GHG emissions

There is a global race happening to reduce emissions from dairy farming with more solutions potentially becoming available to housed-cow systems. So where does that position New Zealand’s pastoral model? Hear from three different agribusinesses supporting farmers to reduce emissions; Margaret Stuart from Nestlé Oceania; Charlotte Rutherford from Fonterra; and Wayne McNee from AgriZero.

How efficient can our cows get when it comes to methane? CRV and LIC are right now measuring emissions from the first daughters born in their methane research programme and testing the heritability of the trait. If the programme is successful, the companies hope to deliver a methane breeding value into their respective breeding indexes by 2026.

The 30% emission reduction by 2030 target was set by Fonterra in November 2023 and the dairy co-op is counting on its 9000 farmers to cut methane with 7% of that total coming from farming more efficiently. So can it be done? Guests include Pete Morgan, Graham Kerr and Jason Rolfe.

A Southland couple have bought the farm they were sharemilking and are taking part in the Carbon Neutral Dipton study. Anne Lee reports. Photos by Edwin Mabonga.

After a few great years of production and earnings, Dutch dairy farmers are deep in the manure. By Sjoerd Hofstee.

Irish dairy farmers stirred as government suggests culling 65,000 cows per year. By Chris McCullough.

Waikato-based company Ruminant BioTech’s aims to develop a commercially viable bolus to reduce ruminant animal methane emissions has received a $7.8 million injection from the government.

Researchers are busy seeking a wide range of solutions for reducing or eliminating methane and other Greenhouse Gas emissions from agriculture. Anne Lee reports.