Wednesday, 02 November 2016 09:55

Positive reaction to Environment Report

Written by 
Anders Crofoot. Anders Crofoot.

Reaction to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report has been positive.

Forest Owners Association chair Peter Weir says the report is timely and he backs the report's author Dr Jan Wright's call to plant more trees.

“Tree planting by farmers and small scale forest investors has declined in the past few years, and our log processing industry needs the extra tree planting Dr Wright is calling for,” Weir says.

“Another positive is that planting trees, especially on rolling hill country, is better than cost-neutral for a farmer. Returns on harvesting logs are, over the long term, higher than hill country farming of sheep and cattle.”

Forest and Bird also endorses the report, saying the idea of planting more trees is good and will have a range of environmental benefits, including providing better habitat for native bird species and better water quality.

“The impacts on farm productivity are likely to be negligible, as farmers report that the costs of grazing marginal country often outweigh the profits, and native forest restoration potentially opens other business opportunities such as tourism and honey farming.”

Federated Farmers spokesperson on climate change Anders Crofoot says Feds sees the report contributing to the discussion NZ needs to have to find ways to reduce agricultural emissions.

He notes Wright observes that, while total emissions from agriculture during the last 25 years have increased 15%, at the same time emissions from road transport have increased by 71% and industrial processing by 45%.

“To achieve the massive change required to reduce agricultural emissions, we must work together as a nation, and look for solutions based on new technologies, smart science and good research.”

However, he says Feds does not support the inclusion of agricultural emissions in the ETS, because it would put NZ producers at a severe competitive disadvantage on international markets.

More like this

A significant fertiliser breakthrough?

Former ACT MP and Federated Farmers president Owen Jennings believes he's come across a new fertilising method in Australia that yields "outstanding results".

Marlborough drought declaration welcomed

Marlborough Federated Farmers has got some real concern about the mental wellbeing of farmers and their families in the region because of the drought and there’s a lot of pressure starting to build.

SNAs will go - eventually

Despite some earlier confusion around the exact timing, the new Government is moving to reform the way local bodies implement Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) rules on farmland.

'A complete dog

OPINION: It's not just a rural banking inquiry that farmers want. Freshwater farm plans are another major headache for farmers.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter