Woolworths paddock trail to explore methane-reducing feed additives in grassfed cattle - Beef Central

NATIONAL supermarket retailer Woolworths has aligned with partners to launch a large commercial trial designed to prove the value of paddock-based supplements designed to minimise methane production in grassfed cattle. The project will involve asparagopis-based feed additive producer Sea Forest, water medication technology developer Direct Injection Technologies and beef processor, Teys Australia. The multi-year collaboration will pioneer a groundbreaking trial of Sea Forest’s SeaFeed supplement in Australian grassfed cattle. While cattle being fed feedlot diets are relatively easy to manage with methane-inhibiting feed additives, many cattle only spend their last 70-140 days in a feedlot before slaughter. Finding effective and reliable ways to medicate cattle during the earlier stages of their lift on grass has always been a bigger challenge. The shared ambition of the initiative is to significantly reduce methane emissions and unlock additional productivity across the beef value chain. The partners will conduct a commercial-scale trial at a cattle property in New South Wales, testing both water-delivered and dry-lick formulations of SeaFeed, with the water-delivered formulation administered via DIT dosing technology. Backed by investment from all four partners, the trial reflects their strong belief in the potential of innovation in science to deliver material environmental and commercial benefits, Woolworths said in a statement. Trial results will be independently verified against globally recognised standards, positioning the Australian beef value chain ahead of its global peers. SeaFeed, derived from asparagopsis seaweed, has demonstrated reductions in livestock methane emissions by up to 80 percent in multiple peer-reviewed studies, and is already in use in feedlot applications by Teys Australia. The new multi-year collaboration trial will also test whether the supplement can deliver productivity gains for grassfed producers, such as improved weightgain and feed efficiency. Woolworths, Sea Forest, DIT and Teys Australia are working together on the initiative to validate the concept and help drive industry-wide adoption, consistent with their focus on sustainable supply chains and emissions reduction, Woolworths’ statement said. As the processing partner, Teys Australia will provide supply-chain expertise to support commercial uptake, while DIT AgTech and Sea Forest will manage dosing technology and supplement supply. Importantly, the partners are also committed to sharing key learnings and outcomes with the broader industry as the program progresses. Woolworths meat division director Justin Nolan said the project was an exciting industry initiative, and represented investment in real innovation to prove out a scalable, science-based and commercially viable solution that can help lower supply chain emissions while delivering productivity benefits for producers. Teys Australia chief operating officer Charlie Hollingworth said the partnership was about proving, at commercial scale, that lowering methane in grassfed systems can go hand-in-hand with productivity – with independent verification and best-practice animal welfare across the value chain. Sea Forest founder and chief executive Sam Elsom, said partnering in the grassfed trial would help validate animal performance outcomes delivered in addition to the established emissions reduction and supports the scalable adoption of a science-based solution for producers and retailers. DIT AgTech CEO Mark Peart said his company’s uDOSE water-delivery platform was built for extensive grazing systems, ensuring consistent intake and enabling independently verified methane abatement. “With our Verra-registered project under VM0041, cattle producers have a practical, monitorable pathway to reduce emissions and support on-farm productivity,” he said. Source: Woolworths