Irish farmers are ill-served by a dated farm advisory model that pitches private sector advisers in competition with Teagasc, according to a new report by economist Jim Power, commissioned by the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA).

This is at a time when collaboration is required to deliver better outcomes for Irish farmers, the report says.

The report - Recalibrating Advisory Services for a new Era in Irish Farming - is the first major review of farm advisory services since the establishment of Teagasc 31 years ago.

At a time of dramatic changes in agriculture and food production and evolving consumer and regulatory demands, the over-arching recommendations of the ACA report are to:

  • Build knowledge-based farming and move more farmers up the value chain.
  • Bridge the accessibility gap between available research and its application on farm.
  • Provide structured training to ensure private advisers are equipped to facilitate delivery of evolving CAP policy and climate change objectives.
  • Build stronger, more impactful and more efficient public and private sector research and advisory supports through increased public private collaboration.
  • Of an estimated 137,500 farmers in Ireland, 82% work with a farm adviser; of these, over one third (almost 43,000 farmers) are advised by Teagasc at a delivery cost of almost €40m per annum, of which €27m is public funding.

    Funding

    Just under two-thirds (70,000) are advised by the private sector with zero public funding.

    According to the report, as a result of this split, a majority of Irish farmers miss out on critical, publicly funded research and information tools that are only freely available via Teagasc advisers.

    Most farmers also lose out, as private sector advisers have no access to publicly funded training valued at approximately €9,000 per annum to Teagasc advisers, it said.

    “To succeed, Irish farmers will need to have the highest level of skills and knowledge possible and be at the cutting edge of the science that is increasingly driving global food production.

    "Knowledge-based farming needs smarter resourcing to combine the reach and expertise of private practitioners with the research capability and resourcing of Teagasc.

    “It’s a model that needs to move from ‘form-filling’ advice on EU schemes to increased application of Teagasc’s leading-edge research on more and more Irish farms,” report author Jim Power said.

    Influence

    President of the ACA Owen O’Driscoll said that farm advisers are uniquely positioned to influence behavioural changes on-farm and to support the delivery of national and international policy objectives on issues such as sustainability and climate change.

    “Simply put, sectoral targets cannot and will not be achieved if private sector advisers, who account for 62% of the farm advisory market, have restricted access to publicly funded research or are precluded from publicly funded structured training.

    “There is now a compelling case for Teagasc and private consultants to develop a model and working relationship where they can work together and co-operate in the delivery of the best possible research and local advisory service to Irish farmers,” he said.

    Bridge the gap

    Commenting on the report, ACA general secretary Brian Carroll said that the report highlights the need to urgently bridge the gap between available research and its application on farm.

    “The private sector is a conduit to almost two-thirds of all adviser-supported farmers, but those farmers are at a disadvantage relative to those receiving a public advisory service.

    "This divide impacts farm incomes, prevents behavioural change and delivers a much lower return on publicly funded research.

    “At a crossroads for Irish farming, we have a unique opportunity to leverage Teagasc’s superior research capability with the ACA’s more extensive national network and advisory teams.

    "A collaborative way of working will help push farming up the value chain so it is better equipped to deal with challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

    “Such a move would substantially increase the investment return on publicly funded research by making it more accessible beyond Teagasc’s already stretched advisory network.

    "It should help underpin the agri sector as a bedrock of the Irish economy by ensuring Irish farmers are as efficient, productive, skilled and educated as possible,” he said.

    Services

    At the moment, farm advisory services in Ireland are provided to farmers through three main channels – the private sector advisers who are members of the ACA (160 offices); Teagasc (49 offices), which is funded by the State; and other private sector individuals and commercial companies operating support services independent of Teagasc and ACA.

    Private advisers are not funded through the State.

    The ACA comprises in excess of 400 professional, technical and administrative staff operating from 160 member offices nationwide. Its members advise approximately 55,000 farmers.

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