Government policies threaten NZ’s 2030 export goals, farmers warn
The Government is being warned that some recent bad policy decisions are undermining its target of doubling exports by 2030.
Horticulture NZ is one of the primary sector parties involved in the industry-wide initiative He Waka Eke Noa, to provide government with an alternative option to the ETS in dealing with on farm orchard/greenhouse gas emissions.
Hort NZ chair Barry O'Neil says the issue is much simpler for growers because they don't have to worry about methane - only nitrous oxide, which comes from fertiliser. He says growers can understand why pastoral farmers favour a pricing mechanism based at the farm level.
"What we really want as growers is a low-cost emissions administration system," he told Hort News.
"We don't want to have to fund significant administration costs because we are just simple users of fertilisers. There were some ridiculous figures bandied around, ranging $60 million to $100 million to administer it," O'Neil explains.
"That is just crazy. We believe that our farm assurance plans, which we already have in place, such a NZGAP, should be the vehiclue used to meet this requirementand other regulatory requirements. There is no need to reinvent the wheel."
O'Neil wants the horticulture sector to focus on those really big issues that are needed for future success - such as climate change. He says with more floods and droughts occurring on a more regular basis, there needs to be a focus on things such as water storage and resilience and covered crop growing to mitigate risk.
"I think we are getting dragged down and spending time on issues that I don't see are as important for the future benefit and success of our future," he says.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says his officials plan to meet their US counterparts every month from now on to better understand how the 15% tariff issue there will play out, and try and get some certainty there for our exporters about the future.
A landmark New Zealand trial has confirmed what many farmers have long suspected - that strategic spring nitrogen use not only boosts pasture growth but delivers measurable gains in lamb growth and ewe condition.
It was recently announced that former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has stepped down of New Zealand Pork after seven years. Leo Argent talks with Eric about his time at the organisation and what the future may hold.
It's critical that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
RaboResearch, the research arm of specialist agriculture industry banker Rabobank, sees positives for the Alliance Group in its proposed majority-stake sale to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
The ACT Party's call for a better deal on the Paris Agreement on climate change is being backed by farmer organisations.
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