CARBON FOOT IN MOUTH

This has to be the oddest piece of research we have seen commissioned for some time. AgResearch has decided what the carbon cost is of the production of  NZ Lamb eaten in Britan.
Its come out of the blue and appears to be some sort of weird attempt to " benchmark " the carbon cost of producing NZ lamb. Sort of a marketing  "we will show you ours  now you show us yours" challenge.
You have  to first believe in the whole carbon malarky to buy into this sort of spurious crap in the first place.
Secondly its not a very " NZ Inc approach." If the same cockeyed logic is applied to fish - for instance - we expect that the equation will be even more odourous.

It is not obvious what the end game for the NZ meat industry is on this issue. The PR outcome of this is not clear apart from sparking an international debate on the issue.
It appears that the research indicates that the main bulk of  " carbon costs" come from down on the farm. Transport and retailing are minor bits. We will watch and wait with interest but we reckon it will undoubtedly create an international  scientific tit for tat.

SCARY DATA FROM THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Agridata has a ncie round up of the changes in rural circumstances.

It does not make for good reading.