Wednesday, 14 June 2023 13:55

Editorial: Time for a reset

Written by  Staff Reporters
Could He Waka Eke Noa be dead in the water? Could He Waka Eke Noa be dead in the water?

OPINION: It's safe to say that He Waka Eke Noa - the industry and government partnership to deal with emissions pricing - is dead in the water.

With time running out and no deal in sight, Parliament will likely rise for the final time on August 31 without a decision on how agriculture will pay for emissions at farm level. National has pulled out its support.

In 2019 the primary sector climate action partnership (HWEN) was established to provide an alternative framework for measuring, managing, and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Initially, it was about working towards all farmers and growers knowing their greenhouse gas emissions numbers, having a written plan to manage greenhouse gas emissions, and being supported to adapt to climate change.

The sector came up with its recommendations, but the Government was in no mood to listen and came out with its own consultation document. Sadly, the goodwill that existed at the launch of HWEN has disappeared.

Farmers remain deeply opposed to the government recommendations. Their greatest concern is, of course, the modelled impacts, which show a reduction in 'net revenue' of between 18 and 24% for sheep and beef, and 6 to 7% for dairy.

In terms of output: it shows a reduction of between 16 and 20% in sheep meat; beef potentially may go up initially by 8% under a low-cost scenario but then also falls by 16% under high cost; and milksolids reduce by around 5%. What the consultation document hasn't looked at are the impacts on rural and provincial communities.

One cannot cut 20% of the output from a sector without major impacts on various communities. Not only will processing jobs be gone at meatworks, there will be all sorts of flow-on effects in rural servicing sectors. Towns like Wairoa are likely to become ghost towns, communities will be ripped asunder and for what? And those emissions will just be shipped offshore and increased.

HWEN has been all about an industry-developed solution. National supported the Government and sector coming up with a sector-led response.

Sadly, when the sector worked for two years and reached consensus on a plan, the Government torpedoed it.

Now National is accusing the Government of killing HWEN, claiming that it is no longer a bipartisan process.

The clock is ticking down not only to the election, but also to 2025 when agriculture would enter the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) if no agreement on an alternative method of pricing is reached. New Zealand needs to address climate change but this mustn't come at the expense of the farming sector.

More like this

Editorial: GMO furore

OPINION: Submissions on the Government's contentious Gene Technology Bill have closed.

Editorial: Climate dilemma

OPINION: The farming sector, or at least some parts of it, are preparing for a battle with the Government over its latest international climate change target.

Vintage requiring cooperation

OPINION: A common refrain last year was 'survive 'til 25', including from those in New Zealand's wine industry facing rising costs, surplus wine and sluggish export sales.

Featured

Farmer input needed to combat FE

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on livestock farmers to take part in a survey measuring the financial impact of facial eczema (FE).

Editorial: Escaping Trump's wrath

OPINION: President Donald Trump's bizarre hard line approach to the world of what was once 'rules-based trade' has got New Zealand government officials, politicians and exporters on tenterhooks.

Wool pellets to boost gardens

With wool prices steadily declining and shearing costs on the rise, a Waikato couple began looking for a solution for wool from their 80ha farm.

National

Miraka CEO steps down

The chief executive of Taupo-based dairy company, Miraka – Karl Gradon - has stepped down from the role for personal…

Machinery & Products

Bigger but not numb

When you compare a RAM 1500 or Chevrolet Silverado to a Ford Ranger or a Toyota Hilux, you will understand…

Good just got great

Already well respected in the UTV sector for performance, reliability and a competitive price point, CFMOTO has upped the ante…

Nedap NZ launch

Livestock management tech company Nedap has launched Nedap New Zealand.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

O Canada

OPINION: Donald Trump's focus on Canada is causing concern for the country’s dairy farmers.

Plant-based fad

OPINION: The fact that plant-based dairy is struggling to gain a market foothold isn’t deterring new entrants.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter