Rabobank Best of The Country - April 17, 2021

This week on The Best of The Country, Jamie Mackay spoke to Rabobank's Head of Innovation, Knowledge and Networks for Australasia Natalie Gibson about the bank's FoodBytes! programme.

This week's top interviews were:

Jacinda Ardern:

The PM pondered live cattle exports, expanding the travel bubble and MIQ spaces for much-needed horticulture workers and whether knitting in Parliament is acceptable.

Damien O'Connor:

The Minister of Agriculture defended the government's decision to phase out the live animal export trade saying it "won't hurt our economy".

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth:

One of New Zealand's leading farming academics aired her forthright opinions on the demise of the live animal export trade and why we should dismiss the use of agri-chemicals at our peril.

Natalie Gibson:

Rabobank's Head of Innovation, Knowledge and Networks for Australasia discussed the opening of applications for the bank's 2021 Pitch programme for FoodBytes!

Gareth van der Heyden:

We chatted to the chief executive of the country's newest and biggest free-range chook and forestry farm, which officially opened today, and will eventually have 320,000 laying hens roaming over 140ha of afforested land.

Andrew Hoggard:

The President of Federated Farmers said there was no government consultation at all around yesterday's announcement of a ban on live cattle exports from 2023.

Listen below: