One group of farmers out of New Zealand has been extremely angry about a new tax put forth by government officials on Tuesday which would start charging the farmers for the various greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide, and biogenic methane that is being put out of their livestock, such as sheep and cows.
Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, stepped forward to state that such a tax would be utilized to reinvest into the industry by funding various new technologies, incentives for farmers, and research, as reported by The Associated Press.
“New Zealand’s farmers are set to be the first in the world to reduce agricultural emissions, positioning our biggest export market for the competitive advantage that brings in a world increasingly discerning about the provenance of their food,” stated Arden.
A report from Reuters claimed that such a proposed plan would go into action as soon as 2025, marking New Zealand as the first of its kind to impose a levy regarding livestock emissions on farmers.
However, farm workers feel quite worried about the newly announced plans, making the claim that it would “rip the guts out of small town New Zealand,” going further to state that the country would see far fewer farms and many more trees.
As the president of the lobbying group Federated Farmers, Andrew Hoggard claimed that farmers have tried to work alongside various government officials since the start of 2020 in an effort to drop the levels of emissions while continuing to maintain the current production levels of food. Still, this brand new plan would cause them to sell their farms “so fast you won’t even hear the dogs barking on the back of the ute [pickup truck] as they drive off,” he expressed, as reported by The Associated Press.
Damien O’Connor, the Minister of Agriculture, stated that while farmers are already dealing with extreme flooding and droughts, it does create a nice chance for both the country and the farmers.
“Taking the lead on agricultural emissions is both good for the environment and our economy,” stated O’Connor, reported the AP.
However, lawmakers on both sides of the issue claimed that the plan would increase emissions all over the globe by just shifting the issue to other countries in an effort to make up for the resulting drop in farming for New Zealand, which exports dairy products quite vital to its economy.
It is reported that while the population of the country tops out at about 5 million people, the total number of both dairy and beef cattle sits at roughly double that level.