Free methane-reducing feed pellet for farmers who share data

British-Swiss agri-tech company Mootral is offering UK dairy farmers a methane-reducing feed supplement free for six months in return for farm data to show how the product can help drive down emissions.

The garlic and citrus-based pellet is already being used by the Towers family at Brades Farm in Lancashire, who have reduced methane emissions caused by enteric fermentation by 30%.

See also: Methane-reducing feed additive to be produced in Scotland

The herd of Holstein Friesian and Jersey cows has been fed the Mootral Ruminant supplement since 2018.

The pellet reduces the ability of the cow’s stomach to produce methane by disrupting enzymes in the gut, and can be added to the total mixed ration or fed in the milking parlour.

A 12-week trial at Brades Farm, led by Scotland’s Rural College, also found a 3-5% increase in milk yield when feeding the supplement, and no negative impact on animal health or quality of milk.

The farm produces a specialist barista milk for some of the country’s top coffee shops.

Ed Towers – who runs the farm near Farleton, with his father, John, and brother, Joe – said the family wanted to show customers it is committed to reducing emissions, and that dairy producers have a responsible attitude when it comes to the environment.

“We are feeding our cows Mootral through the total mixed ration, but because they have developed it in a nut, you could feed it through in-parlour feeders or out-of-parlour feeders. You could even probably top dress it on-field if you were beef farming,” Mr Towers said.

“It is a really a good solution to get it into as many cows as possible without practical issues.”

Target 

Mootral has set the target of feeding its supplement to 5,000 cows in the UK within the next 12 months.

The scheme is open to non-organic dairy farmers in the UK with more than 150 lactating cows, and there is a questionnaire to complete before the end of the year to check eligibility.

In return for a free six-month supply of the supplement, farmers will provide data on diet, milk yield and health, which Mootral will use anonymously to validate the benefits of its product.

The company said it will use the research to develop more technology to help farmers produce milk with a lower carbon footprint.