Royal Ag College invests £1.2m in research hub

The Royal Agricultural College (RAC) is investing £1.2m to build a new agricultural centre of excellence on its farm in Cirencester.

The RAC Harnhill Centre will be an “important development for the agricultural sector”, investing in education, research and innovation in farming, say college leaders.

The college has received planning permission to restore a barn into a “knowledge hub” for agriculture.

Work to build the centre will begin next month after Cotswold District Council gave the project the go-ahead, with a launch planned for the end of the year.

The main objective of the centre is the improvement and welfare of British agriculture through education, training and knowledge.

Students undertaking applied research and farming businesses involved in agricultural production will be able to use the facility to share cutting-edge knowledge.

It will provide a major new on-farm resource for the wider rural sector and the local community, including classrooms, offices, a demonstration area, community space and meeting rooms.

As an extension to the college’s existing Outreach programme, primary and secondary schoolchildren will benefit from the centre. They will be invited to events to give them an insight into university life and a deeper understanding of agriculture and food production.

RAC principal Chris Gaskell said: “The ambitions for the Harnhill Centre underpin the Royal Agricultural College’s goal to play a role in meeting the challenges of sustainably feeding a growing global population while stimulating growth, diverse employment opportunities and economic activity in rural areas.”

The project has received funding from the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust.

The college has owned Harnhill Farm since 2009, having already farmed the land for a number of years as tenant farmers. The 235ha operation is run as a commercial business while providing a focal point for academic studies and research.

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