On today’s episode;  All you need to know about duck hunting preparation ahead of opening weekend…  We find out what’s making headlines in the rural print media with Tony Leggett…  And we profile the best soda company in the land!

On today’s episode; we chat agri-tourism and farm diversity with the hugely impressive Nikita Gane, we look at the Climate Change Commission report with Sam McIvor from Beef & Lam NZ, and we assess the end of livestock exports with Taranaki farmer Mark Hooper.

Time to take a look at pine nuts!  Andy and Barbara own Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts, which took out the Supreme Winner prize at the recent Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards…  REX Today host Dom George caught up with Andy to find out more about the world of pine nuts…

Well, the shelf space for soda drinks is a crowded one, but a soda company that’s floated to the top is a Motueka-based business, called Pete’s Natural Lemonade…  They recently won the very competitive Drink Champion section of the 2023 Outstanding Food Producers Awards…  And today we have ‘Mrs Pete’ joining us here on REX, well her real name is Marleen Suy, and she’s one half of the business that she runs with her husband Pete.

Time to delve into the print pages to see what’s making headlines, Tony Leggett joins us from Country Wide and NZ Dairy Exporter.

Jason Flowerday is counting down the days to the opening of the duck hunting season…  He’s finished harvesting grapes from his Marlborough vineyard Te Whare Ra and, he’s even negotiated a deal with his wife Anna…  They’ve switched Mother's Day and Father's Day over, so he can get a clear ‘guilt free’ run at duck shooting!

Craig Patterson has been in the animal health game since the mid-1980s…  He’s lived through some significant industry reshuffling - mainly larger companies buying up smaller brands.

He was with Pfizer for 21 years, - this took him for a stint to Japan …  and he’s also worked for Zoetis…  Now he’s back in North Canterbury, where he is the business manager and a Director for North Canterbury Veterinary Clinics - made up of 4 clinics…  

He has some skin in the sheep game  - with 40 Texel ewes on the home block.

Federated Farmers Taranaki President Mark Hooper is warning the loss of live exporting will be felt throughout the region ahead of a nationwide ban, which comes into force at the end of this month. A bill to ban live exports was passed in September last year, after concerns over ongoing animal welfare issues during voyages.

Last week the Climate Change Commission came out with its thoughts on the Government’s second emissions budget. The budget is to try and ‘balance the books’ - to get NZ to meet carbon emission reduction targets.

Joining us now is Sam McIvor, Beef and Lamb New Zealand CEO, to talk through what the Climate Commission said, and give us a view on it from the sheep and beef industry.

Time to catch up with a good friend of the show, who always gives us something to think about! The GM of Rural at Property Brokers, Conrad Wilkshire.