This article is from page 37 of the 2007-09-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 37 JPG
TEAGASC has decided to change the way it delivers its advisory serv- ice, in an effort, it says, to meet the changing needs of modern farmers. Successive recent agricultural policy reforms have provided the oppor- tunity to shift the future develop- ment of farm businesses away from scheme-driven income to a more market-based business.
The new advisory service, For Bet- ter Farming, was launched by Tea- gasc last week.
“This new service is built around four distinct programmes — business and technology, good farm practice, rural development and adult train- ing,’ said Pat Boyle, head of advisory in Teagasc.
“The Business and Technology Programme will deliver cutting-edge technology to commercial farmers, bringing the best knowledge from the applied research carried out at Teagasc research centres onto dairy, drystock and tillage farms.
“Increased specialisation among our advisors will provide our farm- er clients with the information and knowledge to increase their profits by adopting new production tech- niques onto their farms.
“Dedicated business and technol- ogy advisors, supported by a national eroup of enterprise specialists, will focus on improving farm businesses by challenging the status quo and increasing the uptake of technology onto farms.”
The new service will be delivered
through Teagasc’s nationwide office network, which is organised into 18 area units, to allow Teagasc to pro- vide a local service to all our custom- ers, regardless of location.
The Business and Technology Pro- gramme will be delivered by 78 spe- cialist dairy advisors, 32 cattle and sheep advisors, and 15 tillage advi- SOrs.
The four programme areas will provide a full range of services to farmers meeting the diverse needs of our customers.
“European and world agricultural policy is continuously changing and evolving, presenting new challenges and opportunities for farmers, and for organisations like Teagasc that provide services to them,” said Tom Kirley, acting director of Teagasc.
“We have had milk quotas for nearly 25 years, but a major change is expected as part of the 2008 health check of the CAP.
“Tt is 15 years since the McSharry reforms brought in a whole new raft of schemes.
“The Fischler reform has already confined many of these schemes to history with the introduction of the Single Farm Payment but others like REPS, farm retirement and forestry remain and will continue to have a major influence on Irish farms”, he continued.
“The new advisory service an- nounced today by Teagasc equips us to provide the best possible service to farmers in these changing times, and to assist the future development Ome Detour haw leuinelnomee