Today on The Country, Jamie Mackay spoke to Rabobank chief executive Todd Charteris, about the bank's latest Rural Confidence Survey.
On with the show:
Winston Peters:
The NZ First leader blames some of the lack of farmer confidence on the current Labour government, even though he put them in there.He also comments on the Climate Change Commission and his old mate Sir Don McKinnon, even though he took the Deputy PM's job off him.
The North Otago farmer and award-winning environmentalist takes us on a history tour today by comparing New Zealand farmers to the Russian Kulaks - relatively prosperous peasants who own a farm.
Todd Charteris:
Rabobank's chief executive says spiralling costs for a host of key farm inputs - including fuel, fertiliser, feed and labour - have driven a sharp drop in sentiment among the nation's food producers. The latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey has found that farmer confidence is now at its lowest level since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.