More than two years after the launch of the Government’s Knowledge Transfer (KT) Programme, farmers and farm lobby groups are raising significant questions about the scheme.

Chief among concerns is that the jointly-funded initiative – involving monies from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the National Exchequer – has become a “money-spinning exercise” for some involved in the programme.

Although farmers receive substantial payments to attend Knowledge Transfer groups, additional costs associated with participation have directed some farmers towards the door.

Facilitators who complete all of the requirements of the programme receive a payment of €500 per participant for each year of the three-year programme; while farmer participants who complete all of the necessary requirements receive a payment of €750 per annum.

However, farmers that are not clients of Teagasc – the programme’s main facilitator – must also incur additional membership fees in order to participate in the groups, along with other supplementary costs in some cases.

Last March, it was revealed more than €10 million had been paid to farmers to date under the KT scheme – while an additional €6.7 million had been paid to KT facilitators so far.

It is understood that, out of approximately 20,200 applicants, almost 19,100 farmers have actively participated in year one of the programme – attending a range of KT group meetings, KT-approved national events and completing farm improvement plans, profit monitors and animal health measures.

AgriLand has posed a series of questions below in a bid to understand reader views of the KT scheme.

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