Editorial: O Canada
OPINION: The Canadian government's love affair with its lifestyle dairy farmers has got it into trouble once again.
The Dairy Companies Association of NZ (DCANZ) says it’s disappointed at the Government’s response to the He Waka Eke Noa partnership proposal.
Executive director Kimberly Crewther says the Government’s proposal is fundamentally different to what He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) put forward. She says DCANZ has raised concerns about how the changes made are pushing a system that achieves a reduction by cutting dairy production.
“In our view, [the proposal] holds a very strong risk of emission leakage, being counterproductive to the global emissions reduction outcomes that we are trying to contribute to,” she told Rural News.
Crewther says the agricultural sector had worked hard to come to a consensus, which took into account a broad range of considerations. This included taking advantage of the opportunities that exist in NZ and managing the risk of undue economic impact on rural communities – especially if that involves cuts to production in NZ.
Crewther says DCANZ believes the data set the Government used in its modelling has produced a grossly inaccurate result for the dairy industry.
In its submission, DCANZ says, rather than achieving emissions reductions by cutting agricultural production, which is what the Government is proposing, a better approach would be to incentivise the uptake of new tools and practices that reduce emissions. It believes such a move would maintain the positive contribution of NZ dairy to global food systems.
DCANZ also wants the Government to fully commit to a farm-level system from the outset through the removal of the processor-level backstop.
“As well, we want certainty to farmers as they transition into a pricing system by capping levy prices for the first five years and ensuring they are set at the minimal level required to fund incentives, sequestration, research and development, and administration,” Crewther says.
If a New Zealand wool carpet maker were to win the bid for the hotly debated Kainga Ora state housing contract, the benefits to New Zealand would be “far reaching”.
For the first time in 17 years, DairyNZ wants farmers to contribute more cash to run the industry-good organisation.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is bolstering its frontline applications teams in a bid to reduce the timeframe for new product applications, but agri chemical producers say that it isn't good enough.
New Zealand’s apple and pear industry has surpassed $1 billion in orchard gate returns (OGR) for the first time.
With less than a week to go before submissions close on the Government’s controversial Gene Technology Bill, two agribusiness executives - John Greenberg and Michael Henne - are calling on Fonterra to demand an extension to the submission period.
Just on two years ago Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc in Hawke's Bay causing massive damage to NZ's largest apple growing region.
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