07 October 2024
Mountbellew Agricultural College’s ‘Smart-Dairy’ moves closer to realising potential
To invest or not to invest in a dairy enterprise is often a contentious discussion. For Mountbellew Agricultural College, however, this represents a natural progression.
This occurs in light of its recent awarding of a new veterinary school – a significant milestone for Ireland’s oldest agricultural institution, writes Christopher Scally, Distance Education Course Co-ordinator.
Mountbellew Agricultural College (MAC) has made huge strides in reaffirming its position as one of the country’s top colleges to gain an agricultural qualification. Coupled with the college’s recent construction of a new sheep handling facility, to be detailed in our upcoming article on Teagasc Daily on December 2, is the granting of permission by Galway County Council to develop a modern 1,279m2 dairy building project.
This flagship project in the west of Ireland will include a new milking parlour, animal handling facility and extension of existing cubicle shed. These upgrades will be instrumental in meeting and conforming to the highest standards of health and safety, animal welfare and sustainable farming.
Figure 1: Proposed milking parlour and cubicle shed extension
Enhanced educational opportunities
Interwoven in the practical benefits of Mountbellew Agricultural College’s modern dairy facility are the enhanced educational opportunities. In order to offer learners a greater understanding of dairy management and its efficiencies, a new classroom, training room, viewing gallery, and canteen have also been given the go-ahead by Galway County Council. These new, state-of-the-art facilities will offer learners a never-before-seen vantage point of dairying at Mountbellew Agricultural College. Facilities like these will enrich the learning experience, but will also offer an understanding of a commercial dairy farm in operation.
Like all commercial farming operations, the college’s farm must comply with the Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) under Conditionality. The erection of a covered dungstead in conjunction with a new slatted soiled water storage tank will ensure MAC complies with current regulations. Water management is another key ingredient in the sustainability credentials of the upgrade. The inclusion of a new water storage tank substantiates MAC’s commitment to environmentally responsible farming practices.
The ambitious plans could not have come to fruition without the invaluable support and cooperation of the college’s key partners – Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and Teagasc, respectively. Reflecting on the significance of this investment for the region, Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President, remarked: “ATU is proud to be a partner with MAC, and to have such strong collaboration across a whole range of programmes that are relevant for our region and far beyond. I look forward to a continued bright future for this sector!”.
The focus on enhancing learning facilities in the new ‘Smart-Dairy’ by MAC’s partners will be wholly beneficial for both learners and college staff alike. It ensures that comprehensive training can be offered, bolstering learner’s educational experiences.
Acknowledging this, Professor Frank O’Mara, Director of Teagasc, believes “this is a really exciting development in Mountbellew College, and this new facility will enhance the teaching and learning experience for all learners including those completing Teagasc programmes.
“It’s important that the next generation of farmers in this region have the opportunity to learn and develop their skills in state-of-the-art facilities.”
The applied learning aims to offer an unparalleled learner experience which, ultimately, improves students’ employability upon completing their respective programmes.
Enthused by this latest development, Dr Edna Curley, Principal of Mountbellew Agricultural College, believes “this announcement is a huge boost for everybody.
“The new facility will provide our learners with the opportunity to study in new state-of-the art facilities, providing an immersive learning experience underpinned by sustainable farm production and performance.
“The facility will vastly improve the quality of our training, and it has been designed to ensure we maintain our ethos of strongly practical and applied programmes.”
The design team for the new dairy facility was expertly led by the Grasstec Group.
Further information
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