Thomas Curran is New Head of the Teagasc Advisory Service
Thomas Curran has been appointed as the new Head of the Teagasc Advisory Service. The appointment was approved by the Teagasc Authority today, Tuesday, 19 July. Thomas Curran will lead the Teagasc advisory service, which is delivered to farmers nationwide by a team of agricultural advisors
The Teagasc advisory service is delivered to farmers nationwide by a team of agricultural advisors, managed through a network of over 50 Teagasc offices across 12 advisory regions. The advisory service is part of the Knowledge Transfer Directorate headed up by Dr Stan Lalor.
Thomas Curran, New Head of Teagasc Advisory Service
About Thomas Curran
Thomas Curran is an agricultural scientist who graduated from University College Dublin with a Batchelor of Agricultural Science. He went on to complete his research Masters in Agricultural Science, also at UCD. He has completed a Leadership Development Programme with the Irish Management Institute, and has also completed a Management Development Programme.
Thomas Curran is currently Regional Advisory Manager in Teagasc Cork West, a position he has held since 2019. Prior to that, he was a Collaborative Farming Specialist for 6 years, and led the development and promotion of collaborative farming business structures including farm partnerships; contract heifer rearing; contract cropping; cow leasing; share farming; long-term land leasing; machinery and labour sharing and rider/breeder contracts in the sport horse industry. In his earlier career, he worked as a Teagasc Business and Technology Dairy Advisor in Dunmanway, Skibbereen and Clonakilty in county Cork. He also worked as a REPS planner for Teagasc during the 1990’s.
Speaking following his appointment Thomas said; “I am passionate about the Teagasc Advisory Service, its links with research and education in Teagasc and the role it plays in working collaboratively with stakeholders and farmers in developing Irish Agriculture. It is a very exciting time facing the advisory service in Teagasc, as we prepare and support farmers for a modern and dynamic farming and food sector. In particular, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to address the economic, environmental and social sustainability challenges facing the sector. Farming this year is dominated by farm input and output price volatility, so careful business and financial planning by farmers is more important than ever.”
Dr Stan Lalor congratulates Thomas Curran on his appointment
Congratulating Thomas Curran on his appointment, Dr Stan Lalor, Head of the Teagasc Knowledge Transfer Directorate, said; “I look forward to working with Thomas as our new Head of Advisory Services. He brings a wealth of experience from a variety of technical and leadership roles he has held in Teagasc, leading many initiatives and joint programmes. Teagasc continue to focus on supporting all farmers, industry stakeholders and partners in the ongoing sustainable development of the farming and agri-food sector in the context of food production requirements and opportunities, and the priorities within Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan and Food Vision 2030 ambitions. The Teagasc advisory service is well positioned to support farmers in these objectives as they adopt new technologies and farming practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the challenges of climate change. I wish Tom every success in this new role, leading the Teagasc advisory service as it embraces these opportunities and challenges into the future.”
Dr Lalor also acknowledged the outgoing Head of Advisory Service, Dermot McCarthy.
He said; “I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Dermot McCarthy, who retired from the role as Head of Advisory earlier this year. I thank him for his leadership, his many years of service to Teagasc and his numerous achievements during a long and distinguished career. I wish him well in the next phase of his life.”
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