14 July 2023

New Knowledge Transfer Programme open

Details of a new three year Knowledge Transfer (KT) Programme, which will be delivered by a network of approved KT facilitators, was today, July 14th, announced by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The new programme, which offers reimbursement rates of €750/participant/year, requires participants to attend eight KT meetings – four of which involve priority topics – annually, and complete a one-to-one meeting with their KT facilitator each year. As part of this meeting, a goal setting, evaluation/assessment exercise must be completed.

Building on the previous KT Programme, its objectives are to provide support for high quality and targeted advice, while also delivering knowledge and targeted skills to farmers. The programme aims to increase participant’s understanding of topics such as: biodiversity; water quality; air quality; climate change; soil health; animal health and welfare; farm management; integrated approaches to farming and forestry; digital and smart technologies; research and innovation; EIP-AGRI operational group developments; financial management; and succession planning.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D, and Minister of State, Martin Heydon T.D., today announced the opening of the Knowledge Transfer Programme under Ireland’s 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan.

Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted to open the new Knowledge Transfer (KT) Programme, another important milestone in the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This new Programme will foster knowledge exchange and innovation between advisors, farmers and other stakeholders and will play a crucial role in helping farmers meet current and future challenges.”

Minister Heydon, who has special responsibility for farm safety, said: “The new KT Programme will provide an important avenue to support farmers to access information across a wide range of topics including environmental sustainability, digital and smart technologies, and succession planning.

“I am particularly pleased that farm health, safety and wellbeing has been included as a priority topic in the new programme. Peer learning is a powerful driver of behavioural change and has been shown to be an effective method of improving safety on farms. This ensures the programme covers not only economic and environmental sustainability but also social sustainability on farms.”

More details on the KT Programme are available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s website. Expressions of Interest to act as a Knowledge Transfer (KT) Facilitator from FAS approved advisors are accepted online via www.agfood.ie by Friday 1 September 2023. If approved, the KT Facilitator will be invited to submit an application for a Knowledge Transfer Group and nominate the Group Participants on the online KT System by 31 October 2023.