University of Waikato research reveals 2050 drought threats
New research could help farmers prepare for a future where summer rainfall is increasingly unpredictable and where drought risk is rising, no matter what.
A software providing greenhouse gas emissions measurement and scenario planning programme for the whole farm has been released.
Released by Farmax, the new software allows farmers to look at a variety of farm input scenarios, showing not only how production and profitability are affected, but also how a farm’s environmental footprint is affected.
New Zealand’s agricultural sector has committed to 100% of farms having an annual total greenhouse gas emissions number by the end of 2022.
This sector promise will require every pastoral farmer to put a measurement system in place within 21 months’ time – a challenging timeline.
Farmax chief executive Gavin McEwen says the software will help farmers tackle this challenge.
“We’ve worked with AgResearch and DairyNZ scientists to incorporate a number of environmental measures into our latest release, including greenhouse gas emission reporting, to help farmers meet the 2022 sector target.
“This new functionality allows farmers to explore ways to improve the predicted outcome in the context of their own business while also considering the impact of production and profitability.”
McEwen says there are a number of greenhouse gas emission calculators available, but no others allow farmers and farm advisors to consider the financial impact of farm system changes.
“We believe this element is essential for farmers to confidently make the system changes the sector requires to meet New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets.
“It’s hard for farmers to be ‘green’ when they are in the ‘red.’ In other words, it is difficult to focus on reducing your environmental impacts on farm when production and profit are subpar,” explains McEwen.
McEwen said his team and the rural consultants they work closely with across the country feel challenged by the educational effort required to help farmers understand the greenhouse gas emissions outputs from their farm businesses and the potential compliance measures that may come into force.
A survey completed last year for the Ministry for Primary Industries showed that only around 2% of farmers with livestock have an indication of the total greenhouse gas emissions coming from their farm and only 1% have an indication of the per-animal emissions.
“Farmax’s goal is to help farmers understand what is required and give them a tool to take control, so that farm system changes where required can be made,” he says.
Developed and owned by AgResearch, Farmax is the only science-based decision support tool that gives a holistic picture of a farm business, including physical and financial feasibility and indicative environmental outputs.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
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