Research summary

● 15.6 per cent reduction in total farm GHG emissions

● ● 15.5 per cent decrease in Nitrogen leaching per hectare and per milk solid

●

According to Morritt, the GHG emissions calculator in the Government proposal used a fixed amount of feed per kilogram of milksolids to calculate the GHG emissions of each farm, which if adopted, would remove the ability to reward improved feed conversion efficiencies which deliver GHG emission reductions.

Adopting this “overly simplified” method would drive a severe reduction in milk production and farm profitability, for a sub-optimal environmental outcome, he said.

“With the Government’s proposed GHG calculator, reducing milk production would be the key lever to reduce GHG emissions. Our modelling shows this approach would be both flawed and unnecessary.

“It’s vital policies and GHG emission tax calculators do not use a fixed amount of feed per unit of milk production to calculate farm emissions, or unfairly penalise the use of concentrate feeding in dairy systems.”

Morritt said moderate amounts of concentrate feeds were critical to improving feed conversion efficiency and a crucial tool for achieving positive outcomes.

Headlands’ modelling research has been peer-reviewed by some of New Zealand’s leading dairy scientists including Dave Clark, formerly a principal scientist at DairyNZ, and Dr Eric Kolver, formerly a principal animal scientist at DairyNZ.

“We have grave concerns that adopting the proposed government calculator will result in a much less efficient, less clean dairy industry, with severe downstream economic effects on NZ society as a whole,” Morritt said. ■