To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (i) for his assessment of the methane-lowering potential for livestock of seaweed food supplements; and (ii) to detail any conversations he has had with the farming community in relation to this.

(i) There is extensive research in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand to explore the methane-mitigation potential of seaweeds and their products (e.g., extract) in ruminant livestock production. Although the early ‘in vitro’ and animal experiments indicates some varieties of seaweeds and their products showing some promising results (67% reduction in dairy cows and up to 98% in steers in some USA and Australian studies for e.g.), there is little information available in scientific publications on any seaweed products being approved as feed supplements in cattle/sheep production systems. A further hurdle for the successful development of seaweed products is for the concern of the adverse effect of feeding seaweeds on feed palatability, animal health and food safety.

The Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and Queens University Belfast are currently working with a number of other EU partners to investigate local seaweeds as feed additives for cattle and sheep under NI farming conditions. However, AFBI studies are still in an early stage of research, but the research outputs in the coming years could provide evidence on the potential of seaweeds active compounds for mitigation of enteric methane emissions from cattle and sheep production.

(ii) My department has not taken this technology (use of seaweed food supplements) out to farmers yet. However, this will be kept under review and information shared with farmers as appropriate as the science evolves and potential commercial products become available.