Welsh farmers sought for greenhouse gas reduction project

Commercial beef and sheep farmers in Wales are being sought for a project developing breeding strategies that reduce greenhouse gases.

The aim of the “Breeding better beef and sheep” project is to help UK red meat producers make better breeding decisions that are also practical and affordable.

Working as part of a large consortium of industry and academic organisations, Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales) is collaborating with Mentera to recruit five farms for the programme.

See also: Farms set to trial new technology for low carbon production

To be eligible, farmers must be interested in improved breeding management and driving genetic progress on their farms.

They must also be willing to complete a carbon footprint analysis and explore the cost benefits to assess the impact of any changes.

Expression of interest need to be registered with HCC by 3 February. 

Dr Heather McCalman, research and development executive at HCC, said: “Many farmers face unclear guidance on how to lower emissions, slowing the industry’s progress.

“By harnessing research, reviewing global breeding methods and collecting data from farms in Wales – along with 15 other farms across the UK – the project will identify practical and affordable breeding strategies to cut emissions and improve profitability.”

The “Breeding better beef and sheep” project is one of 15 funded by the AFN Network+ that are designed to support the UK agri-food sector through the transition to net zero by 2050.

The AFN Network+ is a three-year project set up in 2022 with £5m funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).