The government’s emissions pricing proposal drew a hostile reaction from Waikato farmers when it was outlined by DairyNZ leaders at a meeting in Morrinsville.
About 70 farmers packed the town’s Rotary Community Centre to learn more about the proposal and for the organisation to get feedback from farmers ahead of the mid-November submissions deadline.
The at-times tense meeting saw farmers vent their frustration at the government’s plan, with one questioning if the government has any notion how upset farmers are.
“We have the Fonterra chairman [Peter McBride] saying they are uneasy about it. For God’s sake, uneasy, we’re more than uneasy,” he said.
“It’s time to step out of the tent and pull the bloody pegs out. It’s time we stood up and started giving it to them,” he said to applause.
Later, DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said that for now it is better to follow the process and see it through. Following the path taken by protest group Groundswell carries too high a risk.
“Once we go down that track, there’s no coming back.”
Morrinsville farmer Lloyd Downing expressed concern about the effect the extra costs from the farm emissions levy would have on younger farmers “if you bring this in on top or even the psychological effect of this down the track”.
“What’s DairyNZ’s opinion on that?” he asked.
Van der Poel said DairyNZ is well aware of the cost pressures farmers are under.
He reminded the farmers that when the government announced its proposal, it was described as “the industry’s proposal with a couple of tweaks”. At first glance this appeared to be the case, but on closer inspection as more details were released, they realised how different it was, he said.
The issue around emissions is not going away and He Waka Eke Noa is about getting the right framework in place for managing emissions and “a hell of a lot better” than going into the Emissions Trading Scheme, Van der Poel said.
“And even though that risk hangs over us, no deal is better than a bad deal … we will not agree to a bad deal and we will take that risk.
“We went into this to keep ourselves out of the ETS. Our objective is to try and get back to something that looks a lot like it was before. How we do that and what that looks like, we’re trying to work through that now.”
What would happen if farmers refused to accept the government’s proposal, he was asked. Van der Poel said the government would push ahead with it, or dump the farm-levy scheme entirely and put agriculture into the ETS.
Another asked if the proposed policy violates the Paris Agreement as it relates to global food security. “They want us to eat crickets and bugs. That’s the message that’s coming out. They don’t think we’re important,” she said.
One farmer wanted greater transparency in negotiations between industry and the government over what the final policy will look like, fearing the government may push for a scheme that places a further burden on farmers if its polling continues to slide.
DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle told the gathering that the emissions issue is never going to go away and the agricultural sector has to deal with it.
Being a world leading dairy producer does not excuse farmers from contributing to reduce their emissions and there is an expectation on the industry to chip in and help.
“But we have to deal with it in a practical, pragmatic and sensible way.”
Van der Poel urged farmers to write submissions after some in the audience questioned if it was a waste of time.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw will be lobbying his MPs to use their networks to write submissions urging the government to make the legislation even tougher for farmers, he said.
“It’s very important that you have a say on this. I don’t think it’s a waste of time. I think it’s so critical and so important to have your say. You have to tell them what you think.”
The final word came from a farmer who called for unity within the sector if it was to challenge the proposal.
“Our time is running out and if we don’t submit by the 18th of November then we’re going to be stuffed because we wouldn’t have had our voice heard. If we can band together and move as one then we’re going to make as much difference as we can,” she said.
The meetings continue at various venues around the country, ending in Whangārei on November 14.
