The Country

Interviews are with Blair McLean, Jacinda Ardern, Dr Tim Mackle, John McWhirter and Blake Holgate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our US correspondent comments on Hurricane Ida heading north, life under Covid on his Kentucky farm, anti-vaxers, Joe Biden and the retreat from Iraq. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westpac's Rural Economist comments on equity markets defying gravity, the OCR on hold, a settled exchange rate, record food price inflation around the world and some excellent prospects for red meat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to West Auckland (Henderson Valley) to update the flash floods that have seen up to 50 houses evacuated and farmland inundated with up to 200mls of rain in half a day. And we ask one of the country's leading comedians how he keeps his chin up in the face of Level 4 lockdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interviews are with Te Radar, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Nathan Penny, Nadine Tunley and Todd Clark. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask the chief executive of Horticulture NZ how the industry is handling Level 4 lockdown and what challenges the split-level lockdowns will pose at Auckland's border, especially at Pukekohe, the vegetable basket of New Zealand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand's leading farming academics says if we think the price of food (2.8 per cent pa) is getting out of hand in New Zealand, then we "ain't seen nothing yet" with the FAO's global food price index running at 31 per cent for the past 12 months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Waikato dairy farm manager has written a column for The Country website on how to stay sane in Level 4 lockdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk to the 2016 and 2018 winners, respectively, of the Zanda McDonald Award and encourage other innovative young professionals in Australasian agriculture to do likewise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk to National's new Agriculture spokeswoman who replaced David Bennett in a surprise announcement from Judith Collins on Saturday morning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hawkes Bay farmer and former NZ Trade Envoy and Chairman of Beef + Lamb NZ talks about life on the farm in lockdown and about some of the real challenges facing the NZ export supply chain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interviews are with Phil Duncan, Mike Petersen, Barbara Kuriger, Dean Rabbidge, Thomas McDonald and Sam Owen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interviews are with Dame Susan Devoy, Jane Smith, Genevieve Steven, Don Carson, Julia Jones and Judith Collins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We find our Australian correspondent in Geraldton WA, as we discuss rugby in Perth, a trans-Tasman working dog challenge, $1330 in-lamb ewes and tank drivers driving headers! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our political correspondent plays "Jacinda Bingo" with today's 3pm announcement. Plus, we ponder potential changes to Covid Alert Levels. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Norwood's Brand Ambassador talks life on the Taranaki Dairy farm under Level 4 lockdown and we look forward to a bit of footy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take our monthly look at the wool market with the South Island Procurement Manager for PGG Wrightson Wool. Shearing is still happening on-farm but what about what about selling it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the challenges the [dormant under Level 4] forestry industry is facing with the spokesperson from the Forest Owners Association. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The President of Federated Farmers comments on the government's backdown on controversial pugging and resowing date rules. These have now been replaced with a practical management approach under the revised intensive winter grazing proposals, which have just been released for public consultation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interviews are with Andrew Hoggard, Don Carson, Chris Russell, Rob Cochrane, Smiley Barrett and Barry Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask the co-founder of Groundswell if rural NZ has turned into a "bunch of whingers" and if his "Can you hear us" protest tomorrow at 12-30pm is appropriate under Level 4 lockdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Mt Lyford to yarn to Rabobank's newly appointed animal proteins analyst who comments on the bank's latest Beef Quarterly Report, which is very bullish for pricing over the next few months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue our series looking at how leading New Zealand rural businesses are operating under Level 4 lockdown. Today it's the turn of PGG Wrightson's GM of Livestock and Real Estate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask the Opposition Leader if she's stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to her Covid response and holding the government to account. Plus, is it true the National caucus had an almighty bust up over Zoom? And does she think farmers have turned into a bunch of whingers? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interviews are with Judith Collins, Chris Brandolino, Peter Newbold, Genevieve Steven and Bryce McKenzie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.