Farmers across New Zealand have driven their tractors on motorways and into towns to protest government plans to tax the climate-heating gases that farm animals release when burping.

Lobby group Groundswell New Zealand helped organise more than 50 protests in towns and cities across the country.

The rallies against the measure were smaller than expected, with the biggest involving a few dozen vehicles, but farmers came up with creative slogans to express their frustration.

One placard read: “Without farmers you will be hungry, naked & sober”; and another: “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

The government has said the new levy, designed to curb climate breakdown, would be a world first and that farmers should be able to recover the cost by charging a premium for climate-friendly products.

But the industry, which altogether farms 10 million beef and dairy cattle and 26 million sheep compared to New Zealand’s population of five million people, argues a tax could increase global greenhouse gas emissions by shifting farming to countries less efficient at making food.

Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

World’s second-richest man Bernard Arnault sells private jet so climate activists can’t track him

‘Misleading’ HSBC net zero adverts banned for glossing over own responsibility for pollution

Dartford Crossing’s QE2 bridge closed by Just Stop Oil protesters

All on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.

The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis.

Related posts:

Two men killed as Tesla without anyone in the driver’s seat crashes into tree and catches fire Thousands evacuated as wildfires spread across Table Mountain in Cape Town South Africa squad in isolation as three players test positive for COVID ahead of Lions tour Saudi Arabia launches climate action plan to reduce carbon emissions and protect environment More migrants risk dangerous Channel journey today – as minister claims ‘progress’ in stopping crossings Channel deaths: What are the options for combatting the crisis? What’s a no-fly zone and why won’t the West enforce one in Ukraine? ‘They refuse to leave’: Ukraine football legend Shevchenko trying to get mother and sister to flee Kyiv as Russians move in ‘I want it all to be over’: Young girl’s heartache as thousands cram on to trains to flee horror of Putin’s invasion Russian and Belarusian athletes out of Paralympics in stunning U-turn Russia ‘captures’ first major city in Ukraine as another warns ‘we are being destroyed’ ‘They are not, and never were, mercenaries’: Family members of Britons facing death penalty in Donetsk speak of shock