TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Livestock Research Institute, under the Ministry of Agriculture, has developed a new feed formula that lowers protein levels to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the domestic livestock sector.

Institute Director Huang Jeng-fang (黃振芳) said the agency has set an upper limit on the protein content in animal feed. He explained that when protein levels exceed what animals need, excess nitrogen in waste can contribute to emissions and other environmental impacts, per CNA.

Huang said the goal is to support sustainable development in the poultry industry through diet optimization.

Since most imported optimized feed caters to cattle rather than Taiwan’s main livestock of chickens and pigs, Huang’s team spent four years developing locally tailored formulas. These new diets were trialed at the Dachan Great Wall Group’s pig and chicken farms.

The institute said the new formulas proved effective in trials, with pigs fed the custom diet maintaining similar growth and meat quality as those on regular feed. The new formula could save up to NT$300 (US$9.68) per metric ton and reduce annual carbon emissions by nearly 1.5 kilograms per pig.

Additionally, chickens on the improved feed maintained an egg production rate of more than 93% without any decline in egg quality. The specialized feed also significantly reduced manure volume, nitrogen and carbon emissions, and overall feed costs compared to standard feed.

The institute added that farms have converted animal waste into organic fertilizer, and together with the new feed’s reduced nitrogen content in manure, these efforts help minimize unpleasant odors on-site.

The institute hopes to roll out the new feed to 10% of livestock farms nationwide this year, which could reduce carbon emissions by 2,019 tonnes. By next year, the reduction could reach approximately 9,000 tonnes.