Fight over cow burps looms as farmers face forced emissions cuts

A fight over plans to cut farming’s greenhouse footprint from methane-burping livestock looms for the Albanese government, with Agriculture Minister Murray Watt declaring the sector must reduce its emissions as the National Farmers Federation campaigns against the government’s renewable plans.

Watt declared the industry cannot rely only on carbon offsets and must change practices as he launched consultation on Tuesday on the government’s agriculture and land plan, which will guide cuts to emissions from agriculture in line with the national target to hit net zero by 2050.

The government is also committed to the global pledge to cut methane by 30 per cent from 2020 by 2030.

New Zealand has imposed a tax on farm methane emissions that kicks in from 2025, but in news that will be welcomed by Australian farmers, Watt has already ruled this out.

Watt said the reforms “will be done without a methane tax or ag sector emissions target” but government would work industry to develop a plan.

The agriculture minister linked increasing droughts and extreme weather events to a 23 per cent decline in average profitability, with climate change costing farmers about $30,000 on their bottom lines every year.

Farmers also need to boost their green credentials to maintain critical export market access, which is the destination for about 70 per cent of Australian agriculture produce, Watt said.

“Pretty much all of our international trading markets, as well as domestic consumers, expect to see higher and higher sustainability records when it comes to agricultural production.”

Mike Foley, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 November 2023.

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