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VistaMilk is a new research centre, hosted by Teagasc Moorepark, which aims to assist the Irish dairy industry to be a world leader research for precision, pasture-based dairying. Its success will be measured by its impact on the environment, animal wellbeing and the health of consumers.
The centre is jointly funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Department of Agriculture.
It also partners with a number of research performing organisations, multinational and SME companies in the food and ICT sectors.
“VistaMilk will be the largest agri-tech centre covering the entire dairy production chain, with Exchequer funding of €26m provided by SFI and my Department, together with industry funding of €14m," Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said.
Prof Mark Ferguson, director general of Science Foundation Ireland and chief scientific advisor to the Government, said: "We are delighted to officially launch VistaMilk, which will join an existing network of world-leading SFI Research Centres that focus on excellent science, as well as economic and societal impact to Ireland."
Well-known researcher Prof Donagh Berry will be the director of VistaMilk.
“To advance the state-of-the-art in agri food and information sciences, VistaMilk has divided the problem domain into three main thematic areas: soil plus pasture, cow and food. Combined, these three areas cover the entire supply chain from soil to society. Within each of these thematic areas, VistaMilk has several targeted projects, each of which will leverage the combined expertise of the VistaMilk partners. Each targeted project involves at least one industry partner, who represents the sectors dealing with grass seed breeding, animal and human nutrition, animal health, animal breeding, dairy food processing, data analytics, sensor development, communications and networks, and –omics technologies," Berry said.
At the launch, the director of Teagasc, Prof Gerry Boyle said: "Today, the Irish agriculture sector commences its participation in the fourth ag revolution. The most transformative revolution – the digital revolution. Digital agriculture can support the simultaneous drive for enhanced productivity and sustainability."
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