Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:55

Fonterra to support farmers meet target

Written by  Peter Burke
Carolyn Mortland, Fonterra. Carolyn Mortland, Fonterra.

Fonterra says the Government's new methane target is very ambitious and will need hefty spending on R&D to give farmers the solutions they need to achieve.

Carolyn Mortland, Fonterra’s director of sustainability, who attended the news conference with the Prime Minister and the Climate Change Minister last week, says the co-op believes it is possible to have a prosperous agricultural sector and positive environmental outcomes. But she dodged journalists’ questions on whether Fonterra would support any move to reduce dairy cow numbers to meet the targets of the new legislation.

She says change and challenges are a constant for farmers and have been for decades.

“When we give farmers the parameters they can operate in they change and adapt. What we are telling farmers to do is recognise that our customers, consumers and communities want sustainable, ethically produced food. 

“We will support our farmers in all sorts of ways to achieve that,” she says.

Mortland says the Government targets have given a clear signal to farmers and NZ as to the direction of travel and Fonterra will work hand in hand with farmers to support them in this.

No surprises – O’Connor

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says he’s not  surprised at the farming sector’s reaction to the new legislation.

He says the provisional target for methane at the top end of the range was always going to cause alarm but it’s not for him to judge where it might finally end up. 

O’Connor says the initial challenge for methane reduction of 10% by 2030 continues what has been occurring in farming for the last 15 years.

“Even now people are working on things such as plantain and other methods of reducing nitrogen fertilisers and a number of initiatives to keep ahead of climate change impact,” he says.

More like this

Don't hold back!

OPINION: ACT MP Mark Cameron isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he certainly calls it how he sees it, holding nothing back when ‘climate scientists’ had a crack at Kiwi farmers recently:

Emissions versus warming

OPINION: Soon New Zealand farmers will be asked to know their greenhouse gas (GHG) number. There are a vast number of GHG calculators available, all giving a different answer and none of them allowing for your pasture to be viewed as a CO2 ‘sequesterer’.

Changing Climate: A taste of the future

A high-resolution vineyard view of ecoclimatic indicators, and how they impact wine quality, can turn “climate insights into strategy”, says climate risk specialist Pete Taylor. “Whether you’re a grower, winemaker, or industry leader, understanding the future is key to staying ahead.”

Editorial: Sense at last

OPINION: For the first time in many years, a commonsense approach is emerging to balance environmental issues with the need for the nation's primary producers to be able to operate effectively.

Misguided campaign

OPINION: Last week, Greenpeace lit up Fonterra's Auckland headquarters with 'messages from the common people' - that the sector is polluting the environment.

Featured

Brendan Attrill scoops national award for sustainable farming

Brendan Attrill of Caiseal Trust in Taranaki has been announced as the 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing and recipient of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the National Sustainability Showcase at in Wellington this evening.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

RainWave set to cause a splash

Traditional spreading via tankers or umbilical systems have typically discharged effluent onto splash-plates, resulting in small droplet sizes, which in…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Misguided campaign

OPINION: Last week, Greenpeace lit up Fonterra's Auckland headquarters with 'messages from the common people' - that the sector is…

Fieldays goes urban

OPINION: Once upon a time the Fieldays were for real farmers, salt of the earth people who thrived on hard…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter