Work published this today (March 30), by the Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), claims foods such as maize silage and sugary grasses produce less methane emissions.

Agriculture makes up about 9% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions with half coming from sheep, cows and goats.

New research, carried out by Reading University and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), looked at feed and methane emissions and nitrogen excretion from cattle and sheep.

Agriculture minister, Jim Paice, said: “It is very exciting this new research has discovered by simply changing the way we feed farm animals we have the potential to make a big difference to the environment.”

Luke Walsh

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