‘Climate Action Centre’ is the new cool catch phrase in the industry as of the announcement at the Fieldays by the Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture. This new joint venture partners with ANZCO Foods, Fonterra, Ravensdown, Rabobank, Silver Fern Farms and Synlait. By 2025, this commitment will see an investment of up to $35 million annually from these partners that will be matched by the government.
So what is this about and why do we need a climate action centre?
In order to maintain our competitive advantage over other primary producing countries, development into emissions reducing protocols is a non-negotiable. We must remember that ‘we’ as primary producers are not B2C (business to consumer) exporters, we are B2B (business to business) and therefore, John and Joan who live in Papamoa aren’t who we tailor our requirements to, it’s the likes of Nestle, who have ambitious emissions targets to meet. If we as New Zealand producers don’t remain at the forefront, we risk losing our ability to supply these markets.
This investment will see tangible results in the way of,
- Methane inhibiting capsules by Ruminant Biotech – current trials are >70% reductions while the bolus remains active
- Low methane rams and traits introduced to the national flock
- Greenhouse Gas (GHG) measuring equipment and infrastructure. This will greatly enhance the efficacy of claims being made and speed up the time to get farmers with the right information and tools.
It is encouraging to see the depth of the partners involved with this project. A science-based focus is the only way to drive change and provide tangible outcomes. We are excited and optimistic that there is serious change to come that is actionable at the farm gate.
