Farmax is excited to announce they are now a sponsor of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust to recognise innovative and passionate Kiwi farmers who have embedded sustainability into the foundation of their farm businesses. “Farmax is thrilled to be supporting the […]
Climate Change
At last – a paper that recognises climate and nutrition, with GWP* thrown in too
By Andrew Hoggard, Federated Farmers President and climate change spokesperson Very recently a scientific paper was put out looking at the greenhouse gas and nutritional impacts of replacing meat in the average diet. The paper Lifetime Climate Impacts of Diet Transitions, with input from a number of very well respected scientists across a range of fields, found that the emissions […]
Education resource highlights NZ dairy and red meat’s role in feeding global population
A new climate change education resource has been released by New Zealand’s pastoral farming sector. The resource, ‘The important role of New Zealand dairy and red meat in feeding a growing global population’, has been co-authored by Beef + Lamb New Zealand, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers of New Zealand. It explores the complex relationship between […]
Sector confronts ‘Growing Kai under Increasing Dry’
There’s a helluva lot more we can do with irrigation as we get more and more precise about delivering water in the right spot, in the right amounts, Gavin Forrest says. The Federated Farmers Manager Policy and Advocacy was answering questions put to a panel of primary sector experts at the final Growing Kai Under […]
Feds says we’ll need more people, more money to take on climate challenges
Federated Farmers believes the final Climate Change Commission report released today will need to be backed up with significant investment in improving access to science and technology on farm, and the people needed to operate it. Back in February Feds was relatively upbeat about the report and the challenges it posed for New Zealanders, and […]
Climate commissioner’s comments baffling, irritating for farmers
By Andrew Hoggard, President Federated Farmers of NZ OPINION: As I write this, the release of the Climate Change Commission final report is due tomorrow (June 9). It is doubtful that the report is going to change dramatically from the draft, but there may be some small changes. The Commission’s draft advice to the government […]
Future drought could drain primary sector profit
New research by the Deep South Challenge and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, with the support of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, finds a strong relationship between more intense future drought and drops in farm profit. In the year 2100, our 10-year-old children will be 90 years old. Their children – our grandchildren – […]
Extra guidance for farm foresters a good move
From the Forest Owners Association The Forest Owners Association says the just announced creation of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service heralds the potential to fix vital bottlenecks in the initial stages of the forest industry supply chain and drive further timber processing downstream as well. The Association says the Minister of Forests, […]
Farming myth buster: Livestock numbers and emissions
by Gavin Forrest, Federated Farmers GM Policy & Advocacy From time to time , and far too often, alternative facts gain traction that are both inaccurate and unhelpful to the farming sector. One such myth is that the claim that the recent Climate Change Report called for a 15% drop in livestock numbers. This is […]
Help for farmers to know their greenhouse gas numbers
A new guide and tools have been released to help farmers with measuring, managing, and reducing agricultural greenhouse gases. He Waka Eke Noa: The Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership has developed two information sources to help industry bodies and farmers understand their agricultural greenhouse gas emissions: Greenhouse Gases: Farm Planning Guidance, and The Greenhouse Gases […]