The Danish industry association for agriculture and food companies, Landbrug & Fødevarer (L&F), is launching an investigation into abnormalities in cows after feeding them the methane inhibitor Bovaer. The organisation is responding to reports from several cattle farmers.
Mandatory Bovaer use in Denmark
Many cattle farmers in Denmark started adding Bovaer to their feed from October 1. It is legally required that dairy farmers either add Bovaer to their feed for 80 days a year, or feed extra fat throughout the year, in order to reduce methane emissions.
Farmers report health concerns
In addition to reports to the industry association, farmers are also posting complaints on social media. These complaints include fever, lethargic cows, and a drop in production. One farmer also reports a cow death as a result of bloat. Conspiracy theories have also started circulating. Jan Dijkstra, an animal nutrition expert at Wageningen UR, called one of these posts on X “nonsense” and “scaremongering,” referring to an earlier fact-check on Boerderij.nl (see box below) regarding the use of Bovaer.
Independent investigation requested
The sector now wants more insight into the experiences on cattle farms and advocates for uniform registration through the independent agricultural research centre Seges. L&F emphasizes that there are also many farmers who do not experience any problems with Bovaer and advises farmers who do have problems to contact their advisor as soon as possible.
Kjartan Poulsen, chairman of the Danish dairy farmers’ association LDM, supports L&F’s initiative. He says he has recently received many phone calls about Bovaer. According to him, it is important for farmers to report their issues, to gain more insight into the nature of the problems. Steen Nørgaard Madsen, chairman of the Danish Dairy Board, which represents the Danish dairy industry, also encourages farmers to report any changes in their herds after feeding Bovaer.
Questionnaire tracks issues
Farmers, advisors, or veterinarians can indicate what they observe on farms through a questionnaire. In certain cases, such as diet-related metabolic disorders, it is possible to exempt individual animals in a herd from the obligation to consume methane-reducing feed, according to Landbrug & Fødevarer (L&F).
Bovaer safety reassured
Last year, there was unrest in the United Kingdom around Bovaer. Manufacturer dsm-firmenich stated that normal use in accordance with the guidelines is safe. The product has also been approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
