Over €14m has been allocated to 23 research projects by the Department of Agriculture.

Announcing the awards at a briefing in Dublin today, Minister Michael Creed said: “The projects being funded by my Department will make a significant contribution to the future sustainability, innovation and competitiveness of the Irish agri food sector”.

The investment across the 23 projects will create 71 contract research positions. Furthermore, education opportunities will be provided for 57 post graduate students in the form of PhDs (47) and Masters degrees (10).

Agri-focused projects

The funds are allocated under three separate programmes, with one branch focusing on food research, another on agriculture and one on forestry.

Under the agriculture branch six projects received funding:

  • Future proofing Irish livestock sustainability (UCD): €1,243,000
  • Cadium: reduce, evaluate, detect, inform with technologies (Teagasc) €1,165,000
  • Protecting terrestrial ecosystems through sustainable pesticide use (NUIG): €1,085,000
  • Surveillance welfare and biosecurity of farmed animals (Teagasc): €772,000
  • Evaluating land use and land management impacts on soil organic carbon in Irish agricultural systems (Teagasc): €598,000
  • Behaviours for safer farming (Teagasc): €595,000
  • Co-funding

    Part of the funding for the Future proofing Irish livestock sustainability project came from the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland. Minister Creed welcomed this “as an excellent example of the successful collaborative approach of the administrations, north and south, working together in an important policy area which is of mutual benefit”.

    In addition, Evaluating land use and land management impacts on soil organic carbon in Irish agricultural systems is being co-funded by the EPA.

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