Centre stage

The Government's commitment to responding sensibly to climate change and encouraging science and innovation was underlined recently when the Prime Minister and I opened the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre in Palmerston North.

This centre marks a new era for agricultural emissions research.

It will support New Zealand in taking a significant leap forward in meeting the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture while increasing productivity.

New Zealand must meet its international commitments to the Kyoto Protocol and it must support farmers and growers to achieve this through new technologies.
As a country we have the need, we have the expertise and now we have the channel through which we will meet our commitments and lead the world in pastoral livestock research.

The centre, established as part of the Government’s Primary Growth Partnership initiative, will receive $5 million of direct government funding each year for the next 10 years.