Latest news with #FederatedFarmers
Otago Daily Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Reform to ‘modernise' Fish & Game organisation
Southern Fish & Game councils say they broadly welcome proposed improvements to the organisation's operations, signalled by the government yesterday. Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has announced proposed new legislation governing Fish & Game, aimed at streamlining and compartmentalising the roles of the national body and its 12 regional councils. He said it would "modernise and strengthen" the organisation. "I want to make it as easy as possible for Kiwis to go hunting and fishing in New Zealand. This long overdue reform to Fish & Game will refocus the organisation on its core job of managing our sport fishing and game bird resources and implement a more professional approach to national decision making," he said. Key changes would include clarifying council and national body roles; shifting to a nationalised fee collection and funding distribution system; and voting changes. The proposed new act would also "require Fish & Game councils to better consider the interests of other stakeholders such as farmers and the aviation sector in decision-making". New national advocacy policy would restrict court proceedings to within that policy. Southland Fish & Game chairman David MacGregor said the minister had provided further clarification on that last point during interviews yesterday. "The minister has clarified that Fish & Game can still advocate for the health of waterways where it improves fisheries, which is entirely consistent with Southland Fish & Game's involvement in the Water & Land Plan, where the court found there were significant adverse effects on aquatic life," he said. Federated Farmers Southland clashed with Fish & Game Southland last year following a Court of Appeal decision regarding effluent discharge Federated Farmers claimed would prevent them farming. "Fish & Game has never taken frivolous court action, and funding for much of the Southland case came from the New Zealand council, so I can't see our advocacy function changing," Mr MacGregor said. Otago Fish & Game Council chairman Adrian McIntyre said he welcomed modernisation. "Making it easier for New Zealanders to go hunting and fishing is something we all support, and it's encouraging to see a proposal that retains strong regional decision-making — close to where the action is happening. "Regional autonomy is essential to what we do. It's great to see that the minister has preserved the ability of regional councils to make decisions based on local knowledge and direct engagement with hunters, anglers, landowners, iwi and scientists. That connection is one of our biggest strengths." A Federated Farmers spokesman said his organisation remained concerned about Fish & Game's political advocacy functions. "We're welcoming a review of Fish & Game's advocacy function, something Federated Farmers have been vocal in calling for, but we have serious concerns changes won't go far enough."
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- Business
- The Spinoff
Changing our methane standards could set a ‘dangerous precedent', scientists warn
A group of scientists from around the world is urging the New Zealand government to ignore a methane report it commissioned that 'redefines the goal of climate action'. Shanti Mathias explains. I hear there's an open letter. What's that about? Twenty-six climate scientists have signed an open letter urging the government not to adopt a standard that would limit the amount of methane reduction New Zealand needs to achieve to reach its climate target. A review of New Zealand's methane targets, conducted in 2024 by a government-appointed group separate from the independent Climate Change Commission, looked at the goal of 'no additional warming'. The open letter says that 'no additional warming' is a goal that 'ignores scientific evidence' and could jeopardise New Zealand's ability to achieve the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. What does 'no additional warming' mean? This term is a way to avoid responsibility, says the open letter. 'It redefines the goal of climate action as simply stabilising the warming impact of emissions from any given source at current levels – rather than seeking to 'minimise all greenhouse gas emissions' and their contribution to global warming.' The concept of 'no additional warming' is supported by agricultural lobby groups like Beef and Lamb and Federated Farmers. It would mean that methane emissions could be kept at current levels, as long as they don't increase; essentially an endorsement of the current amount of climate change. 'It's kind of like saying 'I'm pouring 100 barrels of pollution into this river and it's killing life. If I go and pour 90 barrels of pollution in, I should get credit for it,' Paul Behrens, a professor at Oxford University and signatory of the letter, told the Financial Times. Farming lobby groups are pushing for the government of Ireland to adopt a similar approach, which scientists have also criticised. Why are New Zealand and Ireland being singled out? Both countries have large agriculture sectors which produce a lot of dairy and beef for export, and have very high per-capita methane emissions. The vast majority of methane emissions come from agriculture; more than 85% in New Zealand, from grass-eating animals like cows and sheep burping it out as they digest their food. Methane made up 28.9% of Ireland's emissions in 2022 and 43.5% of New Zealand's emissions in 2020. By comparison, methane is about 12% of the United States' emissions. Drew Shindel, an American professor who chaired the UN Environmental Programmes 2021 global methane assessment, told RNZ that the 'no additional warming' target set a 'dangerous precedent'. If New Zealand and Ireland adopted this standard and were followed by other countries, methane emissions wouldn't be reduced fast enough to meet Paris Agreement targets that are already in jeopardy. Methane is a particularly dangerous source of emissions. While it stays in the atmosphere for less time than carbon dioxide, it causes 80 times as much heating, and causes that heating almost immediately – meaning that if methane continues to be emitted, its dangerous warming effects will continue, too. As a recognition of its more short-lived nature, the amount of methane New Zealand needs to reduce by 2050 is a separate goal to carbon emissions reductions. By 2050, New Zealand is aiming to have net-zero carbon dioxide emissions and a 24% to 47% reduction of methane. By 2030, New Zealand is aiming to have a 10% reduction of methane from 2017 levels. How have New Zealand politicians reacted to this call to reduce methane? Fairly predictably. Christopher Luxon, to whom the letter was addressed, said that the scientists, whom he described as 'worthies', 'might want to direct their focus and their letters to other countries'. He told RNZ 'I'll stack New Zealand's record up against any other country on the planet Earth around our methane emissions,' saying that if New Zealand limited dairy or beef production, those emissions would be produced elsewhere by countries with less environmental efficiency. Chlӧe Swarbrick, co-leader of the Green Party, said that the 'no additional warming' measure could damage New Zealand's reputation and threaten its exports. 'It's really clear that Christopher Luxon has to end any further speculation that his government is on the climate denial bandwagon, they have wasted a year playing around with this mythical notion of 'no additional warming' and now international alarm bells are ringing,' she said. Following the report of the methane panel last year, Cabinet will decide whether to adopt a different methane target. Is New Zealand on track to meet its climate targets otherwise? No. Current policies rely on tree planting and a carbon capture and storage project in the Kapuni gas field, which currently seems completely unviable. The second emissions reduction plan, released last year, put the net zero 2050 target out of reach with domestic targets, meaning New Zealand will likely have to buy millions of dollars of international carbon credits. The organisation Climate Action Tracker rates New Zealand's progress as 'highly insufficient' with current policies headed towards heating of more than four degrees Celsius. Changes to climate finance in the recent budget also mean that New Zealand is not doing its part to support less well-off countries adapt to a warmer planet and reduce their emissions.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Save Our Sheep Billboards Hit Wellington
Wednesday, 4 June 2025, 1:43 pm Press Release: Federated Farmers Federated Farmers have taken the fight for the future of New Zealand sheep farming to the streets of Wellington, with bold digital billboards visible directly from Ministers' Beehive offices. The message to politicians is clear and concise: sheep are not the problem - stop planting productive farmland in pine trees for carbon credits. Save our sheep billboard (Photo/Supplied) "We wanted this campaign to be bold and directly in politicians' faces. That's the only way we're going to get their attention," Federated Farmers meat & wool chair Toby Williams says. "Sheep farming is in crisis. We need the Government to urgently wake up to the impact poor policy is having on our farming families and rural communities. "Each year we're losing tens of thousands of hectares of productive farmland. "Where sheep and lambs once grazed there's now nothing but pine trees as far as the eye can see." Between 2017 and 2024, more than 260,000 hectares of productive sheep farming land were plastered in pine trees - never to return to pasture. In just one generation New Zealand has lost over two-thirds of our national flock, reducing from over 70 million sheep in 1982 to fewer than 25 million sheep today. "Our national flock is declining by almost a million sheep every year and the number one driver is carbon forestry," Williams says. "Farms are being converted to forestry because Government policy is screwing the scrum and making it more profitable to plant pine trees than to farm sheep. "The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is effectively subsidising pine trees to offset fossil fuel emissions, and that's pushing farming families off the land and destroying rural communities." New Zealand is the only country in the world that allows 100% carbon offsetting through forestry, with other countries recognising the risk and putting restrictions in place. Federated Farmers is now calling on the Government to urgently review the ETS and fix the rules to either limit or stop the offsetting of fossil fuel emissions with forestry. You can sign the petition at © Scoop Media
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Drought followed by wet autumn leaves farmers with 'hard decisions' on feed
Farmers in regions hit by summer drought are heading into winter with mixed feelings after a wet autumn, Federated Farmers says. File photo. Photo: RNZ/Sally Round Drought conditions marked the end of summer for Northland, Taranaki , Waikato, Horizons and Marlborough-Tasman. As a result many farmers used additional supplementary feed to keep cows in milk. Federated Farmers Waikato president Keith Holmes said "some hard decisions" were made in autumn, with many local farmers using feed allocated for winter cover, and then having to start the dry-off process in April - about four weeks earlier than usual. He said that was a "particularly tough call" with the $10 dairy payout. The whole Waikato was now green, he said, "but not all of that is grass, so some farmers remain in drought mode. The majority of people are heaving a sigh of relief but there are still some who are desperately waiting for a bit more warm weather and a bit more rain, to get the cover before we go into winter." Northland president Colin Hannah said the region had had a "mixed bag of extremes" over the past few months, but too much rain was now causing problems for some. He said one Northland farm had been under water five times in the past few weeks. "Other farmers say the rain came at the right time and they're set up for winter. Not all farmers will be impacted. Those that used up some of their winter feed because of the drought, at the point with a bit of urea, probably most of them will get by. But it could bite us in about August, is my basic gut feeling." But he said, warm temperatures meant things should come up "pretty quickly" and farmers should have enough winter feed. "They're going to have a bit of a blip, but I think they'll get through it in the north. If we don't, we'll just have to resort to palm kernel, PK, that dreaded thing!" But he said one silver lining was that palm kernel was relatively cheap and plentiful right now.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Farmer Satisfaction With Banks Better
Farmers are feeling more satisfied with their banks, pointing to improved communication and less 'undue pressure', Federated Farmers' latest Banking Survey shows. "It's good to see things are improving but farmers' trust in their banks is still fragile," Federated Farmers banking spokesperson Richard McIntyre says. "Where farmers have given positive feedback in the survey, it's usually about their individual managers, not bank policy. "When those individual staff leave, that trust can erode quickly." Nearly 700 farmers responded to the May survey, with 60% of them 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their bank. That's up from 53% in Federated Farmers' November 2024 survey but well shy of the 80% peak rating recorded in 2017. "It's helped that over the last year banks have been grilled by the select committee inquiry on banking competition that Federated Farmers pushed for," McIntyre says. "There has been a lot of scrutiny and banks have definitely been feeling the pressure, so it's good to see them start to lift their game as a result." In the survey, 61% of farmers rated their bank's communication as good or very good - the best result since 2020. Just on 18% of farmers said they were feeling undue bank pressure, down from 24% six months earlier and the lowest rating recorded since 2018. "Many farmers said bank pressure has eased over the past six to 12 months, with some noting their bank had become more understanding or backed off earlier demands," McIntyre says. "However, for those still under pressure, the situation remains serious. "A few farmers shared difficult stories with us, including being forced out of farming altogether." One farmer said: "We've sold the farm. If the bank had been more understanding, things might have been different." The survey shows interest rates on farm mortgages have also eased by about 1% since late 2024 to an average of 6.52%. "Even so, we're still very concerned that, compared with average residential mortgage interest rates, farm mortgage interest rates are around 0.92% higher - and were about 1.12% higher late last year," McIntyre says. From 2016 until 2021, the margin of difference hovered between about 0.6% and 0.35%. "These don't seem like big differences, but when total agricultural lending is around $61 billion, a 1% margin difference puts $600 million of extra interest costs on the sector each year. "It's crazy how much more money farmers are having to shell out to the banks in interest payments. "Part of the problem is the unnecessarily conservative Reserve Bank capital requirements, and the recent decision to review those settings is very welcome," McIntyre says. "What we desperately need as well is stronger competition among banks in the rural sector. That would really help lower costs for farmers and drive better bank performance." In the open comment section of the May survey, many farmers said they were still paying far too much in interest. Several expressed frustration that banks were quick to hike rates, but slow to pass on savings when the OCR falls. "OCR drops come through like a feather. Increases hit like a brick," one said. The May survey also found that just under 20% of farmers said their bank has inquired about their farm's emissions profile or environmental footprint as part of loan requirements. Westpac and ASB were much more likely to ask such questions, at 32% and 40% respectively. "Federated Farmers' view is that our democratically elected Government is the correct body to be setting emissions and environmental policy, not banks," McIntyre says. "Farmers are closely watching what's happening with Bills passing through Parliament, promoted by MPs Andy Foster and Mark Cameron, that would rein in banks' ability to make lending decisions on non-commercial grounds." Foster's proposed law would prohibit banks from refusing loans or services purely for environmental or emissions reasons. May survey responses show 70% of farmers support such a law (18% oppose, 12% unsure). Other key findings from the survey: Farm Debt Levels: 84% of farmers surveyed have a mortgage. The average mortgage in the survey was $4.7 million, compared to $4.4 million six months ago. Overdraft Use Declining: Only 76% of farms now have an overdraft facility, down from 88% a decade ago. Overdraft Limits: Average overdraft limits have risen to $349,000. Arable farms saw the largest increase (from $500k to $718k). Overdraft Interest Rates: Rates have dropped. The average is now 9.0%, down from 10.0%. Rabobank offers the lowest (7.3%), while BNZ remains highest (9.7%). Efficiency Concerns: 19% of farmers feel their bank isn't allowing them to structure debt as efficiently as possible - down slightly from 23% in November. Rabobank and ANZ performed best; Westpac performed worst.
