This episode features Karen Williams, Chief Executive, Irrigation NZ discussing insights from a recent visit to the UK's Cereals event and Diddly Squat Farm, the recent Wairarapa flooding, and how farmers should be preparing for a possible El Niño.

 

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

 

Apple:https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881

Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&hl=en_NZ

This episode features Karen Williams, Chief Executive, Irrigation NZ discussing insights from a recent visit to the UK's Cereals event and Diddly Squat Farm, the recent Wairarapa flooding, and how farmers should be preparing for a possible El Ni&ntilde;o.
&nbsp;
WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command &lsquo;Play CountryWide Connect&rsquo; on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
&nbsp;
Apple: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881">https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ</a>

CountryWide CONNECT is the latest innovative daily livestreamed rural video/radio show broadcast at lunchtime 11am – 1pm Monday-Friday from Christchurch, New Zealand.


The show is 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 cover the latest in New Zealand rural news, views, politics but most importantly in-depth technical farming advice to help improve farmers bottom lines!

For more information & to subscribe to CountryWide, visit www.country-wide.co.nz

CountryWide CONNECT is the latest innovative daily livestreamed rural video/radio show broadcast at lunchtime 11am &ndash; 1pm Monday-Friday from Christchurch, New Zealand.
 The show is hosted by respected award-winning agribusiness broadcasters, Sarah Perriam-Lampp (formerly Sarah&rsquo;s Country &amp; Rural Exchange) and Andy Thompson (formerly The Rural Round-Up).
 Over two hours, Sarah &amp; Andy cover the latest in New Zealand rural news, views, politics but most importantly in-depth technical farming advice to help improve farmers bottom lines!
For more information &amp; to subscribe to CountryWide, visit www.country-wide.co.nz

CountryWide CONNECT

CountryWide CONNECT is an innovative daily livestreamed rural video/radio show broadcast at lunchtime 11am – 1pm Monday-Friday from Christchurch, New Zealand.


The show is 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 cover the latest in New Zealand rural news, views, politics but most importantly in-depth technical farming advice to help improve farmers bottom lines!

For more information & to subscribe to CountryWide, visit www.country-wide.co.nz

CountryWide CONNECT is an innovative daily livestreamed rural video/radio show broadcast at lunchtime 11am &ndash; 1pm Monday-Friday from Christchurch, New Zealand.
 The show is hosted by respected award-winning agribusiness broadcasters, Sarah Perriam-Lampp (formerly Sarah&rsquo;s Country &amp; Rural Exchange) and Andy Thompson (formerly The Rural Round-Up).
 Over two hours, Sarah &amp; Andy cover the latest in New Zealand rural news, views, politics but most importantly in-depth technical farming advice to help improve farmers bottom lines!
For more information &amp; to subscribe to CountryWide, visit www.country-wide.co.nz

Karen Williams - Nationwide deluge highlighting water storage priorities

New wool season opens with correction


Second storm hits flood-hit Wairarapa as farmers face months of recovery


Marlborough drenched but bull sale season described as incredible

 

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

 

Apple:https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881

Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&hl=en_NZ

 

New wool season opens with correction

The new wool season is underway, and after the historic highs of recent months, some give-back was always on the cards at the first auction of the season in Christchurch.

PGG Wrightson auction manager Dave Burridge says buyers were notably selective  this week— particularly for crossbred second shear and lambs wool — but puts the correction in context.

Prices are still broadly where they were five weeks ago, and the underlying market remains in good shape.

The national strong wool indicator dropped fifty-three cents, with seventy-five percent of the offering sold. Crossbred fleece in good style eased six percent to seven-dollars-twenty-five per kilogram clean, second shear fell eight percent, and lambs wool also dropped eight percent across the finer microns. Oddments took the biggest hit, down ten percent.

Mid-micron wool was the bright spot — a quality offering attracted solid trade support with halfbred fleece at twenty-eight micron holding well at ten-dollars-eighty-five per kilogram clean.

The next auction is July sixteenth.

 

Second storm hits flood-hit Wairarapa as farmers face months of recovery

Wairarapa farmers are assessing damage today after heavy rain hit the region overnight — the second significant weather event in less than a fortnight for a district still recovering from the last one.

It follows a storm less than two weeks ago that washed out a bridge, cut off nearly five-hundred families and submerged farmland across the area.

South Wairarapa councillor Aidan Ellims says the rain is landing on already sodden ground, with hillside farms scarred by slips from the previous event.

One farm received five-hundred millimetres over forty-eight hours.

Fences are down, pasture has been stripped and washed into rivers, and farmers are facing ten to twelve months of recovery work.

Deputy mayor Rob Taylor says the back-to-back weather has also hit the local economy hard, with Martinborough businesses and vineyards forced to close during what should be a busy Matariki period.

 

Marlborough drenched but bull sale season described as incredible

Meanwhile, Marlborough is also copping it — but the mood in the livestock sector there remains upbeat despite the challenging conditions.

Despite the weather, the region's bull sale season has been described as incredible — three-hundred-and-twenty-six bulls sold across six Marlborough sales over three days, with a further forty sold through Nelson.

Strong livestock prices and improved sheep and beef returns are driving confidence, with breeders being rewarded for quality and consistency.

<ul>
<li>
New wool season opens with correction
</li>
<li>
Second storm hits flood-hit Wairarapa as farmers face months of recovery
</li>
<li>
Marlborough drenched but bull sale season described as incredible
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command &lsquo;Play CountryWide Connect&rsquo; on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
&nbsp;
Apple: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881">https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ</a>
&nbsp;
New wool season opens with correction
The new wool season is underway, and after the historic highs of recent months, some give-back was always on the cards at the first auction of the season in Christchurch.
PGG Wrightson auction manager Dave Burridge says buyers were notably selective&nbsp; this week&mdash; particularly for crossbred second shear and lambs wool &mdash; but puts the correction in context.
Prices are still broadly where they were five weeks ago, and the underlying market remains in good shape.
The national strong wool indicator dropped fifty-three cents, with seventy-five percent of the offering sold. Crossbred fleece in good style eased six percent to seven-dollars-twenty-five per kilogram clean, second shear fell eight percent, and lambs wool also dropped eight percent across the finer microns. Oddments took the biggest hit, down ten percent.
Mid-micron wool was the bright spot &mdash; a quality offering attracted solid trade support with halfbred fleece at twenty-eight micron holding well at ten-dollars-eighty-five per kilogram clean.
The next auction is July sixteenth.
&nbsp;
Second storm hits flood-hit Wairarapa as farmers face months of recovery
Wairarapa farmers are assessing damage today after heavy rain hit the region overnight &mdash; the second significant weather event in less than a fortnight for a district still recovering from the last one.
It follows a storm less than two weeks ago that washed out a bridge, cut off nearly five-hundred families and submerged farmland across the area.
South Wairarapa councillor Aidan Ellims says the rain is landing on already sodden ground, with hillside farms scarred by slips from the previous event.
One farm received five-hundred millimetres over forty-eight hours.
Fences are down, pasture has been stripped and washed into rivers, and farmers are facing ten to twelve months of recovery work.
Deputy mayor Rob Taylor says the back-to-back weather has also hit the local economy hard, with Martinborough businesses and vineyards forced to close during what should be a busy Matariki period.
&nbsp;
Marlborough drenched but bull sale season described as incredible
Meanwhile, Marlborough is also copping it &mdash; but the mood in the livestock sector there remains upbeat despite the challenging conditions.
Despite the weather, the region's bull sale season has been described as incredible &mdash; three-hundred-and-twenty-six bulls sold across six Marlborough sales over three days, with a further forty sold through Nelson.
Strong livestock prices and improved sheep and beef returns are driving confidence, with breeders being rewarded for quality and consistency.

9th July 2026 // Rural News

This episode features Brian "Gash" Ashby and Graeme "Sportsfreak" Beasley discussing the biggest sporting stories of the week and looking ahead to the weekend's action.

 

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

 

Apple:https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881

Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&hl=en_NZ

This episode features Brian "Gash" Ashby and Graeme "Sportsfreak" Beasley discussing the biggest sporting stories of the week and looking ahead to the weekend's action.
&nbsp;
WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command &lsquo;Play CountryWide Connect&rsquo; on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
&nbsp;
Apple: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881">https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ</a>

Sport Panel: Experimental AB’s and Warriors winning ugly

This episode features Mark Dillon, NZ Ploughing Team discussing the shipping issues disrupting the team's plans and the challenges of getting equipment to international competition.

 

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

 

Apple:https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881

Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&hl=en_NZ

This episode features Mark Dillon, NZ Ploughing Team discussing the shipping issues disrupting the team's plans and the challenges of getting equipment to international competition.
&nbsp;
WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command &lsquo;Play CountryWide Connect&rsquo; on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
&nbsp;
Apple: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881">https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&amp;hl=en_NZ</a>

Karen Williams - Nationwide deluge highlighting water storage priorities

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