€20m allocated to food and marine research projects

More than €20m has been allocated to projects through the Department of Agriculture's food and marine research programme.

The awards cover a range of activities including sheep breeding, crop production, livestock welfare and the sustainability of Irish aquaculture.

The funding will provide contract employment for 58 highly trained scientists as well as specialised scientific training for 53 post-graduate students.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Simon Coveney, said the awards - which arise from the Department’s 2014 call for research proposals - would make a significant contribution to the sustainability of the Irish agri-food and forestry sectors.