New Zealand set to tax methane emissions from cow burps

Oct. 11 (UPI) -- New Zealand's government introduced a tax scheme that would require farmers to pay for emissions by the year 2025.

The proposal, which was first devised in 2019, is the world's first and would result in farmers paying for the greenhouse gasses that farm animals produce from burping and urinating. The taxes would be set by the Cabinet either once a year or every three years, according to the New Zealand publication Stuff.

The proposal is part of the government's effort to combat climate change reign in methane emissions, which make up half of the country's emissions profile.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said money raised from the proposed levy will be pumped back into the industry to finance new technologies, research and incentive payments for farmers.

"New Zealand's farmers are set to be the first in the world to reduce agricultural emissions, positioning our biggest export market for the competitive advantage that brings in a world increasingly discerning about the provenance of their food," she told reporters while announcing the proposals from a farm in Wairarapa.

However, some farmers have condemned the plans, saying it could force them to sell their farms.

Federated Farmers national president Andrew Hoggard told the BBC that the plan will "rip the guts out of small-town New Zealand", leading to farms making way for trees.

Farmers will now be selling their land "so fast you won't even hear the dogs barking on the back of the ute (pickup truck) as they drive off," he added.