Cork County Committee of Agriculture

Context

Creator(s): Cork County Committee of Agriculture

• Administrative History ↴

  Cork County Committee of Agriculture was established and appointed by Cork County Council in December 1901, with full powers delegated to it, under the Agriculture and Technical Instruction Act 1899. Local authorities were given the power to levy rates on agricultural land for investment in the development of agriculture and rural industries. Financed by this levy, the county committees of agriculture were tasked with providing technical instruction to farmers and stimulating rural industry, under the general auspices of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction in Dublin. From about 1904, the Committee administered an agricultural education scheme for the benefit of farmers and small holders in Cork, employing 5 instructors to advice on all matters connected with stock-keeping, crop-raising, purchase of manures and feeding stuffs. In the winter, lectures were delivered and classes provided. An additional 4 itinerant instructors were employed for horticulture and beekeeping, and instruction on poultry keeping and dairying was provided by a number of trained female instructors, who as well as lecturing and giving demonstrations, visited farms on request. In 1906, the Committee consisted of all the members of Cork County Council, plus 28 other appointees including landowners such as George Culturist and R. Bench Jones. With the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, key functions of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction were retained, including the County Committees of Agriculture. Legislation over the years impacted on the work of the Committees, such as the Agricultural Act 1931, which strengthened their position, requiring them to administer local agricultural schemes. The 1931 Act also reduced the size of committees, which were not to exceed 32 members. Each electoral area was to have no more than 3 or 4 representatives on the committee. From this time, each county committee was given the responsibility to establish a farm advisory service. In 1935, the Committee consisted of about 24 County Councillors plus 8 other appointees including Professor C. Boyle, U.C.C, and E. J. Cussed, Secretary of the Farmers Union. In later years a Chief Agricultural Officer (CAO) with an advisory staff had responsibility for implementing the farm advisory programme in each county. The CAO reported to the County Agricultural Committee at monthly meetings. All staff were employed by the Committees of Agriculture. The cost of the service was split between the County Council and Dept of Agriculture. Staff numbers, qualifications and appointments were all subject to the approval of the Minister of Agriculture. Recruitment and promotions were processed by the Local Appointments Commission up to 2004. The Committee provided scholarships to the Munster Dairy School and Agricultural Institute, Model Farm Road, Cork, where pupils obtained qualifications in fields such as poultry keeping and butter making, qualifications which enabled them to seek employment as county agricultural instructors under the schemes administered by the County Committee. The Committee was also tasked with providing subsidies to agricultural shows held within the county. In 1977, the objectives of the Committee were described in the minutes as working for better farming, leading to better incomes, and better living standards, for farmers in the county. 1980 saw the establishment of An Chomhairle Oiliúna Talmhaíochta (ACOT) (the Agricultural Training Council) and a reduction in the responsibilities of County Committees of Agriculture. Their new role involved monitoring the work of ACOT at local level, and organising educational and advisory programmes within their counties, programmes which were to be approved by ACOT. In 1988 ACOT was amalgamated with An Foras Talúntais (AFT) (the Agricultural Research Institute, a body established in 1958 to conduct agricultural research). This resulted in the formation of a new organisation, Teagasc, which remains in operation today. The formation of Teagasc saw the disestablishment of Ireland’s County Committees of Agriculture for which there was no longer a role. Teagasc provides advice, education, training and research services to the agriculture and food industry.

• Archival History ↴

  Donated to Archives in 2009 by Teagasc, Farranlea Road, Cork.

• Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

  Donation