Improved ruminant efficiency for developing countries through the application of supplemental feeding technology.
Ruminant Methane Efficiency Methodology
The crux of the argument for applying a clean development approach to livestock development is that the RuMeth International feed supplement provides for substantial methane reductions, while at the same time greatly increasing productivity. These reductions in greenhouse gas come about as a direct result of the function of the feed supplement in the rumen and through an increase in productivity, thus reducing the methane emitted on a per unit of product basis. This reduction in the “methane cost” of each liter of milk produced is substantial when viewed in the aggregate.
There are a variety of ways to measure greenhouse gas reductions from ruminant livestock systems. The techniques available range from very macro estimates of a country’s entire ruminant population, to animal specific technology that gives very accurate measurement of emissions levels. RuMeth International has developed a systematic approach for measuring ruminant methane emissions and reductions through an analysis of the targeted production system and the individual animals making up that system.
The mitigation of methane due to increased productive efficiency of the animal can be measured by ascertaining the animal’s level of productivity (milk/meat) divided into the amount of methane emitted during the period of production. By calculating methane emissions on a per unit of product basis, it is much simpler to compare production systems, ie. from one country to another, and to measure the effect of targeted interventions, ie. feed supplements, on a specific production system.
For example, in the United States, a typical dairy cow produces approximately 12,000 litres of milk per year. During this same period, she also produces an estimated 150 kg of methane. The efficiency ratio for this animal would be 12.5 grams of methane per litre of milk (g CH4/ltr milk). In comparison, a typical cow in Uganda produces a much lower 450 litres of milk per year. While the amount of methane produced over the course of a year, 72 kg, is also lower than the developed country cow, the resulting ratio of 158.8 g CH4/ltr milk demonstrates the significantly lower efficiency of the developing country production system. Animals whose feeding management includes RuMeth International’s feed supplement produce measurably less methane and significantly more milk resulting in a greatly improved ratio or “methane cost” of the final product.
By conducting this type of analysis, the increased efficiency brought about by supplemental feeding is clearly demonstrated. It puts in numerical terms the reduction in methane cost for each litre of milk produced, providing for an open and transparent quantification of the reductions. The producers’ using the supplement benefit through increased productivity (more milk to sell), and the environment benefits as less greenhouse gas is produced by the supplemented animals. Furthermore, less animals are required in a national herd to meet demand for milk. For example, in RuMeth International’s Uganda project, one supplemented animal will produce as much milk in a year as 2.6 animals fed under the traditional systems. For a country like Uganda, with a growing population and an insufficient supply of animal protein, this result can be significant.
Feed Supplement Technology
The core technological focus of RuMeth International’s projects is the introduction of a ruminant feed supplement that can be produced locally at a reasonable cost. The use of this supplement naturally promotes more efficient digestion thereby decreasing ruminant methane emissions and simultaneously increases animal productivity. This type of supplementation is common in the developed world, and utilized in nearly all ruminant production sectors. However, in developing countries, it has not had nearly as widespread adoption. There are multiple reasons for this, but the primary factor is the level of investment and technology required to produce a high quality product.
Our projects overcome this difficulty by manufacturing an adapted form of the supplement. This form is ideally suited to developing country conditions as it can be produced under fairly simple circumstances and with locally available materials. It is a proprietary product, whose processing and formulation requirements were developed by the founder of RuMeth International. While the separate components of the processing technology are taken from known applications, it is the unique combination required for production that makes their usage proprietary. Furthermore the procedures, formulations and ingredient balance required to produce the product are proprietary to RuMeth International.