Northern Ireland is investing £8 million in a new research facility designed to accelerate the development of lower-emission livestock farming.
Construction of the Ruminant Emissions Research Facility (RERF) at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Hillsborough is due to begin this month.
The RERF will be unique within the UK and Ireland, making it one of only a few such specialist units in Europe.
The specialist unit is designed to provide scientists with the infrastructure needed to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions from cattle under controlled conditions.
By generating precise data, researchers will be able to evaluate how different management practices, nutrition strategies and emerging technologies, such as slurry additives, innovative flooring and genetic approaches, influence emissions.
This data will allow for the development of practical mitigation strategies that will inform national inventories.
A specific priority for the RERF is determining an emission factor (EF) for slatted flooring in Northern Ireland. Currently, the national ammonia inventory lacks a specific EF for this common local practice.
Northern Ireland is currently aiming for at least a 20% reduction in ammonia emissions by 2030 and a considerable reduction in agricultural GHG to meet Net Zero goals by 2050.
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, who welcomed the appointment of contractor E Quinn Civils Ltd, described the investment as a significant step toward strengthening environmental outcomes while sustaining the productivity and economic resilience of Northern Ireland's agri-food sector.
Construction of the RERF is expected to take 13 months, with the building scheduled for handover in August 2027. While the physical structure will be complete by then, initial research trials are anticipated to commence in 2028.
