The overall mission or objective of the Trust is to improve and develop all aspects of Irish agricultural and rural life.
It is a philanthropic Trust that supports worthy causes in Irish agricultural life. While some of the stated objects of the Trust are accorded less priority nowadays, many of the Trust objectives have a relevance and a benefit to today’s agribusiness sector and to the rural community at large.
The objects of the Trust are as follows:
- To finance any company or society having for its objects the conducting of periodical paper devoted to the interests of agricultural co-operation
- To promote develop and improve the industry of agriculture in Ireland
- To found rural clubs, to set up agricultural shows, agricultural classes, schools, research stations, demonstration farms or model dairies, or similar institutions and to conduct investigations in relation thereto and generally in relation to agriculture and to establish credit societies
- To promote and encourage the growth and development of the co-operative movement in Ireland and particularly the formation of co-operative societies
- To promote research in the theory and practice of agricultural and in the sciences ancillary to agriculture
- To make grants or loans to and otherwise assist co-operatives societies in the conduct of their ordinary business and to enable them to expand or undertake new branches of the industry or trade
- To make grants or loans or otherwise assist any society, club or movement which the Trustees may consider useful to the interests of agriculture or ancillary rural industry
- To make grants by way of bonuses, gratuities or pensions to members and ex-members of any agricultural society and to the dependants of deceased members or ex-members of any agricultural society in the absolute discretion of the Trustees
- To promote in any way the Trustees see fit, the work of any agricultural society operating in Ireland
- To provide and aid in the provision of halls, schools, recreation centres, gardens, parks and the like, which may be deserving of such aid
- To aid members of such Institutions as aforesaid and to provide facilities for them for recreation and cultural by means of lectures, competitions exhibitions and musical or other entertainment