Hefty Budget Allocated to New Agriculture Research Projects
Ireland’s Department of Agriculture
The Department of Agriculture in the country of Ireland has invested heavily in 23 new projects. The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, was quick to note that the projects would contribute greatly to future sustainability, competitiveness and innovation in the agri-food sector in Ireland. As such, with over €14m allocated to the 23 projects, 71 contract research positions will be created. Additionally, 47 PhD as well as 10 Masters degree opportunities will be provided.
Allocation of Funds in Separate Programs
The Minister added that the funds would be allocated in separate programs. One program would focus on agriculture, another on food research and the last one would focus on forestry. Some of the projects that received funding included ‘Future proofing Irish livestock sustainability,’ which received a total of €1,243,000, ‘Surveillance welfare and biosecurity of farmed animals’ (Teagasc) receiving €772,000 and ‘Protecting terrestrial ecosystems through sustainable pesticide use’ (NUIG), receiving €1,085,000.
A Co-Funded Investment
Additionally, it would be worth noting that the investment would be co-funded. In this, part of funding for the ‘Future proofing Irish livestock sustainability’ project was acquired from the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland. This shows that various stakeholders are willing to collaborate so as to bring the desired level of innovation and solutions to the agricultural sector. Mr. Creed welcomed such collaborative moves as they had mutual benefits for all the stakeholders involved. Moreover, the ‘evaluating land use and land management impacts on soil organic carbon in Irish agricultural systems’ project is being co-funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.
