The Country

We find Shanghai-based correspondent back in China where he's battling the heat after a month's holiday back home in New Zealand. He has little by way of good news around the economy but is enjoying Kiwi apples and the prospect of snow skiing in a 20-storey, $1 billion building.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Damien O'Connor, Harry Gaddum, Jim Hopkins, and Kate Acland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Trade spokesperson is back for his "bi-monthly public flogging" on The Country. So what does he make of the 20 Government actions that have freed up the rural economy? And why have we only got 23 million sheep, where we used to have in excess of 70 million? What about the ETS (Emperor's New Clothes) settings update announced by the Government this morning?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Hawkes Bay where this month's Farmstrong farmer tells us his story and surviving and recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is a well known rural commentator who has his say on the rural banking enquiry, the contentious issue of areas of significance to Māori, plus he weighs in on the American election.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has released its annual Stock Number Survey, showing a notable decline in both sheep and cattle numbers as of 30 June 2024. Sheep numbers are estimated to have decreased by 4.3 percent, down to 23.31 million, with breeding ewe numbers falling by 2.9 percent and the lamb crop is anticipated to decrease by 4.8 percent (970,000 head) on last year. Beef cattle numbers are down 2.8 percent overall.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Phil Duncan, Anne-Marie Roerink, Tom O'Sullivan, Nigel Woodhead and Blair Drysdale.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday’s resident weather expert updates the polar vortex blast making its way up the country. Freezing air from Antarctica is spreading into some southern and eastern parts of the South Island and brushing the lower North Island today before being quickly pushed eastwards out over the Pacific Ocean from an incoming high-pressure zone out of Australia on Tuesday/Wednesday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part One: In the first of our series on Global Market Insights with Silver Fern Farms, we travel to sunny Florida to talk to a woman who extols the virtues of “The Power of Meat” as an analyst and commentator of 20 years standing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Two: We ask why chicken is perceived as a more ethical option than beef, and what is the future for meat when all the carnivorous Boomers shuffle off this mortal coil?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.