CountryWide Connect

New Zealand's new daily video/radio show

CountryWide CONNECT is a daily rural video and audio livestreamed show broadcast from 11am – 1pm Monday-Friday.

The show will be hosted by respected award-winning agribusiness broadcasters, Sarah Perriam-Lampp (formerly Sarah’s Country & Rural Exchange) and Andy Thompson (formerly The Rural Round-Up).

Over two hours, Sarah & Andy will cover news, views, politics but most importantly in-depth technical farming advice to help improve farmers bottom lines!

How do I listen and/or watch?

DOWNLOAD THE APP:
The best way to keep up with CountryWide CONNECT is via our mobile app for iPhone and Android (the first for rural media!). It has Apple Car Play & Android Auto to play smoothly on the go!

DOWNLOAD ON THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE (Android)

DOWNLOAD ON THE APP STORE (Apple)

But also as live radio on your Amazon Alexa or Google Home smart device by saying “Hey Google, Play CountryWide CONNECT”

And it will be a video stream on YouTube, here on our website as well as on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIN.

We will be taking live texts and comments, prize giveaways, and lots of exciting guests in store for you! Its the place to tune in and connect with your farming community whereever you are – rain, hail shine!

Listen On Demand

Watch On Demand

FULL SHOW - 8th May 2026

CountryWide Connect – Show Summary

(Working backwards from 1pm to 11am)

We finish at 12:48 with Brian Ashby and Dave Worsley previewing the weekend in sport, including the Warriors, Super Rugby and ...the major sporting storylines.

At 12:33, Anna Gillespie, President of Federated Farmers Otago, joins us to discuss farmer confidence, current regional issues and the key challenges facing Otago farmers.

At 12:18, Kerry Allen, recipient of the 2026 Lincoln University Bledisloe Medal, discusses agribusiness education and her decades-long work helping build pathways into the food and fibre sector.

At 12:05, Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey joins us to discuss the Government’s new rural GP funding announcement, healthcare access and rural mental health support.

At 12:00 it’s Rural News with Farmlands.

At 11:48, Maegan Legg, Chair of the NZ Dairy Industry Awards, joins us ahead of Saturday night’s national finals to discuss leadership, succession and attracting talent into dairy.

At 11:33, Jordain Beattie and Louise Gibson from Dairy Country join us in a pre-recorded discussion around sharefarming success, growth planning and managing risk in dairy farming.

At 11:18, Libby Tosswill, Economic Growth Manager at Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, explains a new land-use mapping tool designed to help farmers identify future crop opportunities and diversification options.

We open at 11:05 with Allan Blood, Executive Director of Victorian Hydrogen, discussing a proposed $3 billion Southland lignite-to-fertiliser plant and the growing debate around fertiliser security, emissions and environmental impacts.Show More

FULL SHOW - 8th May 2026

Otago's new Feds President on water, rates and redrawing the map // Anna Gillespie

Rural GP funding: Bringing more care closer to home // Matt Doocey

8th May 2026 // Rural News in partnership with Farmlands

Climate report flags urgent risks for rural New Zealand
Leading premium olive oil producer closes after 27 years
Government running out of time on Freshwater Reform

Rural News is in partnership with Farmlands ...as part of CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp - our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch / listen.

Climate report flags urgent risks for rural New Zealand

A major new climate risk assessment has flagged rural communities among those facing the sharpest consequences from climate change — with roads, infrastructure, farming and council finances all under growing pressure.

The Climate Change Commission's 2026 National Climate Change Risk Assessment identifies ten priority risks for New Zealand. While agriculture sits outside that top ten — rated as a "one to watch" — the report warns farming risk jumps directly from minor now to major by 2050, driven by drought, extreme weather, soil erosion and pest pressure.

The report specifically calls out smaller rural councils as among the hardest hit, with constrained budgets and limited borrowing capacity already delaying resilience investment.

A quarter of roads and a third of rail lines are exposed to flooding — with consequences described as especially severe for rural and isolated areas where alternative routes simply don't exist.

Commission chief executive Jo Hendy says New Zealand is stuck in react and recover mode, spending money cleaning up after events rather than building resilience.

Leading premium olive oil producer closes after 27 years

New Zealand's leading premium olive oil producer has gone into liquidation, raising serious questions about the future of the local industry.

Wairarapa-based The Olive Press — the country's only registered wholesaler of certified premium olive oils — will be wound up after twenty-seven years in operation. Director Rod Lingard says the closure leaves local growers with few options for their commercial crops, facing a choice between selling fruit to processors outside the region or leaving olives on the tree.

Lingard says a lack of investor interest forced the closure, and he's been critical of the industry's governing body, Olives New Zealand, saying it has failed to develop a growth strategy or marketing plan in three decades.

Government running out of time on Freshwater Reform

With six months until the election, Federated Farmers is warning the Government is rapidly running out of time to deliver on its freshwater and resource management promises to farmers.

Freshwater spokesperson Colin Hurst says while some early progress was made repealing unworkable rules, the previous Government's National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management — introduced by former Environment Minister David Parker in 2020 — remains law nearly three years on. That means resource consents are still being tested against targets Federated Farmers says are unachievable, and any change in Government could see those rules immediately reimplemented.

Crucially, the national policy detail that would replace existing frameworks hasn't been released, leaving farmers unable to make long-term investment decisions.

There's cautious optimism about new Environment Minister Nicola Grigg, who has a farming background. But Hurst says optimism only goes so far.Show More

Finalists gather for NZ Dairy Industry Awards // Maegan Legg, Chair, NZ Dairy Industry Awards

Crop tool opens diversification options for CHB growers // Libby Tosswill

$3 billion urea plant planned for Southland // Allan Blood, Executive Director, Victorian Hydrogen

Honouring a career growing rural education // Kerry Allen, 2026 Bledisloe Medalist

FULL SHOW - 7th May 2026

CountryWide Connect – Show Summary

(Working backwards from 1pm to 11am)

We finish at 12:48 with Kelly Wilson, Founding Board Member – Kaimanawa Legacy Foundation, discussing the Kaimanawa horse muster, rehoming programmes ...and the future management of New Zealand’s wild horse population.

At 12:33, Luke Gilbert, Dairy Genetics Specialist – Carrfields, joins us to discuss the Singh family’s record-setting dairy cattle sale average, the booming value of elite genetics and how genomics is changing breeding decisions across the dairy sector.

At 12:18, Deon Swiggs, Chair – Environment Canterbury, discusses the Government’s local government reform programme, Canterbury’s governance future and whether super councils are ultimately inevitable.

At 12:05, Mark Simpson, General Manager – Sales, Dairyworks, joins us to explain why imported butter is now competing on New Zealand supermarket shelves and what it says about pricing pressures in the domestic dairy market.

At 12:00 it’s Rural News with Farmlands.

At 11:48, Luke Palmer – Tambo, joins us in a pre-recorded agribusiness discussion covering current issues and trends across the rural sector. You can listen to the full episode once it goes live at 6am on the 8th of May 2026 on the DAIRY Country Podcast.

At 11:33, Hinehou Timutimu, 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, joins us following last night’s Dairy Women’s Network awards in Christchurch to discuss leadership, Māori agribusiness and the future direction of dairy farming.

At 11:18, John McWhirter, Chief Executive – Wools of New Zealand, discusses a major new international partnership that will see NZ wool used in premium carpets exported to nearly 70 countries around the world.

We open at 11:05 with Sandra Faulkner, Local Government Spokesperson – Federated Farmers, discussing the Government’s push for local government reform, unitary councils and Federated Farmers’ warning that councils must reform now or risk decisions being made for them.Show More

Kaimanawa Horses: From wild herds to new homes // Kelly Wilson, Kaimanawa Legacy Foundation

Record dairy prices: Why elite genetics are booming // Luke Gilbert, Carrfields