Ag in Conversation

Emily Walker and Myfanwy Alexander

Emily and Myfanwy, two friends and agri-optimists from Otago, NZ, sit down weekly to digest the hottest topics in the world of ag. Aiming to bring a deeper level of discussion and understanding to the issues and opportunities faced by agriculture and rural communities both in NZ and around the globe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    Election Watch: Farming, Markets & What Comes Next

    EP 144 | Election Watch: Farming, Markets & What Comes Next With the election looming, we're checking back in on what the major parties are offering New Zealand agriculture — and, importantly, what's changed since our last Election Watch. We look at the latest policy announcements affecting farmers, from water infrastructure, consenting and fertiliser security to fuel costs, investment incentives, climate policy and environmental regulation. But first, we're heading offshore for three stories with some fascinating implications for New Zealand agriculture. 🥩 A halal certification issue has disrupted NZ meat exports to the UAE — highlighting just how quickly non-tariff barriers can affect market access. 🐄 An Irish dairy-beef research project is looking at how better genetics, calf selection and management can turn dairy-origin calves into valuable beef animals. What could New Zealand learn as we continue tackling the bobby calf challenge? 🦌 And NZ farmed venison could soon be feeding around 5,000 US Army cadets at West Point, as American demand grows for venison as a lean, premium protein. Then we finish with our pre-election deep dive: what's new, what's relevant to agriculture, and which policies could actually make a difference at the farm gate? Join Myfanwy Alexander and Emily Walker for another Ag in Conversation. Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast. Sign up to our newsletter HERE HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander Intro/outro copyright info Track: "Sunrise Instr" Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Election Watch: Farming, Markets & What Comes Next
  2. Oct 1

    El Nino, not all sunshine and warm winds

    EP 140 | El Nino, not all sunshine and warm winds 🌧️ Weather. 🥛 Milk price. 🌲 Carbon farming. 🗳️ An election looming. There’s plenty to talk about in NZ agriculture this week. We start down south, where farmers in Southland and on the West Coast are battling relentless wet conditions — and take a moment to acknowledge the very real pressure that puts on people, stock and farming systems. Then we look ahead at El Niño. What could a strong event mean for pasture growth, feed costs and farm profitability — and does a $9.50 milk price still look quite so exciting if breakeven starts nudging $9/kgMS? Fonterra has delivered a huge FY26 result, so we unpack the numbers and ask what the post-Mainland version of our biggest co-op might look like . Then we're talking trees 🌲 — specifically carbon forestry, whole-farm conversions and whether the ETS is creating the right incentives for NZ's productive land and rural communities. And finally: Election Watch is here. 🗳️ With the election approaching and agricultural policy starting to come thick and fast, we're looking past the slogans at what the parties are actually proposing — and what those policies could mean on farm. 🎙️ All that, plus the usual opinions, tangents and agricultural chat, on this week's Ag in Conversation. Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast. Sign up to our newsletter HERE HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander Intro/outro copyright info Track: "Sunrise Instr" Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    El Nino, not all sunshine and warm winds
  3. Sep 17

    So… What Did We Miss?

    EP 138 | 🎙️ So… What Did We Miss? We’re back! After a few weeks buried in calving, we’ve finally emerged to discover that global agriculture certainly didn’t take a break while we did. This week, we’re catching up on some of the biggest ag stories from around the world. 🌾 Europe has been cooked by heat and drought — while farmers face the ugly combination of falling output prices and rising input costs. 🌽 A monster Argentinian corn crop is helping redraw global grain trade as war in Ukraine, European drought and Brazil’s growing appetite for corn all shift where the world buys its feed. 🇺🇸🇨🇳 China is buying American soybeans again — but is it about supply, economics or geopolitics? 🐄 The US is running seriously short of cattle, beef prices are soaring and the response has been to open the door to more imported beef. So what does that mean for farmers trying to rebuild the herd — and is there an opportunity for NZ? 🥛 Back home, global dairy supply has finally caught up with demand, putting some pressure on milk prices. And tying it all together: global food prices are rising again. There’s a LOT to catch up on. No deep dive this week — the news has given us quite enough to talk about. Can you help one of our listeners out? He is currently undertaking a Kellogg research project focused on awareness of chemical resistance and future-proofing productivity. If you have a few mins can you fill out his survey. Thank you https://lnkd.in/euPEbsHA Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast. Sign up to our newsletter HERE HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander Intro/outro copyright info Track: "Sunrise Instr" Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    So… What Did We Miss?

About

Emily and Myfanwy, two friends and agri-optimists from Otago, NZ, sit down weekly to digest the hottest topics in the world of ag. Aiming to bring a deeper level of discussion and understanding to the issues and opportunities faced by agriculture and rural communities both in NZ and around the globe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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