With the government and the farming sector looking to reduce emissions, the race is on to find practical on the ground solutions to old problems.
Methane production is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses in New Zealand, making up 44.5 percent of our emissions in 2018 at the last measurement by Stats NZ.
Over three quarters of the methane emitted came from livestock and 28.5 percent of that comes from sheep digestion.
Fourth generation sheep farmer Leon Black is on a mission to reduce that number drastically. At the family station of Blackdale outside Aparima Riverton at the bottom of Te Wai Pounamu, Leon and his family have been selectively breeding Textra Sheep to reduce methane emissions.
Kathryn is also joined by AgResearch scientist Suzanne Rowe who works around the country on breeding down methane emissions in New Zealand flocks.
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
