'Atkins diet' bad for NZ cows and the planet, says Better Sustainable Farming Group

NZ needs to change the way it feeds cows, according to the farming group. (Image: NZME)

Fri, 08 Nov 2024

A group of farmers and scientists claim New Zealand’s dairy and beef cattle are effectively subsisting on the Aitkens diet, leading to poor productivity and increased nitrogen and methane pollution.They claim the country has been on the wrong track for 20 years because of a move to lush, irrigated pasture. That has meant cattle and sheep are ingesting far too much protein from a grass-only diet.Fixing that would reduce nitrogen runoff and methane pollution far more quickly and cheaply than relying on future technology to come to the rescu...

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