The Government has been accused of effectively imposing a tariff on farmers and other diesel vehicle users by refusing to modify rules covering emission standards for imports.
Canterbuy cropping farmer and agricultural contractor, Jeremy Talbot, says regulations which will be further tightened in January mean only new diesel vehicles can be imported, because even those only a few years old, won't comply with the new emission standards.
He says these regulations have already halted imports of used light diesel vehicles.
Mr Talbot says the end result will be the opposite of what the rules are meant to achieve and it will mean old vehicles being driven for a greater length of time.
He also says the import rule will hit farmers growing crops for biodiesel production.
Mr Talbot says rural interest will continue to lobby the Government to modify the import rules and there's been talk of a rally to Parliament in the New Year if it does not respond.
