The Country Full Show: Wednesday, December 21, 2022

File photo / Andrew Labett

Today on The Country, Jamie Mackay catches up with the Minister for Agriculture and Trade Damien O’Connor, to talk about the Government’s latest announcement on its emissions pricing scheme.

It’s also the penultimate day of The Country’s Countdown to Christmas - find out more here.

On with the show:

Miles Hurrell:

It was a damp squib, akin to the weather. The chief executive of Fonterra reviews the final GDT auction (down 3.8 per cent, WMP - 4.0 per cent, SMP - 4.8 per cent) for 2022, and previews the 2023 year for dairy farmers.

Damien O’Connor:

The Minister of Agriculture and Trade is hardly Santa Claus to the rural sector but has the Government had a sneaky pre-Xmas HWEN dump on farmers? Today they announced changes to their October plan to price agricultural emissions, but Fed Farmers remain opposed saying “vague improvements are simply not enough” and “large concerns and unrealistic timelines remain in place”.

Jim Hopkins:

Who is our resident rural raconteur’s Ag Person of the Year? And what will 2023 hold for rural New Zealand?

Doug Avery and Shane McManaway:

Today’s panel features two farming leaders who’ve done great work, not only on their farms but also in the mental health and health arenas, respectively.

Listen below: