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Agriculture Minister Todd McClay with LIC chief executive David Chin.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
At the opening of a new state-of-the-art methane research facility in the Waikato today, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said that Livestock Improvement Corporation's (LIC) new 'Methane Barn' will enable large-scale monitoring and measurement of methane produced by lactating cows.
"The research will enable farmers to select lower-emitting genetics and will be a valuable tool to help reduce biogenic methane without harming productivity," McClay says.
He says the research further bolsters confidence in the pipeline of new mitigation tools - giving farmers the choice in how they reduce their emissions.
"We are committed to meeting our climate obligations without closing down farms and sending jobs and production overseas," McClay says.
"Investments like the Methane Barn will offer farmers the tools they need to reduce on-farm emissions without reducing production," he adds.
The Government and industry have committed more than $400 million to speed up the development of methane-cutting tools with as many as 11 to be commercially available by 2030.
There's been widespread support from the primary sector for the Government's announcement on changes to freshwater farm plans that come under the Natural Environment Bill, which is now set to replace the existing RMA.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
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The country's second largest milk processor is warning against 'complacency' during a review of competition regulations in the dairy sector.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has admitted that a scheme bringing workers from Pacific nations to work on orchards has become too hard to navigate but says changes are coming.
B+LNZ's Wormwise veterinarian Mary Bowron has won the Best Sheep and Beef Vet of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to New Zealand’s sheep and beef sector.
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