10. Question No. 10—AgricultureKIERAN McANULTY (Labour—Wairarapa) to the Minister of AgricultureQuestion No. 10—Agriculture10. KIERAN McANULTY (Labour—Wairarapa) to the Minister of Agriculture: How is the Government supporting agriculture to meet its obligations under the Emissions Reduction Plan?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture): We announced yesterday an ambitious plan that will see Government working in partnership with New Zealand's farmers and growers to meet emissions reduction targets in the agricultural sector while continuing to ensure New Zealand's economic security. We've committed over $380 million to work alongside industry and our farmers and growers to accelerate emissions reduction and mitigation. In partnership with the Ministry we'll establish a Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions to accelerate product development getting tools and technology to farmers faster.I'll be working with Minister Shaw to implement the recommendations from the He Waka Eke Noa partnership. This will make us the first country in the world to price agricultural emissions. I'll be working with Minister Whaitiri and our significant Māori agribusiness sector to promote tikanga-based solutions on-farm and I'll be working with Minister Nash to make sure we have the right tree in the right place for the right reasons. I'm proud of this comprehensive plan that will ensure that our farmers and growers remain the best in the world and the best for the world.Kieran McAnulty: What is the anticipated impact of the initiatives in the emissions reduction plan on emissions in the agriculture sector?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: The initiatives in the emissions reduction plan will meet the emissions reduction target set by the Climate Change Commission of 10 percent by 2030 and set us up to reduce our emissions by between 24 and 47 percent by 2050. The other important impact of these initiatives is ensuring that our farmers and growers can meet the increasing demands from global customers and access incentives provided by financial institutions. For example Tesco plc is now requiring its suppliers to disclose their current greenhouse gas emissions and establish a net-zero ambition by the end of 2022. Nestlé is committed to halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 which will see it prioritise partnerships with those who have reduced their emissions and improved sustainability. Last week one of the major New Zealand banks launched a loan product rewarding farmers for hitting climate environmental and social targets. The signals are clear and the time to act is now.Kieran McAnulty: Does the Government have the support of industry to meet agriculture's obligations in the emissions reduction plan?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Yes. This plan has strong support from the primary sector. In particular we're pleased that partners from across the agricultural sector are in active discussions with us on a joint venture as part of the new Centre for Climate Action including Fonterra ANZCO Ravensdown Silverfern Farms Ngāi Tahu Holdings and the Livestock Improvement Corporation. This is a true partnership between Government industry and our rural communities to achieve our emissions reduction targets and continue to have a sustainable profitable primary sector that has been critical to New Zealand's economic success and will be into the future. This is the first year that we will have surpassed $50 billion in export earnings—a credit to them and the partnership that we will continue to develop.Kieran McAnulty: What examples has he seen of leadership in reducing agricultural emissions?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: I've been on to farms up and down this country—in the Wairarapa to note one of them—where farmers are getting out and doing all they can at the moment to put the right tree in the right place to reduce their impact on the environment. With the new partnership arrangements we'll accelerate that activity. I want to thank and acknowledge all those farmers who are playing their part already and I hope that they'll get out and spread the good news and help others to join the club.Mark Cameron: Does the Minister stand by his Government's statement in the first emissions reduction plan that The most promising methane mitigation technologies are several years away from use."; and if so how will his Government reduce agricultural methane emissions to meet climate change standards without slashing the national herd size?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: The Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions is the very body that will accelerate those technologies. We have some that are in the pipeline; ensuring they get out to farmers is what we are intending to do. There are numerous examples of that. One of them is the technology from Europe he might be referring to—it's used in housed farming systems fed to animals many times a day; we can't apply that directly here in New Zealand. We have to ensure that those technologies when applied here don't impact on our food safety or on our international reputation."