The politics of climate change
OPINION: The Financial Times, a major international newspaper, featured New Zealand on its front page at the beginning of June. It wasn't for the right reasons.
No one immediate solution is available to New Zealand to deal with the problem of greenhouse gas emissions caused by agriculture.
So says the parliamentary commissioner for the environment, Dr Jan Wright, in a new detailed report on the complex science issues and the solutions now being researched. The 100-page report does not point the finger or blame anyone in particular, but factually presents the science challenges and how these can be solved by scientists and implemented practically by farmers.
The problems, says Wright, are well known and relate to methane and nitrous oxide -- methane occurring in the rumen of cattle, sheep, goats and deer, and nitrous oxide mainly in urine deposited in the soil by animals
Potential solutions flagged are planting more trees, a vaccine to deal with the methanogens which cause methane in the rumen of animals, breeding animals that produce less methane and forages/grasses that reduce methane and nitrous oxide. But Wright insists none of these individually -- apart from tree planting -- will promptly solve the problem.
Wright points to examples of NZ farmers who have already moved to reduce emissions by reducing stock numbers but still retaining profitability. Examples mentioned are Lake View Farms near Hamilton and the Bartons near Taupo.
The report, intended to promote discussion, seeks to get a clear picture of the science out into the public domain; it not designed to blame, Wright says, because this doesn’t help.
“Certainly dairy is implicated in water quality issues because of the way in which cows urinate, although I would always say that the sediment-phosphate part of the equation really goes back to sheep. Nitrous oxide is of concern in all ruminants; yes, a cow will produce more than a sheep because it is a bigger animal but it is also producing more protein. This is about all the ruminants which belch methane.”
The report is aimed at keeping in mind the target of NZ having a low carbon economy.
Wright notes that NZ is among the highest greenhouse gas emitters per capita because we are a food producer.
Holstein Friesian excellence was front and centre at the 2025 Holstein Friesian NZ (HFNZ) Awards, held recently in Invercargill.
The work Fonterra has done with Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, LIC and Ravensdown to save farmers time through better data connections has been recognised with a national award.
This past week has seen another round of negotiations between India and New Zealand to produce a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Cautiously optimistic is how DairyNZ's regional manager for the lower North Island, Mark Laurence describes the mood of farmers in his patch.
The Infrastructure Commission has endorsed a plan by Chorus to expand fibre broadband to 95% of New Zealand much to the delight of rural women.
Questions are being raised about just how good the state of the dairy industry is - especially given that the average farmgate payout for the coming season is set to exceed $10/kgMS.
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