A major conference to discuss the future for farming in Ireland is taking place at Dublin Castle.
It is being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the setting up of the Agricultural Research Institute, which now forms part of Teagasc.
For the past half century, the State has been funding a network of farm and food research centres around the country.
Originally, this research was carried out by the Agricultural Institute, founded in 1958.
This body later merged with the nationwide farm advisory service when Teagasc was set up in the 1980s.
The research of the past 50 years is credited with providing a strong scientific foundation for modern agriculture and the dynamic food industry in Ireland today.
This morning, delegates tried to project where farming will be in 2030 and how researchers can help the sector in the years ahead.
