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Federated Farmers is calling on Revenue Minister Simon Watts to rule out new changes to the Fringe Benefit tax that would impact utes. The IRD has proposed major changes to the way FBT applies to utes and farmers are concerned this would set them back thousands of dollars a year. Federated Farmers' transport spokesperson Mark Hooper says this issue started drawing in more attention post-Fieldays. "We've had a little bit of communication with the minister's office - as I said, we looked at it from a farm perspective, we could see that there were some issues with the categories they had laid out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dozens of innovators showed off their wares at Fieldays, offering solutions to problems - and a bit of hope From waterway-mapping robots to leather made from kiwifruit, Kiwi innovation on display at the southern hemisphere's biggest rural expo…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
As much as we tried to celebrate last week's excellent economic numbers regarding the food and fibre, the bullishness of Fieldays, the boost in elective surgery and the boom in teacher numbers, what you can't ignore is the manufacturing read for April. It hit a brick wall. It fell over six points and is below the 50 point expansionary mark. A couple of key things about that - while services and sentiment and spending figures have been bad manufacturing, for months now, has been on the increase each and every month. It has been above 50, it has been growing. It has been a significant green shoot in the overall economic picture. The other thing is employment. That is a sub category that had its biggest reversal in the history of the index. What makes this worse? For those of you saying "oh, it will be Trump", the experts don't think it is. So the big question is, how much of it is the world? Remember the World Bank last week reduced global growth all over the place. So how much of it is the world vs how much of it is the U.S? Has New Zealand Inc hit a tough spot? For trainspotters it was suggested fairly far and wide at the time that April and May seemed to be an issue. All the momentum that we felt we had at the start of the year had suddenly run out of puff. These numbers would tend to suggest the vibe was real. Ironically this week we get the GDP figures for Q1, that's January, February and March, and the broad consensus is that we will have seen good growth. They think about 0.7% for the quarter. If you annualised that out it gives you a number very close to 3%, which anyone would take in this troubled and turbulent world. But we can't annualise it out, not with manufacturing numbers like this. It might be short term. It may involve the Reserve Bank and that idea they had that things were a bit neutral and therefore not needing a gee up. They may well be hopelessly wrong. Politically it's a hole in the head the Government don't need, because its not like they aren't pedalling fast. But when one of your major economic reads that was good, now isn't, it doesn't take an economics degree to recognise a big, fat, red flag. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As much as we tried to celebrate last week's excellent economic numbers regarding the food and fibre, the bullishness of Fieldays, the boost in elective surgery and the boom in teacher numbers, what you can't ignore is the manufacturing read for April. It hit a brick wall. It fell over six points and is below the 50 point expansionary mark. A couple of key things about that - while services and sentiment and spending figures have been bad manufacturing, for months now, has been on the increase each and every month. It has been above 50, it has been growing. It has been a significant green shoot in the overall economic picture. The other thing is employment. That is a sub category that had its biggest reversal in the history of the index. What makes this worse? For those of you saying "oh, it will be Trump", the experts don't think it is. So the big question is, how much of it is the world? Remember the World Bank last week reduced global growth all over the place. So how much of it is the world vs how much of it is the U.S? Has New Zealand Inc hit a tough spot? For trainspotters it was suggested fairly far and wide at the time that April and May seemed to be an issue. All the momentum that we felt we had at the start of the year had suddenly run out of puff. These numbers would tend to suggest the vibe was real. Ironically this week we get the GDP figures for Q1, that's January, February and March, and the broad consensus is that we will have seen good growth. They think about 0.7% for the quarter. If you annualised that out it gives you a number very close to 3%, which anyone would take in this troubled and turbulent world. But we can't annualise it out, not with manufacturing numbers like this. It might be short term. It may involve the Reserve Bank and that idea they had that things were a bit neutral and therefore not needing a gee up. They may well be hopelessly wrong. Politically it's a hole in the head the Government don't need, because its not like they aren't pedalling fast. But when one of your major economic reads that was good, now isn't, it doesn't take an economics degree to recognise a big, fat, red flag. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's REX Daily Podcast, Dom talks with WeatherWatch CEO Phil Duncan about winning the prestigious Agricultural Communicator of the Year Award at Fieldays, what the award means to him and what the rest June has in store up and down the country... He talks with Coby Warmington (Te Mahurehure, Ngāpuhi) about being named the winner of the 2025 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award, his work as farm manager with Waima Topu Beef in the South Hokianga and his future farming plans... And he talks with DairyNZ CEO Campbell Parker from Mystery Creek about the latest 'View from the Cowshed' report, released at Fieldays, the major talking points and the headwinds facing the sector this season and beyond. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.
Dom talks with DairyNZ CEO Campbell Parker from Mystery Creek about the latest 'View from the Cowshed' report, released at Fieldays, the major talking points and the headwinds facing the sector this season and beyond. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.
Dom talks with WeatherWatch CEO Phil Duncan about winning the prestigious Agricultural Communicator of the Year Award at Fieldays, what the award means to him and what the rest June has in store up and down the country. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.
Included in this episode of the EV Quest Podcast- new models from BYD heading to Oz and NZ, highlights from the recent Fieldays event, Deals of the Week, Melbourne EV event and Riz on TV. Channel 7 link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf8g4p7QR_oMelbourne International EV AutoShow - https://www.futuredriveauto.au/melb/ev25
SummaryThis is our yearly podcast from Fieldays, we cover how Fieldays was for us, plus we mix in our normal randomness, technology and life as well, which included:Sam and his trip to and from Fieldays, Spider Web 2.0 operation, a glacier collapse, robo centipedes and more.All the Fieldays interviews will be coming out individually very soon, so keep an eye out for them.LinksFieldaysKapiti Liquors Spider Web 2.0Glacier CollapseJiu Jitsu beginner left paralyzedRobo centipedes to help with weeds Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From gumboots to tractors to camo, Fieldays has had it all - including multiple government announcements and political parties of all stripes.
This week Country Life is out and about at Fieldays, meets a boy with a side hustle farming quail eggs, and chats around the kitchen table with the Harvey family about their century of farming.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:41 - Rural News Wrap7:45 - Rural Women NZ at 10015:45 - The Quail Kid - cracking the egg market aged 1227:45 - From generation to generation - a century at DaisybankWith thanks to guests:Sandra Matthews, Rural Women New ZealandHamish Sturgeon & Giovanni VicoThe Harvey FamilyMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nici Wickes has been out at Fieldays for the last few days, checking out a few products and cooking up a storm. She joined Jack to round up some of her foodie highlights, as well as share her ‘super simple' Korean-style rump steak recipe that's been popular among the other visitors. Korean Beef and Spring Onions If I have to pick a steak to cook, I'll go with rump every time as it's so darn tasty! It's great for a quick fry or grill. Ingredients 3 tbsp caster sugar 6 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for grilling 2 tbsp sesame oil Squeeze lemon juice or 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 3 cloves garlic, grated 500g rump steak 6-8 spring onions, sliced Toasted sesame seeds, to serve Method In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, soy sauce, oils, lemon juice, ginger and garlic. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cut steak into .5cm strips across the grain and add this to the marinade. Massage the marinade into the meat and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Brush spring onions with oil. Cook beef and spring onions on a BBQ plate or in a hot pan. Baste with leftover marinade as they cook. The beef strips will only need about 30-45 seconds then give them a turn and cook for a further 15 seconds. Pile it all on a place and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with rice or soft white buns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The latest and greatest in agricultural technology is being celebrated at Fieldays.
On the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Full Show Podcast for the 13th of June 2025 - Air safety was top of mind after the shocking Air India crash. Aviation Commentator Peter Clark shared his thoughts and then it was over to the listeners for their stories of flying. Make sure you hear Deborah's depiction of her crash landing in Perth. Then on the back of Fieldays 2025, rural New Zealanders talk about how the rest of the country perceives them. And to finish - what generation is the worst behaved in bars? Plus the Matt & Tyler New Zealander of the Week and our Call of The Week and some random stuff about how many holes a straw has and wearing matching exercise gear. Get the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Podcast every weekday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing Kevin and Nicole Oppert as part of the new series of Milking It on REX brought to you by Dairy Women’s Network in association with Figured and CMK. Dom catches up with the pair at Fieldays at Mystery Creek to find out about their farming operation and why they want to be part of the Milking It series. Stay tuned for more episodes coming to you on REX, wherever you listen.
This week the Gals chat about Fieldays and who is up and who is down with farmers, the country's new stalking legislation, a jet setting senior citizen and a report about Tamariki Māori in state care. Brigitte gets a telling off for weird pronunciation, Esther deals with literal s**t and Georgie admits to not caring about privacy. Yass Queen gets contentious, and Beehave Mate sparks a conspiracy. Question Time: Will Chris Hipkins be leader of the Opposition at the next election?
In this episode: Market Insights | Dwindling sheep numbers worrying exporters1:36 – AgriHQ analyst Alex Coddington reveals some worrying data about our sheep population. Numbers are down and processors are struggling to find stock to export.Feature | Checking out the herd at Fieldays7:15 – Fieldays is underway at Mystery Creek and senior reporter Richard Rennie is there taking in the sights and sounds. In our feature interview he talks with herd-i chief executive Liz Muller about whether farmers are spending this year and how the company is tracking.Feds Focus | Petition to use KiwiSaver for property investment17:41 – Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre chats about the petition they've launched to try and get the government to make good on its promise to allow farmers to use their KiwiSaver to invest in property. Right now they're not allowed if they don't live in the house they buy.The Final Word22:10 – The Ahuwhenua Trophy was another fantastic celebration of Māori farming. But are we doing enough in the food and fibre sector to support this primary powerhouse? And, isn't it time we adopted the mindset these great farmers have to improve the lot of every farmer?
At Fieldays, exhibitors from around the country - and the world - come to show off the latest farming innovations…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
While farmers are treated to record dairy and meat prices, mental health is still a massive issue with disproportionately high suicide rates in rural areas. Huge work loads, isolation and lots of financial pressure can all take a toll. A $3 million funding boost for the Rural Support Trust has been a welcome announcement at Fieldays in Hamilton, but has now sparked calls for more clinical psychologists in rural areas. Alexa Cook reports.
As many as 100,000 people are expected through the southern hemisphere's biggest agricultural event this week. Fieldays chief executive Richard Lindroos spoke to Corin Dann.
It's Fieldays this week - and it coincides with a poll finding just 3 per cent of farmers support Labour, while 54 per cent back National. Why is National seemingly the party of farmers? Also, should farmers be able to use their Kiwisaver to purchase their first farm or herd? To answer those questions, Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and National's Mike Butterick, live from Fieldays, joined Nick Mills for Politics Thursday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's all go at Fieldays 2025, and the Country's Jamie Mackay is taking it all in. Farmers are in a better mood as primary export figures soar - and business is booming. Jamie Mackay recaps the mood of day two of Fieldays. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fieldays is underway at Mystery Creek and senior reporter Richard Rennie is there taking in the sights and sounds. In our feature interview he talks with herd-i chief executive Liz Muller about whether farmers are spending this year and how the company is tracking.
It's day two at Fieldays - where organisers expect as many as 100-thousand people to come through the event.
Huge numbers are rolled into Fieldays in Hamilton as it kicked off, and it's expected many dairy farmers especially will be feeling flush. A record farmgate price for the 2024 to 2025 season combined with the government's move to allow farmers to deduct 20 percent off new farm equipment from their taxable income means the rural sector is looking in good shape. The Minister of Agriculture also announced a four million dollar boost to rural wellbeing and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon added that he wants farmers to know they are "deeply loved" by the government. Alexa Cook reports.
As part of Fieldays, Federated Farmers have done the most interesting survey. It is a snapshot, like them all. But the numbers for one lot are so stark, alarm bells should be ringing. So, who would a farmer vote for? You would say National and you would be right. Broadly the farming community is conservative, always has been. That, partly, is because they are their own masters, they are hard workers, they are self-reliant, they are at the cutting edge of the economy, and they know how life works. So 54% said they'd vote for National and 19% said ACT. Here is where it gets interesting and/or alarming. 8% said they'd vote for NZ First. They're the only party with farmers at about the same level as they are nationally. Labour is on 3%. How bad is that? Even with a margin of error, even with a massive margin of error, Labour should be shocked at that figure. Every party has their sweet spot, some parties more overtly so, e.g. the Greens and environmentalists, or communists. ACT have some upmarket urban liberals. New Zealand First having a provincial number higher than the city wouldn't surprise me But National and Labour, as major parties should be, by their very nature are broad-based. After all, it is Labour and National, and Labour and National alone, that will lead any given Government on any given day. You have to at least have a half-decent level of support even in your weakest areas. Farming is particularly important, given we are a farming nation, the foreign receipts we get from the land and the value of our free trade deals. To have a major party so out of touch with such a large sector strikes me as being astonishing, if not embarrassing, if not unheard of. My suspicion is the current version of Labour is particularly unpalatable, and this is going to be their major issue next year. For all voters the damage done to the country is still fresh in most of our minds, but no more so than farmers. The climate obsession, special land area designation, Three Waters with Māori overreach, no gas, and more paperwork. Farmers hated it. A lot of us hated it. But in general polls Labour are competitive. On the land they are pariahs. At 3% that is a massive hill for Hipkins and co to climb between now and October next year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today on the radio show. 1 - Smoko Chat - Show Boss Tiegs' birthday! 4 - Arnold Schwarzenegger has a new song 7 - Dunc's broken dishwasher 11 - Stupid things that cost heaps 14 - Being at Fieldays in 2025 means 18 - Kid heckles a teacher 22 - Brad the boss has some new skincare 27 - Laughable Injuries 30 - Men's health check https://bit.ly/4l4QDw3 33 - Mind benders 36 - Self-Help Singh on pay reviews 38 - Late mail 41 - Last drinks Get in touch with us: https://linktr.ee/therockdrive
On today's First Up pod: we check in with our people around the world, around the regions, and talk politics with Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni; at Fieldays, Barry Dawe chats about the ride-on lawn mower racing and golfing legend Ryan Fox joins us - fresh from winning the Canadian Open, and now he's getting to know the greens in Pennsylvania ahead of the US Open First Up - Voice of the Nathan!
FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Wednesday on Newstalk ZB) Your Council Is Shafting You from Every Angle/Education the British Way/It's Not Just for Farmers/Retirement or Death?/We're Moving SouthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dom talks with Power Farming CEO Tom Ruddenklau about the government's 'Invest Boost' initiative and whether it's having an impact, the geopolitical effects on agribusiness and the inaugural Fieldays ball held last night. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.
Dom talks with ACT MP Andrew Hoggard from Fieldays at Mystery Creek about an operational agreement between the agricultural sector and the Government on foot and mouth disease readiness and response, his upcoming announcement on a new 'nature credits' initiative and why MPI has proposed an increase to the amount of glyphosate allowed to be left on New Zealand wheat, barley and oats. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.
Dom talks with Farmlands CEO Tanya Houghton at Fieldays at Mystery Creek about Farmlands Flex, an energy platform which enables New Zealand farmers to generate and sell electricity into the spot market when prices are highest, how it combines solar, battery storage and market integration software and the other potential benefits for farmers. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.
The largest agricultural expo in the Southern Hemisphere, one of the largest business expos in the Southern Hemisphere, has opened its gates this morning, and exhibitors are ready to do business. That hasn't always been the case in Fieldays' 57 year history – the rural economy has had its ebbs and flows over the years, and Fieldays in Hamilton has felt them. Confidence has waxed and waned, but not this year. This year, you've got the Massey Ferg's descending on the Tron in their droves. This year the feeling is bullish, according to Richard Lindroos, the CEO of the National Fieldays. “They say down here it's a bit of a positive vibe going on. Everything's going the right direction. We have certainty now in terms of where the prices are and the forecasts are pretty good, so we expect the rural community to open up the wallets at Fieldays. I think you're going to see those large capital expenditure, and the more certainty you have from the farming community, the better it will be. So our exhibitors down here, and we have over 1200, are looking forward to gates opening at 8am today. We go right through to Saturday. Saturday is Super Saturday, so I'm looking forward to even the townies coming down.” Absolutely. It's an amazing event. I've had the privilege of going a couple of times —working and as a spectator— and it's enormous amounts of fun, and enormous amounts of business is done in the good years. And as Richard referred to when he was talking to Mike Hosking this morning, he's expecting the wallets to be open, because there have been good prices in the agricultural sector for the farmers, and also one of the big ticket items in the Government's 2025 Budget was ‘Investment boost'. The facility that allows businesses to deduct 20% of a new assets value from that year's taxable income on top of normal depreciation. There was a good example in the Herald: let's say a company invests in a machine worth $100,000, or a farmer if you will, that depreciates over 10 years, assuming a 10% straight line depreciation rate. Previously the company would have been able to deduct $10,000 worth of depreciation each year from its taxable income. Under investment boost, it could make a $20,000 upfront deduction, followed by $8,000 in depreciation deductions each year, including in year one. So you can see that that would have an impact. The Government hopes the change will significantly increase productivity by encouraging businesses to invest in new assets now, rather than waiting for the economy to improve. You might have heard that yesterday when we were talking the solar power interest-free loan from ASB for farmers to invest in solar power technology. We had a farmer who rang in, he had actually got his loan through ANZ, but he said he'd been looking at solar power for a while and he just wasn't in a position to make that kind of upfront investment. This year he can and has. So there's more money going on farm and into farmer's pockets. The investment boost, it is hoped, will see farmers and other businesses investing in new technology to allow for increased productivity. Is that what's going to happen? If you're heading to Fieldays, are you going there with the express aim to invest in new technology, technology you might have had your eye on for a while but you haven't been in a position to do anything about it until prices improved, and until you gets a commitment from the government like investment boost. Does investment boost, now you've had time to let it settle, mean that you are going to be investing in the kind of technology that's going to boost your productivity? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There's more than 1200 exhibitors at Fieldays - including Shelley Houston, founder of KiwiLeather Innovations, a company turning kiwifruit waste into leather products.
Over 100,000 people from across the country are expected to walk through the gates at the National Fieldays this year. Fieldays chief executive Richard Lindroos spoke to Corin Dann.
Government ministers will be arriving at Fieldays on mass on Wednesday as the country looks to the agricultural sector to drive the economy over the next year. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay spoke to Corin Dann.
In today's episode, government ministers will be arriving at Fieldays on mass as the country looks to the agricultural sector to drive the economy over the next year, Federated Farmers believe this year's Fieldays is likely to be one of the most positive, the government will be hoping tractor sales are tracking upward at Fieldays with a new tax incentive for farm machinery, it is now the fourth day of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Los Angeles, and 11 people, including the gunman, have died in a shooting at an Austrian high school in the city of Graz.
Groundswell has been ramping up a campaign for the government to pull out of the Paris Agreement - a legally binding international treaty on climate change - in the run up to Fieldays. Co-founder Bryce McKenzie spoke to Corin Dann.
The government will be hoping tractor sales are tracking upward at Fieldays with a new tax incentive for farm machinery. CNH business manager John Gilbert spoke to Corin Dann.
Vendors are preparing for more than 100,000 people who are expected through the gates of Fieldays over the next few days. Producer Ellen O'Dwyer spoke to some of them.
Federated Farmers say this year's Fieldays is likely to be one of the most positive. Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford spoke to Corin Dann.
On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 11th of June, we've got a new mental health report that shows the $1.9 billion spent has seemingly been wasted, and we talk all things energy with Meridian. Fieldays begins today and is sure to be successful, considering how well the rural sector has been doing of late. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk the new stalking laws, the regulatory standards bill, and solar power on Politics Wednesday. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fieldays kicks off at Mystery Creek today. The rural sector's somewhat bullish from its record profits across dairy and red meat, and pundits are expecting farmers to be “speaking with their wallets”. Big crowds are expected, with many looking to take advantage of the new tax rebate on the big ticket items. CEO of National Fieldays Richard Lindroos told Mike Hosking it's the largest agribusiness event in the southern hemisphere, with over 100,000 going through the gates over the four days. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fieldays is back for another year, kicking off next week at Hamilton's Mystery Creek. It's the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural event and is well known for launching cutting edge technology in the farming sector.
Niwa's weather guy on winter’s arrival and the long-range winter forecast. Will it be warmer and wetter? Plus, we go shorter term with a Fieldays forecast for next week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the absence of Winston Peters, we yarn to the 2023 Young Farmer of the Year about Fieldays and the wind up of the 24/25 dairy season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Six sleeps to go, and we continue the countdown with the new chief executive of Fieldays.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The president of Federated Farmers and poster boy for Toyota, Yamaha and One NZ. We discuss “Save Our Sheep” billboards in Wellington and the Feds’ banking survey. Plus, the Fish & Game announcement today - its advocacy function is under review. Also, Federated Farmers is at Fieldays next week – where can people find them and what will they focus on?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Winter’s here this week, and it’s Fieldays next week. We look out a week for a Waikato forecast with WeatherWatch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Prime Minister has told UK climate scientists to “send their letters to other countries”, after they accused the government of ignoring scientific evidence over methane emissions. Plus, we yarn about Winston and David, Landcorp and NZ Post, Jacinda’s book and Fieldays.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.