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Enogen Corn Could Increase Beef Producer Sustainability

Cindy Zimmerman

A five percent increase in feed efficiency can not only help livestock producers save some money, it can also help increase their sustainability.

Syngenta Seeds has found through research around the country that using Enogen corn for feed delivers an average 5% increase in feed efficiency, according to Chris Cook, Head, Enogen at Syngenta Seeds. “Potential feed efficiency gains of around 5% are highly significant for beef and dairy producers when you consider there are nearly 100 million cattle in the U.S. alone. It helps maximize potential in their farm operations while also helping to deliver environmental benefits through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in land, energy and water use efficiency.”

During an interview at last month’s Cattle Industry Convention, Cook said they started working with the University of Nebraska and Kansas State University where they first identified the five percent efficiency gains. Based on those studies, the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center (UARC) developed a life cycle assessment highlighting the potential for beef producers to reduce their environmental footprint by using Enogen® corn for feed.

The research found potential environmental benefits per 1,000 head of cattle include savings equivalent to removing 35 passenger cars from the road for one year and powering 22 homes for one year. “You might say, well, big deal,” said Cook. “On a 100 million cattle, that’s 3.5 million cars, that’s 2.2 million homes of electricity.”

Syngenta believes Enogen corn for feed technology could represent a significant opportunity for the agricultural industry to reduce its overall impact on the environment, which supports Syngenta Group’s $2 billion global commitment to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint and help farmers fight climate change.

CIC21 interview with Chris Cook, Syngenta Enogen (8:55)

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Corn, Dairy, Feed, Livestock, Syngenta