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New Product Cuts Cattle’s Methane Emissions

Sea Forest 3 mins read

May 9, 2024

 

Cattle Emissions Licked with Aussie Seaweed.

 

Olsson's, Australia's oldest family-owned and operated salt and lick block manufacturer, have partnered with Sea Forest to create the world's first lick block that cuts methane emissions in cattle.

 

Made with Sea Forest SeaFeed, and Olsson's wealth of experience in producing nutritional lick blocks, "Low & Grow" is a simple solution for pioneering farmers looking to reduce enteric methane in grazing cattle.  

 

"We've been at the forefront of multi-nutrient blocks in Australia since 1949," said Murray Olsson, operations manager of Olsson Industries. "We've always strived to innovate, and we've never ignored our responsibility to the environment. So, getting to work with Sea Forest on a globally significant product like this was exciting. We want to make sure the future of farming is secure, in addition to providing better nutrients for livestock. 'Low & Grow' is the first lick block supplement of its kind for pasture fed ruminants."

 

The key ingredient in "Low & Grow" blocks is SeaFeed, made in Australia and based on Asparagopsis, the native seaweed that Sea Forest farms in Tasmania. SeaFeed contains compounds that overcome the enzymes in the gut that produce methane during the final stages of digestion.

 

The milestone of fusing SeaFeed with lick blocks was made possible by the MERiL grant program (Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock), a multimillion-dollar initiative by the Federal Government, under the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.  

 

SeaFeed is backed by over 30 peer-reviewed studies showing substantial methane abatement rates.

 

"Our team has been working with Olsson's on this project for over two years," said Professor Rocky de Nys, Chief Scientific Officer at Sea Forest. "We tested many formulations to optimise nutritional supplementation and efficacy in reducing methane. It's exciting to have this new delivery method for SeaFeed and there's no better partner than Olsson's to get it out in paddocks across the country." 

 

Launching this month at Beef 24 in Rockhampton, "Low & Grow" will be available from Olsson's directly on 1800 804 096 or via the email blocks@olssons.com.au.

 

With Australia's first low emission products in the dairy and beef industries starting to take off, "Low & Grow" represents an easy on ramp into this burgeoning category, which is only going to expand, thanks to increasing consumer demand and improved margins for producers.

 

END

 

About Sea Forest

A world-leading biotech company based in Tasmania, Australia, Sea Forest produces SeaFeed with an ability to cut methane emission in livestock by up to 98%.

www.seaforest.com.au

 

About Olsson's

Established in 1949, Olsson's is Australia's oldest family-owned salt and lick block company, renowned for its premium-quality products sourced from pristine waters. The leaders in multi-nutrient blocks, their products are stocked nationwide. www.olssonsblocks.com.au

 

FAQs

 

How do you get the percentage of methane reduction?

In studies, SeaFeed has been proven to reduce methane by up to 98%, based on how much the animals consume. Given the grazing environment and nature of the supplementation, you can expect a reduction of between 25% to 40%. Reduction will be dependent of the amount of SeaFeed consumed. Typically, 30% enteric CH4 reduction is targeted using mass balance calculation.

Is that sort of reduction worth it?

Absolutely. There are approximately 25 million grazing livestock in Australia, which emit around 70 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 15% of Australia's total emissions. Reducing this by 30% would be a gigantic leap forward, because it'd remove 21 million tonne of carbon equivalent, which would be like taking 7.7 million cars off the road.

 

How do you control how much the animal eats?

Supplements in block form are designed to target a specific grams-per-head-per-day, dependent on the animal type and pasture conditions

Is SeaFeed safe?

One hundred percent. Numerous studies have shown that using SeaFeed has no negative effect on the animal and zero impact on the taste of any milk or beef. 

 

For Media Enquiries:

Rick Bannister // Communications Sea Forest Ltd

rb@seaforest.com.au

0431100869

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