Wellington : In New Zealand, farmers took to the streets on Thursday against the government’s plan to burp cows and impose taxes on emissions of other greenhouse gases. However, the rallies taken out during this period were not as big as was expected. With the help of the ‘Groundswell New Zealand’ group, the protests were organized in more than 50 places in towns and cities across the country. Last week, the government proposed a new agriculture tax as part of its plan to tackle climate change.
It also includes a plan to tax the cow dung. Methane gas is released due to burping of cows, which spreads pollution. Agriculture in New Zealand is mostly associated with agriculture. The population of the country is about 50 lakhs but in comparison there are more than one crore cows and buffaloes and 26 crore sheep. About half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the country come from farms, with a particularly large contribution to methane from cattle burping.
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During a protest in Wellington, a farmer named Dave McCurdy said he was disappointed by the low number of protesters. He said that most of the farmers worked hard in their fields throughout the year, especially during the spring season. McCurdy said the government should consider the plan. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has planned to make the country carbon-free by 2050. The plan includes reducing methane emissions from farm animals by 10 percent by 2030 and by 47 percent by 2050. (agency)