1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Right now. If you remember, back in May, stats in 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: ZID data showed sheep numbers had fallen twenty one percent, 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: beef cattle by thirteen percent. This is over the past decade. 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: Well now, Beef and LAMB says for the year ending June, 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: this is the year ending June, sheep numbers fell by 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: just one percent, beef cattle rose actually up four point 7 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: four percent. So what does all this mean? Richard Dawkins 8 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: as Fed Farmers Meet and wheelchair with us this morning. Richard, 9 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: good morning, Yeah, good morning, Ryan. Hey, what do you 10 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: make of these numbers? 11 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's great to see. That's like recovery, isn't it. 12 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,959 Speaker 2: But it's just important to understand the nuance of these 13 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 2: figures and the overall trend. I suppose what is the nuance? 14 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 2: So we're seeing a recovery and numbers due to the 15 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: rebuild after cyclone Gabrielle and also a couple of regions 16 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 2: are coming out of drought last year, so so restocking 17 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: on capital stock. But yeah, we're obviously still concerned with 18 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 2: the general trend over the last two or three years, 19 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: which shows us down about one and a half million 20 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 2: stock units. 21 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: Because we've got obviously export prices increasing. We've got that 22 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: part of the equation seems to be looking good. But 23 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: what's holding it back? Is it all forestry or what? 24 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 2: Oh? Look, there's there's no doubt the sector is in 25 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: a really good space, Ryan, And it's fantastic to see. 26 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: We have to see these that we have to enjoy 27 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 2: these positive times returns wise, the higher schedules are combined 28 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 2: with some easing of farm working expenses, but also interest 29 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 2: rates coming down, So that's good timing. But look, the 30 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 2: major concern for the sheep and beef sector particularly right 31 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: now is this Climate Change Amendment Bill and preventing those 32 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: wholesale conversions to carbon forestry. 33 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: What exactly is wrong because there's I've seen fed farmers say, 34 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: you know, not happy with some of the changes from 35 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: the Select Committee about conversion. What exactly is wrong here? 36 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,519 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, so I want to be really clear. We 37 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 2: support the intent of the bill. We think the Coalition 38 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 2: government is trying to do the right thing, but I'm 39 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 2: just not sure if possibly they're across all of the details. 40 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 2: So the and I want to be clear too, Ryan, 41 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: this is actually a restriction on people's ability to claim 42 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: carbon credits. It's not actually a restriction on their ability 43 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 2: to plant trees. But the reality is the protections are 44 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 2: mostly on classes one to five, and only twelve percent 45 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 2: of the whole farm conversions were actually on that country. 46 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 2: So the majority of our sheep and beef farms, sixty 47 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: six percent of our sheep and beef farms are on 48 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 2: classes and classes six and seven, which don't have those restrictions. 49 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: So you would be able to claim credits on land 50 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: that you think should be found. 51 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 2: So the way the bill stands, if you plant your 52 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 2: entire property in trees, you could only claim credits on 53 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,399 Speaker 2: twenty five percent of that area. So look, if it's 54 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: the right tree in the right place and there's a 55 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: commercial demand for that timber, there's nothing stopping you doing that. However, 56 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 2: it should prevent sheep of beef farms being lost due 57 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 2: to the ets and that carbon value, but like I said, 58 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: it doesn't extend to where the majority of the sheep 59 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 2: and beef farms actually are. 60 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: Right, gotcha. So the government obviously wants to double our exports, 61 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: sheep and beef will have to be a big part 62 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: of that. Is this, What is it that would stop 63 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: us or prevent us from doing that? Or do you 64 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: think we can. 65 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, like I said, Ryn, we support the intent of 66 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 2: the villain. And yeah, like you've mentioned, they want to 67 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: double exports, so it's sort of strange. It appears they're 68 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: siding with polluters over producers. So I mean, the simple 69 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 2: solution to me would be actually just extend that twenty 70 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 2: five percent restriction across all land use classes. It's very 71 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: strange they have chosen to use that land use capability 72 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: class system and that started being developed in the fifties 73 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 2: for soil conservation reasons. It was never designed for legislation, 74 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 2: so I'm just not sure how that would work in reality. 75 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: Richard, appreciate your time this morning. Thanks mate, Richard Dawkins 76 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: Fed Farmers Meat and Wool chair. 77 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 2: For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live 78 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 2: to News Talks at be from five am weekdays, or 79 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.