FBD contributes €6 million to new research centre

Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, TD today announced that contributions by FBD Holdings plc, FBD Trust CLG and Farmer Business Developments Plc amounting to €6 million have been made to the development of a new Centre for Sustainable Animal and Grassland Research at Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy Co Cork.

This significant contribution of €6 million towards the development of a new state of the art facility for research on grassland-based livestock will be a key driver in supporting farmers to achieve their climate reduction targets and ensure that the industry is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable for generations to come. The proposed centre will provide essential research infrastructure to support climate-related research, as well as facilitate research that can provide innovative solutions to improve the environmental sustainability of pasture-based systems and improve the efficiency of Ireland’s ruminant sector. When built, the Centre will be named after the late Padraig Walshe.

Tómas Ó Midheach, Chief Executive of FBD Holdings Plc said: “FBD’s support of this critically important initiative will help to advance climate related research. For us at FBD Insurance, we are delighted to be involved as we all have a role in tackling the climate imperatives of our time. The farming community is working hard to meet the 25% emissions reductions target by 2030. We believe that the research conducted at this facility by Teagasc has the potential to contribute to this reduction in a real and meaningful way.”