Farm funding on offer in dairy carbon project

Financial support will be available to farmers who participate in a new UK-wide Dairy Carbon Network programme being set up this spring.

Led by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), there are over 50 organisations from across agricultural research, milk processing and relevant trade bodies that have signed up to the three-year project.

Addressing an online event last Wednesday, Professor Steven Morrison from AFBI said the aim of the project is to demonstrate and measure the impact of proven greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures on commercial dairy farms.

In total across the UK, 56 farms are being sought for the Defra-funded project, with 20 of the farms planned to be in NI.

These NI farms will receive practical support from AgriSearch. Each of the participating farms will be expected to implement two to four GHG mitigation options, while also sharing data and hosting farm walks.

Farmers will receive financial support to help cover the cost of these mitigation options, while there is also an average budget per farm of up to £2,000 set aside to cover an annual farmer payment.

According to Jason Rankin from AgriSearch, just how much money actually comes in the form of the annual payment is dependent on factors such as the mitigation options chosen and the level of inconvenience to the farmer.

“It’s not a flat rate and it will vary,” he said.

GHG’s

At last Wednesday’s event a number of potential options to cut GHG’s on farms were outlined, including the use of protected urea, low emission slurry spreading equipment, slurry separation and growing legumes such as clover to cut nitrogen fertiliser use.

There are also actions that can be taken around feeding management, including substituting out feeds with a high carbon footprint, diet formulation and the use of methane supressing feed additives.

Despite the recent backlash from some UK consumers against the use of the feed additive Bovaer, these additives are seen as key to driving down emissions from ruminant livestock.

“The bottom line is none of these [feed additives] will be used without close collaboration with farmers, advisers, suppliers and customers,” confirmed Professor John Newbold, a dairy scientist at Scotland’s Rural College.

For farmers interested in taking part in the Dairy Carbon Network, applications must be submitted by 31 March 2025. For more information, go to www.agrisearch.org.