FAST FACTS
Genetics and the gut microbiome play a big role in methane production in cows.
By deselecting for methane traits, farmers can lower their carbon footprint.
More research is needed on how to measure methane emissions in cattle.
For most South African farmers, surviving the cost-price squeeze is a far greater consideration than reducing methane emissions. While South Africans are not currently facing pressure to reduce carbon footprints like Europe and the US, emissions will need to be tackled in the near future. Considering the pressure the livestock industry faces globally for their methane emission contribution to greenhouse gases (GHG), it is expected that SA farmers will not be spared the scrutiny.
The good news is that, as the focus on methane emissions from livestock production has intensified, so has research to reduce methane production in livestock. And as gene sequencing has become common
