Proposed reforms to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) must recognise that New Zealand pig farming produces very low emissions says NZPork.
According to NZPork, pig farming currently contributes just 0.2 per cent of New Zealand's total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) agricultural emissions, but pigs have been included in the proposal to
price emissions at a farm level.
"The research and analysis that has been done to make the decision on pricing agricultural emissions has been based on other farming systems," said NZPork General Manager David Baines.
"However, pigs have monogastric digestive systems, like people, so they naturally produce much lower methane emissions than ruminant animals like cattle or sheep.
"Our industry is much smaller, our emissions are comparatively minimal, and our methods of farming are very different. Our farmers are also competing with cheaper imported pork products, which is placing pressure on the industry. Decisions on emissions pricing need to avoid disproportionately impacting pig farmers by including them in a system that wasn't designed for them" said Baines.
