February 26, 2025 • 37 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Shane Jones, James Bruce, Laura Koot, Todd Charteris, and Chris Russell
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Fred, You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Was this letter I read?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
If you like the cord, get God, the gain, if
you're not your God, if.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
You get a New Zealand, Welcome to the Country. It's
brought to you by Brent. My name is Jamie McKay.
This is Rupert Holmes. I think escape the Pinacolata song
especially for our first guess. Michelle threw this in there.
I'll blame her. Shane Jones is the Minister of digging
it up and damning it up? Who's in the Solomon Islands.
I caught up with them on WhatsApp, so excuse the
(00:52):
sound quality a wee bit earlier this morning, but as
always he was very entertaining getting stuck into the Gen
Taylor's Now good on him. It was the Woke Banks
to start with. Now it's the Gen Taylor's. James Bruce
is this month's farm Strong Farmer. He's a rugby playing
horse riding wi a rapper, sheep and beef farmer who
(01:13):
started with nothing and is now farming seven thousand stock
units over a thousand hectares, a real go getter with
a good message for you farmers out there to stay
farm strong. Todd Charteris is going to wander into the studio.
He's the chief executive of a rabobank. They're opening or
reopening their new branch here in Dunedin where we're based.
(01:35):
Laura Coot women behind the young woman should I say?
Behind the real country farm at Kingston at the bottom
end of Lake Wakatapu there just south of Queenstown, and
that's going to be the venue of a high lux
world record attempt on Sunday. I'm hearing hundreds, maybe thousands
of high luxes are going to turn up for that one.
(01:57):
Tell you more about that one, and Chris Russell's our correspondent,
will also update rural news for you. Good to get,
good to see the government's getting rid of red tape
and regulation. And we'll have a look at sports news
for you as well. New Zealand Golf open on gee.
I'd love to be there at Melbrook over the next
four days. How good would it be to be in
(02:19):
the Queenstown or wacket Tippoo basin this weekend? Anyhowp a
lot to get through, So we're going to kick it
off with the Prince of the Provinces.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Now we'll laugh for a moment, and I said, I never.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
That you like.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Shane Jones is a man who wears many hats in
this government. I don't know what hat he's wearing today
on WhatsApp from the Solomon Islands, the Minister of digging
it up and Damning it up. Hello, Shane, what are
you up to?
Speaker 5 (02:49):
I'm up here not figuratively catching fish, but working with
the Pacific governments to ensure that the fisheries narrative coming
out of the Pacific is driven by economic empowerment as
much as sustainability, because we spend one hundred million dollars
every three years with the Pacific governments helping them not
(03:10):
only put up guardrails around fishing, but to make money
from fishing. Because as you know, I've annoyed all the
greenies and we have allowed the fishing industry out of
New Zealand to do some more bottom trawling. We're not
going to let obscure pieces of coral and sponge undermine
the presence of New Zealand industry in the Pacific. Those
sort of unicorn kissing ideas have seen.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
The light to day, there air to hell with the environment. Hey,
we should be less worried about fish in the Pacific
and more worried about the Chinese, shouldn't we.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
Well, it's a very sad development that the minister, the
Prime Minister of Raratonga has devalued New Zealand citizenship. He's
a New Zealand citizen. He had a constitutional obligation to
engage with our leader, Winston Pa and thunders knows at
(04:03):
the Rangatira at Winston and look some of the words
coming out of the raratong in parliament, I think a
very polarizing. They show disrespect from New Zealand. And I
think that a lot of the people making those outlandish
(04:24):
statesments from Raratonga their own background, would not withstand robust scrutiny.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Now we had Nichola Willis on the show yesterday talking
about the Paris Climate Agreement or record, whatever you call it,
and Winston said on this show a week or so
ago that we should be out of it. David Seymour said, look,
the punishment for leaving it will be less than of
our cost for staying in. But Nikola was assured us
yesterday that New Zealand First and Act were fully behind
(04:53):
us staying in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
What do you say, Well, we need to show for
through our coalition agreements to each other, but come to
the election were free agents New Zealand First. In the
last election we said that we were not going to
be marched to the altar of climate cultism in order
(05:17):
to burnish our international credentials. And the reality is we
need to fight a campaign on it. We need to
convince New Zealanders that the costs of the current mix
of climate internationally driven policy is too burdensome and it's
going to drive much of New Zealand into pauperism.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
So it's going to be every man for himself come
election time.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
And so it should be the key. We need to
see a menu of ideas. That doesn't mean that we
don't accept that there has to be a whole bunch
of investments so we can cope with more volatile weather
and climate uncertainty. But don't for a moment think by
taxing every cow in Canterbri you're going to change the
weather in Gisbon. That level of naivety is going to
(06:03):
have ruinous consequences on you and I.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Now you're spending a bit of time off shore. You're
going to rack up some airpoints for your Christmas holidays,
Sean Jones, because you're off to Canada for a mining conference.
You'll literally be like a peg.
Speaker 5 (06:16):
And Mark, Yes, I had the role of reinvigorating the
mining sector. I believe I'm delivering on it. We are
also going to salvage the oil and gas sector. Today
there was some major announcements made by the chocolate teapot
otherwise known as the Electricity Authority. Hopefully it'll turn into
(06:37):
a silver teapot if we can tame the behavior of
the gent tailors and get them to accept that they
have two roles. Maintain energy supply, boost international boost in,
destroy industrial competitiveness, and keep power affordable for our garden variety.
Kiwis and I don't believe any longer that the model
(06:59):
dominates by the gent Taylors is fit for the New
Zealand economy.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Well good on you for getting stuck into them and
the banks. We support you one hundred percent on this one.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Nikola Willis has also come out. I don't know if
you've caught up with this one in the Solomon Islands.
Maybe we could be taxing sports and community clubs just
so we can get to the likes of Sanitarium and
Destiny Church. Now I'm all for taxing those two, but
I don't want my Riversdale rugby club Shane Jones to
be taxed.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Yeah, she's announced that we're going to have a broad
review and study into the matter. I don't think that
there's anything wrong with checking whether the policy is fit
for purpose. Let's face it, we need fiscal firepower to
redevelop our military, build hospitals, and we need to ensure
(07:50):
that the tax exempt status of Knightahoo, the Brethren's, the
Sanitarium and the others doesn't represent an unfair advantage to
those firms over ordinary firms that are paying tax through
in every direction. And I don't think it's a bad
idea that she inquire into that, because that's what the
(08:11):
Aussies have done. And let's face it, the tax exempts,
the taxation exempts status of a number of these charitable organizations.
They're not down at Heel rugby clubs, the NTA, who
is the most powerful corporation in the South Island, the
Brethren Investments, they have about twelve billion dollars spread across
(08:36):
the Australasian war chest and I'm sure that they understand
if you're a citizen and you have to contribute to
the community and you should pay your fair share.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Absolutely, just very quickly before I go. David Seymour's running
the country at the moment, Prime Minister, Luxeon and Winston
are out of the country. How many people need to
be out of the country before you get a crack
at the top job.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
Rather suspect that I'll be well down the picking order
before dear leader puts them in charge of the New
Zealand economy.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
That would be a fox and a henhouse. See you later.
Thanks for your time from the Solomon Islands.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
See you mate, pie Ti.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yes, the Prince of the province has caught up with
them a wee bit earlier this morning on WhatsApp. Had
to figure out how to work that on the desk.
Old dogs never too and old dog's never too old
to learn a new trick? Is that what they say? Hey,
I'm just keeping an eye on the New Zealand Golf Open,
which is happening as we speak at Millbrook, and I
(09:36):
think the best of the Keiwhiz and he's only one
shot off. The lead is Ben Campbell. He knows the
course very very well. He is tied for six four under.
There are five ozzies I think, yeah, five ozzies ahead
of them on he's on four under, five ozzies ahead
of them on five under. So and he's only halfway
(09:59):
through his round. So we'll keep updating that one for you.
But up next, I guess it's still a bit of
a sporting theme. This bloke used to play a bit
of rugby quite a bit. I think for wire rapper,
bush or wide a rapper they might call themselves these days.
I think that's where Ben Campbell originally came from. I
think his mum used to be the male the mail driver,
(10:20):
and I think Brian Law, the late Great Brian Lahare
that are we bit of mentoring with Ben Campbell. Send
me a text on five to nine confirm or deny
that if you're from the wier Rapper area. But up
next James Spruce rugby playing horse riding, wide a rapper,
sheep and beef farmer. He's our farm strong farmer for
this month. Todd Charteris is in town from rabobank. What
(10:41):
should you do with your mortgageeship? It's just come off
a fixed straight. Should she ride the floating rates down
or fix now? Laura Coot, We're going to try and
set a world record in Kingston on Sunday for the
most Toyota high lux huts in one place. And Chris
Russell's our Ossie correspondent.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
That's where you are.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Monthly here on the country. We catch up with a
farm Strong farmer. This bloke is going to be interesting.
His name is James Bruce. He's a sheep and beef
farmer from the wire Rapper farming seven thousand stock units
over a thousand hectares. A very very busy man who
started from scratch and got himself into farming. James, I'm
going to start with this one. What is your connection
(11:30):
with farm Strong? Why have they put you forward this month?
Speaker 5 (11:34):
More?
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I think they'll probably put me forward this month just
because of what I'm doing. It's just we're just bounced
off the back of a last year's rugby season and
someone had picked up on a seven's photo and I
was in the hawk's bay and just connection with people
and talking and obviously it was my turn to have
a go.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Well, you've got a good rugby background. You played three
decades or during three decades for wire Rapper Bush, you've
been coaching the side you're coaching the local martin Borough
side where you're farming. Once again, the connection between rugby
and mental health, because you're telling me that once a
week you'll get one of the young blokes in your
(12:14):
team needs a bit of a chat.
Speaker 7 (12:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Yeah, it just seems to be. It seems to be
more of a thing now than what it used to be.
I mean just understanding. You know, you show some a
little bit of guidance and understanding and the boys know
people who know me. I'll only help people that are
going to help themselves as well a little bit and
not just yeah. So it sort of just ticks over
(12:38):
from that really, and the mental health side, I do
a lot of I'll break horses in so I think
that has a lot of that's a whole nother thing
towards mental health because they can always tell what a
person's thinking. They know a person sometimes better than the
person knows themselves. And yeah, that's the same. It's reading people.
(12:59):
When it's like I can have a horse with me
and I can spend the week with a horse and
not know the owners, but know what the owners are
like sort of thing. It's and that's like it is
with the boys. They know that you're caring and they
know you understand all the girls for that matter, young people.
So yeah, and you're just you're there. They know that
(13:20):
you're approachable. I guess you're a sort of a fun
loving guy. That's it's an approachable sort of a person.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
So have you had any mental health issues yourself, because
I know from reading about your background and you've got
a family, You've got a wife and three daughters. It's
full on. You're coaching rugby, you're breaking in the horses,
you're doing all this running seven thousand stock units, you're
working every hour that God sends. Have you had down times?
Speaker 4 (13:50):
You're probably have of dipped in and out. But I
think you've always got to remind yourself, like one thing
is it is just to remember where you've come from.
And that's a real feel good, fist part moment. And
so you do have those down times and sometimes yeah,
you are bogged down and you're sort of thinking, how
(14:11):
you know you can't see the light sort of thing
at the end of the tunnel. But tomorrow, you know,
as I've got older, you've worked out, you know, like
acts years. Okay, it's gonna be okay, it'll be all right. Unfortunately,
not everybody's like that. And I think probably with my
background growing up is probably had a little bit to
do with it. And I'm just fortunate enough. Yeah, And
(14:36):
when I do have those times now more so in
later years, I understand how to get out of it.
And all it takes is a good song or or
something that I achieved for today that makes me feel good,
and it might be putting a post and that's been
buggered for a bit, or if you can learn to
(14:59):
reward your mind for the smallest things, that's going to
the big things.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Yeah, that's really good advice. Now, you're a very physically
active man. Still you played a lot of rugby, as
I said, still coaching rugby. You run gym classes in
your local community as well. How important is exercise for
the top paddock.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Oh yeah, it's massive. Yep, it's even when you're the
beauty of doing these classes. I'm doing it makes me
stop working. So I'll send the message out on the
day that we're doing it and send the message by
lunchtime that it's going to be five o'clock, where it's
(15:39):
going to be five point thirty or whatever time I'm
roughly thinking I'm going to be able to get near by,
And sometimes I have to delay it half an hour
before because I'm running laid or but generally and that's
I drive my day around that. And it's the same
with rugby training. Like I've got rugby training at quarter
past six, so it's like I need to be there
boy or two six. So the whole day revolves around
(16:03):
getting things done to get to there and not putting
too much in the day, so you do get stuff done.
I mean, obviously stock works first because that's the most important,
and then after that you can sometimes there's no other
time for anything else. And obviously sometimes it's early, early,
early starts to get there, but that's the reward at
(16:23):
the end. And then yeah, and I'm lucky I do
have a supportive, supportive family in the sporting side of things,
because they're all into sport and hockey and so that's
a massive help.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
All right, James Bruce, Now you've done all right for yourself,
starting from scratch seven thousand stock in it's over a thousand.
Heck is well done. Great to catch up with you
this month as our farmstrong Farmer. Thank you Jamie, Thank
you James. What's the old story? If you want a
job done, ask a busy person. Someone who is also
very busy is a young woman by the name of
(16:59):
Laura Cooter play footy with the father. Ah that ages
me and it doesn't age her, but anyhow, Laura runs
the real country farm at Kingston. She also runs the
Fairlight Foundation where she trains young women to do things
like shoot shotguns, change tires, cracker whip, all those essential
(17:21):
things that every young woman must have in her arsenal
if she wants to get her head in life. So
on Sunday, Laura's going to try and set a world
record with my bike gathering. Should I say, the most
Toyota high lux uots in one place at one time.
She's up next before the end of the air. Todd
Charter is hopefully hopefully going to wander into the studio here.
(17:42):
He's in Dunedin for the reopening of their Dunedin branch.
Going to ask him if you've got a mortgage coming
off a fixed straight, what should you do fix or
float and Chris Russell's our Assie correspondent. Apparently the Aussie
dairy farmers are crying over spilt milk. We getting more
on this side of the Tasman than they are, and
(18:03):
I say good okay, Laura Coot up next, we'll update
that New Zealand Open for you as well in sports News.
So Queenstown is the place to be this weekend, not
only the New Zealand Golf Open. Would love to be there,
(18:23):
but down the road awe, but at the bottom of
the lake is a place called Kingston. It's rarely starting
to grow. And just down the road from Kingston is
the real country farm. A woman behind it is Laura
Coot from the Fairlight Foundation. And Laura, you're going to
set a world record on Sunday for the most high
luxes Toyota high lux UITs gathered in one place at
(18:46):
one time. You're very confident you can do that. What's
the number you've got to beat?
Speaker 8 (18:52):
We are really confident and we are going to do that.
The number to beat was set in twenty ten in
South Africa four ninety five and because we've already got
over a thousand registrations, we are going to smash that record.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
So how far and wide are they coming from. I
can understand Otago and Southland rocking into Queenstown or Kingston
for the afternoon, a bit of a Sunday cruise. But
you're telling me this people, I think from the North Island.
Speaker 8 (19:19):
There are there's people that are bringing their highluxeres down
on trailers from the North Island, driving down in convoy
from the North Island. This highlight zone is coming from
all over the country and this is where GWd and
I it's underestimated just how dedicated and passionate highlight zwoners
are in New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Of course g w d's your local dealer in Southland
and central Otago. They do a great job, just as
Cook Allison does here in the Dunedin area. But this
is now a Toyota, New Zealand event because it's got
that big In fact, I mean, you're a bit of
a super celebrity in your own right there, Laura. But
they've but they've they've pulled out the big guns. I
think Mark Allis is going to be there, the Toyota Ambassador,
(20:03):
Yeah he is, and.
Speaker 8 (20:04):
I hear he's coming in by helicopter. Whereas older to
be rocking.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Up my highluss. But I think I've got the better
deal there. But yees tighter.
Speaker 8 (20:11):
New Zealand's on board, Mark Allis is coming down, so
we will be co hosting the event and seeing the event,
and you know, myself GWd, all of the local volunteers
that are helping make this event possible are working at
butts off and my aim is to on the day,
I just want to talk to as many owners and
see as many trucks as I can, and I'm sure
(20:33):
that sinsment will be shared by every single person coming
to the event.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
I'm sure there'll be some of those great old youths,
the Barry Crump ones from the eighties. They were revolutionary
and they were great trucks. I owned a couple of
them back in the day. So you're going to have
right up to the new ones that the hybrid highluxes
like you and I are driving around in to those
glorious old ones that Crumpy and Scotty used to drive
around them.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
I know.
Speaker 8 (20:58):
And you know the best thing about this event is
I'm getting messages people are posting on their Facebook event page,
bothos of their trucks stories, of their trucks, so we
know what's coming. We know the caliber, the age, the number.
It's just it's so so exciting. And we even have
a friend of Barry Crump seasin his nineties, a local
(21:20):
from Gore. He coming along to share the story of
how Barry Crump came to be on all the Toyota
TV commercials, so that yarn is fantastic. It's just it's
going to be an impressive, impressive event.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
They were the best commercials ever, especially the dog one,
the bugger one. It's going to be a wonderful afternoon.
Do you need to register to turn up? Can you
just turn up on the high Lucks.
Speaker 8 (21:43):
We're definitely encouraging people to register before they turn up
because it's great for us to have an idea of
the amount of people that are coming. But we do
have a car park for I wish I was a
high lux people, so you know spectators that do want
to come and be part of the event, even if
they don't have a high Luck, So we know there's
going to be a few of those. You can turn
(22:04):
up on the day that we would prefer you to register.
Full traffic management will be in place on the Highway.
So everyone in the community just consider that there's going
to be an extra thousand high luxes on the road
around the region.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
So what's the website to register on, Laura?
Speaker 8 (22:19):
So the GWd website has the registration page for you
to go onto. All event details are on the High
Lucks World Record Attempt Facebook page and the gates open
at twelve pm this Sunday at Kingston Station, Real Country
Farm just below Kingston.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Yeah, it's a great location. Thanks for your time, good luck.
We'll catch up on Monday and just get a beat
on those numbers. See what that new world record is, Laura.
Always good the chat.
Speaker 8 (22:46):
You two Jamie.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Thanks Laura. It is twenty five away from one. Yeah,
if you within Coowey of Kingston at the bottom end
of Lake Wakats. If you're there, jump on your high
Lucks and you didn't even need a high lux you
can turn up if you want. This going to be
hopefully more than a thousand of them set a new
world record. Up next Rural News and sports news, but
just updating that New Zealand open. Ben Campbell's the best
(23:09):
of the Kiwi's four under through sixteen holes. He's a
couple off the pace early days. Yet Michelle's got rural news,
We've got sports news. Before the end of the hour,
Todd Charteris has turned up. We'll have a yarn to him,
and of course our Rossie correspondent Chris Russell.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Maybe when I met you there was.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Welcome back to the Country Kenny and Dolly at the
behest of Michelle Watt. It's a favorite song. Apparently she
picked Ireland songs for Shane, who no doubt is having
a pinicolada or two on the Solomon Islands. Good afternoon, Michelle, Jamie, right,
what do you got for us in rural news? Fire
your best shot frees.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
World News with Cob Cadets, New Zealand's leading right on
lawnlower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co dot Nz for
your local stockist.
Speaker 9 (24:09):
Drought conditions have officially been classified as a medium scale
adverse event in the Taranaki region. Agricultural Minister Todd McLay
announced today that the government was making thirty thousand dollars
available to rural support groups who are working closely with
affected farmers. Farmers and growers who require support are encouraged
to contact their local Rural Support Trust on OH eight
(24:30):
hundred and seven eight seven, two five four and new
targets to speed up assessments for new agriculture and horticultural
products in a bid to cut red tape was announced today.
That's one of the sixteen recommendations Cabinet has accepted from
a review produced by the Ministry of Regulations. Regulations Minister
David Seymour says products like veterinary medicine agrichemicals are critical
(24:52):
farmers and growers, but some say they've waited more than
five years for applications to be approved. The review's recommendations
include saving TI by using international regulators assessments, exploring pathways
for priority products, and updating how the Environmental Protection Authority
assesses risk. And that's your rural news. You can find
more at the country dot corry.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Thanks Michelle, and I think they accepted all sixteen regulations
to get rid of red tape. Good on you, Minister
of Regulation David Seymour.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Sport were the Nathco Kiwi to the bone since nineteen
oh four.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So the sixty third Golden Shares have started or has
started with record numbers. It's three days today, tomorrow and
Saturday night. That big open final Keep your eye on
rollind Psmith that Big Open final in the War in
the Big Hall in Masterton, so record entries in the
(25:45):
lower grades at Marsterton's War Memorial Stadium. I eventually spat
it out. And this is despite a cheap population decline
of seventy percent over the past forty years. Great wonderful event,
sporting event, as is the New Zealand Golf Open. And
I'm just having a look at the website. Bearwith folks,
(26:06):
bearw We've got Ben Campbell. Our guy is four under
through sixteen. He's tied for six so we've got five
ozsies in front of him. Kevin Juan, Travis smythe Brent
Rumford heard him, Sam Brazil and Simon Hawkes. They're six
under the top two and then the other one's five under.
(26:28):
So Ben Campbell certainly the best of the Kiwi's at
the stage and that is your sport up next. He's
standing outside. You better go and get him. Michelle Todd
charteris the chief executive of Rabobank Royalty in the studio
(26:51):
today we're blessed with a visit from the chief executive
of Ravobank. Todd charteris Todd in Dnedan for the opening
of your refurbished office in More, a place just around
the corner from us here.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:03):
Look, it's great to be back down south, Jamie, and
you're pretty excited. From our side, it's great to be
to be able to reinvest into our offices and our
infrastructure here in New Zealand, and this is a key
office location for us, So looking forward to getting a
few visitors through this afternoon and celebrating that.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Good on you twenty seven offices around the country. Of course,
HQ is in Hamilton, and I tipped my hat to
agricultural companies that have based themselves in places like Hamilton
or Palmerston North or even Fielding. There's a hell of
a lot of national companies out of Fielding. But it's
good that you're basing yourself in Hamilton rather than Auckland.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
Yeah, look, and thanks for that. That was a key
strategic decision that we made a few years ago and
it has been good for us. But you know, staying
strong in the regions is really important too, So you know,
Dunedin is important to us and I just want to
make a plug for our new premises because before we
asked a question don't worry, Jamie. It's got wool and
carpets in there, so we're proud of that too.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Well, I'm pleased. I'm pleased about that. Shane Jones was
on the show a wee bit earlier. I know you
didn't hear it. He was talking about the chocolate teapot.
That's the gent tailors. He's getting into them at the moment,
which is good because that's less pressure on you woke banks.
But you're not wok. Are you tired?
Speaker 6 (28:20):
No, we're not work Jamie, not at all. And the
numbers speak for themselves, I've got to say, in the
food and agar sector, and we continue to support strongly
and we don't always get it right, but we'll be
there through the highs and lows. Don't you worry.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Well, you're the only one of the major banks who's
dealing in banking farming only. And you did come out
well from the Federated Farmers survey on banks. But could
you be better? For instance, here's my gripe with you
banks across the board as risk margins are too high
on overdraft rates for farmers.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
Yeah. Look, I mean we can always be better, Jamie.
And you know we take the feedback on board, and
I think that feder Aid Farmers survey provides some good
insights for us. One thing it did show in there
and is around the overdraft rates. And I'm pleased to
say that, you know, the way our clients responded is,
you know, we're nearly two percent under the other banks
(29:15):
when it comes to funding on on overdrafts. And so
it's all on the survey. So it's not to say
that there's not more we've got to do, but I
think the survey came out pretty positively on our side.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
What are you farmers doing at the moment who are
rolling off fixed term loans? Are they riding the floating
train down? Or are they refixing?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Look, I think one of the one of the great
things of our all on one product is they can
fix quite short, so so you can stay short. But
we are starting to see just in this interestrate cycle, businesses,
you know, having a good look at it, and there's
some good there's some good long term certainty there. So
I think it's it's one each way in many cases.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Because we're a wee bit concerned about inflation jumping away again.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
Oh definitely, And I think you know, there's there's all
those pressures. There's the geo political pressure, there's the interest
rate differential between US and the US, and so we
need to keep a close eye on that. But you know,
I think businesses on the whole are certainly having a
look at their own situation and for many now's a
good time to be starting to look slightly mid to
longer term.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
You're a business that banks farmers, it's a good industry
to be in at the moment.
Speaker 6 (30:20):
Oh really good. I mean it's been tough, but when
you see where commodity prices are on the main those
key commodities, the outlook looks really strong. Those fundamentals of
supply and demand look positive. So that's great. As we've
touched on, the interest rates are coming down, so there's
a lot to be positive about and that's really encouraging.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Hey, Todd Charteris, thanks for coming in. I know you're
a busy man and you've got a head off and
glad hand awe. But at the opening of the Rabobank
office or the reopening of the Rabobank office here in Dunedin,
I'll catch you later this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (30:52):
Yeah, good on you, Jamie. Thanks for catching up.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yes, it's a Pusie update with Eco Lab, solid range,
solid products, solid partnership, solid results.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
He's our guy in Australia, just across the Tasman and
between us. And then there's some Chinese warships firing some
shots and anger or is it anger? I might come
back to that one, Chris Russell. Hey, let's start with
red meat prices. Good news if you're a farmer or
an exporter, not such good news for consumers.
Speaker 7 (31:25):
Well, yes, I mean our Australian dollar of course, has
or the US dollar has gone up and Australian dollar
has gone down. So mutton, particularly at the moment, is
just going nuts over here. The National Mutton Indicator last
week junk ten percent in a week that it's now
sitting at three hundred and seventy cent. It's about four
(31:47):
or four dollars a kilo and your money carcassway, which
is historically high but in recent times, but behind the
four dollars eighty that we reached in last year and
seven one hundred and one CeNSE which we reached during
the coronavirus. But that's really good, good money for mutton.
We don't need a lot of mutton in Australia, we
(32:09):
export nearly all of our mutton, and we exported twenty
two percent more last year than we have in previous times,
and that trend seems to be continuing. But not only
that heavy marino prices went up to ninety dollars ahead
and prefer Australians of course prefer lamb, but you know
(32:29):
this marino lambs we're really short of, and beef prices
because of the hamburger trade, and people are saying that's
more and more lightly because Trump enjoys hamburgers, that we're
not going to see that hit with a tariff. But
beef prices are going up as well dramatically, So all
in all, all the red meats are really going up
quite and it's quite exciting years for people who have
(32:51):
got some to sell.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Now the US now takes more beef from Australia than
Canada for the first time since twenty fifteen to be
the top US supplier. Interestingly, we had Kate Ackland on
the show, who's the chair of Beef and Lamb New
Zealand and here and she was recently at a big
cattle conference in San Antonio, Texas, and she was saying
(33:12):
what an open or it used to be such an
open trading block on red meat, especially beef between Mexico,
the US, and Canada. A lot of beef changing hands. Well,
that's all changing with Trump's terrace, yes.
Speaker 7 (33:26):
And I think that's going to continue to change. But
a lot of this I just said before is based
on the fact that they've got it seems an insatiable
demand for our grain fed hamburger meat, which they blend
a little bit with their more feedlock based meat. Their
herd is declining as well, and of course that's where
a lot of their hamburger meat used to come from.
(33:49):
But you know, it's just amazing how much we've been
able to increase. We shipped over forty thousand tons just
in January alone of red meat out of Australia, most
of it to well nearly all of it to America,
about forty thousand tons, and that interestingly also included a
lot of goat meat. The goat meat traditionally all used
to go up to Asia, but at the moment Americans
(34:12):
seem to be buying heaps of gate met as well,
So it's a bit hard to know where this is
going to go. And the hope is that we won't
see the tariffs being brought in. But certainly the Canadians
are looking almost definitely at having Tarisi us talking to
a Canadian in Toronto just last week, and they're all
making plans for what are they going to do with
(34:32):
their wheat? What are they going to do with their beef,
because they're clearly going to have to put that on
the world market as well, and that may have an
effect on some of our other markets.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Chris Russell, thanks for your time, got to go, no worries,
Thanks mate. Five away from one wrapping the Country now
you heard Roe talking to Darren from Eco Lab about
the Eco Lab solids range. We've got a great promotion
here on the Country, Michelle, I think it ends. Is
(35:00):
it closed the play tonight? That's right, midnight tonight, So
midnight tonight. Now, obviously you might be in the market
for some of those Eco Lab products, but who's not
in the market for a thousand dollars cash. So all
you need to do if you want to win the
thousand dollars cash and the thousand dollars Echo Lab product
is go to our website Thecountry dot co dot z
(35:23):
and tell us what would take some weight off you.
Maybe it's a weekend off or some new golf clubs.
So as I said, head to the country dot co
dot in Z tell us what would help you relax
and you're in to win are the prize, the eco
lab products and the thousand dollars cash. Just wrapping the
(35:43):
sports news for you. I'm keeping a keen eye on
this one. And the New Zealand is in the in
the Golf Open, there's a whole bunch of ossies at
the top at the moment. Let me see what they're at. Oh,
Biga there Therewith they're six under, but of the Kiwis
are bigguns of or thereabouts. Ben Campbell's four under, Josh
Gary's four under, Daniel Hilly are three under, Sam Jones
(36:06):
three under. Interestingly, Steven Elka are arguably the world's best
older golfer, and the seniors Tour is one under through seventeen.
He doesn't seem to go so well in Queenstown for
some reason, so we'll keep a keen eye on that one.
And of course it is Golden Shares Day, one of
three in the wier Wrapper at the War Memorial Hall
(36:27):
there and mastered and it's a magnificent venue record entries
in the junior sections, despite a whole lot less sheep
to share, but as Sir David Fagan says, we're sharing
a lot more sheep now twice a year than we
used to back in the day. We'll be chatting to
Sir David Fagan on tomorrow's show, Live from the Golden Shares.
(36:49):
We'll catch you back tomorrow. Take care, catch all the
latest from the land.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
It's The Country Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Brent
starkest of the leading agriculture brands
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Fred, You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Was this letter I read?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
If you like the cord, get God, the gain, if
you're not your God, if.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
You get a New Zealand, Welcome to the Country. It's
brought to you by Brent. My name is Jamie McKay.
This is Rupert Holmes. I think escape the Pinacolata song
especially for our first guess. Michelle threw this in there.
I'll blame her. Shane Jones is the Minister of digging
it up and damning it up? Who's in the Solomon Islands.
I caught up with them on WhatsApp, so excuse the
(00:52):
sound quality a wee bit earlier this morning, but as
always he was very entertaining getting stuck into the Gen
Taylor's Now good on him. It was the Woke Banks
to start with. Now it's the Gen Taylor's. James Bruce
is this month's farm Strong Farmer. He's a rugby playing
horse riding wi a rapper, sheep and beef farmer who
(01:13):
started with nothing and is now farming seven thousand stock
units over a thousand hectares, a real go getter with
a good message for you farmers out there to stay
farm strong. Todd Charteris is going to wander into the studio.
He's the chief executive of a rabobank. They're opening or
reopening their new branch here in Dunedin where we're based.
(01:35):
Laura Coot women behind the young woman should I say?
Behind the real country farm at Kingston at the bottom
end of Lake Wakatapu there just south of Queenstown, and
that's going to be the venue of a high lux
world record attempt on Sunday. I'm hearing hundreds, maybe thousands
of high luxes are going to turn up for that one.
(01:57):
Tell you more about that one, and Chris Russell's our correspondent,
will also update rural news for you. Good to get,
good to see the government's getting rid of red tape
and regulation. And we'll have a look at sports news
for you as well. New Zealand Golf open on gee.
I'd love to be there at Melbrook over the next
four days. How good would it be to be in
(02:19):
the Queenstown or wacket Tippoo basin this weekend? Anyhowp a
lot to get through, So we're going to kick it
off with the Prince of the Provinces.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Now we'll laugh for a moment, and I said, I never.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
That you like.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Shane Jones is a man who wears many hats in
this government. I don't know what hat he's wearing today
on WhatsApp from the Solomon Islands, the Minister of digging
it up and Damning it up. Hello, Shane, what are
you up to?
Speaker 5 (02:49):
I'm up here not figuratively catching fish, but working with
the Pacific governments to ensure that the fisheries narrative coming
out of the Pacific is driven by economic empowerment as
much as sustainability, because we spend one hundred million dollars
every three years with the Pacific governments helping them not
(03:10):
only put up guardrails around fishing, but to make money
from fishing. Because as you know, I've annoyed all the
greenies and we have allowed the fishing industry out of
New Zealand to do some more bottom trawling. We're not
going to let obscure pieces of coral and sponge undermine
the presence of New Zealand industry in the Pacific. Those
sort of unicorn kissing ideas have seen.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
The light to day, there air to hell with the environment. Hey,
we should be less worried about fish in the Pacific
and more worried about the Chinese, shouldn't we.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
Well, it's a very sad development that the minister, the
Prime Minister of Raratonga has devalued New Zealand citizenship. He's
a New Zealand citizen. He had a constitutional obligation to
engage with our leader, Winston Pa and thunders knows at
(04:03):
the Rangatira at Winston and look some of the words
coming out of the raratong in parliament, I think a
very polarizing. They show disrespect from New Zealand. And I
think that a lot of the people making those outlandish
(04:24):
statesments from Raratonga their own background, would not withstand robust scrutiny.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Now we had Nichola Willis on the show yesterday talking
about the Paris Climate Agreement or record, whatever you call it,
and Winston said on this show a week or so
ago that we should be out of it. David Seymour said, look,
the punishment for leaving it will be less than of
our cost for staying in. But Nikola was assured us
yesterday that New Zealand First and Act were fully behind
(04:53):
us staying in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
What do you say, Well, we need to show for
through our coalition agreements to each other, but come to
the election were free agents New Zealand First. In the
last election we said that we were not going to
be marched to the altar of climate cultism in order
(05:17):
to burnish our international credentials. And the reality is we
need to fight a campaign on it. We need to
convince New Zealanders that the costs of the current mix
of climate internationally driven policy is too burdensome and it's
going to drive much of New Zealand into pauperism.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
So it's going to be every man for himself come
election time.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
And so it should be the key. We need to
see a menu of ideas. That doesn't mean that we
don't accept that there has to be a whole bunch
of investments so we can cope with more volatile weather
and climate uncertainty. But don't for a moment think by
taxing every cow in Canterbri you're going to change the
weather in Gisbon. That level of naivety is going to
(06:03):
have ruinous consequences on you and I.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Now you're spending a bit of time off shore. You're
going to rack up some airpoints for your Christmas holidays,
Sean Jones, because you're off to Canada for a mining conference.
You'll literally be like a peg.
Speaker 5 (06:16):
And Mark, Yes, I had the role of reinvigorating the
mining sector. I believe I'm delivering on it. We are
also going to salvage the oil and gas sector. Today
there was some major announcements made by the chocolate teapot
otherwise known as the Electricity Authority. Hopefully it'll turn into
(06:37):
a silver teapot if we can tame the behavior of
the gent tailors and get them to accept that they
have two roles. Maintain energy supply, boost international boost in,
destroy industrial competitiveness, and keep power affordable for our garden variety.
Kiwis and I don't believe any longer that the model
(06:59):
dominates by the gent Taylors is fit for the New
Zealand economy.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Well good on you for getting stuck into them and
the banks. We support you one hundred percent on this one.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Nikola Willis has also come out. I don't know if
you've caught up with this one in the Solomon Islands.
Maybe we could be taxing sports and community clubs just
so we can get to the likes of Sanitarium and
Destiny Church. Now I'm all for taxing those two, but
I don't want my Riversdale rugby club Shane Jones to
be taxed.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Yeah, she's announced that we're going to have a broad
review and study into the matter. I don't think that
there's anything wrong with checking whether the policy is fit
for purpose. Let's face it, we need fiscal firepower to
redevelop our military, build hospitals, and we need to ensure
(07:50):
that the tax exempt status of Knightahoo, the Brethren's, the
Sanitarium and the others doesn't represent an unfair advantage to
those firms over ordinary firms that are paying tax through
in every direction. And I don't think it's a bad
idea that she inquire into that, because that's what the
(08:11):
Aussies have done. And let's face it, the tax exempts,
the taxation exempts status of a number of these charitable organizations.
They're not down at Heel rugby clubs, the NTA, who
is the most powerful corporation in the South Island, the
Brethren Investments, they have about twelve billion dollars spread across
(08:36):
the Australasian war chest and I'm sure that they understand
if you're a citizen and you have to contribute to
the community and you should pay your fair share.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Absolutely, just very quickly before I go. David Seymour's running
the country at the moment, Prime Minister, Luxeon and Winston
are out of the country. How many people need to
be out of the country before you get a crack
at the top job.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
Rather suspect that I'll be well down the picking order
before dear leader puts them in charge of the New
Zealand economy.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
That would be a fox and a henhouse. See you later.
Thanks for your time from the Solomon Islands.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
See you mate, pie Ti.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yes, the Prince of the province has caught up with
them a wee bit earlier this morning on WhatsApp. Had
to figure out how to work that on the desk.
Old dogs never too and old dog's never too old
to learn a new trick? Is that what they say? Hey,
I'm just keeping an eye on the New Zealand Golf Open,
which is happening as we speak at Millbrook, and I
(09:36):
think the best of the Keiwhiz and he's only one
shot off. The lead is Ben Campbell. He knows the
course very very well. He is tied for six four under.
There are five ozzies I think, yeah, five ozzies ahead
of them on he's on four under, five ozzies ahead
of them on five under. So and he's only halfway
(09:59):
through his round. So we'll keep updating that one for you.
But up next, I guess it's still a bit of
a sporting theme. This bloke used to play a bit
of rugby quite a bit. I think for wire rapper,
bush or wide a rapper they might call themselves these days.
I think that's where Ben Campbell originally came from. I
think his mum used to be the male the mail driver,
(10:20):
and I think Brian Law, the late Great Brian Lahare
that are we bit of mentoring with Ben Campbell. Send
me a text on five to nine confirm or deny
that if you're from the wier Rapper area. But up
next James Spruce rugby playing horse riding, wide a rapper,
sheep and beef farmer. He's our farm strong farmer for
this month. Todd Charteris is in town from rabobank. What
(10:41):
should you do with your mortgageeship? It's just come off
a fixed straight. Should she ride the floating rates down
or fix now? Laura Coot, We're going to try and
set a world record in Kingston on Sunday for the
most Toyota high lux huts in one place. And Chris
Russell's our Ossie correspondent.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
That's where you are.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Monthly here on the country. We catch up with a
farm Strong farmer. This bloke is going to be interesting.
His name is James Bruce. He's a sheep and beef
farmer from the wire Rapper farming seven thousand stock units
over a thousand hectares. A very very busy man who
started from scratch and got himself into farming. James, I'm
going to start with this one. What is your connection
(11:30):
with farm Strong? Why have they put you forward this month?
Speaker 5 (11:34):
More?
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I think they'll probably put me forward this month just
because of what I'm doing. It's just we're just bounced
off the back of a last year's rugby season and
someone had picked up on a seven's photo and I
was in the hawk's bay and just connection with people
and talking and obviously it was my turn to have
a go.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Well, you've got a good rugby background. You played three
decades or during three decades for wire Rapper Bush, you've
been coaching the side you're coaching the local martin Borough
side where you're farming. Once again, the connection between rugby
and mental health, because you're telling me that once a
week you'll get one of the young blokes in your
(12:14):
team needs a bit of a chat.
Speaker 7 (12:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Yeah, it just seems to be. It seems to be
more of a thing now than what it used to be.
I mean just understanding. You know, you show some a
little bit of guidance and understanding and the boys know
people who know me. I'll only help people that are
going to help themselves as well a little bit and
not just yeah. So it sort of just ticks over
(12:38):
from that really, and the mental health side, I do
a lot of I'll break horses in so I think
that has a lot of that's a whole nother thing
towards mental health because they can always tell what a
person's thinking. They know a person sometimes better than the
person knows themselves. And yeah, that's the same. It's reading people.
(12:59):
When it's like I can have a horse with me
and I can spend the week with a horse and
not know the owners, but know what the owners are
like sort of thing. It's and that's like it is
with the boys. They know that you're caring and they
know you understand all the girls for that matter, young people.
So yeah, and you're just you're there. They know that
(13:20):
you're approachable. I guess you're a sort of a fun
loving guy. That's it's an approachable sort of a person.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
So have you had any mental health issues yourself, because
I know from reading about your background and you've got
a family, You've got a wife and three daughters. It's
full on. You're coaching rugby, you're breaking in the horses,
you're doing all this running seven thousand stock units, you're
working every hour that God sends. Have you had down times?
Speaker 4 (13:50):
You're probably have of dipped in and out. But I
think you've always got to remind yourself, like one thing
is it is just to remember where you've come from.
And that's a real feel good, fist part moment. And
so you do have those down times and sometimes yeah,
you are bogged down and you're sort of thinking, how
(14:11):
you know you can't see the light sort of thing
at the end of the tunnel. But tomorrow, you know,
as I've got older, you've worked out, you know, like
acts years. Okay, it's gonna be okay, it'll be all right. Unfortunately,
not everybody's like that. And I think probably with my
background growing up is probably had a little bit to
do with it. And I'm just fortunate enough. Yeah, And
(14:36):
when I do have those times now more so in
later years, I understand how to get out of it.
And all it takes is a good song or or
something that I achieved for today that makes me feel good,
and it might be putting a post and that's been
buggered for a bit, or if you can learn to
(14:59):
reward your mind for the smallest things, that's going to
the big things.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Yeah, that's really good advice. Now, you're a very physically
active man. Still you played a lot of rugby, as
I said, still coaching rugby. You run gym classes in
your local community as well. How important is exercise for
the top paddock.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Oh yeah, it's massive. Yep, it's even when you're the
beauty of doing these classes. I'm doing it makes me
stop working. So I'll send the message out on the
day that we're doing it and send the message by
lunchtime that it's going to be five o'clock, where it's
(15:39):
going to be five point thirty or whatever time I'm
roughly thinking I'm going to be able to get near by,
And sometimes I have to delay it half an hour
before because I'm running laid or but generally and that's
I drive my day around that. And it's the same
with rugby training. Like I've got rugby training at quarter
past six, so it's like I need to be there
boy or two six. So the whole day revolves around
(16:03):
getting things done to get to there and not putting
too much in the day, so you do get stuff done.
I mean, obviously stock works first because that's the most important,
and then after that you can sometimes there's no other
time for anything else. And obviously sometimes it's early, early,
early starts to get there, but that's the reward at
(16:23):
the end. And then yeah, and I'm lucky I do
have a supportive, supportive family in the sporting side of things,
because they're all into sport and hockey and so that's
a massive help.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
All right, James Bruce, Now you've done all right for yourself,
starting from scratch seven thousand stock in it's over a thousand.
Heck is well done. Great to catch up with you
this month as our farmstrong Farmer. Thank you Jamie, Thank
you James. What's the old story? If you want a
job done, ask a busy person. Someone who is also
very busy is a young woman by the name of
(16:59):
Laura Cooter play footy with the father. Ah that ages
me and it doesn't age her, but anyhow, Laura runs
the real country farm at Kingston. She also runs the
Fairlight Foundation where she trains young women to do things
like shoot shotguns, change tires, cracker whip, all those essential
(17:21):
things that every young woman must have in her arsenal
if she wants to get her head in life. So
on Sunday, Laura's going to try and set a world
record with my bike gathering. Should I say, the most
Toyota high lux uots in one place at one time.
She's up next before the end of the air. Todd
Charter is hopefully hopefully going to wander into the studio here.
(17:42):
He's in Dunedin for the reopening of their Dunedin branch.
Going to ask him if you've got a mortgage coming
off a fixed straight, what should you do fix or
float and Chris Russell's our Assie correspondent. Apparently the Aussie
dairy farmers are crying over spilt milk. We getting more
on this side of the Tasman than they are, and
(18:03):
I say good okay, Laura Coot up next, we'll update
that New Zealand Open for you as well in sports News.
So Queenstown is the place to be this weekend, not
only the New Zealand Golf Open. Would love to be there,
(18:23):
but down the road awe, but at the bottom of
the lake is a place called Kingston. It's rarely starting
to grow. And just down the road from Kingston is
the real country farm. A woman behind it is Laura
Coot from the Fairlight Foundation. And Laura, you're going to
set a world record on Sunday for the most high
luxes Toyota high lux UITs gathered in one place at
(18:46):
one time. You're very confident you can do that. What's
the number you've got to beat?
Speaker 8 (18:52):
We are really confident and we are going to do that.
The number to beat was set in twenty ten in
South Africa four ninety five and because we've already got
over a thousand registrations, we are going to smash that record.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
So how far and wide are they coming from. I
can understand Otago and Southland rocking into Queenstown or Kingston
for the afternoon, a bit of a Sunday cruise. But
you're telling me this people, I think from the North Island.
Speaker 8 (19:19):
There are there's people that are bringing their highluxeres down
on trailers from the North Island, driving down in convoy
from the North Island. This highlight zone is coming from
all over the country and this is where GWd and
I it's underestimated just how dedicated and passionate highlight zwoners
are in New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Of course g w d's your local dealer in Southland
and central Otago. They do a great job, just as
Cook Allison does here in the Dunedin area. But this
is now a Toyota, New Zealand event because it's got
that big In fact, I mean, you're a bit of
a super celebrity in your own right there, Laura. But
they've but they've they've pulled out the big guns. I
think Mark Allis is going to be there, the Toyota Ambassador,
(20:03):
Yeah he is, and.
Speaker 8 (20:04):
I hear he's coming in by helicopter. Whereas older to
be rocking.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Up my highluss. But I think I've got the better
deal there. But yees tighter.
Speaker 8 (20:11):
New Zealand's on board, Mark Allis is coming down, so
we will be co hosting the event and seeing the event,
and you know, myself GWd, all of the local volunteers
that are helping make this event possible are working at
butts off and my aim is to on the day,
I just want to talk to as many owners and
see as many trucks as I can, and I'm sure
(20:33):
that sinsment will be shared by every single person coming
to the event.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
I'm sure there'll be some of those great old youths,
the Barry Crump ones from the eighties. They were revolutionary
and they were great trucks. I owned a couple of
them back in the day. So you're going to have
right up to the new ones that the hybrid highluxes
like you and I are driving around in to those
glorious old ones that Crumpy and Scotty used to drive
around them.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
I know.
Speaker 8 (20:58):
And you know the best thing about this event is
I'm getting messages people are posting on their Facebook event page,
bothos of their trucks stories, of their trucks, so we
know what's coming. We know the caliber, the age, the number.
It's just it's so so exciting. And we even have
a friend of Barry Crump seasin his nineties, a local
(21:20):
from Gore. He coming along to share the story of
how Barry Crump came to be on all the Toyota
TV commercials, so that yarn is fantastic. It's just it's
going to be an impressive, impressive event.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
They were the best commercials ever, especially the dog one,
the bugger one. It's going to be a wonderful afternoon.
Do you need to register to turn up? Can you
just turn up on the high Lucks.
Speaker 8 (21:43):
We're definitely encouraging people to register before they turn up
because it's great for us to have an idea of
the amount of people that are coming. But we do
have a car park for I wish I was a
high lux people, so you know spectators that do want
to come and be part of the event, even if
they don't have a high Luck, So we know there's
going to be a few of those. You can turn
(22:04):
up on the day that we would prefer you to register.
Full traffic management will be in place on the Highway.
So everyone in the community just consider that there's going
to be an extra thousand high luxes on the road
around the region.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
So what's the website to register on, Laura?
Speaker 8 (22:19):
So the GWd website has the registration page for you
to go onto. All event details are on the High
Lucks World Record Attempt Facebook page and the gates open
at twelve pm this Sunday at Kingston Station, Real Country
Farm just below Kingston.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Yeah, it's a great location. Thanks for your time, good luck.
We'll catch up on Monday and just get a beat
on those numbers. See what that new world record is, Laura.
Always good the chat.
Speaker 8 (22:46):
You two Jamie.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Thanks Laura. It is twenty five away from one. Yeah,
if you within Coowey of Kingston at the bottom end
of Lake Wakats. If you're there, jump on your high
Lucks and you didn't even need a high lux you
can turn up if you want. This going to be
hopefully more than a thousand of them set a new
world record. Up next Rural News and sports news, but
just updating that New Zealand open. Ben Campbell's the best
(23:09):
of the Kiwi's four under through sixteen holes. He's a
couple off the pace early days. Yet Michelle's got rural news,
We've got sports news. Before the end of the hour,
Todd Charteris has turned up. We'll have a yarn to him,
and of course our Rossie correspondent Chris Russell.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Maybe when I met you there was.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Welcome back to the Country Kenny and Dolly at the
behest of Michelle Watt. It's a favorite song. Apparently she
picked Ireland songs for Shane, who no doubt is having
a pinicolada or two on the Solomon Islands. Good afternoon, Michelle, Jamie, right,
what do you got for us in rural news? Fire
your best shot frees.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
World News with Cob Cadets, New Zealand's leading right on
lawnlower brand. Visit steel Ford dot co dot Nz for
your local stockist.
Speaker 9 (24:09):
Drought conditions have officially been classified as a medium scale
adverse event in the Taranaki region. Agricultural Minister Todd McLay
announced today that the government was making thirty thousand dollars
available to rural support groups who are working closely with
affected farmers. Farmers and growers who require support are encouraged
to contact their local Rural Support Trust on OH eight
(24:30):
hundred and seven eight seven, two five four and new
targets to speed up assessments for new agriculture and horticultural
products in a bid to cut red tape was announced today.
That's one of the sixteen recommendations Cabinet has accepted from
a review produced by the Ministry of Regulations. Regulations Minister
David Seymour says products like veterinary medicine agrichemicals are critical
(24:52):
farmers and growers, but some say they've waited more than
five years for applications to be approved. The review's recommendations
include saving TI by using international regulators assessments, exploring pathways
for priority products, and updating how the Environmental Protection Authority
assesses risk. And that's your rural news. You can find
more at the country dot corry.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Thanks Michelle, and I think they accepted all sixteen regulations
to get rid of red tape. Good on you, Minister
of Regulation David Seymour.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Sport were the Nathco Kiwi to the bone since nineteen
oh four.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So the sixty third Golden Shares have started or has
started with record numbers. It's three days today, tomorrow and
Saturday night. That big open final Keep your eye on
rollind Psmith that Big Open final in the War in
the Big Hall in Masterton, so record entries in the
(25:45):
lower grades at Marsterton's War Memorial Stadium. I eventually spat
it out. And this is despite a cheap population decline
of seventy percent over the past forty years. Great wonderful event,
sporting event, as is the New Zealand Golf Open. And
I'm just having a look at the website. Bearwith folks,
(26:06):
bearw We've got Ben Campbell. Our guy is four under
through sixteen. He's tied for six so we've got five
ozsies in front of him. Kevin Juan, Travis smythe Brent
Rumford heard him, Sam Brazil and Simon Hawkes. They're six
under the top two and then the other one's five under.
(26:28):
So Ben Campbell certainly the best of the Kiwi's at
the stage and that is your sport up next. He's
standing outside. You better go and get him. Michelle Todd
charteris the chief executive of Rabobank Royalty in the studio
(26:51):
today we're blessed with a visit from the chief executive
of Ravobank. Todd charteris Todd in Dnedan for the opening
of your refurbished office in More, a place just around
the corner from us here.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:03):
Look, it's great to be back down south, Jamie, and
you're pretty excited. From our side, it's great to be
to be able to reinvest into our offices and our
infrastructure here in New Zealand, and this is a key
office location for us, So looking forward to getting a
few visitors through this afternoon and celebrating that.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Good on you twenty seven offices around the country. Of course,
HQ is in Hamilton, and I tipped my hat to
agricultural companies that have based themselves in places like Hamilton
or Palmerston North or even Fielding. There's a hell of
a lot of national companies out of Fielding. But it's
good that you're basing yourself in Hamilton rather than Auckland.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
Yeah, look, and thanks for that. That was a key
strategic decision that we made a few years ago and
it has been good for us. But you know, staying
strong in the regions is really important too, So you know,
Dunedin is important to us and I just want to
make a plug for our new premises because before we
asked a question don't worry, Jamie. It's got wool and
carpets in there, so we're proud of that too.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Well, I'm pleased. I'm pleased about that. Shane Jones was
on the show a wee bit earlier. I know you
didn't hear it. He was talking about the chocolate teapot.
That's the gent tailors. He's getting into them at the moment,
which is good because that's less pressure on you woke banks.
But you're not wok. Are you tired?
Speaker 6 (28:20):
No, we're not work Jamie, not at all. And the
numbers speak for themselves, I've got to say, in the
food and agar sector, and we continue to support strongly
and we don't always get it right, but we'll be
there through the highs and lows. Don't you worry.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Well, you're the only one of the major banks who's
dealing in banking farming only. And you did come out
well from the Federated Farmers survey on banks. But could
you be better? For instance, here's my gripe with you
banks across the board as risk margins are too high
on overdraft rates for farmers.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
Yeah. Look, I mean we can always be better, Jamie.
And you know we take the feedback on board, and
I think that feder Aid Farmers survey provides some good
insights for us. One thing it did show in there
and is around the overdraft rates. And I'm pleased to
say that, you know, the way our clients responded is,
you know, we're nearly two percent under the other banks
(29:15):
when it comes to funding on on overdrafts. And so
it's all on the survey. So it's not to say
that there's not more we've got to do, but I
think the survey came out pretty positively on our side.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
What are you farmers doing at the moment who are
rolling off fixed term loans? Are they riding the floating
train down? Or are they refixing?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Look, I think one of the one of the great
things of our all on one product is they can
fix quite short, so so you can stay short. But
we are starting to see just in this interestrate cycle, businesses,
you know, having a good look at it, and there's
some good there's some good long term certainty there. So
I think it's it's one each way in many cases.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Because we're a wee bit concerned about inflation jumping away again.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
Oh definitely, And I think you know, there's there's all
those pressures. There's the geo political pressure, there's the interest
rate differential between US and the US, and so we
need to keep a close eye on that. But you know,
I think businesses on the whole are certainly having a
look at their own situation and for many now's a
good time to be starting to look slightly mid to
longer term.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
You're a business that banks farmers, it's a good industry
to be in at the moment.
Speaker 6 (30:20):
Oh really good. I mean it's been tough, but when
you see where commodity prices are on the main those
key commodities, the outlook looks really strong. Those fundamentals of
supply and demand look positive. So that's great. As we've
touched on, the interest rates are coming down, so there's
a lot to be positive about and that's really encouraging.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Hey, Todd Charteris, thanks for coming in. I know you're
a busy man and you've got a head off and
glad hand awe. But at the opening of the Rabobank
office or the reopening of the Rabobank office here in Dunedin,
I'll catch you later this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (30:52):
Yeah, good on you, Jamie. Thanks for catching up.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yes, it's a Pusie update with Eco Lab, solid range,
solid products, solid partnership, solid results.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
He's our guy in Australia, just across the Tasman and
between us. And then there's some Chinese warships firing some
shots and anger or is it anger? I might come
back to that one, Chris Russell. Hey, let's start with
red meat prices. Good news if you're a farmer or
an exporter, not such good news for consumers.
Speaker 7 (31:25):
Well, yes, I mean our Australian dollar of course, has
or the US dollar has gone up and Australian dollar
has gone down. So mutton, particularly at the moment, is
just going nuts over here. The National Mutton Indicator last
week junk ten percent in a week that it's now
sitting at three hundred and seventy cent. It's about four
(31:47):
or four dollars a kilo and your money carcassway, which
is historically high but in recent times, but behind the
four dollars eighty that we reached in last year and
seven one hundred and one CeNSE which we reached during
the coronavirus. But that's really good, good money for mutton.
We don't need a lot of mutton in Australia, we
(32:09):
export nearly all of our mutton, and we exported twenty
two percent more last year than we have in previous times,
and that trend seems to be continuing. But not only
that heavy marino prices went up to ninety dollars ahead
and prefer Australians of course prefer lamb, but you know
(32:29):
this marino lambs we're really short of, and beef prices
because of the hamburger trade, and people are saying that's
more and more lightly because Trump enjoys hamburgers, that we're
not going to see that hit with a tariff. But
beef prices are going up as well dramatically, So all
in all, all the red meats are really going up
quite and it's quite exciting years for people who have
(32:51):
got some to sell.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Now the US now takes more beef from Australia than
Canada for the first time since twenty fifteen to be
the top US supplier. Interestingly, we had Kate Ackland on
the show, who's the chair of Beef and Lamb New
Zealand and here and she was recently at a big
cattle conference in San Antonio, Texas, and she was saying
(33:12):
what an open or it used to be such an
open trading block on red meat, especially beef between Mexico,
the US, and Canada. A lot of beef changing hands. Well,
that's all changing with Trump's terrace, yes.
Speaker 7 (33:26):
And I think that's going to continue to change. But
a lot of this I just said before is based
on the fact that they've got it seems an insatiable
demand for our grain fed hamburger meat, which they blend
a little bit with their more feedlock based meat. Their
herd is declining as well, and of course that's where
a lot of their hamburger meat used to come from.
(33:49):
But you know, it's just amazing how much we've been
able to increase. We shipped over forty thousand tons just
in January alone of red meat out of Australia, most
of it to well nearly all of it to America,
about forty thousand tons, and that interestingly also included a
lot of goat meat. The goat meat traditionally all used
to go up to Asia, but at the moment Americans
(34:12):
seem to be buying heaps of gate met as well,
So it's a bit hard to know where this is
going to go. And the hope is that we won't
see the tariffs being brought in. But certainly the Canadians
are looking almost definitely at having Tarisi us talking to
a Canadian in Toronto just last week, and they're all
making plans for what are they going to do with
(34:32):
their wheat? What are they going to do with their beef,
because they're clearly going to have to put that on
the world market as well, and that may have an
effect on some of our other markets.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Chris Russell, thanks for your time, got to go, no worries,
Thanks mate. Five away from one wrapping the Country now
you heard Roe talking to Darren from Eco Lab about
the Eco Lab solids range. We've got a great promotion
here on the Country, Michelle, I think it ends. Is
(35:00):
it closed the play tonight? That's right, midnight tonight, So
midnight tonight. Now, obviously you might be in the market
for some of those Eco Lab products, but who's not
in the market for a thousand dollars cash. So all
you need to do if you want to win the
thousand dollars cash and the thousand dollars Echo Lab product
is go to our website Thecountry dot co dot z
(35:23):
and tell us what would take some weight off you.
Maybe it's a weekend off or some new golf clubs.
So as I said, head to the country dot co
dot in Z tell us what would help you relax
and you're in to win are the prize, the eco
lab products and the thousand dollars cash. Just wrapping the
(35:43):
sports news for you. I'm keeping a keen eye on
this one. And the New Zealand is in the in
the Golf Open, there's a whole bunch of ossies at
the top at the moment. Let me see what they're at. Oh,
Biga there Therewith they're six under, but of the Kiwis
are bigguns of or thereabouts. Ben Campbell's four under, Josh
Gary's four under, Daniel Hilly are three under, Sam Jones
(36:06):
three under. Interestingly, Steven Elka are arguably the world's best
older golfer, and the seniors Tour is one under through seventeen.
He doesn't seem to go so well in Queenstown for
some reason, so we'll keep a keen eye on that one.
And of course it is Golden Shares Day, one of
three in the wier Wrapper at the War Memorial Hall
(36:27):
there and mastered and it's a magnificent venue record entries
in the junior sections, despite a whole lot less sheep
to share, but as Sir David Fagan says, we're sharing
a lot more sheep now twice a year than we
used to back in the day. We'll be chatting to
Sir David Fagan on tomorrow's show, Live from the Golden Shares.
(36:49):
We'll catch you back tomorrow. Take care, catch all the
latest from the land.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
It's The Country Podcast with Jamie McKay thanks to Brent
starkest of the leading agriculture brands
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