Listen to The Country online with Jamie Mackay: Golden Shears open winner Leon Samuels

Southland shearer Leon Samuels lets his handpiece do the talking.

Today on The Country, host Jamie Mackay catches up with Leon Samuels, who won the open shearing title at the Golden Shears. Samuels is a man of few words, so Mackay follows him up with the loquacious Jim Hopkins.

On with the show:

Nicola Willis:

In the absence of the PM (who eventually made his way to Australia), we talk to the Minister of Finance about New Zealand’s identity crisis, when we’re going to get back into surplus, and by what moniker will her first Budget (due May 30) be known as?

Leon Samuels:

He’s a Southern Man of few words but he let his handpiece do the talking at Masterton on Saturday night when he took out the open title at the Golden Shears.

Jim Hopkins:

From a man of few words to a man of plenty! This rural raconteur takes issue with The Country’s host, the broadcasting of the Young Farmer Grand Final, Sky’s treatment of Heartland Rugby and, of course, the Hurricane’s women’s haka.

Komal Mistry-Mehta:

We review last night’s GDT auction (down 2.3 per cent, whole milk powder - 2.8 per cent, skim milk powder - 5.2 per cent) with Fonterra’s chief innovation and brand officer.

Murray Elwood:

In our monthly Farmstrong interview, we profile a Nelson-based beekeeper with 35 years of experience in the industry. Currently, the price businesses are getting for their honey is less than the cost of production. Today we discuss how one man got himself out of a hole and where is his go-to happy place for his mental health.

Listen below: