Some researchers are focusing on the development of vaccines to reduce methane emissions from cows.

New Scientist reports that the startup Arkebio presented its vaccine, which is in development, to the American Society of Animal Science. The prototype vaccine works by stimulating the cow’s immune system to produce antibodies in the saliva that target the methane-producing microbes in the rumen.

Cows given the prototype vaccine produced 12.9% less methane over a period of 105 days. There were no adverse side effects or disruption of growth rate.

The trial included 10 cows, 5 of which received the vaccination in the neck, with a booster vaccination given after 56 days. The other 5 cows formed the control group. A second test with 14 cows started in June this year and is still ongoing. The first results indicate a methane reduction of at least 13% per cow.

A second group investigating the feasibility of a vaccine against methane is a collaboration in England led by The Pirbright Institute. Researchers control how methane-forming microbes populate the gastrointestinal tract of calves and how the immune system responds to them. Yet others are investigating whether they can tackle the methane-forming microbes with specific antibodies, which could result in a vaccine. The scientists involved expect that an effective vaccine will reduce methane production by more than 30%.

Two micro-organisms – a bacterium and an algae – can be used together to convert carbon dioxide and methane into a protein-rich biomass. The discovery has prompted the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPIs) to support Upflow and partners to progress the research.

The funding of nearly $5 million for the 4-year project will be the first in the world to pioneer biomass feedstock production from gases and robust microorganisms that thrive in the extreme conditions found at geothermal sites.

The biomass is created when microorganisms feed off greenhouse gas emissions captured from geothermal power stations, such as those used to generate electricity in the central North Island. The biomass produced is made up of several potentially commercial valuable components, including protein for animal feed.

Early-stage research looks promising. Industrial biotechnology processes developed by University of Canterbury researchers uses a methane-eating bacterium and a carbon dioxide-eating microalgae to capture the gases and use them as a food source for growth. The novel process generates a biomass rich in protein. It is being explored as an animal feed ingredient, use for human nutrition, or to produced high-value nutraceuticals or pigments.

Steve Penno, MPIs director of investment programmes, said it was an exciting project to support: “If successful, this could be the start of a new biomass feedstock manufacturing industry for New Zealand, worth an estimated $500 million per annum by 2045, creating new skilled jobs. “It would reduce our reliance on imported livestock feed, and decarbonise these industries, while also reducing the cost of carbon emissions for geothermal companies that adopt the system.”

Researchers at University of California, Davis, added fresh grape pomace left over from winemaking operations to alfalfa-based feed for dairy cows and found that methane emissions were reduced by 10% to 11%. The preliminary findings could offer a low-cost sustainable pathway for vineyards to reduce waste while helping dairy operations maintain quality while cutting back on emissions of methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas.

“We found that the feed with the additive of grape pomace changed the fatty acid composition of the milk and, in particular, increased the polyunsaturated fats, which are the main fats in grape pomace,” said Selina Wang, head of research. “This suggests that supplementing the feed with an optimal fatty acid profile may have positive impact on the fatty acid profile of the milk and increase their health benefits.”

Wine grapes are high in fats and tannin, which is known to reduce methane emissions, so the research sought to test if adding grape pomace to feed could have a positive effect while not adversely affecting production. “It’s a byproduct that’s not being used much,” he said. “This is something that can be included in our efforts to try to reduce emissions.”

To do the research, scientists worked with Holstein dairy cows and gave the animals feed consisting of alfalfa, wheat, almond hulls, cottonseed and grain. After two weeks, the cows were split into three groups: A control group with no change in diet, another where the feed combination included 10% grape pomace and a third that received 15% grape pomace. Every four weeks, the cow groups would change feed combinations.

They were fed twice daily by postdoctoral students and interns, and emissions were monitored daily. Milk production was documented in the morning and evening and milk samples were collected weekly to analyze for fat, protein, lactose and other measurements, which showed no differences between the control and other groups.

Methane and hydrogen emissions were reduced compared with the control group, suggesting that grape pomace reduced enteric emissions without affecting production.

After 5 months of intense negotiations the Danish government is introducing an agricultural carbon tax payable by farmers, the first of its kind worldwide.

From 2030, this climate tax on agriculture will be charged at 300 Danish krone (€40; US$43) per ton of CO2e produced, increasing to 750 Danish krone (€100; US$107) by 2035.

However, a basic deduction, or tax break, of 60% will be applied to the average emissions from different types of livestock, providing an economic advantage to climate-efficient farmers. Following this reduction, farmers will pay 120 Danish krone (€16; US$17) per ton of CO2e in 2030, and 300 Danish krone in 2035.

Denmark is a big exporter of dairy and pork produce and agriculture emissions make up 22.4% of the country’s total carbon emissions, compared with 15.6% ten years ago.

In terms of numbers, Denmark has 547,000 dairy cows, on 2,300 farms, producing 5.87 billion kg of milk per year. It has around 900,000 beef and other cattle as well as 11.5 million pigs.

Experts believe the carbon tax will slash 1.8 million tonnes of carbon production in its first year of operation, enabling Denmark to meet its target of cutting 70% of its total emissions by that year.

This bold move comes with the agreement between the coalition government and a number of Danish farming bodies and is likely to set a precedent for other countries to follow. Sanctioning the tax with the Danish government were the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, the Confederation of Danish Industry, the Trade Union NNF, and the Danish Local Government Association.

The money raised by this carbon tax is said to be going back into the agricultural sector to enhance green initiatives and climate technology. Calls have been made to ensure this tax collection is regulated and that it should possible align with an emissions trading system at EU level.

Meanwhile, farmers around the world took to social media to comment on the tax. Some called it “a real breakthrough moment for agriculture” whilst others said: “Take note, this nonsense is coming our way too.”

A new Cornell University study provides evidence that a spillover of avian influenza from birds to dairy cattle across several US states has now led to mammal-to-mammal transmission.

“This is one of the first times that we are seeing evidence of efficient and sustained mammalian-to-mammalian transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1,” said Diego Diel, associate professor of virology and director of the Virology Laboratory at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Whole genome sequencing of the virus did not reveal any mutations in the virus that would lead to enhanced transmissibility of H5N1 in humans, although the data clearly shows mammal-to-mammal transmission, which is concerning as the virus may adapt in mammals, Diel said.

As of July 24, 11 human cases have been reported in the U.S., with the first dating back to April 2022, each with mild symptoms: four were linked to cattle farms and seven have been linked to poultry farms, including an outbreak reported in the past few weeks in Colorado. These recent patients fell ill with the same strain identified in the study as circulating in dairy cows, leading the researchers to suspect that the virus likely originated from dairy farms in the same county.

While the virus has the ability to infect and replicate in people, the efficiency of those infections is low.

“The concern is that potential mutations could arise that could lead adaptation to mammals, spillover into humans and potential efficient transmission in humans in the future,” Diel said.

It is therefore critical to continue to monitor the virus in affected animals and also in any potential infected humans, Diel said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has funded programs for H5N1 testing, at no cost to producers. Early testing, enhanced biosecurity and quarantines in the event of positive results would be necessary to contain any further spread of the virus, according to Diel.

“The raw milk production’s profitability [in Poland] is teetering on the edge. Much depends on the farmer’s access to [sufficient quantities of] good-quality, own roughage, which is an exception rather than a rule given the growing herds and land hunger,” Wielkopolska Chamber of Agriculture (WIR), a prominent farmers organisation, said in its recent report.

Over the past 2 years, Polish dairy industry groups have been repeatedly complaining about the tough financial conditions with ups and downs in business marginality. WIR said the sector remains in the state of financial crisis, which ‘lasts too long’, gradually eroding the farms resources and make it more difficult to hold their ground.

“Unfortunately, no prospects for improving this dramatic situation are in sight,” WIR stated.

Raw milk in Poland is traded on average at PLN2.05 (US$0.51) per litre, though the price can largely differ depending on the region and buyer. No major rise is expected at least until the end of 2024, the WIR analysts claimed.

The Polish dairy industry remains under pressure from high energy prices and low prices of milk powder and butter on world stock exchanges, accompanied by a strong zloty, WIR revealed.

The global situation largely shapes the dairy industry development in Poland as well as in the EU as a whole, Grzegorz Rykaczewski, an analyst with Bank Pekao SA said. In the first quarter of 2024, around 1% more raw milk was delivered to European factories than in the previous year, Rykaczewski said. Increases in milk production were recorded primarily by France and Italy. Production fell in Ireland and the Netherlands.

“Against this backdrop, Poland stood out positively and was the driving force of EU production in the analysed period with a 5% increase in output,” he said.

The demand for milk and dairy products is particularly dictated by the situation on the Chinese market – the world’s largest importer. In January and February this year demand from China was weaker for skimmed milk powder, butter, and whey powder.

“There is a big question about how the situation around private consumption will continue to develop in China and whether the decline in sales will accelerate this year,” Rykaczewski said, adding that as first quarter consumption was below expectation, this sends shockwaves across the global market, putting prices under pressure.

Colostrum has earned the unofficial moniker “liquid gold,” because of its typically golden color, along with the golden benefits it confers for calf health, growth, and lifetime performance. There’s a common misconception that colostrum’s gold color is indicative of its quality. That’s not necessarily the case, according to Hanne Skovsgaard Pedersen, a veterinarian, researcher, and calf specialist with Denmark-based ColoQuick.

“When I go out on farms, I often hear that we can evaluate colostrum by looking at its color and viscosity.” Pedersen stated on a recent colostrum webinar: “But we’ve learned that there is not a very strong correlation between color, viscosity, and antibody concentration.”

Pedersen shared an example of three first-milking colostrum batches harvested the same morning on a single dairy. They ranged in appearance from thick and bright, golden yellow; to relatively thin and nearly white. Evaluation for quality with a Brix refractometer yielded surprising results. The best sample was the thin, white batch, with a Brix reading of 27. The thick, yellow batch showed a Brix reading of 18, while the intermediate-appearing batch scored 21. In this example, true quality was actually the direct inverse of perceived quality by visual assessment alone.

In addition to measuring colostrum quality, Pedersen emphasized timely administration, explaining that the sieve-like permeations in the intestinal wall close rapidly in the hours after birth, so the time window in which antibodies can be distributed into the bloodstream is small.

Likewise, heavy bacteria loads can clog that distribution process, so hygienic harvest and handling of colostrum are also critical. Pasteurizing colostrum can help to ensure clean colostrum, but it also can be a cumbersome process. ColoQuick has developed a closed-loop system in which colostrum is pasteurized and frozen in the same liner bag that fits inside a sturdy, plastic cartridge.

Although the Polish dairy sector’s financial performance remains under pressure, companies are showing willingness to invest in their operations, a report from the Polish Chamber of Milk indicated.

During the first three-quarters of 2023, the dairy sector in Poland generated a net revenue of PLN 38.3 billion (US$9.62 billion), down 10.1% compared with the previous year. Exports revenue dropped by 6.9% to PLN 6.8 billion (US$1.71 billion). The sector’s financial performance is mixed, with the cost of milk delivered to dairy plants totalling PLN 11.6 billion (US$2.91 billion), up 2% compared with the previous year. Meanwhile, the average purchase price dropped by 8.3% to PLN 2.07 (US$0.52) per litre, the Chamber of Milk reported.

Cheaper raw milk was one of the key factors bolstering the dairy processing segment’s profitability. Overall, operational costs stood at PLN 38.3 billion (US$9.62 billion), which was 6.2% below the previous year, while energy costs jumped 13.7%. Costs associated with external services like transport and logistics jumped 7.2% and wages and salaries increased 7.9%.

In the first half of 2023, the Polish dairy industry generated a net loss, laying the ground for negative forecasts about the industry’s future. However, new statistical data shows that the Polish dairy industry is back above the breakeven point. The Chamber of Milk calculated that only 49.5% of dairy companies generated a profit, which compares to 79% in the previous year.

Remarkably, the worsening financial results did not discourage dairy companies from keeping up with their investment plans. In the first three-quarters of 2023, Polish dairy businesses invested PLN 563.9 million (US$141.6 million), almost equal to the same period of the previous year.

Food-tech start-ups are using precision fermentation technologies for another alternative to cow’s milk. This segment’s future remains vague as conservative consumers are not likely to quickly embrace synthetic products. While lab-grown meat has already been around for some time, lab-grown dairy is something consumers do not frequently hear about.

“Synthetic milk is still a somewhat emerging industry, with many start-ups in their research and development phase. However, some companies are leading the way with products already in the market,” comments Milena Bojovic, a PhD candidate at Macquarie University, Australia. She pointed to the US-based company Perfect Day as one of the examples of a start-up working in this field.

‘We’re changing the process, not the food’ – this is Perfect Day’s slogan, reflecting the key feature of precise fermentation technologies. Ultimately, it will showcase products indistinguishable from cow’s milk. The milk from bioreactors will have the same taste, appearance, mouthfeel and good nutritional value.

Milk obtained through precision fermentation, referred to as ‘synthetic milk’, is environmentally friendly. “Because this novel form of animal protein can be produced without a cow, there is a significant opportunity to reduce methane and carbon emissions, water pollution, land use and animal welfare concerns,” Bojovic explains.

While the short and mid-term outlook of the synthetic milk segment is not yet clear, analysts express confidence that the products obtained through precise fermentation will gain a foothold on the market in due course. As precision fermentation technologies are becoming more advanced, synthetic milk is expected to become more affordable over time. One of the start-ups, Australia-based All G Foods, has rolled out plans to make its synthetic milk cheaper than cow’s milk in the short term. “Novel proteins like synthetic milk offer another pathway to increase sustainable food production.” Bojovic added.

Kazakhstan has rolled out plans to boost the dairy herd by 100,000 and milk production by 725,000 tonnes in the next 4 years. Some market players have expressed skepticism that all projects will eventually see the light. The growth should primarily be fueled by government loans with subsidised interest rates for the construction and modernisation of milk farms and dairy processing infrastructure. In 2023, plans to build 81 milk farms and 17 dairy processing plants were made public in Kazakhstan, many of them with state aid, local news outlet The DairyNews Central Asia estimated. It is yet to be seen, however, whether all these projects will be implemented.

Mikhail Mishenko, director of the Dairy Intelligence Agency, a Moscow-based think tank, expressed doubts that the released figures are realistic. “Frankly speaking, I don’t fully believe that these figures will be achieved given that the official sector in Kazakhstan, according to our estimates, produces 1.9 million tonnes of milk [per year],” Mishenko said, adding that some growth is possible due to a low-base effect.

Daniyar Abitaev, deputy general director of the local dairy firm OAHK, said that only 10% of the announced projects would be implemented. He cited the labour shortage, and primarily a deficit of highly-skilled personnel, as the main constraint for the new dairy projects in Kazakhstan. It will be challenging for Kazakhstan to purchase 100,000 heads of cattle, especially highly productive animals, in a relatively short period, Mishenko said. Moreover, it will take around 10 years to repay investments in the dairy industry, Abitaev said. As a result, investors typically are reluctant to jump into big projects in the dairy sector.

In addition, Mishenko voiced concerns that the disclosed plans say nothing about animal feed. A lack of feed in some cases could heavily weigh on the expansion plans. Besides, Kazakhstan has insufficient processing capacities to deal with 725,000 tonnes of milk, Mishenko said, emphasising that the planned 17 factories will not make a difference.

Over the past few years, the Kazakh authorities and business organisations have shared ambitious goals of ramping up aquaculture and beef production and exports. However, in neither industry have the declared plans led to an actual rise in production performance.