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 […]
Climate Change
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 […]
Positives in climate change report but methane’s different warming impact still not accurately accounted for
Federated Farmers is very concerned the Climate Change Commission’s draft advice to the government on emissions budgets puts a much bigger ask on methane-emitters – largely farmers – to make up for a lack of action on those sectors emitting carbon dioxide. This is due to the terms of reference given to the Commission by […]
Feds proud to back NZ Dairy Story
Sip that fresh glass of New Zealand milk, cut a wedge of our cheese, and know the farmers behind it are world leaders in animal welfare and climate change. And unlike producers in many other nations, they do it without direct, free-trade distorting subsidies. Federated Farmers is proud to endorse the messages in The New […]
B+LNZ: MfE report on sequestration an important contribution to conversation
Beef + Lamb New Zealand says the Ministry for the Environment’s report Net emissions and removals from vegetation and soils on sheep and beef farmland is valuable because it recognises there is significant sequestration happening on sheep and beef farmland in New Zealand and is part of an ongoing process to build understanding of this […]