Listen to The Country online with Jamie Mackay: Rural banking with Antonia Watson

ANZ New Zealand's chief executive Antonia Watson talked about rural banking with The Country's Jamie Mackay.

Today on The Country radio show, host Jamie Mackay catches up with ANZ’s chief executive Antonia Watson, to ask whether farmers are getting a fair deal from their banks.

On with the show:

Antonia Watson: 

We ask the chief executive of ANZ, the country’s biggest bank, with the country’s biggest rural portfolio, if farmers are getting a fair deal when it comes to risk margins for rural lending.

And is the rural and business book subsidising the more competitive residential portfolio? Is the Reserve Bank unfairly penalising banks by making them hold more capital against rural lending? How riskier is rural lending than residential?

Sir Peter Beck:

Guess who was at the King’s Birthday investiture yesterday at Government House, along with the host of The Country - none other than the Rocket Man from Rocket Lab.

The newly-minted knight and futurist gives us a glimpse of what life could be like in 2050.

Jen Corkran: 

Rabobank’s senior animal proteins analyst comments on the improved prospects for the sheepmeat industry, ahead of the release next week of the RaboResearch Report titled: Watering the green shoots in New Zealand sheepmeat.

Nigel Woodhead and Blair Drysdale:

The “Southern Man Farmer Panel” ponders lambing just around the corner and getting crops into the ground. And we celebrate the 2025 FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand final being hosted by Invercargill.

Chris Brandolino:

NIWA’s principal scientist says spring is the troubled teenager of the seasons but can it deliver some rain for North Canterbury?

Listen below: