New diet plan to reduce cattle's greenhouse gas emissions

New diets for cows and sheep could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, research funded by the Westminster government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has claimed.

Feeding the animals maize silage, naked oats and higher sugar grasses could reduce the amount of methane they produce, according to the study by Reading University and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences.

Agriculture emissions account for around 9 per cent of all British greenhouse gas emissions.

Most of these emissions are produced by sheep, cows and goats.

Farming accounts for 41 per cent of Britain's overall methane emissions, which are harmful to the environment.

"In the longer term the benefits gained by changing animals' diets will need to be considered against other environmental impacts as well as how practical or costly they are for the farming industry to implement," Defra said in a statement.