The Australian Government has announced the latest round of grants under its Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock (MERiL) research and development program, with four projects awarded a total of over $9 million to help farmers reduce livestock methane emissions. The MERiL program is a critical component of the government's efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and complements other initiatives aimed at reducing emissions in the agriculture sector.
Livestock methane emissions are a significant contributor to Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for around 70% of the agriculture sector's emissions and 13% of the country's total emissions. The challenge of reducing these emissions is particularly complex due to the widespread use of extensive grazing systems, which make up around 95% of cattle and sheep farming in Australia. This has limited the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing emissions through changes in feed.
The MERiL program is focused on developing innovative solutions to reduce livestock methane emissions through the use of feed additives and forage feeds. The program has three stages of funding, running from 2021-22 to 2026-27, and has already awarded grants to several projects in previous rounds.
The latest round of grants, known as Stage 3 Round 2 (MERiL 3.2), has been awarded to four projects that will share in over $9 million of funding. The projects will focus on validating the effectiveness of various methane-reducing feed additives and delivery systems, as well as exploring their practical application in different farming systems.
One of the projects, led by the University of New England, will validate the use of three methane-reducing feed additives (Asparagopsis, Bovaer, and Agolin) in grazing sheep systems across multiple Australian regions. The project will also explore the practical delivery of these additives to sheep in different regions.
Another project, led by the University of Melbourne, will focus on dairy and sheep systems in Victoria and New South Wales. The project will validate various delivery systems for methane-reducing additives (Polygain and Agolin) in pellets, liquid supplements, and licks.
Ruminant BioTech Australia Pty Ltd will lead a project that aims to validate the efficacy and safety of a bolus containing Tribromomethane in controlled beef cattle trials and operational settings conducted in partnership with the University of Sydney.
Mort & Co Lot Feeders Pty Ltd will lead a project that will demonstrate the commercial readiness of technologies for delivering methane-reducing feed additives (Asparagopsis, Bovaer, Agolin, and Nitrate) through lick-blocks to large-scale cattle grazing systems in Queensland.
The MERiL program is an important component of the Australian Government's efforts to reduce emissions in the agriculture sector, which is a significant contributor to the country's greenhouse gas emissions. The program complements other initiatives aimed at reducing emissions in the agriculture sector, including the $63.8 million investment in the development of the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan.
The MERiL program also contributes to Australia's commitment to the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary commitment to reduce global methane emissions across agriculture, energy, and resources, and waste sectors. The pledge is an important step towards reducing the country's greenhouse gas emissions and achieving its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
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