Tone deaf?
OPINION: Your old mate can't believe the absolute brass neck of the directors at Beef + Lamb NZ who are asking levypayers for a hefty increase in directors fees at the time of record low red meat prices.
Farmer lobby Groundswell is organising a nationwide gathering on Thursday to protest the Government’s agriculture emissions pricing plan.
The proposed plan, released last week, is currently in a consultation phase and would see farmers charged an emissions levy on a farm-level.
Previously, Groundswell have been vocal in their opposition to emissions pricing, even presenting an alternative to industry bodies’ He Waka Eke Noa plan. The Government, in making its emissions pricing plan, has taken several recommendations from the He Waka Eke Noa partnership’s plan.
In an email sent to members, Groundswell claims the plan would cut food production by up to 20% in some sectors.
“All this, while households across New Zealand pay more and more for food in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis,” the rural ginger group says.
They claim that emissions pricing will lead to food scarcity, higher food prices, “and even more productive farmland planted in pines, leaving our rural communities and rural businesses hanging by a thread”.
They claim the emissions pricing plan is in breach of the Paris Agreement which set a goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.
The agreement states that countries must lower emissions “in a manner that does not threaten food production”, something Groundswell claims the Government has breached with the plan currently being consulted on.
“Recent polling shows that most New Zealanders oppose reducing herd sizes to meet emissions reduction targets. Now we can demonstrate that the majority cares deeply enough about it to protest in the streets.”
The nationwide protest is set for towns and cities across the country, with the group telling people to “Come by tractor, truck, ute, car, or on foot”.
The protest will take place at midday this Thursday, 20 October.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.