Research funding to provide help for farmers to meet climate challenges

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says a slew of new research projects will boost New Zealand’s world-leading efforts to help farmers understand and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The Government wanted to support the many farmers who were quietly introducing more sustainable on-farm practices, Mr O’Connor said.

“New Zealand is a world leader of research to reduce emissions in the agriculture sector. The latest projects will help researchers, government and farmers better understand and adapt to the effects of climate change.”

The $1.56 million for eight new projects, to be provided through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Research Programme, include:

  • $500,000 for Landcare Research and AgResearch to develop practical actions that farmers can take to adapt to climate change.
  • $150,000 for the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) to help rural advisors boost climate change knowledge.
  • $140,000 for NIWA to develop better tools to measure and assess drought conditions.

SLMACC has funded more than 150 projects over the past 10 years, to the tune of approximately $50 million.  Budget 2019 also invested $8.5 million to further New Zealand’s work with the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw welcomed the projects.

“Farmers know better than most about the effects of climate change and many are innovating so that they can drive down on-farm emissions. This extra funding for research programmes means more support for New Zealanders who wish to innovate further so they can farm sustainably.

As stewards of the earth, farmers contributed towards leaving a safe planet for future generations, Mr Shaw said.

The research funded announced today will help them get there.

Source:  Minister of Agriculture 

Author: Bob Edlin

Editor of AgScience Magazine and Editor of the AgScience Blog

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