Former Agricultural Science Association (ASA) president George Ramsbottom has been appointed to lead the Teagasc Signpost advisory programme.

Teagasc has set up the new advisory programme to support climate and sustainability actions on farms and it is available to all farmers.

It builds on and will work side by side with the existing network of Signpost demonstration farms by providing enhanced advisory and training support to farmers to commit to, select and implement climate and sustainability actions that will be appropriate and impactful on their farms.

Ramsbottom has been appointed development manager and will lead the Teagasc Signpost advisory programme as a priority project within the post.

A team of 21 Signpost climate advisers are being recruited to deliver this Signpost advisory programme and will work within the 12 Teagasc advisory regions around the country.

Climate advisers

Ramsbottom will lead and co-ordinate the work of these climate advisers, acting as a bridge between the existing advisory service and the broader Signpost programme.

He will also have a key role to play in the future development of the Teagasc advisory service working under head of Teagasc’s advisory services Thomas Curran.

Ramsbottom graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) with a first class honours degree in agricultural science. He went on to achieve a masters degree in extension from UCD, again achieving first class honours.

He qualified with a second masters degree in animal reproductive physiology from the faculty of veterinary medicine in UCD.

More recently, he completed his PhD in farm systems from UCD.

Past president

Ramsbottom began his career with Teagasc almost 30 years ago as an agricultural adviser, based in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, and then in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow.

He worked in the Teagasc press and information office in Teagasc headquarters in the mid-1990s.

He joined the Teagasc specialist core and worked in New Zealand on secondment for a year, before returning to take up the position of dairy specialist.

He is a past president of the ASA and a former council member of the Irish Grassland Association.

Congratulating Dr Ramsbottom on his appointment, Thomas Curran said: “George’s experience as an adviser and specialist will ensure that this new Signpost advisory programme will deliver practical advice to farmers to reduce emissions on their farms while increasing carbon capture and enhancing biodiversity.

"His excellent network of contacts will make sure that this new service can run side by side with the existing established Teagasc advisory programme and with the broader Signpost programme, Signpost farmers and partner organisations.”

Speaking in Teagasc Oak Park on Wednesday 8 March, Dr Ramsbottom said: “Irish agriculture faces a challenge to meet the ambitious legal limits set for greenhouse gas emissions.

"I look forward to working with this new team of climate advisers to help farmers adopt the necessary technologies to deliver emissions reductions and to improve the environmental sustainability of their farms.”