Agri input maker UPL and CH4 Global announced a strategic partnership agreement on Monday that aims to bring the latter’s methane-reducing feed supplement to millions of cattle per day.

Under the multi-phase, multi-year agreement, UPL and CH4 Global will develop a comprehensive roadmap targeting key livestock markets in India, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, which together represent more than 40 per cent of the world’s cattle population.

The collaboration will establish specific business models to distribute CH4 Global’s methane tamer cattle feed additive in each of these markets. The program aims to enable the livestock sector to significantly lower its emission footprint through the use of eco-friendly animal feed solutions.

Methane Tamer, CH4 Global’s flagship product innovation, is a stable, formulated cattle feed supplement based on whole Asparagopsis seaweed that has been shown in studies to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle by up to 90 per cent when used as recommended. Enteric methane from livestock digestion is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and is the single largest human-driven source of methane globally.

The formulated supplement will integrate Methane Tamer with UPL’s existing feed formulations, leveraging the company’s deep market knowledge, customer relationships, and distribution networks in the target geographies, the company said in a statement.

Jai Shroff, Chairman and Group CEO, UPL, said “Our OpenAg purpose places collaboration at the heart of progress, and through this partnership we aim to mark an important step in showing how agriculture can deliver on overall efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses. Methane is almost thirty times as harmful for global warming than CO2 and recent reports show the highest levels in 800,000 years, so its reduction must be our top priority. This initiative will present a new model for sustainable livestock which can be scaled globally, helping the industry reach net-zero for greenhouse gasses by adopting methane mitigation technologies, and demonstrating agriculture’s positive impact on the environment.”

Steve Meller, President and CEO of CH4 Global, said “We are thrilled to join forces with a market leader like UPL to accelerate the global adoption of methane tamer. UPL’s vast footprint across the key markets and its trusted relationships with farmers make them an ideal partner as we scale up to meet the massive need for enteric methane reduction solutions.”

The UPL scrip was trading 2 per cent higher at ₹578 on Monday morning, post the announcement.

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