The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

What The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine does

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is one of 18 government departments of Ireland, operating under the Government of Ireland as a public sector entity. It is responsible for national policy and services related to agriculture, food production, marine resources, and rural development. The department's principal beneficiaries are Irish commercial producers in the agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, and marine sectors, alongside the general public it serves through regulatory and consumer protection functions.

The department's core offerings consist of investment aid schemes and grant programs targeted at commercial horticulture and agriculture producers. Documented schemes cover the mushroom sector (energy efficiency, automation, processing, peat replacement), seed and chipping potato sectors (capital investment, renewable energy, technology adoption), and broader commercial horticulture (innovation, diversification, feasibility studies, and development). It does not sell products in a commercial sense; rather, it administers publicly funded grant programs structured as capital investment subsidies.

The department oversees a network of nine wholly-owned state agencies that execute its policy mandate across distinct functional areas. These include Bord Bia (Irish Food Board) for food promotion, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) for seafood development, the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) for fisheries enforcement, the Marine Institute for marine research, Teagasc for agricultural research and training, An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) for agri-food regulatory services, the Veterinary Council of Ireland for veterinary professional regulation, the National Milk Agency for milk price regulation, and the Irish National Stud and Gardens. The entity is funded through annual government appropriations rather than commercial revenue, and operates exclusively within the Irish national market.

Name

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Legal name

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Website

https://gov.ie

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is an Irish government department responsible for national policy on agriculture, food production, marine resources, and rural development. It administers grant programs for commercial horticulture producers and oversees nine state agencies spanning regulation, research, promotion, and enforcement across the agri-food-marine value chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Grants or Aid Disbursements, Infrastructure

Core offering

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the Irish government department responsible for national policy, regulation, and support services for agriculture, food production, marine resources, and rural development. It administers statutory regulatory functions and investment aid schemes targeting commercial horticulture producers, including mushroom, potato, and broader horticulture sectors, through grant-based financial assistance programs. The department also oversees a portfolio of state agencies delivering food promotion, fisheries protection, agricultural research, marine science, and veterinary regulation.

Product overview

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides a portfolio of investment aid schemes and grant programs for the agricultural and horticultural sectors. The offering consists primarily of annual investment aid schemes targeting commercial horticulture producers, including mushroom growers, potato growers (seed and chipping sectors), and broader commercial horticulture operations. These schemes support capital investments in specialized plant, equipment, renewable energy, automation, and technology adoption. The programs are structured as grant-based financial assistance to improve sector efficiency, sustainability, and innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for Commercial Non-Primary Producers in the Mushroom Sector and for Peat Replacement by Commercial Mushroom Producers Government investment aid scheme that provides grant-based financial assistance to commercial non-primary mushroom producers in Ireland and supports peat replacement initiatives by commercial mushroom producers.
• 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for Energy Efficiency, Automation and Processing by Commercial Mushroom Producers Government investment aid scheme for commercial mushroom producers that supports capital investments in energy efficiency, automation, and processing improvements to increase sustainability and efficiency of mushroom production.
• 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Seed Potato Sector and the Chipping Potato Sector Government investment aid scheme supporting the development of the seed and chipping potato sectors in Ireland through grants for capital investments in specialised plant, equipment, renewable energy, and technology adoption.
• 2024 Scheme for Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture (Capital Investments) Government investment aid scheme providing grant funding to commercial horticulture operators in Ireland for capital investments that support innovation and diversification in their operations.
• 2024 Scheme for Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture (Feasibility / Desk Studies) Government investment aid scheme providing grant funding to commercial horticulture operators in Ireland for feasibility studies and desk-based research supporting innovation and diversification initiatives.
• 2024 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector Government investment aid scheme supporting the development of the commercial horticulture sector in Ireland through grant-based financial assistance.

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): U.S. federal executive department responsible for agriculture, food, rural development, and natural resource policy. Closely analogous to DAFM as a national-level agriculture ministry with research, regulatory, and farm-support mandates.
• UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA): UK ministerial department covering agriculture, food, marine, and rural affairs. Highly comparable post-Brexit peer given geographic proximity and shared regulatory heritage.
• European Commission - DG Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI): EU-level directorate managing the Common Agricultural Policy that channels most of DAFM's farm support budget. Direct upstream peer shaping DAFM's funding and policy constraints.
• French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty: France's national agriculture ministry, responsible for agricultural policy, food safety, and fisheries. Comparable mandate covering CAP implementation, food regulation, and rural development.
• German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL): Germany's federal ministry overseeing food, agriculture, fisheries, and consumer protection. Closely comparable peer given EU CAP framework and similar scope across food and rural policy.
• Canadian Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food: Canadian federal department responsible for agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based industry policies. Comparable national-scale agriculture ministry with research and market development arms.
• New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries: New Zealand's ministry overseeing agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and food safety. Comparable integrated food-and-marine mandate with regulatory and trade-promotion functions.
• Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: Australian federal department covering agriculture, fisheries, and forestry policy and regulation. Closely comparable export-oriented agriculture ministry with biosecurity and trade functions.

Others

• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): EU agency providing scientific risk assessment on food and feed safety. Adjacent peer reflecting shared food safety and SPS regulatory remit, though operating as an EU agency rather than a national ministry.
• Food Standards Agency (UK): UK non-ministerial food safety regulator. Adjacent peer to DAFM's food safety and SPS regulatory activities, particularly relevant given post-Brexit regulatory alignment considerations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agriculture_ie
• Facebookfacebook.com/DeptAgriFoodMarine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments20 records

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

Frequently asked questions about The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine