The $4.2 million Cool Sheep® Programme is a three-year programme supported the Ministry for Primary Industries through the Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and a range of organisations including Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Together with sheep stud breeders and commercial farmers, organisations in the programme are supporting the enhancement of genetics in the national sheep flock.
Over the next three years, the Cool Sheep® Programme aims to put infrastructure in place for the New Zealand sheep industry to continually drive this ground-breaking opportunity beyond the programme duration to continue selecting for low methane genetics and reduce sheep sector GHG emissions.
1. Ram supply – making low methane rams available.
Combining targeted ram genotyping with methane phenotyping (measuring individual animal methane emissions using Portable Accumulation Chamber trailers, PAC), ram breeders will be able to offer commercial farmers a greater supply of low methane rams to reduce emissions while increasing productivity.
2. nProve enhancement - tracking low methane rams on-farm
Commercial farmers utilising the ram selection tool nProve.nz will have methane reduction as a selectable trait, with rams sold having a clear measure of their predicted impact to lower methane counting in GHG calculations.
3. National Impact – accounting for methane reduction
On-farm GHG calculators will show methane reductions from genetic selection as progeny accumulate, with farmers recognised and rewarded for using low methane genetics to reduce their farm’s overall methane production. The reduction in methane production from the national flock will be captured in the national GHG inventory.
4. Awareness and outreach
Farmers gain the awareness, knowledge, skills, and confidence to incorporate low methane rams in their flocks. The wider farming community and general public are aware of progress in methane reduction in national GHG inventories from genetic selection while increasing productivity at a national scale. The programme will be informed by farmers utilising multiple avenues to ensure our communication is as effective as possible.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand point of contact:
Cynthia Lawrence, Cool Sheep® Project Manager
Email: cynthia.lawrence@beeflambnz.com
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics
PO Box 5501, Dunedin 9058
Phone: 0800 745 435
Email: info@blnzgenetics.com
