Listen to The Country online: Farmer confidence with Rabobank’s Bruce Weir

Rabobank's general manager for country banking, Bruce Weir, spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay today. Photo / Chris Hillock, Rabobank

Today on The Country radio show, host Jamie Mackay catches up with Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir to learn more about the bank’s latest Rural Confidence Survey.

On with the show:

Bruce Weir:

The Rabobank general manager for country banking says improved sentiment among sheep and beef farmers has helped drive a third consecutive lift in New Zealand farmer confidence in the first Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey of the year.

Mike McIntyre:

Jarden’s head of commodities says giving only a cursory view you would be forgiven for being excited by last night’s unchanged GDT auction result, [WMP 0.2%, SMP -0.4%, AMF -1.8%, Butter 1.1%, and Cheese 1%] when of course the devil lies in the detail.

Given how the index is compiled, he says the flat overall result may hide some of the more dramatic moves in the numbers that count to New Zealand dairy farmers.

Karen Williams:

The new chief executive of Irrigation NZ (started Feb 24) has her feet under the desk, but has her move cost us a Country cornerstone?

Andy Borland:

The managing director of Scales Corp (and former chairman of Rabobank) is also the spokesman for the Lincoln College Rugby Football Club Reunion on May 23.

The reunion is for those who played for the College before it became a University in 1990.

We also look at the Prime Minister’s trade delegation to India and what tariff-free apples could mean for New Zealand horticulture.

Hunter McGregor:

Our Shanghai-based correspondent is still cautious about any recovery in the Chinese economy but is very optimistic about how their baking sector is good for our dairy industry.

Listen below: