Research and Development

Livestock & Meat Commission

LMC is involved in a number of important Research and Development projects on behalf of its stakeholders. This provides an opportunity to contribute to larger projects on a pro rata basis. LMC is also represented on the AgriSearch Beef and Sheep Advisory Committees and make financial contributions to this work each year. The funding of the Sheep Committee has allowed a number of important projects to continue.

LMC has contributed to a number of important projects delivered through the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), these include;

  • Investigation of the relationships between genotype, trace element status and gastrointestinal parasite infections in lambs, and the development of nutritional and management strategies to increase lamb output from grazed grass
  • Development of beef and sheep systems for improved sustainability, biodiversity and delivery of ecosystem services within hill areas of Northern Ireland
  • The development of breeding strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the Northern Ireland sheep sector
  • Optimising ewe efficiency through better recording
  • Effects of sheep grazing strategies on animal performance and grass production, utilisation and quality.