There will be a number of seminars taking place next week on the topics of farm finance and agribusiness employer training in various parts of the country.

These separate seminars are being organised by Ulster Bank and Macra Young Farmer Skillnet respectively.

‘Building Capabilities’ seminar

Ulster Bank will host an agri-finance seminar focusing on building capabilities in the agriculture sector.

It aims to provide meaningful help for farmers in Kilkenny and the south-east, who are planning for the rest of 2018 and beyond.

The seminar will take place on Wednesday April 25 from 10:30am to 2:00pm in Kilkenny; lunch will be provided.

The event will bring a panel of local farmers and leaders in industry innovation together to explore and discuss strategies to build capabilities and manage change on farms.

Speakers at the event include:
  • Pat Deering, TD and chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine;
  • Dr. Ailish Byrne, senior agriculture manager, Ulster Bank;
  • PJ O’Keeffe, a dairy farmer from Callan, Co Kilkenny, and Macra Young Farmer of the Year 2017;
  • Pat Fitzgerald, of Fitzgerald Nurseries, Stoneyford, Kilkenny
  • Emer Kearney, a dairy farmer from Waterford;
  • Stephen Trant, agriculture business development manager, Ulster Bank.

Entitled the Ulster Bank Building Capabilities Seminar, the course will be held in the Dunmore Room, at Newpark Hotel, Castlecomer Road, Kilkenny.

Agribusiness employer seminar

Meanwhile, a half-day seminar for employers in Irish agri businesses – focusing on hiring, managing and retaining employees – will also take place in two locations around the country next week.

The seminars, which are run by Macra Young Farmer Skillnet, will be open to all types of business – from small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to international companies.

Guest speaker at the events will be Nollaig Heffernan of Heffernan Consultancy, who will address staff management, recruitment and retention.

The Macra Young Farmer Skillnet team will speak about the benefits of investing in staff training and how to avail of the subsidized courses tailored to your business.

The two identical seminars will take place on:
  • Tuesday, April 24, from 9:30am to 1:00pm at the Cork Mart, Fermoy, Co. Cork;
  • Thursday, April 26, from 9.30am – 1.00pm at the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Co. Roscommon.

The cost for the seminar, which includes lunch, is €35.