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FBD Group is to contribute €6m to Teagasc Moorepark’s new Centre for Sustainable Animal and Grassland Research.
The funding was announced in Fermoy on Monday by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
The investment will go towards the development of a new state-of-the-art facility at Moorepark that will conduct climate-related research on the environmental sustainability of pasture-based systems and improving the efficiency of Ireland’s ruminant sector.
The €6m figure was a joint contribution by FBD Holdings plc, FBD Trust CLG and Farmer Business Developments plc.
New climate solutions
The new facility will allow Teagasc to undertake research to develop new climate solutions suitable for widespread deployment on grass-based systems, said Teagasc director professor Frank O’Mara.
“The investment will be used to develop new state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for animal and grassland research and a new animal metabolism facility at Moorepark.
“This new development will create the research capacity to undertake mission critical studies that will provide farmers, industry and policy makers with new solutions to the challenges posed,” said O’Mara.
Chief executive of FBD Holdings Tómas Ó Midheach said the new facility will support farmers in meeting their emissions reduction targets into the future.
“The farming community is working hard to meet the 25% emissions reductions target by 2030.
“We believe that the research conducted at this facility by Teagasc has the potential to contribute to this reduction in a real and meaningful way,” said Ó Midheach.
Upon completion, the centre is to be named after the late Pádraig Walshe.
The former Irish Farmers' Association president, Macra president and chair of Farmer Business Developments passed away earlier this year.
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