HWEN has to go!

Farmers who successfully moved remits at B+LNZ's annual meeting three weeks ago claim the organisation is still not listening to its levy payers.

North Waikato sheep and beef farmer Jason Barrier, who successfully moved a remit for B+LNZ to get out of HWEN, told Rural News that tinkering with HWEN is "simply not going to cut the mustard now".

Barrier points out that in its latest statement, the B+LNZ board says they are going to do a better job of listening to farmers.

"That is a welcome change, but actions speak louder than words," he says.

Barrier says his remit essentially asked the board to 'get out of HWEN' and was passed at the annual meeting.

"And yet the first thing we get from the board is an email saying 'we are not pulling out of HWEN' - so I'm not sure if they really are listening yet.

"What they are now proposing instead is something between a 'half-way house' and 'a cup of tea' where we go ahead with emissions reporting and defer the emissions pricing.

"That's probably a good thing as it buys us a bit of time to get out of this mess and come up with something more workable. But you can't kick thi can down the road forever, and tinkering with HWEN is simply not going to cut the mustard now.

"In my view, the whole thing needs a complete overhaul. We need some new ideas and a plan that is written by our industry for our industry and I've not seen any evidence to date that the board is prepared to consider major changes to HWEN."

Barrier claims the board is also saying they are getting in touch with the remit proposers.

"I'm still waiting for the phone to ring."

Katikati sheep and beef farmer and chair of Farmers 4 Positive Change, Rick Burke welcomes B+LNZ's decision to hit the pause button regarding emissions pricing and addressing the disproportionate impact on the sheep and beef sector.

However, regarding all the remits which centred around B+LNZ's advocacy performance, Burke's expectation is for an independent comprehensive review.

"This must involve the grassroots farmers who are heavily involved in this discussion, like Waka Adrift and others," he told Rural News.

"It's important to note these farmers have always been wanting to work with B+LNZ to ensure that change driven by regulation will be positive and incentivise and empower farmers to do the right thing, not price them out of existence!

"We hope the B+LNZ board takes this seriously because we aren't going away. We are here for the farmers who are often overwhelmed by the complexity of what's coming at them."

Burke called on B+LNZ to live up to its mantra 'by farmers for farmers'.

In a statement last week, B+LNZ called for staged implementation of an agricultural emissions framework, starting with the establishment of a robust emissions measuring and reporting systems, with a price on emissions not introduced until outstanding issues are resolved.

Board chair Kate Acland says the board has listened to what farmers have said at last month's annual meeting and over the past few weeks.

"They have significant concerns about the system and processes and are worried that if we go too fast, we risk putting farmers' viability at risk, when progress is being made on reducing emissions already, as shown by this year's emsissions figures.

"We know our farmers aren't anti change - but if change is going to be driven by regulation, it needs to be the right changes, for the right reasons, at the right pace."

Acland says B+LNZ is not deviating from the principles of a farm-level approach and keeping agriculture out of the ETS, as proposed by HWEN.

"We also remain committed to the He Waka Eke Noa partnership approach, but we need to take the time to get this right because the future of our sector relies on it.

"Farmers concerns relate to the disproportionate impact on the sheep and beef sector and its ongoing viability, the need to develop a robust and practical on-farm system for calculating emissions and fairly recognising the carbon-sequestering vegetatin on our farms, the availability of mitigation options, and also the potential for emissions leakage overseas.

"Given the time we have to resolve these concerns and then stand-up a system, it has become apparent that it is not appropriate to price agricultural emissions from the outset."