Gisborne auctioneer Neville Clark talks farm to forestry conversion, bull sales on Newstalk ZB’s The Country radio show

PGG Wrightson livestock auctioneer Neville Clark, now a life member of the Poverty Bay A&P Association featured on The Country on Newstalk ZB on Wednesday. Photo / Murray Robertson

Farmland converting to forestry, bull sales, and charity work were among the subjects in a wide-ranging radio interview with colourful Gisborne auctioneer Neville Clark this week.

Jamie Mackay, the founder and host of Newstalk ZB’s show The Country, had a catch-up with Clark, who he introduced as one of the top two livestock auctioneers in New Zealand.

The interview started with Mackay congratulating Clark for the Poverty Bay A&P Assocation life membership bestowed on him at the association’s 150th anniversary event on Saturday.

Clark was one of five people to receive life membership.

“I am not often lost for words, but I was on Saturday night,” he told Mackay. It was a tremendous thrill.”

They also spoke about a subject Clark has strong views on: the loss of farmland to forestry.

Clark said land-use change was the biggest change he had seen in his more than 40 years in the livestock industry.

“We’re starting to see it up here with a lot of land going into forestry - good sheep and beef country that’s going into trees.

“It’s so wrong,” he said. “It’s going to hit a lot of places and 300,000 hectares of farmland has been lost across New Zealand since 2017.

“It always entertains me when people in town say they cannot believe how expensive food is,” he said in reference to the farmland conversion.

“If you keep taking the food away of course it’s going to get bloody dear. It’s not rocket science.”

The pair also talked about the successful bull sales season in Tairāwhiti, including the record East Coast Angus breed sales.

“What a couple of days we had,” Clark said. “The $156,000 Cricklewood record (NZ record sale for a bull) on the Sunday, then the next day the stars aligned again at Tangihau [stud] and a new record was set at $161,000.

Listen to Jamie Mackay interview Neville Clark on The Country below:

“I have never known the beef market to be so buoyant.

“We’re going to see a wonderful spring in this region. We’re wet now and when a little bit of heat turns up, we’re going to have a lot of grass.”

Mackay suggested Clark should be knighted for all the charity work he had done as an auctioneer over the years.

“Neville, you never say ‘no’.”

Clark replied: “Well, if we all do a little, then some don’t have to do so much.”

Clark is auctioneering at an event on Saturday and on September 12 will donate his talents to the Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust Annual Charity Auction.

“I’m happy to do it. It’s one way I’ll get to heaven, I guess.”

As for the October Spring Show, which will mark 150 years of the Poverty Bay A&P Show Association, Clark said it would be a chance for people from throughout the region to once again come together.

“It’s a feel-good event, a great occasion,” Clark said to Mackay.

“We’re going to go all out to make it the best ever.”