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Artwork for The Country

The Country

NZME
New Zealand
El Niño
Federated Farmers
Fonterra
Agriculture
New Zealand Agriculture
New Zealand First
Weather
FMG Young Farmer Of the Year
Rabobank
Rural Support Trust
Dairynz
Labour Party
Dairy Farming
Dairy Industry
Bird Flu
India
Winston Peters
Mental Health
Carbon Farming

Jamie Mackay delivers your daily fix of everything going on in NZ's biggest industry, along with a generous side-serve of news, sports and politics. The Country from Newstalk ZB, iHeartCountry NZ, Hokonui & iHeartRadio.

PublishesDailyEpisodes7170Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

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Artwork for The Country

Latest Episodes

Jamie Mackay talks to Jason Te Brake, Sir Don McKinnon, David Seymour, and Phil Duncan.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the absence of the Tauranga Mayor, we kick off the show with more local Bay of Plenty talent, in the form of the chief executive of Zespri, the Bay's biggest business.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister under the Bolger Government comments on our War Museum in Le Quesnoy. Plus, he offers some sage advice on how to stage a political coup.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio... more

The current Deputy PM and Act Party leader explains why he was AWOL for the Newstalk ZB 100th Birthday Bash in Auckland on Friday.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Lana Marshall
Finalist in the Zanda McDonald Awards and dairy farmer
NZAB / Zanda McDonald Award finalist
Episode: The Country 06/08/26: Lana Marshall talks to Jamie Mackay
Kate Fransen
DairyNZ Senior Project Manager
DairyNZ
Episode: DairyNZ Update: Kate Fransen, DairyNZ Senior Project Manager
Craig Wiggi Wiggins
Fencing Contractor Association participant
Mid Canterbury fencing community
Episode: The Country Full Show: Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Sam Hain
Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Vice Chair in Gisborne region
Federated Farmers
Episode: The Country Full Show: Friday, July 31, 2026
Matt Long
Entrepreneurial farmer in Gisborne; operates partnerships with Sam Hain
Private farming partnerships
Episode: The Country Full Show: Friday, July 31, 2026
Sam Hayne
Farmer
Farmer
Episode: The Country 31/07/26: Stu Duncan and Stu Loe talk to Jamie Mackay
Jeremy Rookes
Hobby farmer
Private farming
Episode: The Country Full Show: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Michelle Watt
Rural News presenter
The Country
Episode: The Country Full Show: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Jodi Goudswaard
DairyNZ DairyBase Manager
DairyNZ
Episode: DairyNZ Update: Jodi Goudswaard, DairyBase Manager

Host

Jamie Mackay
Host of The Country, leading discussions on agriculture, policy, and rural current affairs.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 67 ratings
  • The Best

    This show stays true to those it represents. Keep up the good work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Whaine_reader
    New Zealand3 years ago
  • Recommend

    A great show with top notch guests for knowledgeable parts of the Agriculture sector and across the world. Lots of banter between Jamie, Row and guests. A voice for the farming community and there frustration. Highly recommended, keep up the good stuff team!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rich Waikato
    New Zealand3 years ago
  • Jamie’s gets stuck in

    Finally listening to Jamie get into an MP about there double speak and nonsense(14/10/22). There pushing tax hikes while claiming to be on the side of farmers. Good on you and do it some more! ‘30% reduction in co2/kg red meat since 1990’ MP ‘don’t care we want $$$$!’

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Chriswal10
    New Zealand4 years ago
  • Lashes

    Lashes is absolute gold, rowena ok and Jamie tending to be more of a yesterday’s man?

    Worth a listen

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    p moff
    New Zealand6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some episodes spark debate and sharp critique of political actors, which is part of its appeal.
Listeners appreciate the practical farming insights paired with policy and political commentary.
The show is praised for top-tier guests and a strong farming community voice.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#222
New Zealand/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#62
New Zealand/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Country 06/08/26: Lana Marshall talks to Jamie Mackay
Q: I think you're doing the Fonterra Governance Program. Are we going to see you in the future as a Fonterra Director, Lana Marshall?
Lana confirms she is halfway through a year-long Fonterra Governance Programme in Auckland, implying potential future leadership roles and valuable governance training.
The Country 06/08/26: Lana Marshall talks to Jamie Mackay
Q: Talk to me about your farming business, you and Elliot, 50-50 share milkers.
Lana describes their 50-50 partnership on the same farm where they contract milking, running about 50 cows, with a busy, diversified schedule balancing NZAB work and farming responsibilities.
The Country 06/08/26: Shane Jones talks to Jamie Mackay
Q: Is there space to chat about Shane Jones' minerals report?
The host expresses interest in discussing the minerals report, and the guest provides a candid overview of its contents and implications for royalties and economic activity.
The Country 06/08/26: Todd Charteris talks to Jamie Mackay
Q: How do you see the oil and freight situation affecting farming costs?
Oil and freight dynamics are pressuring on-farm costs through energy prices and fertiliser inputs, with Middle East disruptions contributing to ongoing volatility.
The Country 06/08/26: Todd Charteris talks to Jamie Mackay
Q: What is happening with beef and why does it look so strong right now?
Beef is benefiting from a tighter global supply environment, strong US demand, and China taking more product, with Brazil and other exporters constrained, supporting price and volumes.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Country

What is The Country about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A forward-facing show centered on New Zealand's largest industry, blending farming practices with policy, economics, and energy topics. Episodes frequently feature farmer panels, industry leaders, and political commentators, with Rabobank as a prominent sponsor shaping the outlook on agribusiness finance, commodity markets, and rural policy. Expect discussions on dairy and beef dynamics, nitrogen and environmental policy, on-farm energy solutions, weather context, and election-season commentary, all wrapped in accessible banter and practical insights for listeners in farming, agri-business, and rural communities. Noteworthy is the show's ability to balance technical farm economics with current affairs, making it a go-to for both practitione... more

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What are the audience demographics for The Country?

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How many subscribers and views does The Country have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Country has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Country?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Country:

1. The Mike Hosking Breakfast
2. The Dom Harvey Podcast
3. Between Two Beers Podcast
4. REX
5. Federated Farmers Podcast

How many episodes of The Country are there?

The Country launched 9 years ago and published 7170 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Country?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Country?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Country from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Country?

Recent guests on The Country include:

1. Lana Marshall
2. Kate Fransen
3. Craig Wiggi Wiggins
4. Sam Hain
5. Matt Long
6. Sam Hayne
7. Jeremy Rookes
8. Michelle Watt

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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