Rocketing power prices and uncertainty about generating more are keeping many people up at night, but Mike Casey reckons farmers have everything they need to power up right now. The chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa has transformed his cherry orchard into a solar powered operation and he reckons every farmer should do the same. To Mike, it’s just a sound business decision as his power bills have plummeted, the capital outlay will be repaid in five years and he’s sorted if a storm knocks out the regional power supply.

A new report from Our Land and Water that suggests our passion for pines will hobble the sheep and beef sector has Toby Williams from Federated Farmers concerned. He says the independent research backs up what Feds has been saying for some time and he’s urging for regulatory reform to give high country farmers some assurance.

Reporter Gerhard Uys checks in to give an update on the dry conditions in North Canterbury. Farmers have been emptying the stores of supplementary feed and really need some rain to recharge the land. Another worry is that low groundwater levels could mean restrictions on irrigation being implemented earlier than usual this year.