Innovation Mission Digitalisation Sustainable Dairy Chains & Livestock Farming Ireland

Ireland has a large livestock sector, with dairy and beef as the main sub-sectors. Approximately 90% of agricultural production is exported. This underlines Ireland's position as a globally oriented agricultural economy.

Although the grass-based system offers a strong competitive advantage, the sector faces increasing pressure on sustainability and structure. This pressure includes a legally binding target to:

• reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030;
• stricter water quality requirements from the EU Nitrates Directive;
• increasing regulatory focus on biodiversity and land use.

At the same time, the sector is facing a labour shortage and farmers are increasingly unable to find successors for their businesses. 

The Irish market offers a unique combination of policy urgency, financial support and openness to innovation. Ireland faces many of the same challenges as the Netherlands, including ambitious climate targets, water quality restrictions and labour shortages. These challenges drive increasing demand for sustainable, innovative, digital and data-driven agritech solutions.

Digitalisation is a key driver of change: Irish government agencies, processors and farmer organisations invest heavily in data- and AI-driven solutions to support sustainability, regulatory compliance and farm-level decision-making.

Initiatives such as AgNav (a national platform for emissions and nutrient management), the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre and farm-level digital tools (for example Herdwatch and PastureBase) demonstrate how digital technologies become increasingly embedded in the Irish agri-food system.

This creates strong opportunities for Dutch companies active in agricultural automation, agri-data platforms, AI solutions and digital compliance and reporting systems. A recent market study on agtech commissioned by the Dutch Embassy in Dublin provides additional information on developments and opportunities in Ireland.

Irish farmers have access to significant government support through the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3), a €370 million programme running until 2027. It subsidises up to 60% of eligible investments in technologies that improve sustainability, efficiency and compliance.

Additional funding and innovation support are available through Enterprise Ireland and various EU programmes, lowering the barriers to experimentation and collaboration.

Irish stakeholders actively seek international partners. Large cooperatives such as Kerry, Tirlán and Dairygold represent extensive farmer networks and invest heavily in digital sustainability and data systems.

The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) manages the world's largest database for cattle breeding. This offers strong opportunities for collaboration in the field of digital genetics, analysis and decision support.

Contact with Irish government bodies and agencies involved in agricultural, sustainability and innovation policy, such as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and Bord Bia. Through them, we aim to gain insight into policy priorities, financing instruments and regulatory frameworks.

Visits to and exchanges with leading Irish research and innovation centres, including Teagasc – Ireland's national authority for agricultural and food development – and initiatives such as VistaMilk, focused on digitisation and sustainability in livestock farming systems.

Meetings with established Irish agri-food companies and cooperatives, such as Kerry, Tirlán and Dairygold, to explore how digital solutions are applied on a large scale and where international cooperation is of interest.

Interaction with Irish agritech start-ups, innovation hubs and accelerators to gain insight into emerging technologies, business models and opportunities for partnerships or joint development.

Direct contacts with farmers, advisory bodies and cooperatives to gain insight into farm practices, the drivers behind and the practical requirements for implementing digital and sustainable solutions.

A special networking session that brings together Dutch and Irish participants to establish contacts, exchange knowledge and identify concrete opportunities for collaboration.