Greenpeace a charity?
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
New data from Statistics NZ shows that Canterbury had the biggest fall in agricultural emissions, down 2.7%, mainly due to a decline in livestock numbers.
Unsurprisingly, Greenpeace has jumped in, claiming this is clear evidence that lowering cow stocking rates works to cut climate pollution and harping that lowering stocking rates is the simple answer to our climate change woes.
However, what the statistics really show is improving efficiency within the dairy industry. Our farmers are milking fewer cows but still producing the same amount of milk, thanks to better genetics and on-farm practices.
And over time, with new science and technology and even better genetics, our emissions will be lower. No one is buying the activists' suggestion to lower stock numbers.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.