Teagasc Annual Report and Financial Statements
- 16 November 2015
Teagasc advisory, education and research efforts continue to focus on assisting Irish farmers to improve the competitiveness of the sector globally and support sustainable farming systems.
Speaking at the publication of the Teagasc Annual Report and Accounts for 2014, Chairman Dr Noel Cawley said:”2014 was a good year for most farmers. Dairy farmers had a particularly good year, while winter finishing farms had a difficult time. By year end it was evident that dairy markets were on a downward trajectory. This trend has continued during 2015. ”
Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle said: “Fluctuations in prices from year to year are becoming one of the biggest challenges for farmers and the agricultural sector. The prices that farmers receive are increasingly influenced by global developments not just in agricultural commodities but by the wider economic and political developments in countries and market across the world.”
Key outputs in 2014 from the Teagasc research, advisory and educations programmes include:
- Over 480 A1 Scientific papers published
- Over 43,000 farmer clients serviced
- 2,000 enrolled in further education and higher education courses
- In addition 1,500 applicants for Green Cert courses accepted
Highlights
In addition during 2014, Teagasc:
· Developed and launched the Pasture Profit Index
· Completed a National Soils Map
· Agreed a strategic partnership for GLAS planning with FRS
· Started a Business Strategy course with UCD Michael Smurfit school of business
· Commenced a Joint Dairy Programme with Aurivo
· Initiated a Greener Dairy Farms project with Carbery group
· Developed Kildalton Open Sources initiative with Glanbia Ingredients Ireland
· Offered a new certified milking course with FRS and AHI
· Released a new Teagasc-bred Clover variety Iona
· Recognised the International Year of the Family Farm
· Held the Beef 2014 open day in Grange, Co Meath
· Organised the international cheese symposium in Cork
· Developed Kildery cheese with Ornua
· Held a series of Transferring the Family Farm clinics
· Published an Economic analysis of rural towns
· Prepared a Sports Horse Industry Strategy with HSI
Signed MOU with Tyndall Institute
Total income for Teagasc for 2014 was €162.93 million, excluding net deferred funding for pensions. The net surplus of income over expenditure for the year was €625,000. The reserves balance at the year-end was €9.65 million.
During 2014 Teagasc continued to invest in its facilities. Around €2.5 million was invested in the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens. Work on a new pig research facility in Moorepark, Fermoy commenced as did building on new facilities at Ashtown in Dublin. Work on the Paddy O Keeffe Innovation Centre for the advancement of Irish Grassland and Dairying in Moorepark was completed and the Centre opened.
For further information click on the following link http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/view_publication.aspx?publicationID=3758
Recruitments to Commence in Teagasc
The moratorium on recruiting staff in Teagasc has been lifted. A moratorium on recruiting permanent staff, except for a limited number of mission critical posts, has been in place in Teagasc since 2009. In the last month, Teagasc received confirmation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of new arrangements which provide discretion for staff appointments within multi annual paybill ceilings, with a limit on the total permanent pay bill for 2015, 2016 and 2017. This is capped at €63.2 million.
This new arrangement will allow Teagasc to recruit for new posts and replace staff who retire. Teagasc will make immediate use of the flexibility afforded by the new delegated sanction to fill strategic posts in advisory, education, research and operations.
The new arrangements for Teagasc have been welcomed by Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He said:” Farmers and those in the agriculture sector need solid science to help them meet the challenge of growing the Irish agricultural sector in an environmental and economically sustainable way. Teagasc will have the flexibility now to enhance the organisation’s research and ensure the knowledge flows out through its education and advisory activities onto farms and into industry, to help them grasp the growth opportunities that are outlined in the strategy for the sector, Food Wise 2025. While the organisation must continue to be guided by the requirements of public policy, and to remain within its overall pay budget, the new delegated sanction arrangements will allow Teagasc to move immediately to fill a significant number of critical vacancies, and to react much more quickly when such vacancies arise in the future. I am satisfied that farmers and other Teagasc clients will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this more responsive system. “
Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle said: “All advisory vacancies that have arisen in the last year and a number of critical vacancies that have arisen over the past several years can now be filled. Twenty new front line advisers will be recruited. This will bring the total number of front line advisers to 234. In education there will be 7 college teachers/education officer posts filled to meet the current spike in demand for education courses.
In research, key vacancies and new posts can now be filled. This will position Teagasc to intensify its research activity in line with the objectives of Food Wise 2015. Twenty four research scientists/technologists and 3 specialists along with other support staff have been identified and will be recruited. These include the areas of animal bioscience, dairy nutrition, soil drainage, plant pathology, entomology, nutrient management, meat science, dairy science, sheep specialist, crops, flavour chemistry, computational biology and others.”
The new arrangements will also allow for some promotions, particularly to rebalance the excessive proportion of the lowest grade posts in research and advisory.