Sarah's Country

It’s one thing to have uncertainty from government and global markets, but then to have your major business partner - the bank - force you into a precarious position its a real kick in the guts while your down.

On Sarah’s Country I want to continue to bring hope and optimism to our amazing resilient food producers whilst showcasing to all the curious consumers listening just how tough it is for our farmers and they aren’t these big, capitalist pigs ruining the environment.

When we had David Montgomery, a rural valuer on the show a couple of weeks but trying to bring some calm to the story of land values halving, he told me afterwards that I really need to speak to Scott Wishart, Managing director of NZAB.

With 12 years’ experience in the agribusiness banking industry he and his team of ex-bankers are doing wonders to help farmers enhance their banking relationship by ensuring farmers have a plan, are reducing their risk and, as a result, getting what they rightfully deserve. 

Scott shares his five top tips in dealing successfully with the banks and how relationships still matter it's just changed.

A major ‘uncertain’ facing New Zealand dairy & red meat sectors is the exponential change of cellular agriculture & plant-based meat and milk with huge investment being piled into it by Silicon Valley investors & Hollywood directors.

This week's Farmers Weekly pulpit - a place for people to have their educated opinions on the hottest issues in agribusiness - is written by Amos Palfreyman spent three months at Foodvalley in Wageningen, Netherlands, analysing the alternative protein sector. Foodvalley is the primary knowledge-intensive agrifood ecosystem in the Netherlands.  

Amos is the business development for FoodHQ which is the food science/innovation hub funded by Massey, AgResearch, Fonterra, Plant and Food among others and joins Sarah in this extended episode on the topic where he states that Dairy & Diamonds are forever.

Visit www.farmersweekly.co.nz to read his opinion piece.

With a-lot of global and domestic uncertainty affecting the primary sector, ANZ's agricultural economist, Susan Kilsby, provides an overview of the agri-food industry from the economic perspective.

What should food producers and growers be thinking about as they look ahead for the year?

We also ask Susan about how banks are supporting farmers & growers to spend more to meet the uncertain environmental policies.

New Zealand agricultural systems are already very efficient by global standards and compare well with the developed world.

However, the debate on whether we should be calculating the effects of food production per hectare or per unit of food produced was challenged this week by Mike Manning, Ants Roberst & Jaqueline Rowart at the annual Fertiliser & Lime Research Centre’s annual workshop.

The many solutions being offered for ensuring that food production reduces the impact upon the environment ranges from Biodynamic to Organic, Ecological, Regenerative, Conventional and Industrial. Advocates of some systems suggesting that New Zealand farmers can change to another system to not only do ‘better’ by the environment but make more money, without attracting a premium for the product.

While the presenters said this is feasible for some food producers – offering blanket solutions could result in leakier systems overall which is not the desired outcome.

Joining me in this episode to discuss this is Ravensdown’s General Manager of their Innovation and Strategy team, Mike Manning. 

On Sarah’s Country it’s about being a watch-dog to keep people to account, but being empathic and open minded about opportunities to get better.

Crossbred sheep farmers are cursing paying their shearing bill that now exceeds the price of taking it off. A Wool Working group was established in July 2018 to set a roadmap for wool's woeful worries.

Dated 4th March 2019 in an article by Annette Scott in Farmers Weekly - “At the third meeting of the Wool Working Group (WWG) last week a draft action plan was signed off and is now undergoing a review by the group’s facilitators due in September 2019”.

But, simple question - it's February 2020 - so wheres the inspirational vision for wool, Minister?

Who’s values really matter the most? The food producer because they intimately understand the science and challenges the most and should be trusted. Our the consumer’s who without the producer wouldn’t have a business? But then what about if we actually share the same values?

This week in Sarah's Country we hear from Kate Acland co-owner of Mt. Somers Station and a diverse range of value-added products shares her views on the importance of centring our business around values.

Sarah Perriam, the host of Sarah's Country, is this week joined by guest co-host Elizabeth Soal who is the CEO of Irrigation New Zealand.

Sarah also speaks Damien O’Connor on how to fix the wool industry woeful worries, ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby take on how banks can support farmers to meet environmental regulation and Mike Manning, General Manager of Innovation at Ravensdown, on the unintended consequences of environmental solutions. 

Guests on this week’s show:

• 1. VALUE ADD IS IN OUR VALUES (Blinc Presentation) : Mt. Somers Station co-owner, Kate Acland.
• 2. GREEN FINANCE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: ANZ agricultural economist, Susan Kilsby.
• 3. UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS: General Manager of Innovation & Strategy, Mike Manning.
• 4. WHERE IS WOOL’S INSPIRATIONAL VISION: Minister for Agriculture, Damien O’Connor.

To listen to the full-length interviews and participate in the conversation, download the Sarah's Country app now available on Apple and Android.

New Zealand’s premium food & fibre products are at growing rise of being counterfeit in our export markets - i.e. Chinese duck sold as NZ lamb.

And with the spotlight on food safety and transparency, I can’t help but feel that we are dragging the chain on blockchain technologies that can secure our intellectual property & brand.

In fear of New Zealand being left behind, Sarah discusses with former Auckland University head of commercial law and blockchain expert, Alex Sim, about how blockchain is currently successfully being used around the world to ensure supply chain integrity and what New Zealand needs to do to up its game.

As the Chinese are confined to their homes in lock down to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak, we have been covering the fact that exports of our retail & restaurant bound produce is being effected due to lack of trade from consumers getting out and about.

What about the order shopping online market that New Zealand so proudly launched with the New Zealand Food Basket last year where over 20 brands came together in a collaboration to significantly improve reach and shorten the supply chain in a way that each brand could not achieve alone, launching New Zealand as Alibaba first Country Flagship Store.

Sarah discusses with New Zealand Food Basket with chairwoman Nicola O'Rourke, about any flow on effect to the e-commerce business model.

Also, wearing her hat as the General Manager of Lewis Road Creamery she discusses the recent deal to supply Wholefoods in the US and the importance of a GMO status to New Zealand.

In our weekly segment Farming into the Future, we open our minds to the potential direction of New Zealand’s food production.

As the earth warms and they plant more Chardonnay in Central Otago, Northland & Gisborne are looking to banana & pineapple. Tropical fruits are imported by the tonne into New Zealand, yet we are just a few steps away from supplying the bulk of the country's requirements-and with a much more nutritious product.

Sarah discusses this vision with Chair of the Tropical Fruit Growers Association & boutique banana plantation owner and plant procurer, Hugh Rose.

We learn how banana's are the ultimate plant for soaking up nitrogen on dairy farms and the by-product can be a great alternative to imported palm kernel.

On the 31st January 2020, the UK called it a day on it’s relationship with the European Union leaving New Zealand’s red meat trade quota at risk of simply to be spilt in half. Our rockstar trade negotiators have been working tirelessly to ensure our free trade agreements from the past are upheld and moving forward are beneficial in particular to our sheepmeat exports.

The Minister for Trade, David Parker, believes New Zealand can negotiate a free trade deal with the UK by the end of the year with the ability to dance at the quick beat of the UK’s drum, but will a rushed deal leave us with a shallow deal without detailed thought for the long-term.

We have Waitangi Day here this week celebrating 180yrs since the signing of the Treaty that saw us as Britains farm in the South Pacific. 

Sarah asks Jeff Grant, the UK is Beef + Lamb and Meat Industry Association Red Meat Sector Representative, are we still the ‘golden child’ in the UK’s eyes to get preferential trade treatment. 

Sarah also discussed our developments in the European Union Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand, the UK's new National Food Strategy and the fear of the US-UK trade deal jeopardising food safety.