New Zealand farmers hit streets to protest cow burp-tax plans

Hundreds of fed-up farmers have taken to the streets across New Zealand to protest against their government’s plans to tax greenhouse gas emissions from farm animals.

Farm lobby group Groundswell New Zealand helped to co-ordinate more than 50 protests in towns and cities across the country, including large convoys of tractors and 4x4s sent to Wellington, Auckland and other major hubs.

The NZ government has recently set out plans to cut emissions on farms with a “world-first” farm levy which aims to reduce agricultural emissions.

See also: New Zealand considers world-first plan to tax farmers for emissions

The government has pledged to cut methane emissions – based on 2017 levels – by 10% by 2030, as part of a net-zero emissions target by 2050.

There are an estimated 26 million sheep and about 10 million cows in New Zealand and, according to the government, farming accounts for nearly half of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Levy proposal from 2025 

NZ prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced major plans to tackle climate change, which include a requirement that farmers pay a tax on emissions from 2025.

All the revenue collected would go towards new technology, research and incentives to encourage farmers to adopt more climate-friendly farming practices.

“No other country in the world has yet developed a system for pricing and reducing agricultural emissions, so our farmers are set to benefit from being first movers,” Ms Ardern said. “Cutting emissions will help New Zealand farmers to not only be the best in the world, but the best for the world.”

But the plans have sparked fierce criticism from the country’s farmers and farming organisations.

The Federated Farmers of New Zealand said farmers “did not sign up to this”.

President Andrew Hoggard said: “It’s gut-wrenching to think we now have this proposal from the government, which rips the heart out of the work we did, out of the families who farm this land.”

‘Total war’ on rural areas

Groundswell NZ has accused the government of “declaring total war on rural New Zealand” and warned that it will “destroy food production, bring sheep, beef and deer farmers to their knees and severely hamper dairy production”.

Farmer and Groundswell NZ co-founder Bryce McKenzie said more than 45,000 people had signed a petition against the government’s “punitive, counterproductive and unworkable tax on food production”.

He added: “Not only will the farming tax reduce sheep and beef production by 20% and dairy production by 6%, but it will barely affect global emissions, as most of the reduction in New Zealand’s emissions will just be replaced by less-efficient foreign farmers jumping into our share of the market.”

The group has vowed to organise further nationwide tractor protests in the coming days.

The consultation is open until 18 November.