Opinion: 'Time for a fresh start on how the Government engages with farmers'
Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds offers her thoughts as to why she believes the Government is backing farmers to do what they do best.
Penny Simmonds is the MP for Invercargill.
A big announcement for Southland farmers this week, with the Government set to take agriculture out of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Agriculture is the mainstay of our economy in Southland and across New Zealand, and this Government is backing farmers to do what they do best.
We are making sensible changes- taking agriculture out of the ETS, establishing a new Pastoral Sector Group to tackle biogenic methane, and investing in research and development to lower on-farm emissions.
Southland farmers need practical tools to reduce their emissions in a way that won’t reduce production or exports, because a profitable agriculture sector is key to rebuilding the country’s economy, easing the cost of living, and delivering the public services Kiwis deserve.
Our farmers are the world’s most carbon efficient, so it makes no sense to shut them down only to send jobs and production overseas, while less carbon-efficient countries produce the food the world needs and potentially raise global emissions.
Cabinet has also agreed to disestablish the He Waka Eke Noa primary sector partnership to restore confidence to the industry.
It’s time for a fresh start on how the Government engages with farmers and processors to work on biogenic methane and we will set up a Pasture Sector Group to do this.
By working closely with the sector, we will ensure consumer expectations of sustainability are met while maintaining profitability.
The coalition Government is also investing heavily in research and development, with $400 million committed over the next four years to accelerate the commercialisation of tools and technology to reduce on-farm emissions.
This includes an additional $50.5 million funding for the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre to find solutions to reduce the sectors emissions.
Projects include the development of a methane vaccine, a project to breed lower emissions cattle, and accelerating the work on methane and nitrous oxide inhibitors.
We will introduce legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act 2002 (the CCRA), removing agriculture, animal processors and fertiliser companies from the ETS before 1 January 2025.
This column has been funded by Parliamentary Service.