Clonmel has emerged as the overall winner at the .IE Digital Town Awards 2023 for a project created to help farmers use farm technology.
The prize of €10,000 was awarded to Clonmel as the judges determined that the project was the best in the competition for contributing to the betterment of the town and its citizens.
The Smart Skills for Farming Communities project was developed in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary to help farmers use new technologies to make their work easier, save time and money as well as improving the sustainability and profitability of their farm.
Award winners
Clonmel also won the Agri-tech category for the pilot project with the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Teagasc and Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), and was awarded the prize of €6,000.
The Agri-tech category was created to select the project that is best at aiming to improve farming by using digital technology to improve efficiency and profitability.
The total prize winnings won by Clonmel was €16,000, with the prize money intended to help towns develop digitally.
Oonagh McCutcheon, national director for the programme, said the awards were created in 2021 to encourage the uptake and use of internet and digital technologies for businesses, citizens and communities.
Farmers using technology
The Smart Skills for Farming Communities project addresses the problem of 60% of farmers reporting that there are barriers to digital training and supports.
These problems are dealt with by providing very practical digital training in areas that include:
- Soil fertility technology;
- Grassland management technology;
- Tech for time and labour saving;
- Farm management systems and useful apps.
This project addresses the digital skills gap among farmers and helps them access digital technologies that hold the key for a smarter, more competitive and resource-efficient agricultural sector.
The .IE Digital Town Awards winners for 2023 were announced at a gala event at the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone, Co. Westmeath.