Dairy farmers are now doing the business in college

BUSINESS leadership, strategy and organising – these are the invaluable skills which are now being infused into 20 dairy farmers, plucked from the farmyard into the lecture halls of University College Cork.

They are part of the continuing effort by ICOS, UCC and Enterprise Ireland to fashion farmer directors of dairy co-operatives and co-operative PLCs, equipped to play more influential and effective roles in their businesses.

The latest director development programme specifically tailored for dairy co-operatives has just been launched. It is being run by Mike Feeney, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland. Speaking at the launch he said a major focus of the programme will be the strategic analysis of the dairy industry.

He said Abbott Laboratories’ recent 88 million investment in their plant in Cootehill, Co Cavan, is recognition of the excellent reputation for quality and dependability of Irish dairy co-operatives.

The one-year farmers’ course he launched includes communications skills and technology, strategic analysis, planning and business development and corporate governance.

Dairy product and process developments and innovations, international food marketing and global trade policy, financial analysis, leadership, decision making, human resource management, organisation structure and design are included.

During an overseas workshop of five days, international dairy markets will be studied, and there will be site visits to processing plants, retail outlets and meetings with directors and executive management from US co-operatives.

Participants will also complete a research project, relevant to their own co-operative, on a topic of their choice.

Seamus O’Donohoe, Programme Manager, ICOS, said, “We hope that the course will allow farmer directors play a more influential and effective role in making their businesses more competitive through the development and refinement of their board management skills”.

Over the last ten years, ICOS has continued to expand its specialist development services for farmer directors of dairy co-operatives and PLCs. Over the same period, the UCC Faculties of Commerce and Food Science and Technology have developed and delivered a series of diploma programmes targeted at senior managers in the food drink and tobacco sector.

This collaborative programme is the second such venture between the ICOS and UCC. Twenty-four graduated from the in October.