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Source: Supplied -
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As part of the government's newly announced Primary Growth Partnership for agriculture, it will set up a centre to research greenhouse gas generated by the sector.
Agriculture Minister David Carter says the government plans to establish the Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research by early next year.
The centre will focus on developing technologies that reduce emissions and improve on-farm efficiency and productivity. In particular it will concentrate on methane from farm animals and waste systems; nitrous oxide from farm animals and nitrogen fertiliser; and soil carbon from agriculture and horticulture.
The agricultural sector - which contributes about half of the country's emissions - has been criticised for dragging its heels on fighting climate change.
Farmers were relieved when last year's Emissions Trading Scheme was put on hold, having been worried a methane tax would cripple the farming sector.
The scheme is on hold while the new government reviews the Labour-led initiative through a special select committee.
Meanwhile, Carter says the centre is the most important contribution New Zealand can make when it comes to climate change.
"Our emissions profile, made up predominately from ruminant animal emissions, leaves us in a unique situation when compared to other developed nations. It makes sense that New Zealand leads the global effort to develop agricultural emission mitigation technologies," Carter says.
The Primary Growth Partnership will allocate $5 million to the project each year, and the centre will also be able to bid for a portion of the partnership's annual contestable fund worth $15 million.
To read more about the government's Public Private Partnership, CLICK here .
