01 March 2024
Within farms’ reach
Industry collaboration with Teagasc is key to sustainability-enhancing agtech adoption.
Members of the AgTech Ireland board at Teagasc Moorepark (L-R): James Greevy, Herdwatch; Ursula Kelly, Cormac Tagging; Padraig Hennessy, Chairman AgTech Ireland and CEO Terra Nutritech; Catherine Lascurettes, COO AgTech Ireland; Lloyd Pearson, Pearson Milking Technology
AgTech Ireland was set up three years ago to act as a single, strong voice to represent, promote and advocate for our diverse sector. Our members range from young start-ups to established companies — offering a variety of innovative technologies in the digital, machinery, biotech, genetic, feed, fertiliser and energy spaces. We see ourselves as a crucial link between industry, policy and research, and have woven close relationships with the food and agtech industry, government departments (especially the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine), universities and, of course, Teagasc. Because the sustainability challenges that underpin our sector, just like the agtech scene, are global, we regularly collaborate with AgriTech New Zealand, and it’s our ambition to engage with agtech sector operators across Europe.
The global climate and biodiversity crises are increasing legal, economic and societal pressures to improve the sustainability of agriculture and food production. To produce food with fewer resources and a smaller environmental footprint, farmers are having to adopt new practices and new technologies. The Irish agtech sector has kept close to farmers, identifying these sustainability challenges and developing specific innovative solutions. Hence, some of the most widely used technologies on Irish farms today include precision machinery to spread fertiliser and pesticides, integrated farm data systems with sensors, analysis software and smartphone apps, and delivery methods for feed, minerals and additives. What is clear is that agtech is becoming critical to improving the sustainability of agriculture, farming and food production.
The global value of agtech has been valued at around US$20–25 billion, expected to more than double by 2030. Enterprise Ireland estimates Irish agtech sales amount to around €1.1 billion, of which 60% are generated through export. The sector is estimated to employ just short of 3,000 people, with a strong rural footprint — 87% of the companies are based outside Dublin.
Strengthening adoption
A recent study by the Irish Farmers’ Association has shown that Irish farmers are strong adopters of digital technology, with 70% of farmers — mostly dairy and tillage — using farm apps. While 46% of farmers were found to already use tech on their farms, 40% planned to do so in future. The Ifac 2023 Farm Report found that farmers expected technology to address better management of production and growth rates (59%), land/soil efficiencies (48%) and farm financials (46%).
AgTech Ireland values the engagement with research-performing organisations, farm advisory and validation services to help member companies match their offering to farmers’ needs, and to increase farmers’ trust in validated technology. This is critical to optimise and speed up the necessary adoption by farmers of innovative sustainable practices. We welcome the two-way relationship we are developing with Teagasc’s Technology Transfer Office. Our first common project was the AgTech Ireland Avenue, with support from Enterprise Ireland, which enabled us to bring 23 of our member companies to exhibit their dairy-relevant innovations to the Moorepark 2023 Dairy Open Day last July. There is ample scope to do more: from identification of specific on-farm challenges and solutions to the validation of products and services, and their promotion to farmers in all sectors through Teagasc events and publications. We look forward to continuing this fruitful collaboration.
Words by: Catherine Lascurettes, Chief Operations Officer at AgTech Ireland.
catherine@agtechireland.ie
[pic credit] Teagasc