Blue Shed Diary

As the war in Iran continues, the impacts to the global economy cut deeper. Petrol and diesel costs are up along with price of inputs and commodities. Is this a short-term or long-term problem? And what does this mean for New Zealand's economy, particularly our farmers and growers?

Joining the conversation is Simplicity Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub.

In life, there are few things in which we can all agree. The Resource Management Act (RMA) may be an exception with most New Zealanders agreeing it's in dire need of overhaul.

The 25-year-old legislation governs nearly everything about NZ—our land, air, water—and what we can do with them. A lot has changed since it was enacted, and several governments have tinkered with fixes over the years. The most recent overhaul proposal introduced at the end of last year has some in the primary industry nervous about the impact on our farmers and growers. So, what is in the reform proposals and what does it mean for our industry?

Joining the conversation is Fox Meyer, Political Reporter for Newsrooms who covers this issue.

Back in the day, the go-to approach for pest control was to use insecticide to kill anything moving in the crop. Not only was that not the most effective control method, but it also led to a rise in resistance. The new way is Integrated Pest Management, or IPM. This method moves beyond a chemical-only solution and employs a multi-faceted approach. It is a valuable tool for farmers and growers.

March's Tech Talk is all about adopting IPM into your system. Joining the conversation is PGG Wrightson Technical Specialist Chris Lambert.

A rebound in the rural sector has seen stronger returns and bigger payouts for our farmers and growers. Its great news after several tough years. As confidence in the sector grows, so too does the interest in the rural property market. So, is it a good time to buy a farm? What operations are generating the most interest?

Joining the conversation to answer these questions and more is PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Real Estate and Livestock, Peter Newbold.

For six decades, Country Calendar has marked the lives of New Zealand's farmers, growers, and rural communities. More than half a million people, both rural and urban audiences, tune-in to watch our longest-running television show.

If anything is an institution in our cultural landscape, it is TVNZ's Country Calendar. Joining the conversation is the voice behind the show, and its producer, Dan Henry.

It all started with 888-acres of retired farmland in East Taranaki when Miranda Wells, her partner Daryl Egarr, and brother Bjorn Doherty purchased this land in 2013 as a weekend hunting spot.

But the discovery of wild kiwi changed the trajectory of their lives and this land. Together, they formed the 800-Trust which has an ambitious mission to restore a dying forest and create a biodiversity corridor for some of our rarest indigenous species. The introduction of AI-powered technology, Hark, is revolutionising how they are accomplishing this mission, and could make a huge difference to conservation efforts in the future.

Joining the conversation is Miranda Wells of the 800 Trust.

Read more about the 800 Trust in our latest edition of Rural Diary.

Learn more about Hark and the 800 Trust, visit here.

This month's On the Vine episode asks what happens when you have too many grapes? In this case, more is not always more. Turns out, in the world of viticulture, it's possible to have too much of a good thing.

Last year, an estimated 100,000 tonnes, or approximately a fifth of the crop, was left on the vine. The 2026 season is shaping up to have a lot of excess grapes, too.

So, what's behind the supply hangover? What are the options for New Zealand's vineyards? Is this the new normal?

Joining the conversation to answer these questions, and more, is Jon Peet, Fruitfed Technical Specialist.

The greatest friend and worst enemy of every farmer and grower is Mother Nature. It's either too dry or too wet, too hot or too cold. Considering New Zealand is famous for having four seasons in a single day, predicting Mother Nature's whims can be a game changer.

So, as we enter autumn after a no-summer summer, we decided to get insight into what the good mother has instore for us over the season.

Joining the conversation is Chris Brandolino, Meteorologist and Principal Scientist at Earth Sciences New Zealand, formally known as NIWA.

Farmers and growers like to have a yarn about the how their crops are doing, but not necessarily how their mental health and wellbeing are doing. We know farming isn't a predictable 9-to-5 job. It can be incredibly challenging and stressful, but help is available! One group giving farmers the tools to cope with the ups and downs of the job is Farmstrong. They are on a mission to improve the wellbeing of our farmers, growers, and rural communities. Joining the conversation is Farmstrong Chief Executive Gerard Vaughan.

You can power up your support for Farmstrong throughout the month of March with PGG Wrightson. There is a great online deal for our customers: buy a Speedrite S500 Solar Energizer and $50 goes directly to Farmstrong. Find out more here!

Also, visit Farmstrong for more information.

Spraying out your old crop before re-grassing or planting new crop is standard operating procedure. But what goesinto your spray out matters. Depending on what's happening in your paddock, you may need more than a single herbicide to do the job. Is there something you can do to 'spike' theweed competition in the field?

Joining the conversation is PGG Wrightson Technical Specialist for Agronomy Gary Bosley. He has some great tech tips for getting good results from your spray-out.

You can read more about this in March's Rural Diary.

Your PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative is also an excellent resource to help you maximise your spray-out. Be sure to contact your local PGW TFR, today!