The Australian Government has announced the next stages of the Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock (MERiL) program.
$20 million in grant funding is available through stages 2 and 3. They will support technologies to deliver low emission feed supplements to grazing livestock.
Most of Australia's livestock graze over large areas and have limited contact with farmers. This makes the delivery of feed supplements difficult and acts as a barrier to uptake. Stages 2 and 3 of MERiL aim to address this problem by supporting the development of cost-effective delivery technologies.
Low emission feed supplements are an emerging technology under the Technology Investment Roadmap. They can reduce methane emissions from cattle and sheep and have the potential to improve herd productivity. Livestock methane emissions contribute around 10 per cent of Australia's total emissions.
The stage 1 MERiL grants are supporting research into the benefits of feed technologies for livestock.
Stage 2 grants
Applications are now open for stage 2 grants.
Between $250,000 and $1 million is available for projects to develop delivery technologies and demonstrate their feasibility.
Find out how to apply for stage 2 grants at business.gov.au.
Stage 3 grants
We have released the grant guidelines for stage 3 round 1 for information. This round is expected to open in April 2022.
It will provide grants for large-scale trials to validate and demonstrate the effectiveness of delivery technologies and build their commercial proposition.
See the guidelines for stage 3 round 1 grants at business.gov.au.
Companies ready for demonstration trials can apply directly for the stage 3 round 1 grants in April 2022. Succcessful stage 2 recipients can apply for the stage 3 round 2 grants in 2023.
