Tasmania's Ashgrove dairy unveils 'exciting' seaweed-fed climate-friendly milk

Eco-Milk is Australia's first low-emissions milk which is tackling a global problem.

The milk promises to cut emissions by feeding cows a seaweed dietary supplement.

The "great Tassie innovation" is a collaboration between Ashgrove and Sea Forest.

Ashgrove managing director Richard Bennett said it's the "most exciting product" they've had for "many, many years".

Ashgrove's cows, who visitors can see at Elizabeth Town, Tas, have been on the dietary supplement called SeaFeed for six weeks.

Sea Forest CEO Sam Elsom said the product "reacts with enzymes in the final stages of digestion".

"And stops methane being produced or burped by the animals," he said.

"It's relatively simple but it's exciting because that seaweed, the Asparagopsis that is responsible for that mode of action, is abundant around Tasmania and is native.

"So it provides a really exciting opportunity for us to be able to build a business and have a solution for a company like Ashgrove."

Mr Elsom said the amount of emissions reduced depended on how much the animal ate.

"So in the dairy with Ashgrove they're feeding the animals when they're at the rotary being milked, and that reduces the overall impact to around between 25 and 40 per cent," he said.

Mr Bennett said the resulting milk "tastes exactly" like Ashgrove's full cream milk.

"It's pretty much like feeding the cows at fish oil," Mr Bennett said.

"It's a supplement, it's almost like taking a fish oil with your breakfast.

"So it doesn't come through into the milk at all.

"There's absolutely no taste difference. It is still our great tasting fresh milk."

The milk will retail at $5.50, a little more than Ashgrove's 2L full cream milk at $5.25

"We've matched it with our current retail price of our full cream for the first three months," Mr Bennett said.

"Just so people can try it and see that it's as great tasting as our normal product.

"It gives consumers a choice and for people that want to help reduce emissions, this is a much cheaper way than buying a Tesla."

If the product is a hit with consumers, Ashgrove would look at rolling this out to other products such as cream and cheese.

Mr Elmos said Sea Forest worked with farmers directly to determine the best price for the supplement, which was grown in Triabunna and Swansea.

"We're also working on models to ensure that they're getting rewarded," he said.

"Because I think farmers deserve to be rewarded, they play an important role in food security.

"It's really just addressing the greenhouse gas issue associated which I think provides an exciting opportunity for Australia, on the global landscape.

"It helps the agriculture sector contribute towards our global methane pledge."