MERiL program awards $4 million to support low-emissions livestock feed R&D

Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources

Six projects will share $4 million in grants to trial low-emissions livestock feed technologies under the Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock (MERiL) program.

Each project will measure the emissions reduction and productivity benefits of new livestock feed supplements.

The projects include trials of:

  • the seaweed Asparagopsis to understand its impacts on emissions and meat quality
  • the compound 3-nitrooxypropanol in beef cattle grazing systems
  • the use of forage feed Desmanthus in grazing paddocks.

Read the full list of grant recipients.

Stage 1 of the MERiL program is part of the King Review Technology Co-Investment Fund. The fund supports sectors to adopt technologies to increase productivity and reduce emissions. This is one of many initiatives to help the agriculture sector access low emissions technologies without imposing new costs.

Livestock feed supplements is one of several emerging technologies the Australian Government is monitoring in the Low Emissions Technology Statement 2021.

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