Government earmarks $51m for new methane

Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis is talking about agricultural methane while at Fieldays in Hamilton today. Photo: RNZ / Kate Newton

The government will invest up to $51 million into helping to roll out new methane-busting farming technology.

The Early Adoption Accelerator, launched at Fieldays in Hamilton, will match investment into technology uptake dollar-for-dollar.

The programme, which will be run by government-industry partnership AgriZeroNZ, will be paid to companies and industry groups rather than to farmers directly.

The announcement did not specify that the technology must help to reduce emissions.

However, the government has already invested $80 million through AgriZeroNZ into research and development of technologies that aim to lower agricultural methane.

Agricultural methane accounts for half of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions and the country's plan to meet its climate targets relies heavily on farmers cutting emissions.

The government last year axed a plan to introduce a methane tax, leaving little incentive for farmers to adopt the technologies, some of which have marginal or no productivity gains.

Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis said the new investment would help farmers to adopt them at scale.

"New Zealand farmers are already among the world's most emissions-efficient producers," she said.

"This programme is about helping them adopt practical new technologies that support productivity, profitability and long-term competitiveness as global markets increasingly expect lower-emissions food and fibre production."

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is also visiting Fieldays in Hamilton today. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro

The government has previously been cautioned over its assumptions about the speed and scope of technology uptake.

In a submission last year, industry group DairyNZ called the assumptions "ambitious".

"DairyNZ has consistently encouraged government to be cautious when making assumptions on technology availability, efficacy and uptake."

In a speech in March, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton went further, calling the government's projections "heroic".

He pointed out that baseline emissions projections relied on at least 37 percent of dairy cattle receiving a methane vaccine - which were still at 'proof-of-concept' stage - by 2030.

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