An Agri-Showcase, set to focus on the challenges facing young farmers, will take place in the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) tomorrow, Wednesday, March 29.
The first public Agri-Showcase run by GMIT will take place on the Galway campus from 12pm to 4.30pm.
Open to the general public, the event has been organised by third-year degree students in both the ‘Rural Enterprise and Agri-Business’ and ‘Agriculture and Environment Management’ courses.
A talk on the challenges and opportunities facing young farmers will be given by the keynote speaker, the IFA President Joe Healy.
A number of industry personnel will deliver presentations including Dr. Mary Ryan, Teagasc’s Economic Advisor; Kevin Moran, Dairy Farmer and FBD Young Farmer of the Year; Ronan Byrne, The Friendly Farmer and Aisling Meehan, an Agricultural Solicitor.
There will also be a farm safety officer taking part in the event, who will deliver a workshop on tractor safety.
Information will also be available on GMIT programmes on Agriculture and Environment Management, Rural Enterprise and Agri-Business, as well as the new Bachelor of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering which commences in September of this year.
Triggering of Article 50
The event has coincided with the triggering of Article 50 and the beginning of the formal negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, Event Organiser and Lecturer in Marketing at GMIT, Lorna Moynihan, said.
“Joe Healy, President of the IFA, will discuss the impact of this landmark ruling on Ireland’s farming communities.
“The free talks take place from 2pm in Theatre 1000 on the main Galway campus. This event is about showcasing our long-running agriculture programmes which we offer at both level 7 and level 8,” she said.
Meanwhile, the various speakers will offer views from different farming backgrounds and enterprises, Michelle Divilly, a third-year agri-student from Monivea, Co. Galway, said.
“They’ll be giving an insight into their farms and how the current issues in the farming sector affect them,” she added.