In this episode: 

News Wrap | Alliance’s financial D-Day draws nearer
1:43 – Senior reporter Neal Wallace outlines the latest developments in the Alliance funding saga as the clock ticks this month on an announcement about how the co-operative will raise the $200 million needed after two years of tough losses. He also talks to Richard about the other elephant in the room – ongoing overcapacity issues and how they still need to be resolved, regardless of what structure Alliance takes.
Neal is also catching up about the fate of a US$80 million Jeff Bezos-backed methane-detecting satellite that has disappeared into space. 

Feature | The shift in New Zealanders’ relationship with Asia
9:25 – Dr Julia Macdonald, director of research and engagement at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, talks about the Foundation’s latest “Perceptions of Asia” survey results. It’s a deep dive into how New Zealanders relate to Asia, in a business, social and cultural sense. It also highlights just how far we have come in our understanding about that populous place, and how important we see Asian success being Kiwi success. 

Feds Focus | Karl Dean takes on role as dairy chair 
19:36 – Karl Dean, sharemilking at Leeston in Canterbury, unpacks where he sees the big challenges in his new role as the Federated Farmers national dairy chair. He talks about the mixed bag of local and national issues that are likely to be challenging dairy farmers over the coming couple of years including migrant labour regulations, climate challenges and the perennial challenge of farm costs.For the Fed’s 2024 Rural Advocate of the Year, it is a big, but welcome step up into the new role.