Posted on 06/22/2003 2:13:48 PM PDT by DannyTN
Farmers will be taxed on the flatulence of their livestock in an attempt to slow New Zealand's contribution to global warming.
The levy could cost a typical family farmer up to $300 a year. Larger corporate farmers could pay up to $10,000.
Sheep will be levied at nine cents each and cows at up to 72 cents under the Government's proposals.
The money will be used for research on emission reductions needed to meet New Zealand's commitment to lower greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto protocol.
The new Agriculture Emissions Research body will be funded by sheep, cattle, deer and goat farmers to the tune of $8.4 million a year, which has infuriated farming organisations.
"That's overkill." Meat New Zealand chairman Jeff Grant said. "This is a public good rather than an industry good. It should be funded by the Government not farmers."
Livestock accounts for about half of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions.
The emissions are caused by the complex process of digesting grass and are belched into the air.
The levy was bad news at the worst possible time for farmers suffering from a high dollar, low commodity prices and drought conditions, Grant said.
The sector was already funding its own research through the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGGRC), he said.
Less than one year old, the PGGRC is an industry body comprised of representatives from Fonterra, AgResearch, Wrightson, DeerResearch and Meat New Zealand.
Together the participants are investing $800,000 per year on emission research. The Government has supported that group by matching its investment - taking its total funding to $1.6 million.
PGGRC chairman Mark Leslie said the levy was "a real kick in the teeth for the consortium."
The latest Government recommendations simply mirrored those that the PGGRC already had in place, he said.
"The Government is basically telling the industry consortium that 'it is too little to late' after giving us less than a year to prove ourselves," he said.
Throwing money at the issue wasn't necessarily going to speed things up, he said.
Time was needed to train skilled researchers and to understand how the digestion process worked. "This is PGGRC's strategy yet the Government has decided it knows best," he said.
Agriculture minister Jim Sutton is overseas but in a statement he argued the agriculture sector had been exempted from emission charges in the climate change policy but was expected to meet the costs of research.
The Government will introduce an emissions tax for other industries in 2007.
Federated Farmers president Tom Lambie said the levy disadvantaged New Zealand farmers struggling to compete in the world markets.
"As far as I'm aware we're the only country in the world to impose a levy like this," he said.
The Government needed to stop passing the buck to rural New Zealand for the Kyoto commitments it made on behalf of all New Zealanders, he said.
Farmers will have until July 31 to voice their concerns although the Government has stressed consultation will be about how the levy is paid not if it will be paid.
It has decided against a levy on the pig and poultry sectors as these represent less than one per cent of agricultural emissions.
I think it means "Fire up the barbeque boys, before the revenuers get here."
,,, strange you should mention that. That's another issue. Kiwi farmers are being told to prepare to fence around streams for this very reason. Couple this to the fart tax and we've got something a bit more clever and quieter than Robert Mugabe driving people off their farms.
I don't understand. Kiwi farmers are being told to fence to prevent cows from dumping on their land? Is that a risk somehow to Kiwi's? Do Kiwi's fall to the ground and get contaminated by e-coli or something?
No, but it might be the sequel, "Silent but Deadly Spring"
Sounds like a great working title for the next Michael Moore film. Or a tag-line for This Week, with George Stuffinenvelopes...
BTW, as I continue to view your real estate pages for future purchases, I also watch the financial markets waiting for the best opportunities to buy. The NZD is up from .42/USD last summer to nearly .58/USD this summer. Are you able to export anything anymore? And then, this atrocity on your agricultural exporters!! Oh, my.
Does this fellow believe that government money is a separate entity from public money? Does he think that the government just prints the money to fund government programs with no cost to the citizens? Is this the reason that socialists keep getting elected in these countries? Can someone be that stupid?
I was thinking the Democratic National Convention, but I don't think bags would be sufficient.
Being a very non-scientific person, let me see how this mightv be accomplished.
Liberal PETA tester sneaks up behind the cow. Peta tester has an ample supply of un-inflated plastic bags and a large roll of duct tape.
Said tester surreptitiously tapes numbered plastic bag over cow's behind, almost diaper-like.
(Gawd, I need a picture of this...Registered, one of you talanted people?)
The next day PETA POOT TESTER returns, removes numbered bag and sends it to the PPTL (PETA POOT TESTER LAB) to determine exact ammount of gaseous content. There, the flatulance is seperated from the poop...
I can't go on with this!!! My mind is starting to get jelly-like!
It seems at the very least, they need a Department of Flatulence.
Make your check payable to "Department of Flatulence Revenue"
Either that or he could just pull their finger and then tax them for it.
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