Qld: Fruit, vege growers want out of CPRS

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2009
Qld: Fruit, vege growers want out of CPRS

BRISBANE, Aug 7 AAP - Queensland's peak fruit and vegetable farming lobby group, Growcom,
has joined a growing list of farm bodies urging the federal government to exclude agriculture
from the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

In a letter to Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, Growcom on Friday argued that horticultural
businesses were very small emitters of greenhouse gases, accounting for only about 0.2
per cent of Australia's emissions and including them had the potential to increase the
cost of food to Australian consumers.

Chief advocate Rachel Mackenzie said the CPRS would add substantial costs to horticultural
farm businesses, most of which were small, without much return in reduced emissions.

"Since horticultural producers are price-takers they would be unable to pass these
increased production costs down the supply chain," Ms Mackenzie said in a statement.

On Thursday the National Farmers' Federation called for all agriculture to be exempt
from the CPRS.

AAP stg/pjo/jfm

KEYWORD: CLIMATE HORTICULTURE

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