Today on The Country, Jamie Mackay looked at some record weather statistics with NIWA's Chris Brandolino, and the outlook for harvesting in the UK with Farmer Tom Martin.
On with the show:
Jacinda Ardern:
The PM ponders improving the lot of our $1.5 billion agri-tech sector, the reasons for the 10 year low in business confidence, and she takes seriously the criticism that forestry is gobbling up some of our best pastoral land.
Farmer Tom Martin:
One month on from our last chat to our UK correspondent, the Cricket World Cup and the prospect of Wimbledon, has seen the late spring/early summer drought break - big time. We also talk about the prospects of Boris Johnson and British cropping farmers.
Chris Brandolino:
NIWA's chief weather scientist looks back on a record-breaking first six months of the year and forward to some much-needed rain for the North Island.
Mike Cronin:
Fonterra's Managing Director of Cooperative Affairs reviews last night's GDT auction which, despite the headlines, made reasonably good reading for dairy farmers (GDT index -0.4 per cent, WMP relatively unchanged).
Jim Hopkins:
Is a rural raconteur who's affronted by the Auckland-based reporting of TVNZ, saying it's insulting to say cows and computers are unlikely bedfellows.
Listen below:
"We could end up with an extra $4b added to incomes."