Crazy
OPINION: Your canine crusader was truly impressed by the almost unanimous support given by politicians of all stripes in Parliament to the recent passing of legislation for the NZ/EU free trade deal.
National's climate change spokesman Todd Muller has described as “absolute nonsense” the Government’s plan to make farmers start paying for agricultural emissions.
“To simply take the New Zealand agriculture sector, which is the world’s most emissions efficient food producing sector, and say that the future for that sector is to tax it, before there’s an opportunity to apply technology that hasn’t appeared yet, I think is nonsense,” Muller told TVNZ’s Q+A programme.
Muller says agriculture should not be included in the ETS. “That particular proposal looks to sheet that cost back to the sector at a manufacturing level,” he explained.
“The Interim Climate Committee itself said that if you actually wanted to drive change in an agricultural context you’d price emissions on farm, but that can’t be done at the moment.”
Muller says farmers don’t have the tools to be able to effectively measure their on farm emissions, and don’t have any tools to mitigate or reduce those on farm emissions.
He has “total confidence” that technology will be developed to mitigate the effects of climate change in the agricultural sector.
“You first of all measure, then you can manage. You apply innovation then you can change. I have total confidence that this technology will appear.”
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.