Farm foresters say methane levy unfair

By LIAM DANN

The Farm Foresters Association has waded into the debate on the flatulence levy.

President Ken Stephens has accused the Government of doubly penalising farmers who have acted responsibly by planting trees.

In a "heads we win, tails you lose" approach the Government was taking all the carbon credits from farm foresters and then coming back for more in the form of the methane levy, he said.

Stephens claimed methane emissions were not as bad for the environment as the Government had suggested.

"Methane is not a long-lived gas in the atmosphere, being oxidised to carbon dioxide and water atmosphere with a half-life of 11 years," he said.

The Government had cited equity and environmental integrity when deciding on climate policy.

"Unfortunately farm foresters cannot find either in the Government's proposed tax," he said.

NZFFA was formed in 1957, and its 29 branches have more 3000 members. They own, manage or influence the management of more than 200,000ha of forests.