Silver Ferm Farms

[percy]

New Zealand red meat sector dismayed at Government’s latest agricultural emissions announcement



The arbitrary deadline set by the Government for pricing agricultural emissions has no justification given the sector’s progress in reducing emissions and the scale of issues that still need to be addressed, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and the Meat Industry Association (MIA).



“The focus should be on setting up a practical and cost effective emissions measurement and reporting framework, and ensuring issues like sequestration are resolved and there are viable mitigation tools available, before any pricing is considered.



“There is no sound rationale for pricing when the sector is making good progress towards meeting emissions reduction targets,” says Kate Acland, chair of B+LNZ.



“Our sheep and beef farmers are among the most efficient producers in the world. They’ve been reducing emissions by 1 percent annually for the last 30 years so this policy will simply drive down our production and result in other less efficient countries taking our place and pushing up global emissions.



“New Zealand is the first country in the world to seek to price agricultural emissions and there is no blueprint to copy,” says Acland.



“Given that our economy is built around the production and export of food, it is essential we take the time to get this right. Proposing another unjustified cost on the sector when farmers have their backs to wall financially will only hurt rural communities and the economy.



“We acknowledge the Government says it is looking to recognise all on-farm sequestration but have given no assurances this will be in place by the end of 2025. Farmers cannot be required to pay when they are not recognised for their sequestration.



“Climate scientists also accept total methane emissions in New Zealand have been stable and declining for at least the last decade,” she says.



“New Zealand agriculture is also a world leader in emissions efficiency and the Government’s obsession with imposing a price doesn’t reflect the progress that we are all making.”



The MIA, which represents New Zealand’s red meat processors and exporters, is also concerned about the Government’s emissions announcement.



“As one of the world’s most efficient producers of beef and lamb, we’re committed to playing our part so that we can keep producing sustainable and nutritious food that contributes almost $12 billion in exports for the country’s economy,” says Nathan Guy, chair of the MIA.



“Initiatives like the AgriZero partnership between agribusiness and the Government show we are committed to accelerating the reduction of agricultural emissions.



“Although the Government has moved on from the blunt processor levy, the fact that it has taken such a long time to reach a decision that doesn’t meaningfully advance critical issues such as sequestration and viable mitigation tools is extremely disappointing - especially as the ball has been squarely in their court since November last year.



“New Zealanders can and should be proud of our red meat sector. We not only have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world, but we are also an economic powerhouse supporting almost 100,000 jobs. Unfortunately, that’s not the message Kiwis will be hearing from today’s announcement.”



Meanwhile, Acland says the Government must also move to reduce the country’s methane targets to reflect the latest science and report on warming in addition to emissions.



“Methane is a short-lived gas, if it is stable or declining its impact on the climate is fundamentally different to carbon dioxide. That’s why it is vital that the Government starts to report on warming as well as emissions so that New Zealanders can understand the difference between methane and carbon dioxide, and therefore the different actions the agricultural sector needs to take.



“While New Zealand has recognised this difference to some extent in having split targets for methane, the targets are too high and are asking agriculture to do far more than its fair share. The targets must be reviewed from a warming perspective and amended before any price is imposed.”

[whatsup]

A few trades yesterday. Buy side now looking thin.

Latest dairy shock ! ??

[winner69]

Percy …unless things are done will it it be better to starve before we burn.

[percy]

Percy …unless things are done will it it be better to starve before we burn.

My thoughts were Labour have said goodbye to the rural vote.?

[kiora]

Percy …unless things are done will it it be better to starve before we burn.

Labour policies, high interest rates & crashing commodity prices are causing both starving & burning of the entire rural economy.
Kaching, NZ Inc will hit a very solid wall very soon

[iceman]

My thoughts were Labour have said goodbye to the rural vote.?

My thoughts exactly. Very sad & silly

[iceman]

From Simon Limmer’s latest newsletter:

“This week we announced a new partnership with Costco USA where we are introducing Net Carbon Zero beef into their online shopping site. Costco gets around 93 million visits to its online shopping site every month, and so we are pretty excited about this opportunity.“

[percy]

From Simon Limmer’s latest newsletter:

“This week we announced a new partnership with Costco USA where we are introducing Net Carbon Zero beef into their online shopping site. Costco gets around 93 million visits to its online shopping site every month, and so we are pretty excited about this opportunity.“

I am excited too.
A great opportunity for SFF .

[percy]

Red meat sector: agriculture must be central to NZ’s economic strategy

New Zealand’s red meat sector is calling on the future Government to put agriculture and the production and export of beef and lamb at the heart of a new economic strategy.

The “Putting Meat on the Bone” Briefing to Incoming Ministers document, released by the Meat Industry Association and Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), sets strategic challenges that New Zealand must grapple with to improve the prosperity of the country and Kiwis, and sets out five ways to do this.

The approach includes:

Putting the red meat sector at the centre of New Zealand’s economic strategy,
Aligning the country’s science and innovation system to strategic outcomes,
Partnering with industry to improve sustainability, ensuring greater coordination across government departments, and
Allowing streamlined and enabling regulation underpinned by robust impact assessments.
“Agriculture is our only industry of scale and one area where New Zealand has a significant comparative advantage on the world stage,” said MIA Chair Nathan Guy.

“The red meat sector makes a massive contribution to our economy. With the right policy settings, we could grow this substantially, but it requires government to help facilitate growth - not hinder it. Having political parties taking a long-term view will help to build political consensus to get things done.”

“There is a strong precedent for a bipartisanship approach. New Zealand’s trade strategy has established a network of Free Trade Agreements over the past 30 years that have contributed significantly to our economy and overall global competitiveness”

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chair Kate Acland said New Zealand farmers are among the best and most sustainable red meat producers on the globe, a real advantage in a world where consumers are increasingly conscious about the impact of the food they eat on the planet.

“In order to build on this great platform, we need future governments to work with the livestock sector to develop efficient and outcomes-focused regulatory frameworks. It is also crucial that we leverage our public science and innovation system to enable farmers to improve on their environmental footprint and move up the value chain.

“What is also clear is that our farmers are under pressure from a wave of poorly crafted regulations that are putting the viability of their farm businesses at risk. The Government needs to work with us on ensuring rules are needed, fair, practical and achieve the outcomes both farmers and the country are seeking.”

Ms Acland said both sides of the red meat farm gate stand ready to partner with the future Government to turn this economic framework into a reality that benefits all New Zealanders.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand and MIA respectively represent the farmers who raise New Zealand’s world leading sheep and cattle, and the processors, exporters and marketers who sell it to global customers in more than 100 countries.

The full “Putting Meat on the Bone” BIM can be downloaded here. The two organisations’ summary political manifesto can also be viewed here.

About the red meat sector

Supports over 92,000 jobs across both sides of the farmgate.
The sector is New Zealand’s second largest goods exporter.
Meat processing is New Zealand’s largest manufacturing industry.
95 percent of red meat products are exported to 108 countries as value-added cuts.
Red meat exports generated $12b of export revenues in 2022.
GHG emissions on sheep and beef farms are down 30 percent since 1990.

[Sideshow Bob]

The buy side looks completely devoid of any bids currently.....