The Knowledge Transfer Programme is included in Ireland's Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020. While the RDP envisages the training of 27,000 farmers over the period to 2020, no specific target was set in relation to the number of groups to be formed. 20,252 farmer applications have now been registered for the scheme. These are broken down between the sectors in the following table:
|
-
|
Total
|
Beef
|
Dairy
|
Sheep
|
Tillage
|
Poultry
|
Equine
|
|
Number of Participants Applied
|
20,252
|
10,072
|
4,258
|
4,310
|
885
|
248
|
479
|
To date, 1,112 Knowledge Transfer Groups have been approved with a small number deemed ineligible. Staff in my Department are currently liaising with facilitators to finalise outstanding groups and to process a number of query and appeal cases.
Groups will run for a 3 year period from June, 2016. In common with other measures under the RDP, monitoring of targets and associated budgets is ongoing over the life of the Programme, in conjunction with the annual estimates process.
The deadline for registration was extended to 14 July in order to allow further time for facilitators to finalise arrangements for their groups.
