Friday, 02 December 2022 09:51

Beef, sheep farmers welcome Govt's sequestration plan

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Beef + Lamb NZ chair Andrew Morrison Beef + Lamb NZ chair Andrew Morrison

Sheep and beef farmers are welcoming a Government announcement that sequestration will be part of an agricultural emissions pricing package.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) chairman Andrew Morrison says the Government has listened to B+LNZ, industry groups and farmers’ feedback.

“They have acknowledged the importance of all genuine sequestration being recognised from 2025, particularly for sheep and beef farmers,” says Morrison.

“While there are details to work through, we understand there is a willingness to work on the basis of what was originally proposed by the agriculture sector on sequestration while the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is expanded and improved, which we welcome.

 “The devil, however, will be in the detail. This is such an important issue to our farmers that we have to get it right.   

 “Our farmers have told us that if they are going to face a price on their emissions, then they need to get proper recognition for that sequestration on their farms from day one.”

 For many extensive farmers, sequestration is the only tool they have available to mitigate the impact of emissions pricing.

At the National Fieldays this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the Government is planning to develop a strategy for on-farm carbon sequestration.

The Government is committed to sequestration being recognised from 2025: transitional arrangements will be in place from 2025 with entry into ETS to follow later.

 The recognition of on-farm sequestration will be a core component of the Government’s work to reduce New Zealand’s agricultural climate emissions.

 “We want a plan for reducing agricultural emissions we can all agree on. We’ve heard sequestration is a top priority for farmers and critical to making He Waka Eke Noa work,” says Ardern.

 “The Government has already committed to sequestration being recognised and compensated for from 2025. The He Waka Eke Noa partnership, the Climate Change Commission, and the Government all agree that it needs to be done in a way that is fair, cost-effective, and scientifically robust.

 “The recent consultation process has highlighted how important the issue of sequestration is to farmers. This is work we already had underway, but next step will be to work closely with farmers to develop the scientific, and policy approaches needed to best recognise sequestration that occurs on farms.

 “The best way to achieve sustainable emissions reduction is by working together. The Government remains committed to He Waka Eke Noa and we are pleased to undertake this important work on sequestration with farmers to help deliver it.”

More like this

Lost the room?

OPINION: Beef+Lamb NZ has run a roadshow to sell its new strategy.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter