A seaweed farm helping reduce livestock methane emissions says excluding them from a federal carbon credit scheme is a missed opportunity. Australia’s first commercial producer of Asparagopsis supplements says overseas, demand is growing thanks to similar programs and promoting them to consider international expansion.
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00:00This former abalone farm is undergoing a facelift.
00:07It's the new location for growing asparagopsis, the red seaweed that reduces planet warming
00:13methane emissions in livestock when added to their diet.
00:17What we're doing is expanding the land based farming footprint of seaforest and increasing
00:22the supply to the industry.
00:25This is the company's second site in Tasmania and today local graziers and vineyard owners
00:31are getting a personal tour.
00:33It's just been the most fantastic day because I knew so little about what was happening,
00:38I've heard about it, but knew very little and it's been explained in such a clear way
00:42to us.
00:44Some of them will be involved in a new expanded trial looking further at the seaweed's effect
00:49on animals.
00:51Seaforest says a recent decision by the Federal Government to exclude seaweed from the National
00:57Carbon Credit Scheme was a real blow.
01:00It was hoping farmers would be given financial incentives to take up the environmentally
01:05friendly feed additives.
01:08Seaforest says farmers overseas are getting a better deal from governments and business.
01:14Companies like Friesland Campena that have these frameworks, these sustainability frameworks
01:18where they're rewarding farmers for their activities around animal welfare and sustainability.
01:23Seaforest is about to start supplying a group of UK farmers and a supermarket chain.
01:29We'd like to see those types of progressive frameworks be developed here in Australia
01:33but at this stage that's part of the reason why we're driven to other markets.
01:37If demand builds they'll even take this Australian methane busting seaweed tech overseas.