Teagasc Annual Report and 2021 Financial Statements
“We had a blend of remote working and staff attending at their place of work, and using both, allowed us to deliver a full research, advisory and education programme during 2021”, according to Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc Director.
He was speaking at the publication today, Tuesday, 4 October of the Teagasc Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2021. Among the highlights in 2021 were the dairy open day in Moorepark in September and the crops open day in Oak Park in June. Both were among the first large scale face-to-face farm events to take place post Covid.
The Chairman of the Teagasc Authority, Liam Herlihy, pointed to the launch of the Signpost programme – Farmers for Climate Action, which has brought together over 60 organisations and established over 120 demonstration farms to highlight the practices that can be adopted on farms to reduce emissions.
As part of the Teagasc strategy to address climate change, a new national Agricultural Sustainability Research and Innovation centre is to be established at the Teagasc environment research centre in Johnstown Castle, County Wexford, with a €9 million investment.
The National Food Innovation Hub was officially opened in Moorepark in 2021 and a significant extension to the Teagasc National Prepared Consumer Foods centre was completed at the Teagasc food research centre in Ashtown, Dublin. This extension has doubled the facilities available to the sector.
Advisory, Education and Research Activities
The Teagasc Advisory service completed 41,000 basic payment scheme applications, 4,000 derogation applications, 1,300 nutrient management plans, and supported 1,025 Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) applications on behalf of farmers and facilitated 3,930 farmer discussion groups meetings.
Last year, there were a total of 3,310 students participating on Teagasc education courses in colleges, and education centres. In 2021, five QQI 25 hour organic farming principles courses were delivered by the organic specialist team. The 25th European Seminar on Extension and Education was held virtually from Teagasc Ballyhaise in June of 2021.
Teagasc Research secured €26 million in external research funding in 2021, an increase from the total of €18 million in 2020. The Teagasc Technology Transfer Office was involved with 5 new products/and or services launched in 2021 as a direct result of licensing of technologies from Teagasc.
Knowledge Transfer Initiatives
Two new beef knowledge transfer campaigns were launched - the Future Beef programme and the DairyBeef500 Programme, to support suckler beef production and dairy calf-to-beef production respectively. Phase two of the Grass10 programme was also launched last year with an increased emphasis on clover in the grazing sward.
PastureBase Ireland added a Nitrogen Use Efficiency calculator during 2021, while a new Forest carbon tool was created by Teagasc, which is a user friendly way for existing and potential forest owners to calculate how much carbon can be removed in woodlands. The Irish Protein Stakeholder group produced and published a strategic plan to support the growing of native protein crops.
2021 Financial Statements
State Grant Aid for Current Operations of €137.440 million and for Capital purposes of €4.550 million was drawn down by Teagasc in 2021. Teagasc total income in 2021 was €194 million, which was 3.9% more than 2020. Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) allocated State Grant Aid of €144.643 million for Teagasc in 2021, an increase of €7.111 million over the 2020 allocation of €137.532 million.
The 2021 outturn produced savings of €3.85 million, being €1.8 million for superannuation and €2.05 million for capital (2020 supplementary Grant Aid of €0.841 million). In 2021 DAFM also provided project grants including €2.793 million for the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory (2020 - €2.032 million ), €1 million for the National Prepared Consumer Food Centre bringing the total grant to €9.792 million, €2.5 million for the Agricultural Catchments Programme (2020 €2.4 million) and €617,000 for Forestry training and education (2020 - €670,000). In 2021 Teagasc received the final €1.15 million of an €8.8 million capital grant for the National Food Innovation Hub at Moorepark.
As a result of fewer Covid-19 restrictions in 2021, there was an increase in the level of research project activity and in the number of Teagasc education courses delivered. Teagasc secured €26 million in external research funding in 2021 including €7.6 million from the 2021 DAFM competitive call.
Current expenditure, excluding pensions, was €151 million in 2021, which was €7 million more than in 2020. There was an increase of 32 in the average number of staff employed and with general public sector pay increases, the 2021 pay bill at €85 million, was €3 million (3.7%) more than in 2020. General operating expenses of €43.3 million were €2.5 million greater than 2020 with increases in spending on research consumables, stationery, ICT supplies, farm supplies, etc. due to increased activity.
Appointments
In January 2022, Donald Scully joined the 11 person Teagasc Authority. He replaced Tommy Cooke, who had completed his second five-year term on 4 October 2021.
Professor Frank O Mara was appointed as Teagasc Director in October 2021, following the retirement of Professor Gerry Boyle in September 2021 having served as Director of Teagasc since October 2007. Professor Pat Dillon was appointed as Director of Research in Teagasc in December 2021.
The full annual report and financial statements for 2021 are available at https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2022/annual-report-2021--financial-statements.php
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