The Rudd Government needs to say whether it will include the methane gas produced by cows and sheep in its emissions trading scheme.

Will the Rudd government confirm whether it will do what New Zealand did, which is, propose a fart tax?

“It might sound like a joke but penalising farmers for the gases produced by livestock is a serious matter," Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding said today.

"The CSIRO has been working for years on foods consumed by cows and sheep to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Slapping extra costs on farmers because their animals fart is a serious problem, as the New Zealand government found out when it was forced to drop its tax after farmers decided it was a stinker,” Senator Fielding said.

“If the Rudd Government does propose a new fart tax, Family First wants to know the exact impact on farmers.”

He says the facts are:

1. Methane from sheep and cattle is estimated to account for over 12pc of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions and 70pc of agricultural emissions. (National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 2006)

2. Beef Cooperative Research Centre hopes to cut Australia's livestock methane emissions by 20pc by 2012. (ABC, Landline, “Scientists aiming to cut livestock emissions”, first published April 15 2007)

3. The world has 1.33 billion cattle and 1.1 billion sheep and goats. (CSIRO, 1998)