<p class="h6 h6">
What is the total emissions change since 1990? 
</p>
<p>
New Zealand&#39;s total emissions <span class="mix_file"><a href="javascript:;" title="Brochure-final-inside.pdf" onclick="popup_window(&#39;http://www.nzagrc.org.nz/user/inline/630/Brochure-final-inside.pdf&#39;, &#39;file&#39;, 800, 600, &#39;yes&#39;, false, false);return false;"></a></span>have risen since 1990 by 15%. 
</p>
<p>
But without efficiency gains on farm, emissions would have grown by more than 30%. 
</p>
<p class="h6">
Why does this matter? 
</p>
<p>
New Zealand has made a commitment to lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to 5% below 1990 levels as part of the UNFCCC. 
</p>
<p>
<span class="h6">What do we need to do in the future?</span><span class="h6"> </span>
</p>
<p>
We need to continue to farm more efficicently and find new technologies to help New Zealand achieve economic growth targets whilst managing its environmental, social and international aspirations and obligations. <a href="our-research.html">That&#39;s where the NZAGRC &amp; PGgRc come in... </a>
</p>
<p>
<strong><span class="mix_file"><a href="user/file/633/NZGHGprofile.jpg" title="The Situation: NZ Ag GHGs"><img src="images/icons/icon_img.gif" border="0" alt="jpg" vspace="1" width="16" height="16" align="absMiddle" /> The Situation: NZ Ag GHGs</a> <span style="font-size: 80%">(0.11MB)</span></span>&nbsp;<br />
<br />
</strong>
</p>
<p class="h3">
Let&#39;s talk about current on-farm practices... 
</p>
<hr />
<p class="h6">
What has changed on-farm since 1990? 
</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			<strong>DAIRY</strong> 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			<strong>ON FARM PRACTICES</strong>
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>
			<p>
			<strong>EFFECT ON FARM PRODUCTIVITIY</strong> 
			</p>
			</strong></td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>NET EFFECT ON EMISSIONS INTENSITY</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">..</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Consistant supply of high quality feed and increased use of supplements (maize silage, PKE, brassicas) 
			</p>
			<p>
			Improved pasture mangement, including more targeted use of fertilisers and irrigation 
			</p>
			<p>
			Continued imporvement in genetic merit of animals through breeding and herd testing 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Increased milk yield per cow * 
			</p>
			<p>
			Increased milk yield per hectare ** 
			</p>
			<p>
			Actual milk yields are closer to the genetic potential of cows 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Greaster proportion of feed going into milk production, rather than maintenance 
			</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;<strong>BEEF</strong></td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			<strong>ON FARM PRACTICES</strong> 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>
			<p>
			<strong>EFFECT ON FARM PRODUCTIVITIY</strong> 
			</p>
			</strong></td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>NET EFFECT ON EMISSIONS INTENSITY</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">..</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			More finishing cattle and reduction in the breeding cow herd 
			</p>
			<p>
			Increased use of dairy origin livestock for beef finishing 
			</p>
			<p>
			Better feeding and management of animals 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Faster growth rates 
			</p>
			<p>
			Increased weight of finished animals 
			</p>
			<p>
			Increased kg meat/ha 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Greater proportion of feed going into meat production rather than maintenance 
			</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;<strong>SHEEP</strong></td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			<strong>ON FARM PRACTICES</strong> 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>
			<p>
			<strong>EFFECT ON FARM PRODUCTIVITIY</strong> 
			</p>
			</strong></td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>NET EFFECT ON EMISSIONS INTENSITY</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">..</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Increased genetic merit of sheep for growth and reproduction, and increased use of pregnancy scanning 
			</p>
			<p>
			Increased hogget mating 
			</p>
			<p>
			Improved pasture production and quality, resulting in faster growth 
			</p>
			<p>
			Optimised stocking rate to fit pasture growth 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Increased lamb weights at slaughter 
			</p>
			<p>
			Increased kg meat/ha 
			</p>
			<p>
			Increased lambing percentage - greater number of offspring per ewe carried 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Reduced ewe population needed to produce equivalnet amount of lamb meat at slaughter 
			</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td><strong>DEER</strong></td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			<strong>ON FARM PRACTICES</strong> 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>
			<p>
			<strong>EFFECT ON FARM PRODUCTIVITIY</strong> 
			</p>
			</strong></td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none"><strong>NET EFFECT ON EMISSIONS INTENSITY</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">..</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Increased carcass weights 
			</p>
			<p>
			Shorter time to slaughter 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Increased weight of finished animals and kg meat/ha 
			</p>
			</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">
			<p>
			Greater proportion of feed going into meat production rather than maintenance 
			</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">..</td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">* kg MS/cow ** kg MS/ha </td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">.. </td>
			<td valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #66cc00; border-image: none">..</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
<span class="h6">&nbsp;</span> 
<p>
<span class="h6">Who is responsible for these&nbsp;better efficiencies?</span> 
</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 else can farmers do now? 
</p>
<p>
As this point, the biggest impact on GHG emissions intensity comes from New Zealand farmers continuing to increase the efficiency of their operations. 
</p>
<p>
Farmers can get a farm level GHG report when they have their farm analysed using the nutrient budgeting tool <a href="http://www.overseer.co.nz/" target="_blank" title="http://www.overseer.co.nz/ ... - link will open in a new window">Overseer</a>. 
</p>
<p>
But aside from that there is not a lot else most famers can do to substantially reduce their GHG emissions if they want to maintain or increase overall production. 
</p>
<p>
That is why the research underway is so important. Additional tools are needed - they are needed soon... 
</p>
<p class="h3 h3">
Working towards solutions 
</p>
<hr />
<p>
<span class="h6">How are we working towards new solutions?</span> 
</p>
<p>
In New Zealand, Government, industry and researchers are working together to identify and develop additional interventions that will provide effective and practical results. 
</p>
<p>
See <a href="our-research.html">Our Research</a> to find out exactly what we&#39;re doing... 
</p>
<p>
Internationally, New Zealand works with other countries through the <a href="http://www.globalresearchalliance.org" target="_blank" title="http://www.globalresearchalliance.org ... - link will open in a new window">Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.</a> 
</p>
<p>
<a href="practices.html">TOP</a> 
</p>
