94% of NZ farmers oppose Paris Agreement, survey shows
A survey of 2000 farmers shows 94% of respondents believe that remaining in the Paris Agreement for climate change is not in the country's best interest.
Farmers are being encouraged to take their utes, tractors and dogs to town this Friday (July 16) to protest against government regulations.
Groundswell NZ is organising 'A Howl of a Protest' in town centres from Gore to Kerikeri. The group says it is for "farmers, growers and ute owners who are fed up with increasing government interference in your life and business, unworkable regulations and unjustified costs". Last October, Groundswell NZ organised a tractor protest in Gore where more than 100 tractors were driven down the town's main street to protest against new winter grazing regulations.
Spokesperson Bryce McKenzie says farmers are frustrated by new government regulations. He says they are facing new freshwater regulations, winter grazing rules and indigenous biodiversity regulations.
"This is important because there is a lot of anguish out there, there is a lot of tension and this is a way people can get together and show that they're not happy," McKenzie says.
"We want farmers to gather up a few of their neighbours and go to town in their tractors or utes. A statement will be read from Groundswell at each centre and then there will be a bark up, or a howl up, from the dogs."
He is also encouraging tradies to also join the protests because they are being penalised as well if they wanted to upgrade their utes.
Last month, the Government announced a new rebate scheme, which will make lower-carbon-emitting cars more affordable for New Zealanders and will see a fee placed on higher-emission vehicles - such as utes.
"Tradies are also being penalised - their utes are just as essential fro them as they are for farmers," McKenzie adds. "We're being penalised for living in a rural area, or for having a practical work vehicle."
Groundswell is also encouraging people taking part in the protests to have lunch in town afterwards to support local businesses.
So far, protests have been organised for Gore, Mosgiel, Oamaru, Greymouth, Blenheim, Thames, Hastings, Palmerston North and Kerikeri, Further towns could be added to the list.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
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