Pāmu & EpiVets — Collaborating for On-Farm Innovation and Methane Research
EpiVets is proud to partner with Pāmu (Landcorp Farming Ltd), New Zealand’s leading pastoral farming enterprise, in cutting-edge on-farm research that drives improved productivity, animal health, and environmental outcomes.
Since 2022, Pāmu has been a trusted collaborator in the development and evaluation of novel livestock technologies. As part of our work with Kowbucha, a promising feed-based methane mitigation technology, EpiVets provides expert clinical support, trial coordination, and statistical analysis to ensure robust, high-quality results that matter to farmers, researchers, and industry stakeholders.
What This Partnership Involves
In 2024, the collaboration expanded into large-scale animal trials conducted across Pāmu’s world-class facilities at Pinta, Exeter, and St Kilda. These trials involve:
- Dosing and monitoring dairy replacement heifers with different Kowbucha formulations.
- Automated, individual data collection on feed intake, liveweight, and methane emissions, enabled by the St Kilda facility’s cutting-edge measurement systems.
- Close planning and implementation between EpiVets, Pāmu animal teams, and other project partners to ensure practical, field-ready trial delivery on commercial livestock operations.
These trials explore how feed conversion efficiency can be improved while reducing methane emissions, offering a potential “win-win” for farmers and the environment.
EpiVets’ Role
As Pāmu’s clinical and statistical partner in the Kowbucha programme, EpiVets brings:
- Study design and trial execution expertise, ensuring investigations are scientifically rigorous and aligned with real-world farming conditions.
- Data management and advanced analysis, transforming raw farm data into reliable insights that inform future decisions, product development, and regulatory reporting.
- On-farm support, with skilled technicians and veterinarians working alongside Pāmu teams to deliver trials that are both high quality and practically feasible.
A Partnership Built on Shared Goals
Pāmu’s commitment to sustainable farm systems and innovation aligns strongly with EpiVets’ mission to advance livestock health and productivity through evidence-based research. Together, we’re tackling some of the most important challenges in animal agriculture, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to enhancing feed efficiency, while meeting the needs of producers across New Zealand.
We look forward to continuing this collaboration and exploring new opportunities that advance science, support farmers, and contribute to a more productive and sustainable future for Aotearoa’s agricultural sector.