Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre - Strategic Development Plan 2016 2021
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Mountbellew
Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning
Centre
Strategic Development Plan
2016 – 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Strategic Development Plan
2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
“The new generation of farmers, who might more accurately be
described as agri-scientists or agri-innovators, have the potential to
make the step change for sustainable and competitive production in
Europe”
Phil Hogan
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural
Development
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Executive Summary Key recommendations:
Mountbellew Agricultural College 1. Mountbellew Agricultural College
(MAC) is one of the leading agricultural (MAC) adopts four main strategic
education facilities in Ireland. themes under which the college
Following exponential growth in focuses its development into the
student numbers over the past six years future. These are:
MAC is currently running at a surplus, 1. Excellence in Agricultural
has high student retention and very Education
strong partnerships with local research 2. SMART Agriculture
and education institutes. However, with 3. Experiential Education
student numbers in Agriculture programmes –
traditionally volatile and a prediction Apprenticeships
for reduced numbers over the coming 4. Out-reach and Community
years it is vital that MAC implements a development
Strategic Development Plan (SDP) that 2. MAC should re-brand the college
will ensure relevance and sustainability to become the Mountbellew
over the next five years and lay a Agriculutrual College - Innovation
foundation for long term success and and Learning Centre.
stability. This SDP will outline the 3. Annual registered student numbers
critical success factors that will ensure should be a minimum of 850 with a
MAC maintains its status as a leading maximum of 1000 from 2016 to
agricultural college nationwide. MAC 2021. Full time equivalents (FTE)
through this process will adopt strategic should be maintained at maximum
thematic areas for development and levels.
outline the critical success factors 4. New accredited and non-accredited
necessary to achieve MAC’s vision. courses should be developed over
the next three years which allows
MAC to maintain student numbers
Critical to success factors in a changing agricultural
1. Maintain student numbers between landscape.
850 and 1,000 per year 5. Mountbellew Agricultural College
2. Develop new courses to ensure should obtain full management
relevance to the market demand and control of the dairy and dry stock
that target numbers are achieved farms with immediate affect.
3. Move from a two tiered to a three 6. The farms should be upgraded to
tiered management structure State of the Art in a five year period
4. Take control of the dairy and dry to become the most modern
stock farms into MAC farming operation in the region.
7. MAC should create a strategic
None of the critical to success factors Alliance with the Plant and Agri
should be seen as expendable for any Bio Sciences Centre in the National
other. They are interlinked and all highly University of Ireland, Galway in
important to achieve sustainability for areas of research and SMART
MAC over the next decade. agriculture.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
8. The college should develop the
farming operations to become the
go to research platform for local,
national and international research
partners.
9. The college should implement a
new management structure with
two managers; one operational
and one academic reporting to the
Principal of the college Vision
10. MAC should seek funding to The vision of MAC is to become a
appoint operations and academic regional focal point for the provision of
managers to new positions in the Agribusiness and Environmental
college. Critical to success will be Management training. This involves
the appointment of a sustainability becoming a leading provider of training
manager over the coming years. for the voluntary, commercial and state
11. Core to the sustainability of the initiatives in the BMW Region, and to
college over the coming years will provide the necessary research capacity
be the maintaining and strengthen to support better rural policy and
of the strategic alliances with actions, which will in turn enable
Teagasc and GMIT and therefore people to live with dignity and in
these should receive significant harmony with their environment.
attention and management
12. The college should internally Mission Statement
upgrade the existing campus into The specific Mission Statement of
staff office space, student Mountbellew Agricultural Innovation
reactional space, teaching space and Learning Centre is:
and research laboratories (as To enhance the viability and
required). sustainability of rural communities
13. To facilitate this Strategic Plan to through the provision of quality
become a Innovation and Learning education and training designed to
Centre that is a leaders in the meet the unique requirements of rural
sector MAC will require Ireland
approximately €3 million
investment over a five year period. The Mission in relation to Teagasc is:
To generate and apply new knowledge
for the sustainable development of
agriculture and the food processing
industry to enable it to respond
profitably to consumer demands and
requirements and contribute to a
vibrant, profitable and sustainable
rural economy and society.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
The Core Values underpinning this
mission are:
The philosophy of the founding
congregation, the Franciscan Brothers is:
that every human being is a unique
indiv idual whose personal growth and
development is fostered in a respected
environment. The college endeavours to
The Mission in relation to GMIT is:
serve all people with dignity and
To develop life-long learning equality. All college programmes focus
opportunities through our teaching and on the recognition of human potential
training, and by supporting regional and the enhancement of natural
development consistent with national resources and the environment as the
higher education policy. foundation of economic and social
activity. The highest standards of
quality and best practice in training and
education are a priority in the delivery of
college programmes.
The course in Mountbellew Agricultural
College followed by the three years in
GMIT was an ideal preparation for me to
enter the workforce in an area that I was
passionate about but it also laid the
foundations for me to to start my own
business. Ronan Byrne – The Friendly
Strategic core priorities
Farmer and MAC Alumni
Mounbellew Agricultural College has
come through a significant period of
growth since 2009 and is at a point
where strategic direction is required.
After consultation with staff, students,
external partners and other stakeholders
four core priorities have been agreed
upon which the future development of
the college should be anchored to. These
are:
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Excellence Out-reach
Experiential
in SMART and
Learning
Agriculture Agriculture Community
Programmes
education Engagement
Vision Vision
Vision Vision
To be a leading To engage
To continue to To increase the provider of students, almuni
be a leading intelligence of industry specific and wider
provider of farms and training community to:
agricultural farmers in programmes for
education in the Ireland through • Promote MAC
natural resource values
west of Ireland. education and based micro-
To grow our research. MAC enterprises. The • Knowledge
reputation and will upgrade its main focus of transfer
further increase facilities to State these • Building strong
standards to of the Art and be programmes is partnerships
ensure well a focal point for apprenticeships. • Brand
balanced, public and Agri-Food, promotion
relevant and private research horticulture, • Alumni
industry ready activity in the forestry, crafts engagement
graduates region. should be
targeted through
partnerships
Strategic rationale
2. SMART Agriculture
1. Excellence in Agriculture
The emergence of the agricultural
Education
engineering industry in Ireland has
This theme is built on the historic seen the country become an
development of MAC providing international leader in agri-
quality agricultural education to technologies in recent decades. This
students throughout the decades. has been followed by the new tech-
Farming is a core industry in Ireland innovations around software and
and has developed significantly to internet technologies that is enhancing
become a world class industry in the farmers ability to access
recent decades. The availability of a knowledge which in turn increases the
quality educated work force that not accuracy of the decision making
only maintains but advances the process. Both Farms and Farmers are
industry is critical to its success and becoming more intelligent and MAC
MAC will remain at the heart of needs to harness the opportunity
education for the future farmers and presented by the fast paced growth on
agricultural practitioners. agri-tech.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
This industry is still in its infancy Strategic Alignment
with substantial developments
predicted in the future. MAC will
become a leader in these
developments by being the hallmark
for the technology advancements. The Core mission of Teagasc
college will become a test bed for
technology and a leader of Excellence in
implementation and education Agri-Education
around SMART farming and
Life long learning
technology advancements both Regional development
nationally and internationally.
3. Experiential Learning programmes
Modern day education has begun to
shift toward experiential learning to
provide a more balanced and capab le
graduate. This is particularly the case
for the construction and natural Excellence,
resource industries. MAC will Transformative Agri R&D is a core
develop a range of apprenticeship research for priority of Teagasc
programmes in partnership with economic need
other education facilities.
SMART Agri
SMART is a core
4. Out-reach and Community Pillar of Harvest
Engagement 2020’s vision
MAC was founde d on the core value
of out reach and community
engagement through the Franciscan
Order. This will continue to place
MAC at the heart of the developing
agricultural industry in Ireland and
other strategic areas that the college
would like to show impact in.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Learning as a
core mission
Experiential learning Out-reach and Community
programmes Engagement
Responding to
Industry needs and
the labour market
Student numbers targets
Previous 7 years numbers
Course Title 2009/ 2010/ 2011/ 2012/ 2013/ 2014/ 2015/
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Certificate in Agriculture Level 5 56 92 100 89 90 90 76
Advanced Certificate in 39 41 30 45 50 56 50
Agriculture A6/Level 5 PT
(Green cert)
Advanced certificate in - - 43 22 35 31 17
Agriculture Drystock – Level 6
Bachelor of Science in 23 27 27 31 35 54 43
Agriculture and Environmental
Management
Bachelor of Business in Rural 34 32 42 43 40 36 30
enterprise and agri-business
Degree 2 56 48 56 60 65 66 86
Degree 3 33 48 49 49 55 71 60
Other Programmes 94 75 47 166 150 300 150
Distance education (Level 6) 190
Part-time (level 6) 70
New total 335 363 394 505 520 704 772
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
The college has seen a major increase in
Student numbers projections
student population between 2009 and
2016 with over a 100% growth in 1200 2009 2016 2020
numbers. This was a national shift to 1000
agricultural education driven by the
800
recession and changes in the work force
demand. The college is unlikely to 600
continue this growth rate into the next 400
five years and therefore the strategy to
2021 will be the maintaining the current 200
numbers with continued high retention 0
rates.
Projected student numbers
Course Title 2015/20 2016/20 2017/20 2018/20 2019/20
16 17 18 19 20
Certificate in Agriculture Level 5 76 90 80 80 80
Advanced Certificate in Agriculture A6/Level 5.5 PT 50 50 50 50 50
(Green cert)
Advanced certificate in Agriculture Drystock – Level 6 17 20 20 20 20
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Environmental 43 50 40 40 40
management
Bachelor of Business in Rural enterprise and agri- 30 40 40 40 40
business
Degree 2 86 80 70 70 70
Degree 3 60 80 80 68 68
Other Programmes 150 150 150 150 150
Horticulture apprenticeship degree (culmutive) 25 45 70 95
B Eng Engineering degree 40 70 90
Distance education (Level 6) 190 190 190 30 30
Part-time (level 6) 70 70 70 20 20
Advanced Dairy (level 6) 15 20 20 20
Forestry Apprenticeships 20 35 55
Artisan food Apprenticeships 20 35 55
Hetac Level 6 Blended Learning (BSc or Business) 25 45 70
New total 772 860 960 843 953
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Maintaining student numbers The agriculture engineering industry in
The sustainability and further Ireland has developed significantly in
development of MAC is centered recent decades with global leading
around maintaining student companies emerging (i.e Keenans,
numbers between 850 and 1000 for Samco, Tanco, DairyMaster and
the next five years. With a current Mchales). Surveys of the industry have
drop in CAO numbers for shown a definite need for graduates of
agriculture courses nationally and a this type as staff shortages ranked
natural fall off in some courses it will second only to regulation as a constraint
require intensive course on growth in the industry.
development to maintain student
numbers. Course development Projected start date: September 2017
should be viewed as a critical to
success activity from 2016 to 2021 Initial student numbers target: 40
and resources should be allocated on
this basis.
Target course development
Key to the sustainability of MAC will
be the development of new courses
aligned to the strategy and in line with
the industry needs. Student numbers
will be achieved through existing Bachelor of Science in Horticulture -
courses and where a fall off in Apprenticeship – Level 8.
numbers is predicted, new courses
will be expected to come online. These This course will be developed with the
are: School of Science in GMIT. The
horticulture industry in Ireland has a
Bachelor of Engineering - current work force of 6,500 people and a
Agricultural Engineering – Level 8 farm gate value of €400 million. This
This level 8 course will be developed industry is split into two sectors of Food
in partnership with GMIT School of production and Amenity (garden
engineering and will develop nurseries).
graduates specifically for the
Rationale
agriculture engineering industry in
Ireland and internationally. This course builds on the MAC and
GMIT alliance and GMIT recently signed
Rationale an MOU with Tennessee University who
have core competency in plant science
This course is directly aligned to the while the science department has
core capacities of MAC and GMIT and current abilities around natural sciences.
strengthens the relationship between
both entities.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
MAC recently (October 2015) These jobs are rural based in there majority
surveyed horticulture companies and therefore aligned to both MAC and
nationwide and found that 75% of GMIT strategies. Forestry is an
companies feel positive about the underserved industry by education
industry and expect growth into the considering the value it provides to the
future, and 65% of the companies see economy and there is no offering in the
recruitment of qualifie d staff as a west of Ireland.
bottle neck in the industry. There are
no apprentice course available at this Projected start date: September 2017 or
level presently and horticulture September 2018
courses are predominantly on the east
Initial student number targets: 20
and south of Ireland.
Projected start date: September 2017
Initial student numbers target: 25
Bachelor in Artisan Food –
Apprenticeship – Level 8
This course will be developed through
partnership with the GMIT School of
Tourism and Arts. Graduates will be
Bachelor in Forestry and Forestry designed to work in the popular and
products – Apprenticeship – Level 8 growing artisan food industry.
This course will be developed in Rationale
partnership with GMIT and GMIT
Letterfrack campus. The graduates of GMIT have a strong track record in
this course will have expertise in culinary arts and food while MAC have
forestry and also the added value been expert educators in agriculture for
products industry that forestry many years. The artisan food industry is a
supply. combination of these industries to add
value and develop alternative business
Rationale models for farm gate operations. There are
currently circa 350 companies in the artisan
The forestry and forestry products food industry in Ireland with a €615
industry is a net exporter of products million value to the Irish economy and
out of Ireland and has an annual supporting 3000 Irish jobs.
worth of €2.3 billion and a job market
of 12,000 people.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
This sector has seen significant growth The Teagasc funding system is central to
in recent years and projections by Bord the MAC success and therefore the
Bia are for further growth. As the partnership must be maintained.
industry is still newly emerging it has
yet to gain the attention of the Recommendations for the partnership
education system and therefore no
focused courses on artisan food have • The Principal remains the key contact
been established. point for the partnership, however as
the middle management function
Projected start date: September 2017 emerges it should be included in the
academic and operational aspects of
Initial student number target: 20
the relationship.
• MAC to prepare an annual report for
Teagasc to communicate the SDP and
its implementation through the 2016 to
2021 period.
• MAC should present the SDP in its
entirety to Teagasc senior
management and MAC should
emphasize the SMART farm and the
potential research capabilities the
college will have to nurture further
engagements.
Partnerships
A further critical to s uccess factor is the
Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
development of existing and new
partnerships. MAC has a solid track record The partnership between GMIT and
in partnership building and this should be a MAC has been in place since 1998. This
core focus and be resourced appropriately partnership should be viewed as the
into the future. The two core partnerships critical to success for MAC and
are with Teagasc and GMIT. continued for a five year minimum
period and into the foreseeable future if
possible. The relationship between both
entities should be around existing and
Teagasc
new education programmes.
The strategic alliance with Teagasc
is the one of the most important
partnerships for the college.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Recommendations for the partnership
• MAC should request an annual
review of the MAC and GMIT
partnership consisting of GMIT
President plus representative and Recommendations for the partnership
the MAC Principal plus
representatives. • The MAC research committee will
• The Principal should manage this be empowered by the MAC board
relationship and the academic to decide on project engagements
manager should work closely and the conditions on a project
with the various heads of basis
departments when this position • MAC sign an MOU with NUIG for
becomes a reality. a five year period
• Any research activity requests • An annual review is undertaken
from GMIT should be approved between both parties and this is
by the newly created research presented to the MAC board for
committee in MAC. approval.
• MAC should not commence • Financial arrangements are on a
activity with other partners in project basis and purchase orders
similar se ctors without informing must be raised by NUIG prior to
or getting verbal approval from any work undertaken.
GMIT.
National University of Ireland,
Galway
The main purpose of the
relationship between NUIG and
MAC is for MAC to become a
research service provider to NUIG.
This relationship will be with the Management strategy
Plant and Agri Biosciences Centre In order to achieve the targets set
(PABC) and the main contact point out in this strategic development
plan the third critical to success
will be Professor Charlie Spillane.
factor is the development of the
The PABC is developing large scale management strategy for the
capacity in the area of agri research college. Currently there is a large
and will require a farming gap in the management structure
platform to conduct large scale with one senior manager (The
Principal) and then cir ca twenty
research. MAC is strategically best
core operations and teaching staff.
placed to provide this capacity and
should aim to do so.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
This system lacks the critical middle essential. The restructure of the
management that will be charged management system should be the
with achieving the targets set out. In focus over years one and two of the
the current system the burden of current SDP as the ability to execute
development lies solely with the on the targets set out is heavily
Principal which is over reliant on the reliant on resources.
good-will and energy of this person
who is required to amass substantial New position creation
out of contract hours. This should be The redevelopment of the
viewed as an unsustainable approach management structure requires the
to college development. creation and funding of three new
positions over the first two years of the
Proposed new structure SDP. These are:
1. Operations manager
2. Academic manager
3. Sustainability officer
Strategic Middle
Core Staff
management management Implementing the new management
system
The target should be to implement
Admin staff two of the three positions in year 1.
Operations
The priorities are the middle
Canteen staff
manager management layer of operations and
Sustainability
academic managers. The cost of these
officer positions combined should be circa
Principle
Teaching €120,000 per annum. Funding for the
Staff
positions should be from the
Academic Technical operating surplus of the college
manager staff
combined with financial backing for
Farm mgt year one and two from the closest
committees
stakeholders. The positions should
become shelf financing in year three
through the development of new
The proposed management programmes and increased activity
structure will move the current dual and efficiencies found by the new
layer staffing model to three tiered management structure.
system that introduces a new
management function. The dual The new management system will be
approach was likely to be sufficient tasked with developing the third
at the 2009 student levels of circa position and accessing funding over
330. However with numbers their initial two years, ensuring that
reaching and maintaining at 800 to by year 3 the full structure is
1,000 a shift in the management implemented.
system is
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Financial Strategy
The MAC latest set of audited allow for the middle management
accounts by DHKN Limited shows functions to become viable.
the college moving from deficit of
€ - 29,173 (2013) to a surplus of Financial (Immediate action areas)
€34,025 (2014) and €90,000 (2015). A recommendation is to
Key for the future is to maintain or departmentalise the canteen in MAC
grow surpluses. and it should be reported as a separate
Profit and Loss unit. Presently this
Key Performance Indicators (KPI) canteen department is subsidised by
Financial KPIs are essential to the other operations in the college and
efficient management of the colleges actions are required to bring this cost
finances. The two most relevant centre inline in order to achieve the
KPIs are related to labour and outlined KPI’s.
general overheads. To date these Canteen
are: The canteen in MAC is currently
KPI’s 2014 2013 running at a trading deficit. The most
recent trading figures for the canteen
Staff 64% 63% show a income of €54,233 with a food
cost at 63% and overhead cost of at
General 35% 41% 21%. This allows a margin of 14.9%
Overheads before staff costs. This model is
unsustainable and will contribute to
These KPIs show the decrease in
poor KPI’s and action is required. The
overheads between 2013 and 2014
ideal business model for the canteen to
resulted in the college running at
reach breakeven is:
surplus. The target KPIs for the next
Ingredient costs 35%
five years for both of these functions
Overheads 25%
are:
Staffing 40%
This model would require the
Staff 63% of turnover
following actions:
• Portion control and waste
General
management systems put in place
Overheads 30% of turnover
for ingredient cost control
• Creating budgets for other
This will provide a trading surplus
associated costs relating to the
of 7% annually. These KPI’s will
canteen
only be achieved if the student
• Creating a variable staffing level
numbers are maintained at there
system that reflects activity and
current levels as overheads in
income
particular will not pro-rata change
• Review any possible additional
with student numbers unlike
revenue streams
staffing levels. Allowances in the
staff KPI should be made in years
one and two to
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Infrastructure strategy
Presently the infrastructure at MAC is Student learning space
below optimal levels to ensure a A weakness of the campus highlighted
positive staff and student by staff is the lack of a learning or
environment and state of the art library space for student. This should
learning facilities. One of the be addressed through the establishment
strengths of the college is that there is of a student learning centre. In order to
significant unused spaced that can be keep overheads within the KPI outlined
developed for other uses over the it is not appropriate to have a staffed
coming years. Improvements in the library in MAC and therefore a shelf
infrastructure are required over the regulated and comfortable learning
next five years and in order to achieve space would be more suitable for the
the strategic objectives. The MAC students. The conversion of
infrastructure of the college should: existing space would be ideal for this
• Provide a positive learning and redecoration into a learning
environment with appropriate environment would be sufficient.
student recreational facilities
• Provide a positive work Sample student learning space
environment for all staff
• Have State of the Art
demonstration facilities to aid
learning
• Be attractive to prospective
students
• Be optimised to achieve the
overhead KPI
Teaching and learning Space
The college requires the upgrade of
space into state of the art classroom
spaces. These rooms should
accommodate circa 80 students and Staff space
have full audio visual capacity. The staff space currently being used is
Currently the requirement for mostly appropriate for use, however some
additional classroom space is 150 offices and staff recreation area need
students and this can be achieved upgrading to state of the art in the duration
through the conversion of existing of this SDP. The goal for staff areas will be
areas and funding should be sought to:
through various capital and • Ensure all offices are decorated to high
infrastructure bids that are offered standard with full digital infrastructure
over the coming years. This will be the • Staff communal areas should be
responsibility for the new operations upgraded and modernised (i.e. tea room)
manager and in time the sustainab ility
manager.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
• Staff offices and communal areas and to create new legal entities and
should be centrally located and not in full ownership of stock and other
isolated extremities of the main non-land or farm building assets.
campus building
Demonstration areas
It has been widely acknowledged that
the farming facilities in Mounbellew
are not at a modern level for education
purposes. The farms are currently held
and controlled by the Franciscan
Brothers and this is seen as a bottle
neck to development. Therefore
strategically the fourth critical to Farm strategic development
success factor for MAC is to take full A full farm plan has been created with
control of the farms into MAC and the following core aims of the dairy
upgrade the farms to a State of the Art and dry stock farms:
level over the duration of the SDP. 1. Provide a State of the Art learning
There is a willingness from the platform for students
Franciscan Brothers for this change at 2. Create a research platform for
present. national and international research
3. Become a go to knowledge
platform for Irish agriculture
Farm’s legal structure
The proposed legal structure for the Dairy Farm
farm’s handover to implement a long At the farm level business objectives
term lease arrangement between the will be to:
Franciscan Brothers and Mountbellew 1. Implement a Key Performance
Agriculture College. This lease Indicators (KPI’s) system for the
arrangement will require MAC to farm with a plan to achieve State of
purchase the stock off the existing the Art standards
farm owners and pay a yearly fee for 2. Operate a dual herd for
the lease arrangement. This method is comparative purposes
seen as the most strategic method to 3. Use the dual herd to research farm
gain control of the farm and management practice and
implement necessary changes to bring performance
the farm to the level required to 4. Run the farm on a commercially
execute on the Strategic Development profitable basis
Plan.
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Dairy Farm KPIs Dry stock farm
The business objectives of the dry stock
KPI Current Target farm will be to:
1. Implement a Key Performance
Calving interval 395 360 Indicators (KPI’s) system for the farm
with a plan to achieve State of the Art
6 week in calf rate 51 90 standards
2. Consider education requirements
Calves per cow 0.88 1 during farm planning to ensure
mixed enterprises and stock for
Calving's per cow 2.9 4.5 demonstration.
3. Bring to a profitable status
Mortality – at birth 5 0
5
Dry stock Farm KPIs
% of heifers calved 95 100
at 22-26 months These key performance indicators are for
the period 2016 to 2021. Each category
Quantity of grass 8 14 has target incremental improvements
utilised during this period.
Days at grass 180 300
KPI Current Target
Turn out date March Feb
30th 15th
Stocking rate 0.85 1.73
Live weight 342 580
produced kg/ha
Gross output €/ha €1,023 €1,500
Variable costs €/ha €738 €538
Gross margin €/ha €285 €962
Fixed costs €/ha €1,158 €500
Net profit exclud -€873 €462
premia €/ha
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904
Investment Strategy
For MAC to implement the Strategic Demonstration areas
MAC plans to develop a number of new
Development Plan significant
investment will be required over the courses throughout the next five year
period. These courses described as
next five year period. Estimates of the
investment will be outlined here along experiential learning (apprenticeships)
with areas requiring investment. courses and various topics relating to
natural resource industries will require
Labour practical demonstration areas. As MAC
develops these courses, investment into
MAC is adequately staffed at an
operational level as staffing will vary the appropriate infrastructure will be
with the student numbers. However required. Areas identified for investment
are:
critical to success is the implementation
of a new management system with a • Student demonstration laboratories for
engineering, science, artisan foods,
new management layer between core
staff and the Pr incipal. The target in apprenticeships and research.
three years is for this new management • Student Innovation acceleration and
incubation space. This space will aid
to be shelf sufficient, however in the
meantime investment will be required to students in developing their
entrepreneurial skillsets.
finance this management structure.
• Machinery and animal demonstration
Investment per year: €150,000 units (separate purpose to the farm
operations).
Total over three years: €450,000
Investment per year: €200,000
College buildings
The college buildings need to be Total over five years: €1,000,000
upgraded to State of the Art standard as
Farms
outlined in the Infrastructure strategy
and the upgrades needed are: MAC have created five year plans for both
the dairy and dry stock farms. These plans
• Create new staff offices, work and
common areas in the upstairs space will allow MAC to take full control of the
• Upgrade all classrooms to become farms and upgrade them to the highest
possible standards. Investment is required
high standard learning spaces.
• Upgrade computer laboratories and for:
• Purchase of stock
library spaces.
• Upgrade student and staff • Implementing lease agreements
recreational and canteen space to • Upgrading of both farms to state of the
art.
modern standards.
Total over five years: €1,000,000
Investment per year: €150,000
Total over five years: €750,000
Total Investment required for MAC 2016
to 2020: €3,200,000
Mountbellew Agricultural College -
Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Est 1904 Mountbellew Agricultural College - Innovation and Learning Centre Strategic Development Plan 2016 - 2021
Mountbellew Agricultural College
Mountbellew
Co. Galway
Phone: 0909679205
Email: berniekilk@hotmail.com
Web: www.mountbellewagri.comYou can also read
