Dairy power
OPINION: The good times felt across the dairy sector weren't lost at last week's Beef + Lamb NZ annual meeting.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw says New Zealand dairy is the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitter but that's not good enough.
“We cannot say that this is as good as it gets and that we can’t do anymore,” Shaw told the DairyNZ Farmers Forum in Hamilton today.
Shaw noted that the sector’s emission has dropped from 0.88/kg carbon dioxide equivalent/kg of product to 0.75/kg.
But he points out that while we are improving emissions per unit of production, the total volume of emissions still matters.
“That’s because it’s the total amount that makes the difference," he says.
Shaw praised the work done by the dairy sector, including its climate change ambassadors and through He waka eke noa- the world-first partnership between the farming industry and government, aimed at building a framework to reduce agricultural emissions.
Shaw says the NZ dairy sector is extremely innovative in a competitive global environment.
“The sector has in the last few years demonstrated its commitment to making a difference,” he says.
About 400 farmers are attending the one-day event.
New tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump signal an uncertain future, but New Zealand farmers know how to adapt to changing conditions, says Auriga Martin, chief executive of Farm Focus.
A global trade war beckons, which is bad news for a small open economy like New Zealand, warns Mark Smith ASB senior economist.
Carterton's Awakare Farm has long stood as a place where family, tradition and innovation intersect.
Fonterra says the US continues to be an important market for New Zealand dairy and the co-op.
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand's trade interests are best served in a world where trade flows freely.
New Zealand's red meat sector says it is disappointed by the United States' decision to impose tariffs on New Zealand exports.
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OPINION: The good times felt across the dairy sector weren't lost at last week's Beef + Lamb NZ annual meeting.