A TOTAL of 11 projects will receive between $250,000 and $700,000 each to help deliver low-emissions feed supplements for grazing animals.
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Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the $5 million package under Stage 2 of the $29 million Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock (MERiL) Program recognised ongoing efforts of the livestock industry to reduce emissions.
This includes a $50 million investment by Meat and Livestock Australia.
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Methane emissions from livestock are recognised as the largest source of greenhouse gas in the agriculture sector and make up around 10 per cent of Australia's total annual emissions.
The funded projects are:
- Sea Forest ($383,657) in partnership with Dickson Ag, Ruminati, Australian Agricultural Company and the Tasmanian DPI will develop and assess feed supplements to deliver methane reduction from compounds in Asparagopsis oil.
- University of Melbourne ($340,818) in partnership with Endhill, Feedworks, Rumin8, The Product Makers, Gretals Australia and Seascape Restorations Australia, will test different delivery mechanisms including lucerne, liquid feeds, loose licks and lick blocks.
- SA DPI ($695,909) in partnership with DIT Agtech, Rumin8, Feedworks, Australian Wool Innovation and The University of Western Australia, will adapt and evaluate a range of existing systems to deliver methane-reducing feed additives to sheep.
- The University of New England ($603,050) in partnership with Feedworks will develop a novel paddock solution to deliver methane-reducing supplements to sheep.
- The Victorian Department of Regions ($615,000) in partnership with Terragen Biotech and Fonterra Cooperative Group, will evaluate automated feeding of a methane-mitigating probiotic to lambs and dairy cows.
- Mort and Co. Lot Feeders ($367,186) in partnership with CSIRO, MultiCube, AACo and DSM Nutritional Products Australia, will demonstrate delivery of the methane-reducing feed additive 3-NOP in the form of a fodder cube.
- Mort and Co. Lot Feeders ($387,667) will also demonstrate the feasibility of a holistic technology solution for feeding nitrates to grazing cattle.
- Direct Injection Systems ($367,219) in partnership with Central Queensland University and the SA DPI will build on their existing water injection technology to deliver methane-reducing compounds.
- Loam Bio ($653,750) will deliver a cost-effective, scalable, adaptable and highly resilient low-emission feed supplement.
- Macquarie University ($324,864) in partnership with Ternes Scientific and 4 Season Company, will test low-cost and naturally sourced methane-reducing substances for incorporation into lick blocks.
- Department of Regional NSW ($250,000) in partnership with Australian Wool Innovation will evaluate the feasibility of using radio frequency identification technologies to improve methane-reduction supplement design and delivery in sheep and test the use of common delivery systems such as lick feeders.
Mr Watt said R&D of low emissions feed technologies for livestock had skyrocketed in recent years.
"However scaling up production and adoption of these supplements remains a challenge, especially in grazing systems (rather than feedlot) which accounts for 95 per cent of Australian livestock," he said.
The $5m in funding is in addition to the $8m provided to the seaweed industry to support commercialisation of the livestock feed supplement asparagopsis.
Mr Watt said the Albanese Government was working agricultural industry to find practical solutions that made a difference.
