New research farm will push boundarys
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009Fonterra chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden cut the ribbon at an open day on Friday, on the 200ha farm, south of Te Awamutu. Stewart Ledgard, from AgResearch’s climate, land and environment section, said the farm’s greenhouse gas footprint was expected to be 20 per cent lower than that of the average NZ dairy farm reports The Southland Times.
He estimated the Tokanui footprint, of 700 cows on 200ha, would be about 740g of carbon dioxide per litre of milk compared to the 900g average. Dr Ledgard said the farm’s greenhouse gas emissions would be measured next year. The future of NZ dairying and its export income depended on raising farm efficiency and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, he said.
