Farting cows to get food additives to stop them breaking wind in climate fight

02 April 2023 , 14:05

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Cows are quite windy (Image: Getty Images)

Farting cows could be given "methane suppressants" to stop them breaking wind and fuelling global warming.

Dairy cattle are set to be given "compound feeds" containing additives to cut digestive gas, it has emerged.

Ministers intend to force farmers to give their livestock the feed because of the amount of methane cows release into the air when they belch or fart.

In the UK, cows are blamed for about 5% of global carbon emissions created by human activity.

Slashing harmful gases released into the atmosphere are key to the Government meeting its legally-binding pledge for net-zero emissions by 2050.

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The Government's net-zero growth plan said officials "anticipate entry of high efficacy methane suppressing products to the UK market from 2025" and would explore their use for dairy farms "at pace".

National Farmers' Union President Minette Batters (NFU)

"This will include the ambition to mandate the introduction of products with proven safety and efficacy in compound feeds for cattle as soon as practically possible in England," it added.

Launching its original consultation last August, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Cows and sheep are the main cause of methane emissions from farms.

“Introducing feed products that reduce methane to livestock diets may have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

National Farmers’ Union President Minette Batters welcomed the move.

“Food additives - probiotics - to make sure that cows are emitting less methane is a really good thing and it’s already online,” she told BBC1’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

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Ben Glaze