A final 4 projects have been awarded grants under the Australian Government's Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock (MERiL) research and development program.
Livestock methane emissions represent a substantial portion of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. They make up around:
- 70% of greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector.
- 13% of Australia's total emissions.
There are currently limited options to significantly reduce these emissions. Around 95% of cattle and sheep in Australia farmed in extensive grazing systems. This is why interventions to cut emissions through changes in feed are particularly challenging.
The MERiL program aims to find effective solutions to reduce livestock methane emissions through:
- feed additives
- forage feeds.
This has never been more critical to help us reach net zero by 2050.
The Stage 3 Round 2 (MERiL 3.2) grant recipients will share in over $9 million of funding.
The University of New England ($3 million) NSW, WA & SA
Building on previous MERiL stages, this project will:
- validate methane-reducing feed additives (Asparagopsis, Bovaer, and Agolin)
- explore their practical delivery to grazing sheep across multiple Australian regions.
The University of Melbourne ($1.14 million) Vic & NSW
This project focuses on dairy and sheep systems in Victoria and New South Wales. It will validate various delivery systems for methane-reducing additive (Polygain & Agolin) in:
- pellets
- liquid supplements
- licks.
Ruminant BioTech Australia Pty Ltd ($2.79 million) NSW
This initiative aims to validate the efficacy and safety of the bolus containing Asparagopsis through:
- controlled beef cattle trials
- operational settings conducted in partnership with the University of Sydney.
Mort & Co Lot Feeders Pty Ltd ($2.12 million) Qld
Building on previous successes, this project will demonstrate the commercial readiness of technologies for delivering methane-reducing feed additive (Asparagopsis, Bovaer, Agolin, and Nitrate) through lick-blocks to large-scale cattle grazing systems in Queensland.
The MERiL program comprises 3 stages of funding, running from 2021-22 to 2026-27.
MERiL complements the government's other investments to support emissions reduction in the agriculture industry. This includes $63.8 million as part of the development of the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan.
The program also contributes to Australian's commitment to the Global Methane Pledge. The pledge is a voluntary commitment to reduce global methane emissions across agriculture, energy and resources and waste sectors.
Note:
NSW: New South Wales, WA: Western Australia, SA: South Australia, Vic: Victoria, Qld: Queensland
