Thursday, March 28, 2024

Deer industry to address emissions pricing

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Deer farmers be warned, greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing is coming so get prepared, is the message from industry. Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) is urging deer farmers to get up to speed with GHG pricing that will impact on the way they farm.
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Deer farmers be warned, greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing is coming so get prepared, is the message from industry.

Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) is urging deer farmers to get up to speed with GHG pricing that will impact on the way they farm.

While Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ and DairyNZ are holding consultation meetings over the next two months, the deer industry as a sector will not be officially involved.

Deer Industry NZ chief executive Innes Moffat says despite standing alone it’s important industry’s voice is heard and is not drowned out by views of other industries.

“The deer industry is unique and has its own distinct interests and while we will be consulting with farmers, we are meantime encouraging all farmers running deer to understand what GHG pricing will mean to their deer farming business.

“Our organisation structure is such that it doesn’t lend to facilitating regional meetings, but we do share similar farming systems to beef and lamb and many of our farmers are beef and or sheep farmers too,

“Still, we do need to be mindful of the specifics to deer and as an industry DINZ is working closely with deer farmers in that respect.”

DINZ will be using the NZ Deer Farmers Association (NZDFA) network to consult with farmers from the time He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) releases its options for consultation though until DINZ reports to HWEN by the proposed December 31 deadline.

HWEN will be releasing several pricing options for consultation in November and farming groups are expected to give their feedback by the end of December, with HWEN planning to report this to government by March 2022 when the government will receive advice on how to address GHG emissions.  

“We are fully aware that this will be happening at one of the busiest times of the deer farming year, but GHG pricing is going to impact on deer farmers’ bank accounts and the way they farm, so we strongly encourage all deer farmers to come up to speed with GHG pricing options when they are released.

“It’s a complex task and deadlines are tight, we have been strongly reporting our view to government to slow down the pace,” Moffat said.

Meanwhile DINZ is involved with the work of HWEN, working alongside other primary sector groups.

DINZ Passion 2 Profit manager Phil McKenzie is on the farm planning and delivery team while environmental stewardship manager Lindsay Fung involved in the group developing policy and pricing models.

The topic will also be addressed by HWEN representatives at the upcoming annual NZDFA branch chairs conference next month.

Moffat says some deer farmers will know their numbers from using the various programmes available.

But farmers still need to complete a GHG management plan and for many the best option will be to attend a ‘know your number and GHG management plan’ workshop.

DINZ has contracted Megan McCall from AbacusBio who, together with her 15 trained facilitators, will deliver these workshops to deer farmers.

The workshops are free to attend and will use the B+LNZ GHG calculator providing information specifically for farmed deer.

The first DINZ workshops will be for Advance Parties and deer industry environment groups and will run from late September to mid-December.

From January DINZ and NZDFA will convene workshops for farmers who don’t belong to one of these groups.

DINZ is also working with all venison companies to help farmers know their number and develop a plan.

“We are working together to find ways to reward those farmers who reduce their emissions of methane and nitrous oxide or offset them through increasing soil sequestration or additional tree cover.

“If farmers can demonstrate they know their GHG numbers and start working on plans to reduce them, it will help convince government and the rest of NZ that farmers take climate change seriously and are willing to do their bit to reduce emissions.

“If we don’t demonstrate that we are taking GHG emissions seriously we’ll be faced with having agriculture put into the ETS, which will not work for us,” Moffat said.      

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