuck and we're pulling them
out and ended up taking down on the transport trail,
(16:26):
the track that you'd have rid of the wreck here.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
So okay.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So, if you've been a dairy farmer since nineteen eighty
one and coastal Taranaki got a beautiful dairy farm by
the way, right on the coast there, have you personally
known a dryer summer or autumn.
Speaker 6 (16:42):
Well, it's it's not over jermy. That's the thing I
can recall just probably seventeen eighteen nineteen, we had sort
of two bad autumns in a row. And that's that's
the worst thing is when it compounds because you sort
of you go into winter a bit lighter body condition,
(17:04):
your car covers are low in settlement, you see. And
then I think one of those years too, I think
we had a very bad spring. We're not much something
was made. So that's the ware. Seeing when it compounds,
when you're a lot of past your damage, you're seeing
you just don't recover. Yeah, being in the next year
and you have the same old so hopefully you know,
we yeah, just going forward, we get get some good rains,
(17:25):
then we can it's all behind us.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
It's really important that this straight drought should I say breaks,
say before the end of this month, because if you
get meaningful rains and April still plenty of warm temperatures,
you can still grow a good bank of feed heading
into the winter. What you don't want, obviously, and I'm
preaching into the converted talking to you, would be if
this link is into April or early May and then
(17:48):
you start running out of moves on the chessboard. How
how are you getting on? Have you had to dry
off any cows?
Speaker 6 (17:55):
Which cold? Many? Most of the covers are gone, ninety
five percent have gone, Jamie. We're really eating into her
settlement reserves. But yeah, I mean it's still mart so
there's still a bit of water gun the bridge. Once
you get into April, youlieve, you've got to make some
hard decissors. I dry cares off, you know, and but
et cetera. Or were once a day you just got
(18:18):
to look after cal condition. I mean you start thinking
for next year, you know. But the years we get
good rain, we can definitely grass and grass in April
and in May, June, July, you know, all through the
winter is you know, sawtems still right up there, you know,
fourteen to fifteen degrees and that's sing that there was
a bit of snart and the mount in the last night.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Out.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
There'll be short lived there to be gone. But yeah,
it's we get boister, it'll grow, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Okay, good luck with that one, Smiley, Barrett. Well, let's
look at the good news part of the equation, Smiley,
is the announcement yesterday from Fonterra. It looks like that
ten dollars milk price is locked and loaded. You were
organic and a too, so you're going to get premiums
on top of that. But you dividend. You're going to
get a recorded dividend from Fonterra. So as a farmer shareholder,
(19:05):
you must be pretty pleased with the way your co
op has turned the good ship Fontira around.
Speaker 6 (19:12):
Here along mate last you know that make some good decisions,
you Jamie, a good spy and a good spice here.
So in forecast is great for next year, which is
which is great, you know. So it's good reassured for farmers.
You know, illustrates coming down you quid milk price, so yeah,
we just need a good production here to back it up.
(19:33):
But sadly that's it's looking good going forward. But you
don't resually get you two good production news. Sorry milk
payt years in a row, you know. So yeah, look for.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
And just before I let you go, and are you
flat out on the farm there, it's Blues versus Crusaders
this weekend. No Bowden, Barrett, he's injured. Scott Scott I
assume as playing for the Crusaders. So you were cheering
for the Crusaders this time around.
Speaker 6 (19:59):
Yeah yeah, yeah, So what rather wan to be pleased
was the boys be playing against you. She doesn't like that,
but yeah, no, Burden, he'll be in a couple of weeks.
But here it will be games a pretty tight Jamie.
And you know this is just a mat of who
you most distintant team takes a chances here. So it's
it's a good competition this year in it.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Yeah, chiefs are looking pretty good though, smiling.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
Yeah, yeah they are. Yeah, it's just the injuries. If
you've just got to keep the kettle on the field.
There's a little player b part as we know, you know,
so just come forward, got a teager, got plows yet,
you know, I don't need to come back in and
but yeah, so you're waiting soon.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Good on you mate. Hey, thanks for some of your
time and I do hope you get some rain anytime
soon in the Taranaki region.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Thanks for your time, Jamie, Jami you probably always wondering, Sammy.
We probably need to bring Jim Hicky Bick. He's a
great reather forecast that he always delivers.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Well, he's a Taranaki layer doesn't he he is, he
is here, He runs the cafe at the airport.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
Doesn't he He knows he knows you.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Well, we might have to bring Jim back. Yeah, he
might be better than some of the forecasters they've got
there at the moment. Please stop me before I get
in trouble. I'll see you later, mate, Thanks for your time.
She is Jeremy good on your Smiley Barrett there bang
on twenty seven away from one year with the country.
It's brought to you by Brandt. I said to Michelle,
(21:21):
who's that. She had no idea. Craig's got one of
the great pop stars of the early seventies in this
country had some great songs. This wasn't one of them.
No disrespect to Smiley. It's an awful song. But anyhow,
I think Craig last time I ran into him, he
was the club captain at the Arrowtown Golf Club. Did
(21:41):
a great job too. Up next, Rural News and sports news.
Before the end of the hour, the Farmer Panel, Stu
Duncan and Stu Loo. Stulo's buying carves. I'll bet you
that's not a cheap exercise. This year. Barry Sooper is
luxon in his happy place. I see Matthew Houghton, who's
been very critical of the current government, has just written
(22:02):
the column suggesting that Luxeon's trade trip to India might
secure him a second term. I know what will secure
him a second term. The economy will if it improves.
And we got the first greensheets if you want yesterday
with the lift in the GDP number. Okay, up next
Michelle with rural news and we'll have sports news for
you as well. Welcome back to the country, twenty three
(22:41):
away from one. Here's the latest and rural news. And
I'll be disappointed if she hasn't chosen to lead with
Kiwi Fruit. Let's see what she's got. Here's Michelle what.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
The country's world news with cub Cadet. New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brands it steel Fort dot Co
dot z for your local stockist.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Could that be workplace bullying me suggesting that you had
to lead with key refruit? What were you going to
lead with? How do you know I changed it? Well,
I don't know. I'm just thinking people will think I'm
a workplace bully.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
No, You're not a bully at all. Yeah, you're probably
the least bullying Paris.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I used to bully Lashers that he deserved it anyhow, right,
So what are you leading with?
Speaker 5 (23:21):
Okay, so we have got Zesprey as the lead's stories.
Esprey has released its first guidance to grow us for
the twenty twenty five twenty twenty sixth season. The Kiwi
Fruit Marketer releases preliminary forecast guidance when early season fruit
is still arriving in market and becomes more refined as
the season progresses. Zesbury CEO Jason ti Brak says, the
positive early season conditions have supported a strong start to
(23:43):
the season's harvest, with a total crop of more than
two hundred and five million trays now expected. And hopefully
we'll have a chat to Jason on Monday a little
bit more about that that result. And also the Auckland
region had its turn last night for the Balance Farm
Environment towards Peter and Michelle Pan of Healthy and Fresh
pronounce the Auckland Regional Supreme winners last night. The next
(24:03):
regional award is for the East Coast and Hawks Bay
are the twenty fifth of March. And that's your real news.
You can find more at the Country dot Co dot
NZ his sport sport.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
With an AVCO Kiwi to the bone since nineteen oh four.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Well, this is my favorite sports story for the week.
The record breaking New Zealand contingent at the World Athletics
Indoor Champs in China has been inspired by a history
making performance back home. Olympic and World Indoor high jump
champion Hamishkur says. Fifteen year old Sam Ruth's effort to
(24:36):
become the youngest person ever to run a sub four
minute mile was chaired on by the largest group of
Kiwis to ever compete at the Indoor Champs. And it's
understood that New Zealand Cricket has threatened legal action against
the local players Association and the Stash over player image rights.
(24:57):
The ruling body has allegedly marked out the long run
and a beef as allegedly what marked out the long
run Oh asn't coming in from the long run. Sorry
I should have pre read this, and a beef over
whether the players can only be marketed under the ENZ
Cricket banner. There you go. So that's the latest in
(25:18):
rural news. Up next Stu Duncan Stulow, it's the farmer panel,
Barry Soper before the end of the hour, bring my
double Okay, hang on, you haven't been introduced yet. Background noise,
it's the farmer panel. I think that's Stu Duncan. I
(25:40):
can hear. Never want to keep quiet for too long.
He's I don't know where he is today. He was
in Riversdale, my hometown and Stue Low. You might hear
the background noise there of an auctioneer because Stue Low,
I'll start with you in North Canterbury. You're at a
calf seal. You must be feeling very wealthy if you
can afford to buy some calves this season.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
The fact that I do stop everything before my operation
mane o, so got of restocking in. Now that the
grass is growing, we can hopefully make some money. But
but hot for me today, so didn't didn't purchase any
year at Tivia today.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
So Canterbury as unless you're a seed farmer or a
cropping farmer and trying to get the harvest done as
fared as well as anywhere this season. In terms of
the dry stelo.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
Yeah, no, we have just a little bits and often
nothing that the it's not far down, but we're green
and it's and it's going pretty good. But yeah, I
see the great boys are about to start harvesting too,
so they want a bit of warm weather as well.
The complete opposite to she can be the grape growers.
(26:49):
And just south of me at Whiteborough, those.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Grape growers also, as we've heard today on the show,
need you to do your bit for the wine industry
to start having a wine with dinner each night. I know,
stew don't doesn't need to be asked twice. Stue, you've
been down on Riversdale, my home patch. What are you
doing down there?
Speaker 8 (27:06):
I was fortunate to get invited on a hunting trip
up a kettle flat station and the guys that there
gave a prize for a school fundraiser for two nights
and a hat up there and a bit of hunting.
So we went down there and drove food all the
south in which is like an absolute picture, and what
a beautiful sort of We set them once everywhere and
the country's looking magnificent. So we're two days hunting and
(27:27):
a wee bit of fishing and the Mighty Matera and
I had a good look around to the fat and
told a few farming stories, and that was about it.
So I'm home there, backing the Weening Kettle and doing
a few jobs.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
So yeah, hey, we used to holiday there when we
were kids, on the banks of the Matara River and
go fishing. I never caught any fish. I never had
the patience for it. I was useless that at a
bit like golf. Really haven't got the patience for that.
But anyhow, it is a wonderful place. I'm glad you
enjoyed you stay there, Stu dunk and I'll stick with
you. You've got your fingers in a number of pies, including
(27:59):
farm tourism, tourism on the Central Otago rail trial. But
correct me if I'm wrong. You're involved in sheep, beef,
dairy and deer right or four.
Speaker 8 (28:09):
Yeah, Venison, Velvet, yeah both yepka.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
So rank them in order? How do they stack up
in terms of profitability at the moment? Is it dairy
at the top?
Speaker 8 (28:19):
Definitely, dere at the top, followed then by the cattle
kettle are really strong.
Speaker 6 (28:23):
We've quite a lot of cattle and a.
Speaker 8 (28:24):
Cattle stud obviously, and then per hectory did take a
bit of struggle. Other than Velvet's down aweave it now
it's probably knocks them off away from the dairy guys,
and then the sheep which are coming home pretty quick
at the moment the lamb price of where they are,
but yeah, definitely the dairy and beef at the moment
are pretty pretty successful.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Yeah, okay, and Stu, how would you rank them on
your farm because you're only sheep and beef?
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (28:49):
Just the beef's price Pequilo has been very good, hasn'tdropped
much over the summer which it tins to and coming
into the peak kill now with all the dairy caldiery
keV and it's looking like it's going to hold up.
Obviously the US markets after that grinding beef, so after
after anything, they can kill release, So it's you ha,
(29:11):
the b side of things good And obviously I've changed
my stocking ratio to more more kettle than sheep, so
I've preserved my body for another fifteen years hopefully.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Well, as I said, the Crusaders and the Canterbury Rugby
Union should be playing paying for your replacement these stew
for service given over many years. How is the pace
now off the mark with the new knees come Lemmington?
Speaker 7 (29:36):
Well, you know I didn't didn't really have much hands on.
I left them to it. I think we're in the
bond Spiel heavens down the big ones grass the little one,
stew That's what I mean. You have self self hearing
for the for the big ones they use. So no,
we had a pretty good lemming. So in the end
(29:56):
you see the money held up. The lambs are worth
good money too near but Toll probably just went to
a few lambs this year, not actually lem any down.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
You remind me of a bloke I played rugby with
back in the day. In fact, you'll be at our
nineteen eighty five reunion this year for the Riversdale footy team.
Fred Sudland on Aim and Shaman. He never got round
to feeding his sheep on a Sunday if he'd had
a big night on a Saturday, and his theory was
always the big ones, we'll look after the little little ones.
Speaker 7 (30:23):
Yeah, that's what I heard. What happens when they go
keeling in the minotata the gates are open and the
way that they walk away.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yeah, okay, Stull, you're living the life of Riley and
the Maniototo there. Stu Duncan's pretty good for feed What
about you guys. I know you've been down on South
and it's been quite dry by their standards, but you're
quite dry, are you.
Speaker 8 (30:44):
Yeah, parts of the minyetto down the bottom end of
the Pulburn and perry Rah have are really dry. But
we've been catching those rains, so we're sort of green
and our crops are really good and we're still most
about petic countries are as okay, but where it's been
irrigated exceptionally good. So now we're actually just on the
edge of having a bit enough feed to flush the
years and having a completely different autumn than last year.
(31:07):
But yeah, if we were getting late for us, we
get another month, will stop growing. But we're in this
top corner for Naisby and Kibn have probably never been
better through the Sbatans. But there's patches that have missed
out in all that rain. So we're okay, but that's
not that's not the same.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
For everyone, okay, and Stulow just to finish with you,
but a fuddy your Crusaders, I reckon they're good value.
Paying two dollars head to head against the Blues at
a dollar seventy five, I'd back them to go up
to Eaton Park and win this.
Speaker 7 (31:33):
Yeah, I actually haven't heard of who's turning out for
the Blues, but yeah, you'd like to think they can't
catch your break at the moment. So lost a few players,
key players and hopefully the Crusaders can carry on the
merry way from last week.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
And as Rob Penny said, that's a tragedy. There we go. Okay,
Lad's got to go. There is the Farmer panel Stu
Duncan and Stuloi. We're going to wrap it with Barry
Soper next talking politics and has this been a good
week for lux in in India and Winston in Washington. Yes,
(32:22):
for those of you who are old enough to remember
Craig Scott a bit, your Barry Soper remembers Craig Scott
going to go to him and just to tick. But
before I forget, are we message from our partners here
on the country. They do a great job and that's
farm strong. So getting the balance right between your family,
your farm, and your own personal well being can be difficult,
but it's important. If you're in a good space, the
(32:43):
farm goes better and everyone benefits. For free tools and
resources on how to manage the ups and downs of
farming head to farmstrong dot co dot in zed this weekend.
That that's farmstrong dot co dot in zad to find
out what works for you and lock it in, Eddie,
Craig Scott, Barry Sopid you remember Craig Scott.
Speaker 9 (33:04):
I most certainly do, Jamie good afternoon. That's taking us
back though a decade or two.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, well it is. But we're allowed to indulge yourselves
of our age. Barry someone who's indulging himself. And he's
a lot older than you, and I is Winston. He
turns eighty in about three weeks time, and there he
is in Washington on the world stage for us. For
what it's worth, he's doing a really good job.
Speaker 9 (33:27):
Yeah, he is Winston. One thing that he does do
well would you agree or disagree with his politics, and
that is international diplomacy. He's not that diplomatic when it
comes being in New Zealand when he comes to the media,
but overseas he really does know how to handle a situation.
And I think he did exactly what was expected of
(33:50):
in the United States met a will right people. And
we'll come back and talk to his cabinet colleagues about it.
But you know, I think he'd be more than happy
on his way home as we speak.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
I see Matthew Horton, and I've just seen the text
alert I haven't read the column yet saying Luckson's trip
to India could get him a second term, which is
interesting because Houghton's been very critical of Luxeon. But he
seems to be in his happy space, in that sort
of space. If shore he's being dogged by problems that
won't go away, like school lunches and all that here,
(34:26):
but you'd have to say on the face of it anyhow,
And I've talked to agricultural people who are in his
party in his touring delegation, he's doing a good job
over there.
Speaker 9 (34:37):
Well, the thing is Jamie with Chris las and he's
an engaging sort of a character. If you get into
a conversation with him, you tend to forget that he
is the Prime Minister. He's really good at just having
a yarm and I think certainly the Indian Prime Minister
Modi and he got on very well. They met last
year at another international forum, but this time they obviously
(35:01):
got on well right down to the hug. So it's
a bit of a bromance and now we're talking pre
trade deal agriculture or in particular therey is going to
be a big problem, as you would well know there, Jamie.
But talking to India population one point four or five
billion people and the third biggest economy in the world,
(35:25):
New Zealand certainly is doing well to get in the
doors that have opened this time and hopefully they will
result in something for this country.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Ultimately he'll be judged on the economy that'll get him
reelected for a second term or the coalition government for
a second term. And we are starting to see it
turn well.
Speaker 9 (35:43):
Yes, I mean that point seven percent GDP last December
for the December quarter. That's good. It's not a bad
rating at all. And if you listen to Nikola Willis
since it, she's saying that the economy has turned the corner.
You see, certainly dairy is doing very well. Not only that,
(36:04):
we see tourism sector let's bounce back. And it's all
about mood, Jamie. If we're in a good mood, I
think the National Party will be quite happy.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Okay, without the farmers, we'd be buggered. As my father,
your father and our respective uncle would say, gotta go
Baz see you lader mate. There we go. Barry Soper
wrapping the Country for this week. Go the Highlanders tomorrow.
We'll catch you on Monday, we believe it.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
But catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brents, the starkest
of the leading agriculture brands.
Catch you're the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Get Ainye Zealand and welcome to the Country. My name's
Jamie McKay. I was going to kick off the show
with dry Spell by Bo's Skaggs, but I couldn't find it,
so I've got Sea the Greatest. Apparently see has had
a secret baby or something like that like that. I
don't even know who Sia is, but I know who
Barz Skaggs is, and I know who our first guest
(00:48):
is today on the Country, Chris Brandolino ad Aniwa a
weekly rain dance. I'm going to catch up with Smiley
Barrett a wee bit later in the our well known
Taranaki dairy farmer and try and put the dry spell
in his region anyhow into some sort of historic perspective.
How are they getting on? How are they going to
get through it? Blair MacLean blizzard out of Marlborough. It's
(01:08):
getting a bit dry there too, I understand. On a
day where we learn that the four point five billion
dollar Kiwi fruit industry is expecting a record crop two
hundred and five million trays and near record returns. The
wine industry finds itself in a glut as reducing global consumption.
We'll see grapes left unharvested on the vines this season.
(01:32):
Tough times for grape growers, especially in the Marlboro region.
That today's farmer panels stew Duncan and Stewlo's buying expensive
carves somewhere, and stew Duncan's been down in my home
patch in Southland, he says, Southland's looking a picture. Verry
Soper on the trade trips to India in the US
is what luxen in his happy place? There is Winston
(01:54):
doing a great job on the world stage. And what's
up with the Greens visit Dane Whitcliffe in prison and
demanding that he'd be released. Didn't he murder somebody? Anyhow?
All that on the show today, let's kick it off
with Chris Brandolino. Hello, Chris, and I had asking you
this every week on a Friday. But when is it
(02:15):
going to rain in the dry parts?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Well, let's focus on a little bit of good news, Jamie.
We did have some very welcome rain the past couple
of days over the Tantanaki region soils, at least at
the top part of the soils, I'm sure showed a
bit of an uptick in some moisture, but unfortunately it's
not nearly enough, as we all know, and we're probably
not going to see a lot of rain over the
next five days. So we'll start with the next five days.
(02:39):
Across the country, I would say that between now and
when we talk again next Friday, I say, deeply, much
of the North Island a bar say Hawk's Bay and Gisban.
Much of the North Island, and this includes the dry areas,
probably not going to get ten millimeters of rain. In fact,
(03:01):
there'll be some areas that don't get five milimeters of
rain over the next say, five to seven days, So
not much improvement there. So it looks dry over the
next four, five, six seven days, very little rainfall. What
about beyond that? Look, if you know, when a couple
of weeks ago, it was certainly more optimistic that late
March early April sort of that you know, that period
(03:22):
which joined the two months, we could see some useful rain,
some really needed rain. Something we're double digit rainfall mounts
or widespread. Those hopes were slipping away. I think we're
probably going to have to wait until deeper into autumn
before we get you know, the odds tilt in our
favor for some really you know, proper rain, and that's
(03:44):
not good news. I acknowledge. And look, maybe something will
happen where this this rainfall in late March early April
that we've been in materializes. But unfortunately, I'll bet you
hazing a steak dinner that I think the models have
been a bit too optimistic and I think unfortunately that
continues certainly in the short term.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
All right, well, Chris, anything else to add before we go,
because I know you're not delivering good news, and I
don't want to shoot the messenger, but you better to
be fore warned and forearmed.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah, this is it. Look, in terms of temperature, we'll
have a good range. It'll be up and down. We'll
have some periods of exceptionally warm weather like this weekend.
Looks like next week we'll get a period of chill temperatures,
probably later in the week. I think, as I said before,
we probably have to wait till May or June for
any like I think proper significant change in the pattern
where something is sustained. And as farmers know, once the
(04:35):
rain does come, and it will come, it does take
a while, so drought may end, but the effective drought
will persist. So even when the rain does come eventually
we're not out of the woods yet. There still will
be lingering impact. So hopefully things change. I'll certainly keep
the updated, but that's how things are looking now.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Goot on you. Then we got Chris Briandolena from Newa
Boys on the Country on a Friday. Yes see us
secret baby revealed as she f for divorce from husband
after two years of marriage. That's not very good for
that young kid anyhow. That's seaa's problem, not ours. Chris Brandolina,
as I said, wanted some balls skags. I might play
(05:11):
some bold skags before the end of the hour. Up
next though, great news for the Kiwi fruit industry. It's
apparently now worth four point five billion. It's given the
Kiwi fruit industry as a stand alone. It's the biggest
part of the horticulture pie if you want. It's starting
to give forestry a bit of a run for its money.
(05:32):
A record crop has expected two hundred and five million trays,
but trouble at mill for the wine and industry. Greats
are going to be left unharvested. We're hearing this season
as though the as the picking season just gets underway.
Talking about dry regions, We're going to chat to Smiley
Barrett in the Taranaki, ste Duncan's and the many A Toto.
(05:54):
It's it's a bit dry traditionally a bit summer dry.
Stew Lae in North Canterbury. A farmer panel North Canterbury's
pretty good stews are a calf sail. He'll be paying
big dollars for that. You must have a bit of
feed if he's buying some calves. And Barry Sober wrapping
the week in politics. Best quote for me this week,
(06:16):
and it's dogging the government when they're doing good work.
And India and the US. The school lunches, Richard Prebble.
Free school lunches are a solution looking for a problem.
All that before the end of the hour, let's head
(06:45):
to blend him. Yes, the wine capital of the country.
Trouble at mill for the wine industry. As the savalanche
is about to begin. Blair Blizzard MacLean is our guy
there from fruit feed supplies. What are we going to
do with all the greats the share blayer.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah, good afternoon, Jamie. Well, good point. I mean, as
we've had perfect conditions as we had for growing other crops.
We've had a wonderful winter chill in twenty twenty four,
we had an awesome spring and then a great dry
summer all those I look around the river hills, it's
probably a bit too dry. But we have a fairly
big crop of savion blanc, and most wineries are restricting
(07:26):
growers to what they call their caps, so they'll say
you're only allowed to take say fifteen ton of hectare,
and some growers might have a bit more than that.
They might have twenty, so they'll be leaving five ton
of hectare behind of their fruit, which will have to
be harvested onto the ground. Yeah, a bit of a
worry because savin blanc has obviously down or even around
(07:46):
the world as far as drinking out all winer is.
In general, our growlers are getting paid less per ton now.
You know, back a few years ago, I was around
that twenty four hundred for a ton of serv on blanc.
This year could average out around eighteen hundred dollars a ton,
so growers to getting hit sort of both ways, and
of course all their costs are going up as well.
(08:06):
So yeah, it's pretty tough times industry. And the fruit.
I've just been out walking some vines actually with a client,
and the fruit is beautiful and the wine will be delicious.
But they had tough times ahead.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And yet our wine sales to the US have increased
for the sixteenth year in a row. That's the one
bright light on the horizon, I guess, until Trump puts
a tariff on it.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah. Yeah, So a lot of new markets in the
States fifty two states of course to sell wine into
and all got their own different different distributors, and Americans
like drinking New Zealand wine in fact, and around the
tourism here in Marlborough there's a lot of Americans and
they love coming to the Cloudy Bays or the Babbage
or the Riscoes and trying their wine at the cellar doors.
(08:51):
So it has been a good, big potential market, probably
more than Asia is for New Zealand Wine company, so
that has been increasing. Yeah, there's a wee bit of
nervousness around what Donald Trump will do to to the tariffs.
We're probably two percent of the wine consumption worldwide. So
(09:11):
I don't imagine we're putting millions and billions of liters
into the States. So hopefully there's some room that we
can just keep ticking our ticking on our sevy and
blanc into the States.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Why is wine consumption across the globe reducing? Why are
people substituting away from wine?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I think it's probably well, there's there's a big peak
and low alcohol wine, low alcohol beer, low alcohol lollipop drinks.
So I think people's health is more important, you know now,
and everyone's looking at what's good. Alcohol's obviously not the best.
Although you know, we always like to have a glass
of wine. I know I do, so I think that's
(09:49):
a fair idea why we're not, you know, wine consumption
is down people looking at other alternatives. Maybe also the gin,
the new gin coming through. I know my daughters don't
drink a lot of wine. They're into the his pre mix,
boker things and all that sort of stuff. So yeah,
just maybe that new genus. Old fellows who like drinking
like you, Jamie, the cougar juice are probably getting older, and.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Well I think your pencheon holding me there, I'm I'm flexible.
I'm flexible in my drinking habits. Are we seeing a
move from red wine to white wine around the world,
because if we are, that bodes well for New Zealand
because most of our exports are white wine.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Yeah, that's right, seventy five percent sev on blanc and
then there's peen agree and chardonnay of course, which New
Zealand produced beautiful chardonnais as well, especially in the Hawks Bay. Yeah.
I haven't seen those stats, but I mean there's lots
of reds in Australia, of course, in their industry has
been in a lot of trouble after losing a billion
dollars worth of business to China as France, you know,
(10:49):
there's still a lot of reds around them. I haven't
seen the numbers, but hopefully there is, because that does
bode well for New Zealand and sav on blanc. I
don't think the bubbles burst. We have lots of people
talk about she's all over for serving and blanc, but
I don't believe that's the case. There's a pro wine
on in Germany right now, Jamian. There's lots of our
wine companies over there and they're having great success. They've
(11:09):
got awesome labels and there's heaps of people there wanting
to taste and buy our wine.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Just to finish on, I'm going to ask you about
the possibility of growing Kiwi fruit in Marlborough because Zesprey's
just come out. They're forecasting a record crop of two
hundred and five million trays, beating last year's record of
one hundred and ninety million trays. I remember, not that
long ago it was one hundred and forty five million trays.
(11:35):
The Kiwi fruit industry is worth four point five billion
to us. I think wine to be fair is over
a billion. But will you see potentially some grape vines
being ripped out and replaced with Kiwi fruit vines, because
I'm hearing that, for instance, Topoki they have some trouble.
It's getting a bit warm. They may not get the
winter chill needed. That won't be a problem in Marlborough.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, good, good point, Jamie. Yeah, there is key fruit
used to be grown in Marlborough, probably many many years
before I got here, Like you know, in their late eighties,
even and Rapara Road and the Golden Mile we call
it was full of summer fruit cherries, apricots, apples and
Marlbury used to grow lots of those successfully because you
have the great warm summers and the cold winters, so
(12:19):
Kiwi fruit would work absolutely down here. And there's been
lots of chatter about other crops. We here in Malbourn
need to grow more food and be diversifying into Kiwi fruit, apples, cherries,
Kiwi berries a whole lot. So there's certainly a lot
of talk about that. We would like to sort of
(12:41):
help along those lines. And you get zespri down here
and some are fruit in New Zealand and apple and
pier and talk to growers and have some of some
workshops and make that happen. But yeah, it's just that
some of the setup costs are up there, so growls
will just have to be prepared to pay.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Well. Blessed McClean, thanks for your time today on the
Country listeners. You need to do your bit for the
New Zealand wine industry. I don't want to encourage alcoholism,
but a nice glass of wine with dinner will go
a long way to supporting our local industry. Thanks for
your time.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
No problem, Jamien. Go the Highlanders against the Reds this weekend.
Go the Mighty Islander.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Good on your blissard. You go the Mighty Highlanders. They're
actually a reasonably firm favorite against the Reds. A dollar
fifty the Reds paying two forty five. Reds have won
three out of four of their games. Might have to
place a happy bet on the Reds. Can't do that.
They can't bet against the Highlanders. I see some value
(13:38):
in the Crusaders Outsiders against the Blues as well, Chiefs
or smash Wina Pacifica. Now are you doing your bit
for the wine industry? Michelle Watt.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
No, I'm actually giving up drinking for a while the
health life.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
No, but that's good. That's good. But a lot of
people around the world are doing that, especially younger people.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
I think it's more of a turn towards house like
Leir was saying. But I just said to you before
the boomers single handley holding up the blind industry, the penogrea.
Have you got your storage and there are you doing
your bit?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I'm doing my bit for the wine industry. Although I
have four AFDs a week and what that is, yes,
alcohol free days. It balances out right, yeah, And my
alcohol free days are no alcohol as opposed to my
old mate, Dick Taylor and Colin Meads. They sound like
a name drop a hebbit they used to have. They
used to have alcohol free days, but their alcohol free
(14:32):
days were when they didn't actually have to buy a bear.
And anyone who knew Colin Meads knew whenever he walked
into a pub or a club anywhere in the country,
he never had to buy a bear. So that was
there a definition of an alcohol free day. Up next
to man who I don't think he has many alcohol
free days because when he goes touring around the world
(14:52):
following his All Black Sons, Smiley Barrett, his rulers on tour,
you've got to have a bear in your hand at midnight.
He's up next. But we're not going to talk drinking
habits with Smiley. We are going to talk about this
lingering dry, the drought that's really starting to bite hard
in the North Island. We'll head to the Taranaki next.
(15:26):
We've been talking about the big dry in the North Island. Well,
one of the worst effective areas is the Taranaki region.
Our man there is Kevin Smiley Barret. He's been a
dairy farmer since he was sixteen years of age. Started
out in the early eighties, Smiley, have you known a
worse drought?
Speaker 6 (15:43):
Oh good afternoon, Jamie, and make me see a long
journey for four years here. But yeah, it was I
left school eighty one and I think I remember dad
talking back then seventy seven was pretty bad and you
hit the old farmers were talking, you know, going back
that long. I think that is when tomorrows that was
(16:04):
a Nelson fishing boat that ran a ground that year
and on the coast there, and I remember that was
about this time of the year. It might have been
but later April. Then then when that running ground, really
it didn't stop runing yet. It just just kept coming
down because we were we're we had a lot of
terrorists there and site seas coming down to the beach
and you're getting your car stuck and we're pulling them
out and ended up taking down on the transport trail,
(16:26):
the track that you'd have rid of the wreck here.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
So okay.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So, if you've been a dairy farmer since nineteen eighty
one and coastal Taranaki got a beautiful dairy farm by
the way, right on the coast there, have you personally
known a dryer summer or autumn.
Speaker 6 (16:42):
Well, it's it's not over jermy. That's the thing I
can recall just probably seventeen eighteen nineteen, we had sort
of two bad autumns in a row. And that's that's
the worst thing is when it compounds because you sort
of you go into winter a bit lighter body condition,
(17:04):
your car covers are low in settlement, you see. And
then I think one of those years too, I think
we had a very bad spring. We're not much something
was made. So that's the ware. Seeing when it compounds,
when you're a lot of past your damage, you're seeing
you just don't recover. Yeah, being in the next year
and you have the same old so hopefully you know,
we yeah, just going forward, we get get some good rains,
(17:25):
then we can it's all behind us.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
It's really important that this straight drought should I say breaks,
say before the end of this month, because if you
get meaningful rains and April still plenty of warm temperatures,
you can still grow a good bank of feed heading
into the winter. What you don't want, obviously, and I'm
preaching into the converted talking to you, would be if
this link is into April or early May and then
(17:48):
you start running out of moves on the chessboard. How
how are you getting on? Have you had to dry
off any cows?
Speaker 6 (17:55):
Which cold? Many? Most of the covers are gone, ninety
five percent have gone, Jamie. We're really eating into her
settlement reserves. But yeah, I mean it's still mart so
there's still a bit of water gun the bridge. Once
you get into April, youlieve, you've got to make some
hard decissors. I dry cares off, you know, and but
et cetera. Or were once a day you just got
(18:18):
to look after cal condition. I mean you start thinking
for next year, you know. But the years we get
good rain, we can definitely grass and grass in April
and in May, June, July, you know, all through the
winter is you know, sawtems still right up there, you know,
fourteen to fifteen degrees and that's sing that there was
a bit of snart and the mount in the last night.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Out.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
There'll be short lived there to be gone. But yeah,
it's we get boister, it'll grow, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Okay, good luck with that one, Smiley, Barrett. Well, let's
look at the good news part of the equation, Smiley,
is the announcement yesterday from Fonterra. It looks like that
ten dollars milk price is locked and loaded. You were
organic and a too, so you're going to get premiums
on top of that. But you dividend. You're going to
get a recorded dividend from Fonterra. So as a farmer shareholder,
(19:05):
you must be pretty pleased with the way your co
op has turned the good ship Fontira around.
Speaker 6 (19:12):
Here along mate last you know that make some good decisions,
you Jamie, a good spy and a good spice here.
So in forecast is great for next year, which is
which is great, you know. So it's good reassured for farmers.
You know, illustrates coming down you quid milk price, so yeah,
we just need a good production here to back it up.
(19:33):
But sadly that's it's looking good going forward. But you
don't resually get you two good production news. Sorry milk
payt years in a row, you know. So yeah, look for.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
And just before I let you go, and are you
flat out on the farm there, it's Blues versus Crusaders
this weekend. No Bowden, Barrett, he's injured. Scott Scott I
assume as playing for the Crusaders. So you were cheering
for the Crusaders this time around.
Speaker 6 (19:59):
Yeah yeah, yeah, So what rather wan to be pleased
was the boys be playing against you. She doesn't like that,
but yeah, no, Burden, he'll be in a couple of weeks.
But here it will be games a pretty tight Jamie.
And you know this is just a mat of who
you most distintant team takes a chances here. So it's
it's a good competition this year in it.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Yeah, chiefs are looking pretty good though, smiling.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
Yeah, yeah they are. Yeah, it's just the injuries. If
you've just got to keep the kettle on the field.
There's a little player b part as we know, you know,
so just come forward, got a teager, got plows yet,
you know, I don't need to come back in and
but yeah, so you're waiting soon.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Good on you mate. Hey, thanks for some of your
time and I do hope you get some rain anytime
soon in the Taranaki region.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Thanks for your time, Jamie, Jami you probably always wondering, Sammy.
We probably need to bring Jim Hicky Bick. He's a
great reather forecast that he always delivers.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Well, he's a Taranaki layer doesn't he he is, he
is here, He runs the cafe at the airport.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
Doesn't he He knows he knows you.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Well, we might have to bring Jim back. Yeah, he
might be better than some of the forecasters they've got
there at the moment. Please stop me before I get
in trouble. I'll see you later, mate, Thanks for your time.
She is Jeremy good on your Smiley Barrett there bang
on twenty seven away from one year with the country.
It's brought to you by Brandt. I said to Michelle,
(21:21):
who's that. She had no idea. Craig's got one of
the great pop stars of the early seventies in this
country had some great songs. This wasn't one of them.
No disrespect to Smiley. It's an awful song. But anyhow,
I think Craig last time I ran into him, he
was the club captain at the Arrowtown Golf Club. Did
(21:41):
a great job too. Up next, Rural News and sports news.
Before the end of the hour, the Farmer Panel, Stu
Duncan and Stu Loo. Stulo's buying carves. I'll bet you
that's not a cheap exercise. This year. Barry Sooper is
luxon in his happy place. I see Matthew Houghton, who's
been very critical of the current government, has just written
(22:02):
the column suggesting that Luxeon's trade trip to India might
secure him a second term. I know what will secure
him a second term. The economy will if it improves.
And we got the first greensheets if you want yesterday
with the lift in the GDP number. Okay, up next
Michelle with rural news and we'll have sports news for
you as well. Welcome back to the country, twenty three
(22:41):
away from one. Here's the latest and rural news. And
I'll be disappointed if she hasn't chosen to lead with
Kiwi Fruit. Let's see what she's got. Here's Michelle what.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
The country's world news with cub Cadet. New Zealand's leading
right on lawn Bower brands it steel Fort dot Co
dot z for your local stockist.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Could that be workplace bullying me suggesting that you had
to lead with key refruit? What were you going to
lead with? How do you know I changed it? Well,
I don't know. I'm just thinking people will think I'm
a workplace bully.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
No, You're not a bully at all. Yeah, you're probably
the least bullying Paris.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I used to bully Lashers that he deserved it anyhow, right,
So what are you leading with?
Speaker 5 (23:21):
Okay, so we have got Zesprey as the lead's stories.
Esprey has released its first guidance to grow us for
the twenty twenty five twenty twenty sixth season. The Kiwi
Fruit Marketer releases preliminary forecast guidance when early season fruit
is still arriving in market and becomes more refined as
the season progresses. Zesbury CEO Jason ti Brak says, the
positive early season conditions have supported a strong start to
(23:43):
the season's harvest, with a total crop of more than
two hundred and five million trays now expected. And hopefully
we'll have a chat to Jason on Monday a little
bit more about that that result. And also the Auckland
region had its turn last night for the Balance Farm
Environment towards Peter and Michelle Pan of Healthy and Fresh
pronounce the Auckland Regional Supreme winners last night. The next
(24:03):
regional award is for the East Coast and Hawks Bay
are the twenty fifth of March. And that's your real news.
You can find more at the Country dot Co dot
NZ his sport sport.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
With an AVCO Kiwi to the bone since nineteen oh four.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Well, this is my favorite sports story for the week.
The record breaking New Zealand contingent at the World Athletics
Indoor Champs in China has been inspired by a history
making performance back home. Olympic and World Indoor high jump
champion Hamishkur says. Fifteen year old Sam Ruth's effort to
(24:36):
become the youngest person ever to run a sub four
minute mile was chaired on by the largest group of
Kiwis to ever compete at the Indoor Champs. And it's
understood that New Zealand Cricket has threatened legal action against
the local players Association and the Stash over player image rights.
(24:57):
The ruling body has allegedly marked out the long run
and a beef as allegedly what marked out the long
run Oh asn't coming in from the long run. Sorry
I should have pre read this, and a beef over
whether the players can only be marketed under the ENZ
Cricket banner. There you go. So that's the latest in
(25:18):
rural news. Up next Stu Duncan Stulow, it's the farmer panel,
Barry Soper before the end of the hour, bring my
double Okay, hang on, you haven't been introduced yet. Background noise,
it's the farmer panel. I think that's Stu Duncan. I
(25:40):
can hear. Never want to keep quiet for too long.
He's I don't know where he is today. He was
in Riversdale, my hometown and Stue Low. You might hear
the background noise there of an auctioneer because Stue Low,
I'll start with you in North Canterbury. You're at a
calf seal. You must be feeling very wealthy if you
can afford to buy some calves this season.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
The fact that I do stop everything before my operation
mane o, so got of restocking in. Now that the
grass is growing, we can hopefully make some money. But
but hot for me today, so didn't didn't purchase any
year at Tivia today.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
So Canterbury as unless you're a seed farmer or a
cropping farmer and trying to get the harvest done as
fared as well as anywhere this season. In terms of
the dry stelo.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
Yeah, no, we have just a little bits and often
nothing that the it's not far down, but we're green
and it's and it's going pretty good. But yeah, I
see the great boys are about to start harvesting too,
so they want a bit of warm weather as well.
The complete opposite to she can be the grape growers.
(26:49):
And just south of me at Whiteborough, those.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Grape growers also, as we've heard today on the show,
need you to do your bit for the wine industry
to start having a wine with dinner each night. I know,
stew don't doesn't need to be asked twice. Stue, you've
been down on Riversdale, my home patch. What are you
doing down there?
Speaker 8 (27:06):
I was fortunate to get invited on a hunting trip
up a kettle flat station and the guys that there
gave a prize for a school fundraiser for two nights
and a hat up there and a bit of hunting.
So we went down there and drove food all the
south in which is like an absolute picture, and what
a beautiful sort of We set them once everywhere and
the country's looking magnificent. So we're two days hunting and
(27:27):
a wee bit of fishing and the Mighty Matera and
I had a good look around to the fat and
told a few farming stories, and that was about it.
So I'm home there, backing the Weening Kettle and doing
a few jobs.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
So yeah, hey, we used to holiday there when we
were kids, on the banks of the Matara River and
go fishing. I never caught any fish. I never had
the patience for it. I was useless that at a
bit like golf. Really haven't got the patience for that.
But anyhow, it is a wonderful place. I'm glad you
enjoyed you stay there, Stu dunk and I'll stick with
you. You've got your fingers in a number of pies, including
(27:59):
farm tourism, tourism on the Central Otago rail trial. But
correct me if I'm wrong. You're involved in sheep, beef,
dairy and deer right or four.
Speaker 8 (28:09):
Yeah, Venison, Velvet, yeah both yepka.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
So rank them in order? How do they stack up
in terms of profitability at the moment? Is it dairy
at the top?
Speaker 8 (28:19):
Definitely, dere at the top, followed then by the cattle
kettle are really strong.
Speaker 6 (28:23):
We've quite a lot of cattle and a.
Speaker 8 (28:24):
Cattle stud obviously, and then per hectory did take a
bit of struggle. Other than Velvet's down aweave it now
it's probably knocks them off away from the dairy guys,
and then the sheep which are coming home pretty quick
at the moment the lamb price of where they are,
but yeah, definitely the dairy and beef at the moment
are pretty pretty successful.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Yeah, okay, and Stu, how would you rank them on
your farm because you're only sheep and beef?
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (28:49):
Just the beef's price Pequilo has been very good, hasn'tdropped
much over the summer which it tins to and coming
into the peak kill now with all the dairy caldiery
keV and it's looking like it's going to hold up.
Obviously the US markets after that grinding beef, so after
after anything, they can kill release, So it's you ha,
(29:11):
the b side of things good And obviously I've changed
my stocking ratio to more more kettle than sheep, so
I've preserved my body for another fifteen years hopefully.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Well, as I said, the Crusaders and the Canterbury Rugby
Union should be playing paying for your replacement these stew
for service given over many years. How is the pace
now off the mark with the new knees come Lemmington?
Speaker 7 (29:36):
Well, you know I didn't didn't really have much hands on.
I left them to it. I think we're in the
bond Spiel heavens down the big ones grass the little one,
stew That's what I mean. You have self self hearing
for the for the big ones they use. So no,
we had a pretty good lemming. So in the end
(29:56):
you see the money held up. The lambs are worth
good money too near but Toll probably just went to
a few lambs this year, not actually lem any down.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
You remind me of a bloke I played rugby with
back in the day. In fact, you'll be at our
nineteen eighty five reunion this year for the Riversdale footy team.
Fred Sudland on Aim and Shaman. He never got round
to feeding his sheep on a Sunday if he'd had
a big night on a Saturday, and his theory was
always the big ones, we'll look after the little little ones.
Speaker 7 (30:23):
Yeah, that's what I heard. What happens when they go
keeling in the minotata the gates are open and the
way that they walk away.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yeah, okay, Stull, you're living the life of Riley and
the Maniototo there. Stu Duncan's pretty good for feed What
about you guys. I know you've been down on South
and it's been quite dry by their standards, but you're
quite dry, are you.
Speaker 8 (30:44):
Yeah, parts of the minyetto down the bottom end of
the Pulburn and perry Rah have are really dry. But
we've been catching those rains, so we're sort of green
and our crops are really good and we're still most
about petic countries are as okay, but where it's been
irrigated exceptionally good. So now we're actually just on the
edge of having a bit enough feed to flush the
years and having a completely different autumn than last year.
(31:07):
But yeah, if we were getting late for us, we
get another month, will stop growing. But we're in this
top corner for Naisby and Kibn have probably never been
better through the Sbatans. But there's patches that have missed
out in all that rain. So we're okay, but that's
not that's not the same.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
For everyone, okay, and Stulow just to finish with you,
but a fuddy your Crusaders, I reckon they're good value.
Paying two dollars head to head against the Blues at
a dollar seventy five, I'd back them to go up
to Eaton Park and win this.
Speaker 7 (31:33):
Yeah, I actually haven't heard of who's turning out for
the Blues, but yeah, you'd like to think they can't
catch your break at the moment. So lost a few players,
key players and hopefully the Crusaders can carry on the
merry way from last week.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
And as Rob Penny said, that's a tragedy. There we go. Okay,
Lad's got to go. There is the Farmer panel Stu
Duncan and Stuloi. We're going to wrap it with Barry
Soper next talking politics and has this been a good
week for lux in in India and Winston in Washington. Yes,
(32:22):
for those of you who are old enough to remember
Craig Scott a bit, your Barry Soper remembers Craig Scott
going to go to him and just to tick. But
before I forget, are we message from our partners here
on the country. They do a great job and that's
farm strong. So getting the balance right between your family,
your farm, and your own personal well being can be difficult,
but it's important. If you're in a good space, the
(32:43):
farm goes better and everyone benefits. For free tools and
resources on how to manage the ups and downs of
farming head to farmstrong dot co dot in zed this weekend.
That that's farmstrong dot co dot in zad to find
out what works for you and lock it in, Eddie,
Craig Scott, Barry Sopid you remember Craig Scott.
Speaker 9 (33:04):
I most certainly do, Jamie good afternoon. That's taking us
back though a decade or two.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, well it is. But we're allowed to indulge yourselves
of our age. Barry someone who's indulging himself. And he's
a lot older than you, and I is Winston. He
turns eighty in about three weeks time, and there he
is in Washington on the world stage for us. For
what it's worth, he's doing a really good job.
Speaker 9 (33:27):
Yeah, he is Winston. One thing that he does do
well would you agree or disagree with his politics, and
that is international diplomacy. He's not that diplomatic when it
comes being in New Zealand when he comes to the media,
but overseas he really does know how to handle a situation.
And I think he did exactly what was expected of
(33:50):
in the United States met a will right people. And
we'll come back and talk to his cabinet colleagues about it.
But you know, I think he'd be more than happy
on his way home as we speak.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
I see Matthew Horton, and I've just seen the text
alert I haven't read the column yet saying Luckson's trip
to India could get him a second term, which is
interesting because Houghton's been very critical of Luxeon. But he
seems to be in his happy space, in that sort
of space. If shore he's being dogged by problems that
won't go away, like school lunches and all that here,
(34:26):
but you'd have to say on the face of it anyhow,
And I've talked to agricultural people who are in his
party in his touring delegation, he's doing a good job
over there.
Speaker 9 (34:37):
Well, the thing is Jamie with Chris las and he's
an engaging sort of a character. If you get into
a conversation with him, you tend to forget that he
is the Prime Minister. He's really good at just having
a yarm and I think certainly the Indian Prime Minister
Modi and he got on very well. They met last
year at another international forum, but this time they obviously
(35:01):
got on well right down to the hug. So it's
a bit of a bromance and now we're talking pre
trade deal agriculture or in particular therey is going to
be a big problem, as you would well know there, Jamie.
But talking to India population one point four or five
billion people and the third biggest economy in the world,
(35:25):
New Zealand certainly is doing well to get in the
doors that have opened this time and hopefully they will
result in something for this country.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Ultimately he'll be judged on the economy that'll get him
reelected for a second term or the coalition government for
a second term. And we are starting to see it
turn well.
Speaker 9 (35:43):
Yes, I mean that point seven percent GDP last December
for the December quarter. That's good. It's not a bad
rating at all. And if you listen to Nikola Willis
since it, she's saying that the economy has turned the corner.
You see, certainly dairy is doing very well. Not only that,
(36:04):
we see tourism sector let's bounce back. And it's all
about mood, Jamie. If we're in a good mood, I
think the National Party will be quite happy.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Okay, without the farmers, we'd be buggered. As my father,
your father and our respective uncle would say, gotta go
Baz see you lader mate. There we go. Barry Soper
wrapping the Country for this week. Go the Highlanders tomorrow.
We'll catch you on Monday, we believe it.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
But catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brents, the starkest
of the leading agriculture brands.
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