AgriSearch
AgriSearch is Northern Ireland's farmer-funded agricultural research and innovation body, funding and delivering evidence-based research, grassland monitoring (GrassCheck), and knowledge exchange for the region's beef, sheep, and dairy farmers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersHillsborough, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AgriSearch does
AgriSearch is Northern Ireland's farmer-funded agricultural research and innovation body, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Hillsborough, County Down. The organisation commissions and delivers practical, evidence-based research for the region's beef, sheep, and dairy farmers, operating a portfolio of programmes including GrassCheck (grassland monitoring across 53 commercial farms), the UK-Dairy Carbon Network (20 NI host farms within a UK-wide DEFRA-funded initiative), ZeroNsile (red clover and lucerne silage without manufactured nitrogen), the Mycotoxin Pilot Project, Signet Sheep Genotyping, and CliBeef. Its primary technical capability is on-farm data collection and applied agricultural science, supported by digital tools such as the Grass Value Calculator and a media library of publications, videos, and podcasts. The organisation is run by a small team (1-10 employees) led since June 2026 by CEO Sean Kane, with Jason Rankin as Senior Industry Advisor and Norman McMordie as Chair.
The business model is a non-commercial, levy-funded research intermediary structure. AgriSearch is funded primarily through levy contributions from Northern Ireland's beef, sheep and dairy farmers, supplemented by government grants (notably from DEFRA for the UK-DCN) and co-investment from research partners. Research outputs, publications, bulletins, and decision-support tools are provided at no cost to end users. Distribution is direct-to-farmer via weekly GrassCheck bulletins, farm walks (e.g., UK-DCN events attracting 70+ attendees), webinars, podcasts, YouTube content, and an open-access publications and media library on agrisearch.org; there is no traditional sales motion or paid product offering.
AgriSearch's strategic position rests on three pillars: a dense, long-running on-farm demonstration network across all three livestock sectors; deep delivery partnerships with AFBI (Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute) and CAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise), which provide scientific and educational infrastructure; and a recognised role as the sector's evidence base for policymakers and advisors. Competitive advantages cited include years of proprietary GrassCheck data unique to Northern Ireland, a farmer-led governance model, and demonstrable on-farm outcomes (e.g., 20% more dry matter per hectare from red clover/grass silage, £3 return per £1 spent on lime). The organisation's constraints are its small team, single-jurisdiction remit, and dependence on levy cycles and government project funding rather than diversified commercial revenue.
AgriSearch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AgriSearch
- Legal name
- AgriSearch
- Website
- https://agrisearch.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AgriSearch is Northern Ireland's farmer-funded agricultural research and innovation body, funding and delivering evidence-based research, grassland monitoring (GrassCheck), and knowledge exchange for the region's beef, sheep, and dairy farmers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AgriSearch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Research Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG), Whole-Farm Business Management & Budgeting Advisory (AFACAJAA), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Plant Tissue, Soil & Water Sampling Coordination (Agronomy-Focused) (AFACABAH)
Keywords
Where AgriSearch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hillsborough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
AgriSearch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
AgriSearch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AgriSearch is Northern Ireland's farmer-funded agricultural research and innovation body that commissions and delivers applied research projects for beef, sheep, and dairy farmers, alongside knowledge exchange services such as the GrassCheck grassland monitoring programme, the Grass Value Calculator tool, on-farm demonstration events, publications, and webinars. It operates without charging farmers for its outputs, distributing research findings directly to levy-payer farms through bulletins, farm walks, and an online media library.
Product overview
AgriSearch operates as Northern Ireland's farmer-funded research and innovation body, offering a portfolio of research projects and knowledge exchange services rather than a single unified product. The core offering includes the GrassCheck programme, which provides real-time grassland monitoring through a network of 53 farms, supported by weekly bulletins and growth forecasts. This is complemented by focused research projects across beef, sheep, dairy, and cross-sectoral areas—including UK-Dairy Carbon Network, ZeroNsile, Mycotoxin Pilot Project, Signet Sheep Genotyping, and CliBeef. The organisation also provides publications, a media library with videos and podcasts, and the Grass Value Calculator tool. These products and services work together to deliver cutting-edge science and practical solutions tailored to Northern Ireland's livestock farming sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GrassCheck: A grassland monitoring programme operated by AgriSearch in partnership with AFBI and CAFRE, providing real-time grass growth data and forecasting for Northern Ireland farmers.
- ZeroNsile
Products and services
- GrassCheck Programme
- Grass Value Calculator
- ZeroNsile Project
- UK-Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN)
- Mycotoxin Pilot Project
- Signet Sheep Genotyping Project
- CliBeef - Climate Friendly Beef Production
Quantifiable outcome
- 23% dry matter improvement in grassland monitoring
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use AgriSearch
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AgriSearch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
AgriSearch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.
- AFBI (Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute)corePrimary research partner for AgriSearch, collaborating on the GrassCheck programme, UK-Dairy Carbon Network, ZeroNsile project, and extensive livestock research spanning dairy, beef and sheep sectors. AFBI provides scientific leadership and research infrastructure for AgriSearch-funded projects.
- CAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise)coreDelivery partner for the GrassCheck programme alongside AFBI, supporting knowledge exchange and farmer training components of grassland management research initiatives.
- SCOPS (Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep)coreIndustry-led group funded by AgriSearch and other UK agricultural bodies to promote sustainable parasite control in sheep. AgriSearch provides funding and participates in technical guidance development for nematodirus forecasting and quarantine protocols.
- UK-DCN Consortium PartnerscoreUK-wide consortium of leading research institutions, farmer unions and industry organisations supporting the UK-Dairy Carbon Network. Led by AFBI and funded by DEFRA, with AgriSearch managing the Northern Ireland Farm Network of 20 commercial dairy farms.
- Queen's University BelfastsecondaryResearch collaboration featuring Professor Rudi Krska and Dr Nick Birse who contributed international perspectives on mycotoxin research during AgriSearch webinar on forage contamination risks.
- Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG)secondaryPresented at UK-DCN farm walk events on the role of genetics in delivering more efficient dairy systems, focusing on genomic technologies and the EnviroCow index for breeding decisions.
- GerminalsecondaryGrassland seed company that presented at UK-DCN farm walk on selecting appropriate grass varieties and the benefits of high sugar grasses for nitrogen use efficiency and animal performance.
- Food FortresssecondaryFeed safety organisation whose representative Dr Keith Agnew contributed to AgriSearch mycotoxin webinar, highlighting monitoring and risk management strategies within purchased feeds.
- neXtgen AgriminorNew Zealand agricultural company whose CEO Mark Ferguson served as headline speaker at Sheep Breeders Round Table Conference 2026, providing global perspective on sheep industry trends.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AgriSearch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC): Scotland's land-based research and education institution, delivering applied agricultural research, consultancy and knowledge exchange for livestock farmers. Directly comparable in combining research, advisory output and farmer engagement for beef, sheep and dairy.
- Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales: Welsh statutory levy body for red meat (beef, sheep, pork) that funds research, market development and knowledge transfer to farmers. Closely comparable funding model and focus on evidence-based innovation for the red meat sector.
- Quality Meat Scotland (QMS): Scottish public body funded by red meat levy payers, responsible for industry development, marketing and research. Similar mandate of using levy income to support beef and sheep producers with research and market intelligence.
- Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC): NI statutory body funded by livestock producers and processors, focused on cattle and sheep sector development. Operates in the same Northern Ireland geography as AgriSearch with an overlapping beef and sheep farmer audience.
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB): UK-wide statutory levy body funded by farmers and processors across cereals, dairy, beef, lamb and pork. Like AgriSearch, AHDB is farmer-funded, commissions applied research, runs knowledge exchange programmes and produces benchmarking and decision-support tools, making it the closest functional peer at greater scale.
- Teagasc: Ireland's national agriculture and food development authority, combining applied research, advisory services and farmer training. Comparable to AgriSearch in mission (farmer-facing applied research and extension) and in focus on grassland, dairy, beef and sheep systems.
Regional players
- Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC): New Zealand farmer-owned co-operative providing dairy genetics, herd recording and pasture data tools to its farmer-shareholders. Comparable model of farmer-owned applied data and decision support for grassland dairy systems, though operating in a different geography and centred on commercial data services.
Others
- Germinal: UK and Ireland grassland seed specialist and a partner of AgriSearch on UK-DCN farm walks, presenting on grass variety selection. Not a research funder, but an adjacent industry participant operating in the same grassland and livestock farming ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE): NI's public further-education college delivering agriculture, food and rural enterprise training. Functions as AgriSearch's knowledge-exchange delivery partner but operates a much broader education and training remit at scale.
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI): Northern Ireland's main agri-food research provider, employing hundreds of scientists across livestock, crops and environment. AFBI is AgriSearch's primary delivery partner but is a much larger public-sector research body operating across the full agri-food chain rather than just farmer-funded R&D coordination.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AgriSearch social profiles
Digital presenceAgriSearch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AgriSearch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
AgriSearch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AgriSearch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AgriSearch
What does AgriSearch do?
AgriSearch is Northern Ireland's farmer-funded agricultural research and innovation body that commissions and delivers applied research projects for beef, sheep, and dairy farmers, alongside knowledge exchange services such as the GrassCheck grassland monitoring programme, the Grass Value Calculator tool, on-farm demonstration events, publications, and webinars. It operates without charging farmers for its outputs, distributing research findings directly to levy-payer farms through bulletins, farm walks, and an online media library.
Is AgriSearch a public or private company?
AgriSearch is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AgriSearch founded?
AgriSearch was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AgriSearch based?
AgriSearch is headquartered in Hillsborough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are AgriSearch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC), Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Teagasc. Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is listed as a regional player. Germinal is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) and Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).
Does AgriSearch have an API?
No public API is recorded for AgriSearch.
What industry is AgriSearch in?
AgriSearch's product category is Agricultural Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACAJAF, Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory, with a secondary code of AFACAJAG, Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support). Its NAICS code is 11521 and its SIC code is 700.