<p class="h6">
What&#39;s the situation? 
</p>
<p>
Emissions intensity in New Zealand agriculture has <u>declined</u> on average by about 1% per year since at least 1990. 
</p>
<p>
Who is responsible for this? 
</p>
<p>
New Zealand farmer businesses have become more efficient over the past twenty years. Improved animal genetics and management, combined with better grassland management and feeding practices mean that farmers are using resources more efficiently to increase their outputs. This has happened across all sectors of the pastoral industry. 
</p>
<p class="h6">
What has changed since 2012? 
</p>
<p>
<font face="Thread-000020c4-Id-00000091" color="#282829">
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="background-color: #66cc33">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;<strong>On-Farm Practices</strong></td>
			<td><strong>&nbsp;Effect on farm productivity</strong></td>
			<td><strong>Net effect on emissions intensity</strong>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
</font>
</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;DAIRY</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>Consistant supply of high quality feed and increased use of supplements (maize silage, PKE, brassicas)</li>
				<li>Improved pasture mangement, including more targeted use of fertilisers and irrigation</li>
				<li>Continued imporvement in genetic merit of animals through breeding and herd testing</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>Increased milk yield per cow * and per hectare&nbsp;**</li>
				<li>Actual milk yields are closer to the genetic potential of cows</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>Greaster proportion of feed going into milk production, rather than maintenance&nbsp;</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BEEF</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>More finishing cattle and reduction in the breeding cow herd</li>
				<li>Increased use of dairy origin livestock for beef finishing</li>
				<li>Better feeding and management of animals</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>Faster growth rates</li>
				<li>Increased weight of finished animals</li>
				<li>Increased kg meat/ha</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>Greater proportion of feed going into meat production rather than maintenance</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;SHEEP</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Increased genetic merit of sheep for growth and reproduction, and increased use of pregnancy scanning</li>
				<li>Increased hogget mating</li>
				<li>Improved pasture production and quality, resulting in faster growth</li>
				<li>Optimised stocking rate to fit pasture growth</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>&nbsp;Increased lamb weights at slaughter</li>
				<li>Increased kg meat/ha</li>
				<li>Increased lambing percentage - greater number of offspring per ewe carried</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td valign="top">
			<ul>
				<li>&nbsp;Reduced ewe population needed to produce equivalnet amount of lamb meat at slaughter</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;DEER</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>&nbsp;Increased carcass weights</li>
				<li>Shorter time to slaughter</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>&nbsp;Increased weight of finished animals and kg meat/ha</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Greater proportion of&nbsp;feed&nbsp;going into meat production rather than maintenance&nbsp;</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<p>
* kg MS/cow ** kg MS/ha 
</p>
<p>
&nbsp;
</p>
