By Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson

We wrote to the meat and dairy processors, along with MIA and DCANZ about our concerns about the effect of the Government’s unworkable regulations on the food producing industry.

Read our letter below:

To the Meat and Dairy IndustriesWe write concerning the attached letter from Ministers James Shaw and Stuart Nash, where they clearly state that there will be no changes to the place of permanent exotic forests in the ETS and attracting Carbon Credits, as well as the Climate Change Commission’s advice to the Government to effectively increase the price of carbon to “drive behavioural change”.

Because of their attitude towards unworkable regulations, they are contributing to the low morale of farmers.

Their advice could see prices go from today’s $80 to $171 in 2023, or worse still $214, before more units (the cost containment reserve) can be entered into the system. Additionally, the He Waka Eke Noa Partnership assumes that 64,000 hectares will need to enter forestry every year, beginning immediately.

In light of this, Groundswell NZ requests information from you regarding what studies you have done, if any, on the impact reduced throughput will have on your company or the wider industry’s profitability.

These policy pressures have pushed the door wide open for a tidal wave of sheep and beef properties to be forced out of livestock production – the raw material the industry depends on for profitability – and into conversion to monoculture pines.

At those projected prices, dairy farming will face similar pressures as well.

Groundswell NZ will be making a request under the Official Information Act for all correspondence between the above ministers, all the Sheep, Beef, and Dairy processing companies, and the Meat Industry Association, regarding the conversion of farming properties into forestry.

Yours Faithfully

Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson