Listen: 'I think he's done a damn good job' - Grant McCallum on John Wilson

Fonterra chairman John Wilson has stepped down. Photo / Jason Oxenham

It's no secret that Grant McCallum is a fan of the National party, so the Northland cow cocky was in heaven at last weekend's National Party Conference.

McCallum bombarded The Country's Jamie Mackay with photos of his meeting with Sir John Key and other prominent National party members, along with former Australian PM John Howard.

It was safe to say McCallum was still slightly giddy on today's show.

Steve Wyn-Harris didn't make it to the National Party Conference but he says they are a more effective opposition party than Labour was.

Talk soon moves to John Wilson stepping down as Fonterra chairman. McCallum says Wilson was a "really strong co-op man."

"He really understood what it meant to be a part of the Fonterra shareholders ... John's had some tough things to deal with ... but overall I think he's done a damn good job."

Listen below:

John Monaghan has been appointed Fonterra's new chairman and Mackay wonders if this will be more of the same from the co-op. McCallum disagrees saying "you might want to have a tweak at the CEO but we don't need a lot of significant change at both significant leader levels in an organisation."

Wyn-Harris says he thinks Fonterra had no choice but to choose Monaghan, "because he's the one who has been there for a couple of terms."

Also in today's interview: Wyn-Harris and McCallum give an update on what's happening on farm.