Knowledge Transfer Programme uptake falls 25% short
In the Beef sector, 10,072 farmers are registered, along with 4,258 in Dairy (nearly one dairy farmer in four) 4,310 in Sheep, 885 in Tillage, 248 in Poultry, and 479 in Equine.
In the Dail, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said 1,112 Knowledge Transfer Groups have been approved. Staff in his Department are liaising with facilitators to finalise outstanding groups and to process a number of query and appeal cases.
Groups will run for a three-year period from June, 2016.
The deadline for registration was extended to 14 July in order to allow further time for facilitators to finalise arrangements for their groups.
The Minister was responding to a question from Fianna Fail agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue, TD.
The Knowledge Transfer Programme has a funding allocation within the Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020 of €100m.
Payments will commence to participants in 2017, with €25m allocated.
