Fermentrics Wins UK Dairy Carbon Network's Measurement Technology Competition
Fermentrics (UK) Ltd., a company based in Northern Ireland, has secured a victory in the UK Dairy Carbon Network 2025 measurement technology competition. This recognition highlights Fermentrics' innovative approach to mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the dairy sector. The UK Dairy Carbon Network collaborates with over 50 dairy farms across the UK, focusing on implementing practical solutions to diminish GHG emissions.
The initiative is spearheaded by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and financially supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The project is a collaborative effort involving a UK-wide consortium of research institutions and industry bodies. Fermentrics has been providing precision feed analysis services to the UK livestock farming sectors for several years.
The company's winning technology, Fermentrics Carbon, facilitates the measurement of methane emissions from Total Mixed Ration (TMR) samples both on-farm and in-lab. This capability offers farmers and nutritionists immediate data to refine feed strategies, which can reduce GHG emissions while simultaneously improving milk yields and feed efficiency.
In recognition of its practical and scalable solution, Fermentrics will receive a £5,000 prize to foster further development and deployment of the technology. Dr. Keith Agnew, director of Fermentrics (UK) Ltd., expressed his delight at receiving the accolade, emphasizing the company's commitment to providing farmers with actionable tools that convert data into strategies for more efficient, productive, and lower-carbon dairy systems.
Paddy Tarbuck, head of the UK Dairy Carbon Network's Mitigations, Measurement and Proxy Centre, remarked on the immediate utility of the data provided by Fermentrics Carbon, which can lead to reduced GHG emissions, improved feed efficiency, and enhanced herd performance. He noted the potential for this kind of innovation to drive significant progress in achieving positive environmental outcomes.
The UK Dairy Carbon Network's competition aimed to identify practical, deployable technologies that could make a tangible difference in on-farm decision-making. While many entries offered robust data collection and monitoring technologies, Fermentrics Carbon was distinguished by its direct applicability to farm operations and its clear potential to reduce emissions at the source.
The technology also holds promise for broader application across other ruminant livestock sectors, potentially amplifying its impact within the agricultural industry. The UK Dairy Carbon Network continues to encourage technology developers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to collaborate in creating scalable solutions to cut GHG emissions on dairy farms.
