What’s happening with live cattle exports? If allowed again in NZ, what measures would be in place to ensure animals are safe and comfortable on their journey and at their destination? Hear from Richard McIntyre, Federated Farmers national board member, and Brian Pearson, general manager at livestock export business BeefGen.

If you’re working towards farm ownership, what are some ways to build equity for a deposit outside of traditional strategies like going sharemilking or putting money in the bank? And how can farmers at the other end of their careers safeguard their wealth when transitioning out of farm ownership? Hear some expert advice from Michael Raynes, a financial adviser at Federated Farmers partner Forsyth Barr.

Note: nothing discussed in this podcast should be considered personal financial advice. The recommendations and opinions do not take into account your personal financial situation or your investment goals. It’s general in nature. To obtain personal financial advice, please seek out a registered financial adviser. 

Note: nothing discussed in this podcast should be considered personal financial advice. The recommendations and opinions do not take into account your personal financial situation or your investment goals. It’s general in nature. To obtain personal financial advice, please seek out a registered financial adviser. 

Useful links:

https://sorted.org.nz

https://www.forsythbarr.co.nz

Get solid advice on how to succeed in sharemilking from Federated Farmers national dairy chair Richard McIntyre and experienced Waikato dairy farmer Tony Wilding. They cover the benefits and challenges of sharemilking, what a strong due diligence process looks like, the financials, building a good relationship between farm owner and sharemilker, timing your entry and exit, and more. 

Useful links: 

Federated Farmers contracts and agreements

Setting up in sharemilking and contract milking - DairyNZ

Want some practical advice on how to hit the ground running as a contract milker? Our guests Danielle Hovmand, Federated Farmers Waikato dairy vice chair, and Sam Ebbett, our Taranaki dairy chair and national sharefarmer chair, share what they learned as contract milkers, including how to do your homework, manage the money, not burn yourself out, and deal with challenges in the partnership. 

What steps can farmers take right now, and over the next few years, to get a lower interest rate from the banks? ASB’s Rural GM Aidan Gent joins us to explain how farmers can strengthen their position with the banks, including showing up with a clear budget and strategy, knowing your business’s strengths and weaknesses, and demonstrating how you behave in a downturn.

Useful links:

Federated Farmers Podcast Ep 3: Rural banking inquiry: 'Let's get it underway'

https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/banking-inquiry-lets-get-it-underway/

Farm confidence has bounced back from last year’s record lows, but is this the start of a genuine lift in confidence or a 'dead cat bounce'? Auckland farmer Tim Dangen and Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford join us to discuss our latest Farm Confidence Survey results. They talk about what's driving the shift in mood, what's concerning farmers, and how to see the positive in what's been a tough few years.

Useful links:
https://fedfarm.org.nz/FarmConfidence
Rural confidence rises from rock bottom (farmersweekly.co.nz)

Why are farmers feeling under pressure from the banks, who's to blame, and what needs to happen to fix the issue? In this episode, our guests are Federated Farmers national board member Richard McIntyre and New Zealand Agri Brokers director Scott Wishart. They’ll discuss why we need a banking inquiry, but also what farmers can do now to negotiate lower interest rates. 

To mark the one-year anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle, Gisborne farmer Sam Hain and Federated Farmers national board member Sandra Faulkner join us to recount their experiences of the event, how the rebuild has unfolded in the past 12 months, and what still needs to happen with the recovery.  

Useful links: 

www.commencetherefence.co.nz

 www.farmyarmy.co.nz

www.farmersweekly.co.nz/opinion/one-year-on-rising-stronger-from-the-cyclone

www.farmersweekly.co.nz/people/farmers-navigate-road-to-recovery

To kick off the new Federated Farmers Podcast, we hear from national president Wayne Langford, who discusses his journey from Golden Bay dairy farmer to taking the helm at Feds. 

Wayne reflects on recent policy wins for farmers, challenges faced, and outlines his strong vision for a united agricultural sector over the next two-and-a-half years.

He also discusses his commitment to agricultural advocacy, his involvement in initiatives like Meet the Need charity, and his personal mental health journey shared as the YOLO farmer.

Useful links
www.facebook.com/YOLOFarmerNZ
www.meattheneed.org
www.farmersweekly.co.nz/people/rural-advocacy-is-a-team-sport