The Country

The Minister of Agriculture talks about proposed changes to the Resource Management Act, which Federated Farmers has heralded as “the end of the war on farming”. The bill is expected to be introduced into Parliament next month.

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Fonterra’s chief executive is back in New Zealand after leading the Prime Minister’s business delegation to Southeast Asia. He shares the opportunities he discovered for Kiwi businesses and dairy.

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One of New Zealand’s leading farming academics and the newly-appointed deputy chair of DairyNZ looks at primary sector productivity and how job cuts in R&D may affect farmers.

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Rabobank’s General Manager Country Banking on the bank’s latest Financial Capability Workshops.

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Mid Canterbury Rugby chair with an update on the stoush between NZ Rugby and the Provincial Rugby Unions.

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Rowena Duncum talks to David Seymour, Adam Thompson and Rhys Roberts, Peter Nation, Jack Fagan, and Phil Duncan. 

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Act Party Leader and deputy Prime Minister in waiting. Is he in the naughty boy corner with the PM still? His trip to Taupo for Supercars, visits to rural companies lately and will rural NZ be impacted by job cuts in the education sector?

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Zanda Panel. Rhys (Align Farms in Mid Canterbury) won the Zanda McDonald Award in 2022 and Adam (Restore Native in Cambridge) was a finalist in 2022. It’s Earth Day and we find Adam in the middle of his first day planting trees for the season, while Rhys is getting ready for the end of the dairy season and a farming trip to China.

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Fieldays CEO just over seven weeks out from the event. Where things are at in terms of the build and overseas interest, plus how his recent conversations with visiting Chinese dignitaries went.

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Winner of the Wagga Speed Shear on Saturday night ($12k for 21.06 seconds’ mahi!). Also making the NZ team for the UK post Fieldays (and getting to wear the black singlet for the first time – how good!) with six shearing tests on the cards.

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Weatherwatch.co.nz on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM – but don’t call us BOM) claiming El Nino is done and dusted.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Todd McClay, Doug Avery, Nadine Tunley, Shane Jones, and Jim Hopkins.

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Rowena Duncum talks to Richard McIntyre, Stu Loe, Stu Duncan, Chris Brandolino, Kevin "Smiley" Barrett, and Barry Soper.

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Federated Farmers immigration and labour spokesperson on new changes to work visa requirements and what they mean for farmers. 

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Our farmer panel from North Canterbury and the Maniototo update both farm and economic conditions. 

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NIWA weather guy with what’s in store for farmers, plus an early Anzac morning forecast. 

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This week we find the Taranaki dairy farmer in Fiji ahead of tonight’s Hurricanes match. He updates how the end of the dairy season is going, plus comments on news this week that son Jordie is off on a sabbatical to Ireland. 

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Newstalk ZB’s senior political correspondent on how Shane Jones and to a lesser extent, Winston Peters, have dominated headlines this week.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Toby Williams, Peter Newbold, Chris Russell, Nick White and Simon White.

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Filling the big gumboots of Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford, is the Gisborne-based National Meat and Wool Chair. Today we talk about the future of sheep farming, A&P Shows, and hosting the Parliamentary rugby and netball teams.

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The GM of PGG Wrightson Real Estate takes his monthly look at the state of the rural market. And, surprise, surprise, it's tough out there!

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Our Australian correspondent talks about the terrorist attacks in Sydney, attending a hemp growers' conference, Wagyu steak with 60% marbling, and Winx falling pregnant again!

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Courtesy of the Luxury Trail Company we head to Clyde to catch up with a Cyclone Gabrielle-affected farmer who won a Farmstrong promotion to ride the Dunstan Trail.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Shane Jones, Mike Cronin, Jim Hopkins, Scott Duggan, and Karen Williams.

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The Prince of the Provinces is sitting in for the King of the Country (Christopher Luxon) who's hustling for trade on the world stage. From dim-witted frogs to dopey dolphins! Who's in his sights next? And does he want progress at any cost? We ask the Minister of Digging it Up and Damming it Up.

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Fonterra's head of co-operative affairs reviews last night's GDT auction - up 0.1 per cent with WMP up 0.4 per cent.

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Our resident rural raconteur has his say on Shane Jones, mining, the media and climate change denial.

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Has Volkswagen NZ's national sales manager got a deal for you on the new Amarok? You bet!

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Former vice president of Federated Farmers, and a Wairarapa arable farmer, who's been up the road a bit helping communities recover from Cyclone Gabrielle.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Damien O'Connor, Greg Millar, Nadine Tunley, and Todd Clark.

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Our US farming correspondent joins us from Bluegrass Country in Kentucky to talk about a good spring, the Kentucky Derby, getting the Bird Flu from dairy cattle, an ageing farming population and Donald Trump!

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The National Fundraising Manager for the IHC Calf and Rural Scheme joins us in the studio to discuss how farmers can donate to this wonderful charity.

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The chief executive of Horticulture NZ is calling for urgent changes to the RMA to protect fruit and vegetable production. Plus she updates the 2024 harvest season and the export prospects for kiwifruit and apples.  

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Today we find the former Ag Minister (now Opposition spokesman for Trade) at Bruce Bay on his bike. On the agenda is trade with India, selling farm land to foreigners and the contentious live animal export industry.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Todd McClay, Te Radar, Glenn Sutton, Doug Avery, and Mark Dillon. 

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We find the Minister of Agriculture and Trade in China and ask him what he's doing there. We also talk about the Methane review, the Woolshed tour and whether he's told the Chinese to keep their hands off our Kiwifruit plants!

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The voice of FMG Young Farmers Contest wraps the last of the regional finals, Northern, where Caleb Eady made it through to the Grand Final in Hamilton in July.

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Is a Dunedin Joiner who's running 617 km (the long way from Milford Sound to Dunedin), over four and a half days, over the hilliest country he can find to raise money for suicide awareness for Farmstrong. He leaves tomorrow. We salute him today and tell you how you can help him raise money and awareness.

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We ask the Resilient Farmer, who's forgotten more about droughts than most farmers can remember if we've seen the end of the Marlborough drought.

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We missed him at our 30th birthday party in Riversdale on Friday (he's the next-door neighbour) and that's because he was in the Waikato winning the NZ Ploughing Championships!

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Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, David Buick, Cameron Bagrie, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Jen Corkran, and Christopher Luxon.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Grant Nisbett, Kit Arkwright, Todd Charteris, Tom Shallard, Eric Roy, Rowena Duncum, Grant McCallum, Damien O’Connor, Sir John Key, Greg Menzies, Barry Soper, Michael Boggs, and Jason Winstanley.

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Grant Nisbett: The legendary rugby commentator soaks in the sights and sounds of the woolshed and talks a bit of footy.

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Beef+Lamb NZ’s chief executive congratulates Mackay on 30 years and talks about how B+LNZ is supporting Kiwi athletes at the 2024 Olympics in Paris - before discussing his favourite cut of lamb.

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The chief executive of Rabobank’s mum lives in Riversdale, so he’s returned from Hamilton to celebrate The Country’s 30th and give an overview of how Kiwi sheep farmers are faring.

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The Country is broadcasting live from Mark and Tania Shallard’s farm. Mark is a bit media-shy so he’s let his son talk about the family’s sheep stud and global markets.

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The local MP for Awarua in 1994, and former Government Chief Whip, is now a Southland farmer. He pops in to say hello to his old mate Mackay and look back on 30 years of farming and politics.

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The Country’s ex-executive producer is in Greymouth for day one of AgFest and she’s found National MP Grant McCallum and former Ag Minister Damien O’Connor to wish Mackay well for 30 years.

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The former Prime Minister makes a surprise phone call to thank Mackay for his “truly remarkable effort” in rural broadcasting.

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Emerson’s Marketing Manager and purveyor of the Tiny Pub congratulate PTS Logistics for getting the pub to Riversdale all the way from Auckland - before talking about what’s on offer behind the bar.

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The Country’s longest-standing political correspondent is also from a Royal Riversdale bloodline. He pays homage to the Mackay family and The Country’s 30 years.

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Mackay cheekily asks NZME’s chief executive for a pay rise before asking him what it’s like to mix with rural New Zealand. Then The Country host says thank you to NZME’s head of radio for putting up with him over the years.

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Jamie Mackay and Grant Nisbett talk to Sir Bill English, Warwick Catto, Don Carson, Graeme Smith, Tim Myers, Murray Deaker, and Chris Russell.

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We catch up with the former National MP for Wallace, and former Prime Minister, who reckons Mackay had “a lot of guts” to stop farming and take up the mic. He reflects on a long political career and comments on the current government. He also reveals how his farming background helped him in politics.

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The 1995 Young Farmer of the Year, and the man responsible for backing the show from day one through SouthFert (later became Ballance Agri-Nutrients). He pays homage to The Country’s legacy and remembers the legendary Christmas parties of the early years, saying “Thank goodness social media wasn’t around back then”.

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The Wool Board’s PR man from 1993-2000 and our second-to-longest serving correspondent. He commends Mackay for ignoring every sales rep who told him there was no commercial future in rural broadcasting.

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The former marketing manager for Ballance Agri-Nutrients and the former chief executive of Norwood - both instrumental in getting the show nationwide - comment on the importance of maintaining friendships outside of business.

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The self-proclaimed star of our Sunday Sports Show in 1994 reminisces about being on air with the team he used to refer to affectionately as “the Hayseeds from Gore”.

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The Country’s Australian correspondent is also the longest-serving since 1994 - only missing one interview in 2004. However, he had a good excuse - he’d had a heart attack the day before and his wife wouldn’t let him talk on air.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Christopher Luxon, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Jen Corkran, Brad Osborne, Rowena Duncum and Tracey Anderson.

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We ask the PM why he aspires to be like Estonia when its GDP per capita is less than New Zealand's. Plus we talk polls, a pay rise for politicians, and (ahead of the OCR) whether Adrian Orr is obsessed with inflation at the expense of everything else in the economy.

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One of New Zealand's leading primary sector academics takes Greenpeace to task - yet again - over the state of the environment. Plus, we discuss living in the 11th happiest country in the world (6th if you're a Boomer!)

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 Rabobank's Senior Animal Protein Analyst previews the bank's April Agribusiness Monthly report (due out tomorrow), with a particular emphasis on her area of expertise, sheep and beef.

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In our monthly look at the markets we find PGG Wrightson Livestock's  Area Manager for Waikato/South Auckland in the Wairarapa looking at weaner calves.

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We preview AgFest, which is on this Friday and Saturday in Greymouth on the beautiful West Coast.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Cameron Bagrie, Dan Shand, Jo Luxton, Grant McCallum, Mark Patterson, and Phil Duncan.

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Ahead of tomorrow’s OCR announcement from Adrian Orr, we ask this independent economist if the Reserve Bank needs to shift the inflation goalposts with the recession starting to bite, according to the latest NZIER survey.

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On Saturday, April 27, one of North Canterbury’s newest trail running events, Skedaddle, will take place at Island Hills Station. All proceeds will go towards conservation efforts in the largest QEII Open Space Covenant in Canterbury, hoping that one day pest numbers will be low enough to return Kiwi to the property.

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We ask Labour’s Agriculture Spokeswoman if, on reflection, and after the election tidal wave kicked Labour to touch, the Ardern/Hipkins Government was far too tough on farmers.

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Today’s farmer/politician panel discusses the Woolshed Roadshow which began yesterday in Masterton and whether they deserve a pay rise.

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There’s an “atmospheric river” heading our way. But it’s not all bad news (provided you’re not on the West Coast) with the drought regions in for some meaningful rain.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Richard McIntyre, Wayne Landford, David Buick, David Seymour, Stu Duncan, and Stu Loe.

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Federated Farmers is claiming a major advocacy win on Parliament’s announcement that it is kicking off an investigation into rural banking and methane targets - the latter being seen as a major win for farmers, fairness, and the New Zealand economy.

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The Wairarapa shearer produced possibly one of the most amazing comebacks in New Zealand sport by winning the New Zealand Shears open shearing final in Te Kuiti, less than three years after a farm accident left him fighting for his life and wondering if he would ever walk again.

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We ask the Act Party leader if taking a pay rise while the public sector faces severe cuts is hypocritical. Plus is Chlöe Swarbrick being mean by saying Seymour is mean to striking school pupils? And what’s gone wrong in the past 64 years? We were the second-richest country in the world in 1960 (GDP per capita) - now we’re 28th.

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We go to the coalface as today’s farmer panel talks about droughts, banks, methane, footy and rowing.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Rob Hewett, Nadia Lim, Carlos Bagrie, Mark Warren, Stefan Vogel, and Christopher Luxon.

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Jamie talks to Sir David Fagan, Chris Hipkins, Chris Brandolino, Tim Dangen, Katie Milne, and Barry Soper. 

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Shearing Legend at NZ Shears in his home town of Te Kuiti. The popular Running of the Sheep is returning to Te Kuiti's main street on Saturday. Hundreds of sheep running through the town, a street festival unique to King Country. Leon Samuels and Keryn Herbert are the favourites for the two big individual events.

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We question the Leader of the Opposition (and Labour) about his State of the Nation speech and his abrupt U-turn on a CGT. We also discuss tax cuts and his relationship with "drunk Uncle Winston". 

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NIWA weather guy on a cold and dry March! What does April have in store? It's Nature's last chance to make good before winter. 

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Today's farmer panel features the 2022 Young Farmer of the Year and a very experienced one, who broke the "grass ceiling" as the first female President of Federated Farmers. 

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Political correspondent on protesting students and Maori wards.

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Jamie Mackay talks to Pita Alexander, Craig Piggott, Jane Smith, Chris Russell, and Peter Nation. 

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We ask a globe-trotting Christchurch farm accountant whether the government should be in the business of farming in the form of Pamu? 

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Is an Ag Entrepeneur and the founder of agri-tech company Halter. We catch up one year on from our last chat when we were talking about Halter's $85 million capital raise. Today we talk about why Halter has diversified into beef farming and why dairy farmers should take advantage of a 37% price drop for the technology.  

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Is a North Otago farmer, and award-winning environmentalist, who's been going in to bat for farmers' property rights this morning and she explains why she's meeting with the Climate Change Commission this afternoon. 

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Our Australian correspondent announces the winner of the Chris Russell Medal at the Royal Easter Show plus we ponder 20 year mega-droughts and who invented the flat white.  

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The chief executive of Fieldays counts the sleeps until Mystery Creek comes alive. And there's 68 of them! 

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Jamie Mackay talks to Christopher Luxon, Stefan Vogel, Simon Till, Conrad Wilkshire, and  "The Bitches Box".

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The PM ponders his pay packet, compared to those of our leading CEOs. Plus we look at his latest 36-point action plan (is it wishy-washy, management jargon?), the fiscal hole and the dwindling tax take from corporate, business and farming.

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RaboResearch General Manager Stefan Vogel discusses the ongoing tensions in the Red Sea and Suez Canal and how this is impacting world trade logistics. We also look at the drought affecting traffic through the other great trade route, the Panama Canal.

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Fonterra's Acting CFO comments on last night's GDT Auction (up 2.8%, WMP + 3.4%, SMP + 1.4%).

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Property Brokers GM Rural gives a huge shout out to Shane McManaway and the team in support of the Zanda McDonald award. Plus he gives us an update on the rural market and explains why he reckons Southland dairy farms are good shopping at the moment.

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Thanks to Farmstrong we yarn to Actors Amelia Dunbar ("Country Bumpkin") and Emma Newborn ("City Slicker"). They're revisiting their most loved dog characters in a fast-paced, multi-character comedy that’s made them “world famous in rural NZ.”  And they're coming to a town near you!

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Jamie Mackay talks to Rob Hewett, Nadia Lim, Carlos Bagrie, Mark Warren, and Hunter McGregor.

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The chair of Silver Fern Farms comments on the slump in red meat prices that has plunged SFF into the red ($24.4 million loss, with revenue down by nearly half a billion dollars).

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We preview Season 2 of "Nadia's Farm", starting tomorrow on Three at 7pm.

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Well-known Hawke's Bay farmer offers some sage advice for farmers facing the triple whammy of drought, low commodity prices and high interest rates. 

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