New Zealand’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been met with dissatisfaction by farmers. Reported by AFP.
Ruminants produce a lot of intestinal gas during their lifetime and burp constantly. These gases contain large amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, and agriculture is therefore considered one of the main sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. With nearly six million cows and 26 million sheep living in New Zealand, the government is trying to take action to combat global warming.
Under the plan proposed by the authorities, farmers will have to pay for gas emissions from their livestock. The plans caused an uproar in the New Zealand farming community and sparked nationwide protests. Farmers demanded that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s centre-left government remove the tax, which they said would not only make food more expensive, but would also deprive producers of their livelihoods.
Amid the protests, the government made concessions and, to offset emissions, allowed farmers to plant forests on their land and promised to keep taxes low. The Council of Ministers will make the final decision on the calculation of the tax amount at the beginning of 2023.
The head of New Zealand’s leading agricultural advocacy group said the amended plans were still unacceptable. According to him, so far only New Zealand imposes such “penalties” for an efficient and high-performing industry that does not consume government subsidies.