The Country

The Prime Minister makes his final appearance for 2025. He ponders the December Situation and Outlook for the Primary Industries (SOPI), the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), a surprise Christmas dinner guest and his Ag Person of the Year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra’s chief executive comments on another disappointing Global Dairy Trade Auction overnight, down 4.4%, the ninth drop in a row. Is a payout beginning with an “8″ now on the cards? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Otago farmer, award-winning environmentalist and Groundswell poster child - or is she? Today, she has Ikea, carbon farming and wind turbines in her sights. Plus, we get her Ag Person of the Year.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Shanghai-based correspondent finds some long-awaited “green shoots” in the Chinese economy and goes one better in his Ag Person of the Year. He has his Ag Industry in China Awards! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our long-standing rural raconteur chips in with his Ag Person of the Year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Ray Smith, Damien O'Connor, Nadia Lim, Carlos Bagrie, Mark de Lautour, and Peter Newbold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Director General of MPI reviews the December Situation and Outlook for the Primary Industries (SOPI) that was released this morning. Kiwi farmers, growers, and primary producers are driving New Zealand’s economy with food and fibre exports set to reach a record $62 billion for the year to June 30, 2026. The sector now accounts for 83% of all NZ goods exports.  See omnystudio.com/lis...

Labour’s Trade Spokesman joins us for our final argument of 2025! Plus, we discuss SOPI, an FTA with India and O'Connor's Ag Person of the Year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A celebrity cook and a celebrity farmer discuss Nadia’s Farm Kitchen and Carlos’ Nuffield Scholarship thesis in what has been a very busy 2025 for New Zealand’s power farming couple.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chief executive of Open Country Dairy has been on the acquisition and soothsaying trails in 2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The GM of PGG Wrightson Real Estate and Livestock wraps a good year for both divisions of his company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Mike Casey, Riley Kennedy, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, and Phil Duncan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party leader makes his final appearance for 2025 as we discuss tomorrow’s Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (Hyefu). Plus, who is his Ag Person of the Year? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The founder of Cromwell-based Electric Cherries plays Santa on The Country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rural editor at BusinessDesk names his Ag Person of the Year, and he’s gone for Mark Wynne, the former chairman of the Alliance Group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand’s leading primary sector academics talks rubbish, nitrates in drinking water, getting dry in Waikato, and her Ag Person of the Year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday’s weatherman has a spring-like forecast and his Ag Person of the Year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Lorin Clarke, Emma Higgins, Professor Will Happer, Kate Acland, and Winston Peters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Chris Brandolino, Tim Dangen, Hugh Jackson, Blair McLean, Jane Hunter, and Hamish McKay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday’s Weather Guy, and native New Yorker, on the dry in New Zealand and his favourite American President. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s farmer panel features the 2022 and 2025 Young Farmers of the Year, respectively.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Marlborough to give you the chance to win some cherries and bubbles for Christmas.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s McKay on Sport as we head to the Feilding stock sale yards to ponder Hamish’s 2025 Ag Sports Person of the Year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Emma Higgins, Winston Peters, Kate Acland, Hayes Garland, and Chris Russell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global dairy market is expected to face a period of weaker commodity prices following "stunning" global milk production growth across the second half of 2025, according to Rabobank, in its  Q4 Global Dairy Quarterly Report.   So is a $9 milk price now on the cards? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.