New Zealand's proposal: If cows and sheep belch, they will have to pay tax

Wellington, Ta. Saturday, June 11, 2022

Not to be outdone, New Zealand has proposed a tax on the belching of cows and sheep. The proposal is still valid, but if implemented, the herdsman will have to pay the fine when the cow and sheep belch.

It doesn't stop there. These taxes or fines will be levied to help protect the environment. Research says that when cows and sheep belch, they emit methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas!

With a population of about 50 million, the country has about 10 million cows and 26 million sheep. Dairy, animal husbandry and wool are major economic activities here. It is argued that 97% of New Zealand's total production of methane gas comes from cows alone. It is proposed to impose this tax only to gain control over this gas. According to the government's proposal, the owner of the animal will have to pay the fine and it will be implemented from the year 2025. The government has also announced incentives for pastoralists to reduce this gas!

Ermias Cabarib, a researcher on cows and the gas they produce, says that the food that a cow eats goes into her stomach and stays in the first part. Gas is formed when food is increased and it is expelled through belching. He adds that if the cow is given a certain type of food instead of such a diet, the amount of gas can be reduced.