Latest news with #TobyWilliams
Scoop
3 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
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Flawed ETS settings hurt NZ beef sector, stud bull breeders struggle
Federated Farmers national meat and wool chairman, Toby Williams. New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme settings are flawed, and that's hurting stud bull breeders and the wider beef sector. According to a 2023 report commissioned by Beef + Lamb NZ, New Zealand is the only country, aside from Kazakhstan, to allow 100% offsetting of carbon emissions by forestry within the
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Federated Farmers Launches ‘SOS: Save Our Sheep' Campaign
Press Release – Federated Farmers 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. Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, SOS: Save Our Sheep, calling for urgent action to halt the collapse of New Zealand's sheep industry. 'Once the backbone of New Zealand's economy, sheep are fast becoming an endangered species in this country,' Federated Farmers meat & wool chair Toby Williams says. 'Each year we're losing tens of thousands of hectares of productive farmland. Where sheep and lambs once grazed, pine trees are taking their place. 'Sheep farming is at a real crossroads. That's why farmers are sending out an urgent SOS to save our sheep – and the Government need to answer that call before it's too late.' 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. Sheep numbers are rapidly plunging with almost a million sheep disappearing every year. 'If that trend continues, we're not going to have any sheep left in our country within two decades. We'll just have hills plastered in nothing but pine trees,' Williams says. 'That would be a huge loss for our country – not just for our economy, but for our cultural identity and rural communities too.' Williams says the number one driver of sheep farming's collapse is clear: carbon forestry. 'New Zealand's climate change policies are badly broken, and it's gotten to the point where food production and the viability of our rural communities are being threatened. 'The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is effectively subsidising pine trees to offset fossil fuel emissions, and that's pushing sheep farmers off the land, never to return. 'We're the only country in the world that allows 100% carbon offsetting through forestry within our ETS. 'Most other countries have recognised this as a significant risk and have quite rightly set policies to restrict it – so New Zealand is way out of step with international norms.' Between 2017 and 2024, 260,000 hectares of sheep and beef country were swallowed up by pines. 'That's not because forestry is necessarily a better use of the land, but because Government policy makes it more profitable to plant pine trees than to farm sheep,' Williams says. 'Climate policy is trumping food production. We're blindly sacrificing rural jobs, local processing infrastructure, and sustainable red meat exports at the altar of carbon offsetting. 'Unfortunately, the Government aren't doing enough to stop the relentless march of pine trees across productive farmland – and if they don't act soon, it will be too late.' 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. Williams says New Zealanders need to ask themselves a simple question: do we still value our sheep industry? 'Because if the answer is yes, we need to act now, and act fast, before it's too late.'
Scoop
26-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Federated Farmers Launches ‘SOS: Save Our Sheep' Campaign
Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, SOS: Save Our Sheep, calling for urgent action to halt the collapse of New Zealand's sheep industry. "Once the backbone of New Zealand's economy, sheep are fast becoming an endangered species in this country," Federated Farmers meat & wool chair Toby Williams says. "Each year we're losing tens of thousands of hectares of productive farmland. Where sheep and lambs once grazed, pine trees are taking their place. "Sheep farming is at a real crossroads. That's why farmers are sending out an urgent SOS to save our sheep - and the Government need to answer that call before it's too late." 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. Sheep numbers are rapidly plunging with almost a million sheep disappearing every year. "If that trend continues, we're not going to have any sheep left in our country within two decades. We'll just have hills plastered in nothing but pine trees," Williams says. "That would be a huge loss for our country - not just for our economy, but for our cultural identity and rural communities too." Williams says the number one driver of sheep farming's collapse is clear: carbon forestry. "New Zealand's climate change policies are badly broken, and it's gotten to the point where food production and the viability of our rural communities are being threatened. "The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is effectively subsidising pine trees to offset fossil fuel emissions, and that's pushing sheep farmers off the land, never to return. "We're the only country in the world that allows 100% carbon offsetting through forestry within our ETS. "Most other countries have recognised this as a significant risk and have quite rightly set policies to restrict it - so New Zealand is way out of step with international norms." Between 2017 and 2024, 260,000 hectares of sheep and beef country were swallowed up by pines. "That's not because forestry is necessarily a better use of the land, but because Government policy makes it more profitable to plant pine trees than to farm sheep," Williams says. "Climate policy is trumping food production. We're blindly sacrificing rural jobs, local processing infrastructure, and sustainable red meat exports at the altar of carbon offsetting. "Unfortunately, the Government aren't doing enough to stop the relentless march of pine trees across productive farmland - and if they don't act soon, it will be too late." 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. Williams says New Zealanders need to ask themselves a simple question: do we still value our sheep industry? "Because if the answer is yes, we need to act now, and act fast, before it's too late."
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
SOS Call: Save Our Sheep
Press Release – Federated Farmers Since 2007, when the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) was first introduced, our national flock has shrunk by 40%. Were now losing almost a million sheep every year. OPINION: By Toby Williams, Federated Farmers meat & wool chair From the golden age of wool to lamb roasts at Sunday dinner, sheep farming has sat at the heart of our national identity for generations. We used to proudly say New Zealand was built off the sheep's back-but today our sheep farmers are sitting at a crossroads, unsure which way to turn. Our sector is in crisis – and we can no longer face it alone. Sheep are quickly becoming an endangered species in New Zealand. Their main predators? Pines, pigs, and poor Government policy. To paint a picture for you: I'm only 44, and in my lifetime alone we've already lost over two-thirds of our national flock. That's not just a scary statistic-it's a warning sign that our policy settings are badly broken and that something is very wrong. Since 2007, when the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) was first introduced, our national flock has shrunk by 40%. We're now losing almost a million sheep every year. If that trajectory continues, within the next two decades there'll be no sheep left in New Zealand. Is that really the future we want for our country? As sheep numbers continue to decline, huge pressure is being put on the critical infrastructure that supports our red meat sector, like meatworks, shearers and stock trucks. Without sufficient livestock, our meat processors-already operating on tight margins-will struggle to justify the continued investment required to continue operating. The economics simply don't work. Alliance's Smithfield meatworks in Timaru has already closed its doors, and that's not a one-off: it's a symptom of the times. This is not the situation our farmers should be facing, but even with strong prices for red meat, farmers are still exiting the industry. Their confidence has evaporated. When farmers aren't investing despite good returns, it means they're looking at the broader policy picture-and they don't like what they see. So, what does a sheep farmer see when they look out their window? Right now, it's nothing but pine trees, pests, and politicians breaking promises. New Zealand's climate policy is creating huge uncertainty, and the endless push to plant pine trees risks forever changing the face of our rural communities. Between 2017 and 2024 alone, 260,000 hectares of sheep and beef land were converted to pine-not because forestry is a better use of that land, but because of our flawed ETS settings. This is short-sighted, dangerous policy. We're sacrificing food production, rural jobs, and community resilience at the altar of carbon accounting. Sheep farmers are not climate deniers. We've always been environmental stewards, understand the land better than most, and want to leave it in better shape for the next generation. But regulation must be grounded in practical reality, not ideology. Blanket environmental rules that fail to consider the nuances of hill country farming are doing more harm than good. The great irony in all of this is New Zealand sheep farmers are among the most efficient and sustainable producers of red meat in the world. Our carbon footprint per kilogram of lamb is lower than virtually any other nation, and our wool is a renewable and biodegradable alternative to synthetic fibres and plastics. So why are our sheep-farming families being punished, rather than rewarded, for the work we do behind our farm gate? The answer is simple: politics. Unfortunately, the electoral math is not in our favour. Politicians will always chase the votes of big population centres like Auckland and Wellington over small rural communities. There also seems to be an attitude in the halls of power that the farming vote can be taken for granted, but those who hold that view should tread carefully. So, what's the solution? I think New Zealanders need to ask themselves a simple question: do we still value our sheep industry? Because if we do, we need to act-and fast. It's time to start valuing food production and put an end to the broken climate policies that are turning productive farmland into pine plantations and pest havens. Farmers are sounding the alarm. This is our SOS. Please save our sheep-before it's too late.
