US dairy farmers have agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent in the next decade and promote steps to convert dairy waste into renewable energy for farm use.  

US Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsak said the agreement would "help us achieve the ambitious goal of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions while benefitting dairy farmers".

Dairy farms would convert manure into electricity, providing an untapped source of income for farmers while offering a source of renewable electricity.

The USDA and US dairy producers will coordinate efforts to shrink greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by the year 2020.

Anaerobic digesters would be used to convert waste products, such as manure, into electricity by using generators fueled by methane sourced from animal manure. Currently, only about 2 per cent of US dairies that are candidates for a digester are utilizing the technology.

Richard Krause, senior director of congressional relations with the American Farm Bureau Federation, considered the agreement a "good move" to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Dairy producers, said Mr Krause, were responsible for less than 2 per cent of all US greenhouse gas emissions and a 25 per cent reduction would equate to about 0.5 per cent of total greenhouse gases by 2020.

However, Mr Krause believes the arrangement would consist of government help in financing the digesters through existing USDA programs that would help producers purchase and install the equipment.

From a practical standpoint, using digesters makes sense, but cost had always been an issue, Mr Krause said. "And, if the Department of Agriculture can defray a good portion of that cost, then it makes sense for these people to use them."