Dairy farming not fanning Indonesian forest fires

Federated Farmers echoes the concerns of Greenpeace and others regarding the devastation and environmental impact of forest fires that have burned for more than three weeks across Indonesia, but says the use of Palm Kernel Expeller (PKE) as a supplementary feed source for dairy cows is not to blame.

“It’s important to remember that PKE is not the reason for these fires or tropical deforestation. It is a by-product of the extraction of palm oil and palm kernel oil which would otherwise be treated as waste,’ says Federated Farmers Dairy Industry Chair Andrew Hoggard.

“Dairy farmers are taking this waste product and making use of it as a supplementary food source, used mainly as an alternative to pasture during adverse weather such as droughts, to maintain the welfare of herds and the productivity of New Zealand’s vitally important dairy industry.”

Greenpeace has this week responded to the fires in Indonesia by attacking Fonterra with allegations linking them to fires through the deforestation of rainforests and peatland for PKE – claims which ignore both the core product being sought (palm oil) and the realities of Fonterra’s procurement strategy.

“This is typical tall poppy stuff. Fonterra and its dairy farmers source their PKE from a single suppler that operates on a sustainable basis,” says Andrew Hoggard.

“This provider – Wilmar – has a ‘no burning, no deforestation’ policy and its plantation operations are audited by The Forest Trust, an independent, non-government organisation. To lay any of the blame for these fires with Fonterra is utterly unfair.”

ENDS

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