Teagasc

What Teagasc does

Teagasc (legally the Agriculture and Food Development Authority) is Ireland's statutory national body providing integrated research, advisory, and training services to the agriculture and food industry. Established in 1988 and funded primarily through State Grant in Aid from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the organisation operates a national network of regional advisory offices, four agricultural colleges (Ballyhaise, Clonakilty, Kildalton, Botanic Gardens College of Horticulture), and dedicated research centres at Moorepark, Ashtown, Johnstown Castle, and Grange, employing between 1,001 and 5,000 staff including 500 scientific and technical researchers.

The technology portfolio centres on a suite of proprietary digital platforms including AgNav, a sustainability action-planning platform launched in 2023 in partnership with Bord Bia and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation with approximately 17,000 farmers enrolled; PastureBase Ireland, the national grassland database; the Signpost climate action programme; Better Farming for Water; Grass10; and NMP Online for nutrient management. Teagasc runs approximately 300 research projects annually across animal science, crop science, food technology, environment, and rural economy, supported by specialist infrastructure such as the AGRIP centre at Moorepark, the new €12.7M NASRIC at Johnstown Castle, and food research pilot-plant facilities at Ashtown and Moorepark.

Revenue is generated primarily through government grants, supplemented by fees from agricultural college courses, EU project funding, and industry co-funding (for example, Meat Technology Ireland co-funding exceeds €6M from industry partners alongside over €13M from Enterprise Ireland). Two principal customer segments are served: Irish farmers across dairy, beef, sheep, tillage, and horticulture receiving advisory services through regional offices and demonstration programmes, and the Irish food and beverage industry collaborating on research, innovation, and sustainability initiatives. Distribution is entirely direct through Teagasc's own physical network, with no commercial channel partners.

Name

Teagasc

Legal name

Agriculture and Food Development Authority

Website

https://teagasc.ie

Company type

Public

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Teagasc is Ireland's national Agriculture and Food Development Authority, providing integrated agricultural research, advisory, and training services to Irish farmers and the food industry through regional offices, research centres, and four agricultural colleges, supported by government funding and proprietary digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Advisory Services

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Succession, Governance & Ownership Transition Advisory (AFACAJAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural research
• Farm advisory services
• Agricultural education
• Food innovation
• Sustainability programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Ennistymon

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Teagasc is a public body funded primarily through government grants, including State Grant in Aid from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Services are provided to farmers and the food industry at no direct cost.
2. Education and Training Services: Revenue from agricultural education programmes at Teagasc colleges, including course fees for further and higher education programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Teagasc is Ireland's Agriculture and Food Development Authority delivering integrated agricultural research, farm advisory, and training services. Its portfolio includes national research programmes across animal, crop, food and environmental sciences delivered through centres such as Moorepark, Johnstown Castle and Ashtown, alongside confidential farm management advisory delivered via a regional office network, and formal agricultural/horticultural/equine education through four colleges.

Product overview

Teagasc is Ireland's national Agriculture and Food Development Authority providing integrated research, advisory, and training services to the agriculture and food industry. Rather than a single product, Teagasc operates as a portfolio of interconnected services: digital platforms (AgNav for sustainability tracking, PastureBase Ireland for grassland management, Soil Fertility Dashboard), advisory programmes (Signpost Programme for climate action, Better Farming for Water, DairyBeef 500, Future Beef, BETTER Farm Sheep, Grass10), research facilities (Food Innovation Hub with Ashtown and Moorepark centres), and educational services through four Teagasc colleges. The organisation complements its digital tools with podcasts (The Dairy Edge, The Beef Edge), training programmes, and extensive research publications. Teagasc's work spans animals (dairy, beef, sheep, pigs), crops, environment (climate, water, soil), food research, rural economy, and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AgNav: A digital sustainability platform for Irish farmers to track environmental performance and generate sustainability action plans
• Grass10
• Signpost Programme
• Better Farming for Water
• NMP Online
• PastureBase Ireland

Products and services

• Farm Advisory Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Average dairy farm income rose to €137,000 in 2025, driven by 5% increase in milk production
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carbery GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbery Group and Teagasc Cork West have re-launched a joint dairy farming programme for West Cork farmers, continuing an initiative since 1998. The five-year programme focuses on sustainable milk production growth, improved pasture utilisation, enhanced herd genetics, better fertility performance, and environmental measures including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity protection.
• Bord BiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBord Bia (The Irish Food Board) collaborating with Teagasc on a €3.2 million EU-funded campaign 'European Dairy: Ireland, Where Nature Meets Science' to strengthen Singapore as a regional hub for functional nutrition and advanced food manufacturing. Teagasc contributes innovation and knowledge exchange in functional nutrition alongside regional partners.
• University College CorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpdated Memorandum of Understanding signed between Teagasc and University College Cork to strengthen collaborative activity over five years across research, education, and innovation to support Ireland's agri-food sector. The agreement covers joint research planning, shared education and training programmes, innovation initiatives, international agri-development projects, and coordinated public engagement.
• VistaMilk Research Ireland CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew research collaboration between VistaMilk Research Ireland Centre, Teagasc Grassland Science Department, Goldcrop, and FBA Laboratories to develop animal feed analysis techniques tailored to Irish pastures and silages. The project aims to deliver rapid, accurate feed nutritive value analysis and integrate results with PastureBase Ireland.
• Private Agricultural CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeagasc signed a new memorandum of understanding and updated service level agreements with Ireland's three private agricultural colleges to strengthen collaboration and improve agricultural education. The five-year MOU and two-year SLAs outline governance, funding, program delivery, quality assurance, and strategic partnership details.
• Meat Technology Ireland (MTI) Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeat Technology Ireland represents a co-funded technology centre with industry co-funding of over €6 million from ABP Food Group, Ashbourne Meat Processors, Dawn Meats, Kepak, Liffey Meats, and Hilton Foods, plus over €13 million from Enterprise Ireland. Expected net return on investment is €8 per €1 invested by 2030.
• University College DublinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDatamars Sustainability Foundation collaborating with UCD and Teagasc on a four-year research project on multispecies swards for sustainable grazing at UCD's Lyons farm, aimed at accelerating adoption of multispecies swards in Irish livestock systems.
• U-Protein Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix-year nearly €3 million research initiative funded by Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The project brought together academics from five universities and 10 industry partners including Nutris to work on extracting high-value protein ingredients from crops like faba beans, lupins, peas, grasses, and seaweeds.
• Project BASELINEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Innovation Partnership funded under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan, led by farmer Rob Coleman through BASE Ireland. Examines financial, ecological, and socio-cultural aspects of regenerative agriculture via a survey of 315 Irish farmers, operating until end of 2029.
• ROSETTA EU Research ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded research project examining how marketing standards governing appearance and uniformity contribute to food waste. Teagasc brought together stakeholders from policy, regulation, business, and civil society to refine recommendations for tackling food waste estimated to cost Irish businesses €2 billion annually.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB): UK statutory levy-funded body providing research, knowledge exchange, and market intelligence to farmers and growers. Closest direct peer to Teagasc given the statutory funding model, integrated research-plus-advisory remit, and focus on national farming competitiveness.
• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC): Publicly funded research and education institution delivering applied agricultural research, veterinary services, and rural skills training across Scotland. Highly comparable on the integration of research, advisory, and education under one national structure.
• AgResearch (New Zealand): New Zealand's Crown Research Institute delivering pasture-based animal science, forage, and farm systems research with strong industry co-funding. Comparable on pasture-based livestock research emphasis and CRI governance model, though operating without Teagasc's education mandate.
• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke): Finnish statutory research organisation formed by merging MTT Agrifood Research, Finnish Forest Research Institute, and parts of several other bodies. Comparable as a state-funded applied research body covering agriculture, forestry, food, and rural economics.

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Dutch public research and education powerhouse covering the full agri-food chain, from primary production to food innovation. Comparable to Teagasc in mission breadth (research + advisory + education) but operating at much larger scale and with stronger international positioning.
• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement): France's national public research institute for agriculture, food, and environment, formed by merging INRA and IRSTEA. Comparable as a publicly funded integrated research organisation covering agronomy, animal science, food science, and environmental sustainability.
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC): Canadian federal department delivering research, policy, and technology transfer to the agriculture and agri-food sector. Comparable as a national government body with research centres, regulatory functions, and grower-facing advisory programmes.

Emerging players

• EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária): Brazilian public agricultural research corporation renowned for tropical agronomy and livestock systems research. Comparable as a publicly funded applied research enterprise, with a more global-development orientation than Teagasc's domestic focus.

Regional players

• Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI, part of DAF): Australian state-government division delivering R&D, extension, and biosecurity services to primary producers. Comparable in delivering applied agricultural research plus extension/advisory through a public-sector model, but focused on Queensland rather than a national remit.

Others

• Bord Bia (Irish Food Board): Irish state agency promoting Irish food and drink exports. Adjacent peer rather than competitor — partnered with Teagasc on the AgNav platform and EU dairy campaigns — addressing the marketing/export side of the same agri-food value chain Teagasc supports on the production side.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TeagascMedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/Teagasc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teagasc
• Instagraminstagram.com/teagasc/?hl=en
• Xx.com/teagasc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Teagasc