• FRS Co-Op oversaw and managed the Irish Soil Expert Consortium to deliver the nationwide Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme
• More than 145,000 soil samples were taken from 10,500 Irish farms over a two-year period, with independent quality assurance provided by Teagasc
• Using its expertise in ‘People & Technology’, FRS Co-Op developed a bespoke IT infrastructure for the programme and scaled a nationwide team of 85 dedicated staff to complete the soil sampling programme

FRS Co-Op, the multi-sector co-op that specialises in people and technology, is pleased to announce that work on Ireland’s largest ever Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme, which saw the collection, processing and analysis of more than 145,000 soil samples over a two-year period, has now been completed.

The results of the national Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme, which was carried out on more than 10,500 Irish farms between 2024 and 2025, will provide the largest ever nationwide database of soil nutrients and soil carbon levels in the history of the state.

This new database will help inform key actions to reduce carbon emissions in Irish agriculture in line with the sectors legally binding 2030 targets as set out under the government’s Climate Action Plan, including reducing fertiliser usage, enhancing biodiversity and improving water quality. The Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme will also provide data to monitor Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) on farms.

FRS Co-Op was appointed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in December 2023 to lead and manage the Irish Soil Expert Consortium (ISEC), which also included three accredited Irish laboratories, Southern Scientific Services, FBA Laboratories and Dairygold Analytical Services Laboratory, while independent quality assurance of both soil sampling and soil analysis was provided by Teagasc.

FRS Co-Op oversaw and managed ISEC for past two years, ensuring that the rollout of the nationwide Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme was delivered on time and to the highest standards.

As part of the contract, FRS Co-Op developed a bespoke IT system for the input, processing and analysis of all soil samples collected as part of the nationwide programme. The company then mobilised a specialised recruitment and development team to source, onboard and train 10 dedicated coordinators to lead a nationwide team of 75 soil sample collectors.

Field teams worked in partnership with farmers to schedule visits, ask pre-sampling questions (e.g. slurry spreading times, soil conditions, feasibility of land for sampling), and collect composite samples.

Coordinators operated out of Roscrea in Co Tipperary, ensuring that all soil samples were received within a 72-hour turnaround from field to laboratory. Each sample was tagged with a barcode and matched to the farmer’s land parcel (LPIS), ensuring full traceability from farm to lab. All soil samples were then delivered to one of the three approved laboratories operated by Southern Scientific Services, FBA Laboratories and Dairygold Analytical Services Laboratory.

The results of the nationwide Soil Sampling Programme will help inform future government policy decisions to reduce emissions in Irish agriculture and also help farmers make informed decisions around soil health, fertiliser application and soil carbon monitoring.

Colin Donnery, Group CEO of FRS Co-Op, said:

“As part of our growth strategy in FRS Co-Op, we are combining our extensive expertise in people and technology to offer bespoke and innovative solutions for large-scale projects across multiple sectors and disciplines.

“The nationwide Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme is a perfect example of that expertise in action, where FRS Co-Op managed the ISEC expert group to co-ordinate and roll-out a nationwide soil sampling programme. From a standing start, our delivery teams designed a custom technology platform for the collection and analysis of soil sample data from over 10,500 Irish farms, while simultaneously using our expertise in people recruitment to resource a nationwide team of soil sample collectors.

“The results of the nationwide Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme will provide the largest ever nationwide database of soil health and nutrient information in the history of the state, allowing farmers and policymakers to make informed decisions to improve the sustainability and resilience of Irish farming, while also helping to reduce carbon emissions on farms.”