AgriZeroNZ is investing a further $4 million in Ruminant BioTech’s methane-inhibiting bolus specifically suited to New Zealand’s pastoral farming system.
The extra funding will go towards accelerating the commercialisation of the bolus to farmers.
The slow-release, biodegradable bolus sits in the animal’s rumen, releasing a controlled dose of a methane inhibitor for up to six months.
Recent trials on cattle showed a 75% daily methane reduction for 100 days from a single treatment.
AgriZeroNZ chief executive Wayne McNee said the public-private joint venture is pleased to boost its investment in the Kiwi scale-up, after an initial investment of $1.8m in April 2023.
“Ruminant BioTech is proving its technology is working on animals and in New Zealand, so we’re pleased to make this further investment to accelerate the development of a pasture-based solution for Kiwi farmers,” McNee said.
“The bolus has demonstrated world-leading results for methane reduction in a pastoral system in its latest animal trial, and we look forward to supporting the team to make their emissions reduction tool available to farmers.”
Ruminant BioTech is working with the Ministry for Primary Industries on full product registration to enable the methane-inhibiting bolus to be used on New Zealand farms.
Ruminant BioTech chief executive Tom Breen said the company aims to be treating over 30 million cattle annually by 2030 and envisages this increasing to 100 million cattle within the next 10 years.
“This additional funding from AgriZeroNZ will help us accelerate our product and market development programme and build our first manufacturing plant in New Zealand to bring the product to market in late 2025, starting in Australia and followed by New Zealand, subject to regulatory approvals.”
The trial undertaken earlier this year on non-lactating Kiwicross heifers was a small-scale controlled study mimicking a typical dairy setting, Breen said.
The animals were grazed on pasture with no supplement with some bolus-treated and others not treated. The methane emitted was then measured daily and recorded.
“What we saw from it from those first 100 days of performance was an average dairy methane reduction of 75% per day for 100 days. It’s an outstanding result that we think is world leading.”
He hopes it will be commercially available in New Zealand by 2027.
Breen said they are also trying to get the product registered for Australian farmers through its regulatory pathways.
This will give them the opportunity to undertake a 12-month market development programme in Australia they can see it performing in a true commercial farm setting.
“That will be ahead of a first commercial launch in Australia in October 2025.”
It will also see Australian farms as the product’s test subjects by exposing the bolus’s performance to the variabilities that typically occur on a farm, he said.
McNee said the bolus could be a game-changing tool to help farmers reduce emissions without changing farming practices.
“The bolus application holds huge promise for providing Kiwi farmers with a solution that’s practical and effective.
“It has the potential to be suitable for all ruminant animals, and due to its low-touch nature, it’s also a viable option for the likes of beef farmers who don’t need to interact with their animals daily.”
AgriZeroNZ has committed more than $34m across a range of emissions reduction tools and technologies for New Zealand farmers including novel probiotics, low-methane pasture and methane vaccines, he said.
“There isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to reducing emissions across our agricultural sector, so we’re investing in a range of different tools to give us the best chance of providing our farmers with access to affordable, effective solutions.”
