The recent protest by Greenpeace against the importation of palm kernel extract hit a chord with many farmers who feel the importation of PKE is unnecessary.
One such farmer is Max Purnell of Waitakaruru. He has travelled to Indonesian jungles as an independent farmer observer with Greenpeace and a national newspaper.

Bay of Plenty rural contractor Bill Webb advises farmers to use high quality locally grown supplementary feeds rather than imported PKE.

Max says he was unprepared for the scale of destruction he encountered.
'The worst part is that none of it stacks up economically either. I have struggled with the stupidity and cupidity of my fellow man ever since this trip.”
Max says when you take into account climate change, the burning of the jungle and the de-oxygenation of the peat that gets exposed during the process; it doesn't stack-up to bowl the jungle to produce PKE.”
However, Max says he has been very heartened by the reaction from his fellow farmers since.
'Most of them can see the economic and other stupidity once they know the score.
'We shouldn't be using palm kernel in New Zealand – we can grow good grassland here.”