North Canterbury News: November 04, 2021

Show Week without the public
By DAVID HILL
The CanterburyA&P Association is looking
to the future,asitpreparestohold ashow
without the public forthe second
successive year.
While the officialNew Zealand
Agricultural Show has become acasualty of
Covid­19, the country’s first virtual cattle
showwill be heldaspart of afull weekof
events.
‘‘It’s fantastic and our goalwould be to
haveonline contests as an annual event,
running parallel to our normal show,’’ New
Zealand Agricultural Show general
manager TracyAhern says.
‘‘Itmay not be all the sections thatdoit,
but Ibelievethere’s an appetitefor
watching it online and it givesusanother
audiencewho wouldn’t otherwise be at the
show.
‘‘Itreally is achancetoshowcasethe
country’s best sheep, cattle or horses and
there’s no reason why we couldn’tattract
international competitors in thefuture.’’
Entriesclosed for the virtual cattle show
on Sunday (October31) with more than80
beefcattle from all aroundNew Zealand
entered.
Participantsnow have until5pm on
Friday, November12, to submit three
photographsoftheir animal and ashort
video showing the animal being paraded as
if it was beingjudged.
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‘‘Normallyitwouldbemostlylocal
entrants, but if people compete and win
fromthe North Island it mightencourage
themtocome and compete at the actual
show, so it’s all very exciting,’’ Ms Ahern
says.
Showweek eventsatCanterbury
Agricultural Park in Wigraminclude the
judging of boer goats and dog trials on
Wednesday, November 10, withthe dog
trials continuing the next day alongside
dairy goat and shearing and woolhandling
competitions. On Show Day (November 12)
the shearing will continue, alongside
alpacas, pigs and sheep competitions.
The annual prime cattle saleand
competition was heldonTuesday
(November 2), alongside the young
auctioneers’ competition.
‘‘At the moment we can holdthe events in
bubbles of 100 people, but the worstcase
scenarioiswecould hold these eventsin
bubbles of 10,’’MsAhern says. ‘‘Wehave a
large arena and the carpark, so we have
the spacetospread out as much as we need
to.’’
The boys’and girls’ agricultural day is set
to return on Thursday,November 18, while
the annual Canterbury A&P Association
Elite Ram and Ewe Fair will be held on
Friday,November 26, where the mint lamb
competitionresults will be announced.
Having the officialshow cancelledhas
forced the association to have arethinkas
Role of trees needs rethink
The government’s acknowledgementthat
carbon policies will likelysee too much
forestry planted is good newsfor farmers,
Beef +Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) says.
The Government has released a
discussion paper, Transitioning to alow
emissions and climate resilient future,
which aims to help shape New Zealand’s
emissions reduction plan.
‘‘We welcome the Government’s
recognition that fossil fuel emissions
must be reduced, rather than continually
offset, to ensure afair, equitable, and
efficient transition to alow emissions
economy,’’ BLNZchief executive Sam
McIvor says.
‘‘The discussion document indicates
any decision on changing the ETS
(Emission Trading Scheme) rules would
come by the end of 2022. We’re concerned
that’s not fast enoughgiven the scale and
pace of land conversion happening.
‘‘What we need is urgent action to
adjust the ETS to limit the amount of
carbon forestry offsets available to fossil
fuel emitters.
‘‘New Zealand is the only country with
aregulatory ETS thatcurrently allows
100 percent carbon forestry offsetting.’’
In the last year more planting of trees
has exceeded the recommended 25,000
hectares, viewed as sustainable by the
Climate Change Commission.
‘‘We are absolutely not anti­forestry,
we’re concerned about carbon­only
forestry,’’ Mr McIvor says.
‘‘Our sector believes there is abetter
solution, where much of New Zealand’s
requiredbudgets for sequestration from
forestry could come from the integration
of trees on sheep and beef farms, rather
than through conversion of whole farms
for carbonforestry and the significant
negative impacts on rural communities
and the economy.’’
Mr McIvor says the red meat sector is
committed to playing its part in
addressing climate change.
‘‘We have already made asignificant
contribution. Greenhouse gas emissions
from sheep and beef farming have
decreased by 30% in absolute terms since
1990, while production levels have
remained stable.
‘‘Overall, total on­farm methane
emissions have either been stable or
declining over the last two decades.
‘‘We are also further offsetting our
emissions through the native and exotic
trees on our farms.’’
Mr McIvor says there are arange of
initiatives under way to deliverfurther
emissions reductions, including the He
WakaEke Noa primary sector climate
change commitment and extension
activities to help farmers and growers
gain knowledge and resources to
measure, manage, and reduce emissions.
‘‘We note the document continues to
refertoemissions rather than warming,
whichiswhereleadinginternational
climate change science is heading.’’
MT CASS
WILTSHIRES
OPEN DAY
Friday
19 th November,
12 -3pm
Symonds Rd
Waipara
Contact:
Willy Pears: 027 641 0055
Andrew Heard: 021 272 7522
2431631v1
Shear action ... Troy Pyper, of Waikari,
competes in the shearing at the 2019 New
Zealand Agricultural Show.
PHOTO: FILE
it looks for other revenuesources,Ms
Ahern says.
‘‘In alot of ways, not havingashow for the
second year in arow has given us the
opportunitytopivot and come up with new
ideas and our committee has been
progressive and positive. It’s been
heartwarming to see everyone gettingin
behind it and being supportive.’’
Ideas are being explored for new events
at Canterbury AgriculturalPark, including
Christmas carols, asmall horseshow, the
New Zealand Bloodstock Sale, Equifest
and school holidayevents.
2410273
ONLINE MEAT SALES
MEAT2U.NZ
HOME KILL
&WILD GAME
MEAT PROCESSING
313 0022
RURAL LIFE
North Canterbury News, November 4, 2021
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