The Government has invested NZD 8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay was at the opening of a new state-of-the-art methane research facility in the Waikato today.
He said that Livestock Improvement Corporation’s (LIC) new ‘Methane Barn’ will enable large-scale monitoring and measurement of methane produced by lactating dairy cows.
The research will enable farmers to select lower-emitting genetics and will be a valuable tool to help reduce biogenic methane without harming productivity. It will further bolster confidence in the pipeline of new mitigation tools, giving farmers the choice in how they get emissions down.
The Government and industry have committed more than NZD 400 million to speed up the development of methane-cutting tools, with as many as 11 to be commercially available by 2030.
“We are committed to meeting our climate obligations without closing down farms and sending jobs and production overseas," said McClay.
"Investments like the Methane Barn will offer farmers the tools they need to reduce on-farm emissions without reducing production."
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