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New Zealand breeds sheep that fart less to improve environmental quality

Original title: New Zealand breeds new sheep to improve the environment requirements: less farting

Animal husbandry is an important part of New Zealand's economy, and sheep is one of the main livestock in the country's animal husbandry.

In recent years, more and more voices have pointed out that methane emission from animal husbandry is one of the factors leading to the greenhouse effect. Faced with these accusations, new Zealanders have come up with their own solution: strive to cultivate new breeds of sheep with less methane emissions.

Sheep, like cattle, is a ruminant. According to the BBC report in August this year, ruminants produce about 250-500 litres of methane a day, accounting for more than one-third of the total agricultural emissions. Ruminants around the world emit a staggering amount of methane into the atmosphere by burping and farting every year, which is equivalent to 3.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide in promoting the greenhouse effect.

According to the guardian on December 1, New Zealand, which has 6 sheep per capita, has begun to use the index called 'breeding value' to help animal husbandry practitioners breed sheep with less' methane emission ', which will be completed within two years.

'the farmers are more interested in it than I expected. ' A breeder said, 'I think a healthy and excellent livestock should have less methane emissions, so this indicator is being measured.'

A breeder undergoing the 'methane emission' test needs to stay in a 'storage room' for 50 minutes and conduct a second test after 14 days. After that, this value will be combined with other genetic information to calculate the 'methane breeding value' of the sheep.

'I don't know if the key to the problem is this & hellip& hellip; But in any case, it will help us achieve the goal of breeding. In other words, the healthier a sheep is, the less investment it needs and the less environmental requirements it has. " He said.

Mark middot, general manager of the 'pastoral greenhouse gas research consortium' in New Zealand; Mark Aspin said that New Zealand is the first country in the world to adopt 'methane breeding value' in animal husbandry, which is' practical and important 'for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the industry.

'livestock greenhouse gas research consortium' is an organization jointly funded by the New Zealand agricultural department and the government. The organization said that in addition to the 'methane breeding value', they are also studying three technologies aimed at reducing livestock methane emissions from feed.