<h2>New Zealand farmers are already contributing to lowering&nbsp;New Zealand's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.</h2>
<p class="h7">The emissions intensity of New Zealand agriculture has declined on average by 1% per &nbsp;year since at least 1990.</p>
<p><span class="h5">How?</span><span class="h5 h5">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Farm businesses have become more efficient over the past 25 years.&nbsp; Things like improved animal genetics and management, combined with better&nbsp;grassland management and feeding practices mean that farms are using resources more efficiently to increase their outputs.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>This has&nbsp;happened across all sectors of the pastoral industry.</p>
<p><span class="h5">What's changed&nbsp;since&nbsp;1990? What has been the effect on productivity? What is the effect on emissions?</span></p>
<p><span class="h6">Dairy</span><span class="h6 h6">&nbsp;</span></p>
<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10">
<tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td width="33%"><strong>On&nbsp;farm practice</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on farm productivity</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on emissions intensity (net)</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td>
<p>Consistent supply of high quality feed</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Use of supplementary feed (e.g. maize silage, PKE, brassicas)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Targeted use of fertilisers and irrigation in pasture management strategies&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Breeding and herd testing for animals with improved genetic merit</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Increased milk yield per cow (kg MS/cow)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased milk&nbsp;yield per hectare (kg MS/ha)&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>* Milk yield is closer to genetic potential of&nbsp;the cow&nbsp;*</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Lower</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>*&nbsp;A greater proportion of feed going to production rather than maintenance *</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="h6">Beef</p>
<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10">
<tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td width="33%"><strong>On&nbsp;farm practice</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on farm productivity</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on emissions intensity (net)</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td>
<p>Reduction in breeding herd numbers</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased number of finishing cattle -&nbsp;use of dairy origin&nbsp;animals for&nbsp;finishing&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Feed management strategies</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pasture management strategies&nbsp;</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Faster growth rates</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased finished weight of animal</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased meat yield per hectare (kg&nbsp;meat/ha)&nbsp;</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Lower</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>*&nbsp;A greater proportion of feed going to production rather than maintenance *</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="h6">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="h6">Sheep</p>
<p>&lt;</p>
<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10">
<tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td width="33%"><strong>On&nbsp;farm practice</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on farm productivity</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on emissions intensity (net)</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td>
<p>Breeding and flock testing for animals with improved genetic merit (gorwth, reproduction)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Use of pregnancy scanning</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hogget mating</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pasture management (growth quality)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Optimisation of stock numbers&nbsp;to pasture growth</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Increased lambing percentage&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased number of offspring per ewe</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased&nbsp;finished&nbsp;weight of animal&nbsp;(lamb)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased meat yield per hectare (kg&nbsp;meat/ha)&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Lower</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>*&nbsp;Lower ewe population needed to produce equivalent lamb meat *</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="h6">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="h6">Deer</p>
<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10">
<tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td width="33%"><strong>On&nbsp;farm practice</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on farm productivity</strong></td>
<td width="33%"><strong>Effect on emissions intensity (net)</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td>
<p>Increased carcass weight</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Shorter finish time&nbsp;</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Increased&nbsp;finished&nbsp;weight of animal&nbsp;(venison)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Increased meat yield per hectare (kg&nbsp;meat/ha)&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Lower</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>*&nbsp;A greater proportion of feed going to production rather than maintenance *</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="h6"><br /> <span class="h5">What else can farmers do now?</span><span class="h5 h5">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>At this point,&nbsp;keeping on with getting the most out of your farm through improving herd genetics, and&nbsp;managing pasture and feed options is the best option for contributing to lowering New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<p>You can get a farm level report of your GHG emissions on farm when you have your farm analysed by Overseer<sup>TM</sup>,&nbsp;the nutrient budgeting tool to learn more about how your on farm&nbsp;decision making has a direct impact on emissions.</p>
<p>The NZAGRC is funding research on the impacts of farm management on emissions.&nbsp; <strong>Read more</strong></p>
<p class="h5">Any questions?&nbsp;</p>
<p>The NZAGRC maintains a <strong>Q&amp;A page</strong> of some of the most commonly asked questions.&nbsp; If you have a question, please <strong>ask us</strong>.&nbsp;</p>
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