Livestock sector a major source of methane emissions: adviser

Cattle are the largest emitters of methane gas among livestock, followed by buffaloes, goats, and sheep, Fisheries Adviser Farida Akhter said today.

Globally, about 14.5 percent of total human-induced greenhouse gas emissions come from the livestock sector, she said at an event in the Pan Pacific Sonargaon in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) is conducting studies to measure and reduce methane emissions from cattle, using advanced models and methods to determine the levels, she added.

BLRI is also exploring how improving the quality of animal feed can help cut emissions.

The adviser noted that in the past, rearing high-yielding livestock breeds had caused a shortage of naturally produced green fodder.

Additionally, the cultivation of modern rice varieties, which requires heavy use of fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides, has aggravated the shortage of animal feed.

The workshop was jointly organised by the World Bank, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

If productivity can be enhanced while reducing emissions, and if rice, milk, and meat can be marketed as low-carbon products, it would create opportunities to sell Bangladeshi agricultural goods at higher prices in international markets, analysts said at the event.