Leading the way forward

By Kay Kevlihan

When Nuffield Scholarship award winner Jonathan Tighe completes his research, he will belong to an elite group of 35 Irish Nuffield Scholars and an important worldwide network that promotes leadership in agriculture.

Galway man Jonathan Tighe is this year's recipient of the IFA/IFJ Nuffield Scholarship.

He is one of five 2008 award winners in Ireland. Over the next 18 months he will travel extensively to investigate management structures on farms abroad and how decisions are reached about the level of investment into these farms.

Although professionally qualified as a Chartered Accountant, Jonathan's main occupation is managing a 200 cow dairy herd in Dunmore East, Co Waterford. He also regularly helps out on the family farm in Co Galway and advises farmers on tax and investments.

Research Plan

Jonathan's research will look at when and where different ownership structures such as partnerships, companies and sole traders are used abroad in farming. "Farming in Ireland is changing and I know there are a lot of people who have joined with neighbouring farmers in partnerships. It seems to be the way things are going. This is an area I have a background in and I feel will become more important," he explained.

He is particularly interested in the use of company-like structures and how they integrate with the local national tax and agriculture legislation. He says that in Ireland the use of companies is severely restricted, primarily due to the failure of Irish agricultural policy to provide for their use.

What to invest

On a more general level Jonathan also wants to look at how farmers in other countries work out what percentage of farm profit will be reinvested on the farm.

With his accountancy background, Jonathan has always had a keen interest in financing and tax. In 1996 after qualifying as an accountant, he set up three family farm companies before milk leasing restrictions came into place. "The fact that few dairy farms had utilised companies before that time meant I learned from researching and implementing the changeover."

Jonathan has also lobbied the Department of Agriculture and the IFA to change the milk quota legislation for companies. "There is an element of fear and lack of knowledge in facilitating the use of companies in Irish agriculture. While things have improved, there is much to be learned from other jurisdictions. The benefits of being able to easily transfer and operate Irish farms as companies will be huge, especially as the size of farm profits and the frequency of farm partnership arrangements increase."

The UK will be his first destination because of the similarities of their farming systems, legal structures and their large farm holdings. "New Zealand is the next obvious place and with so much happening it's a good time to go," he said. "I heard from a friend that 180 farms were set up in the South Island in the last couple of months with an average herd size of 400-600 so there is plenty happening there to see."

Optimistic about future

Jonathan has no doubt that he will still be farming in 10 years time and he hopes to continue with his tax and accountancy service to farmers. He feels the next 10-15 years will be a great time for young people to enter the sector with the higher age profile of dairy farmers. He says the optimism that now surrounds the sector is well overdue.

Induction in Austrailia

Next month Jonathan heads to Australia along with the other four Irish scholarship recipients for a 10 day induction course. The €10,000 Nuffield scholarship will enable him to finance his study and he will undoubtedly avail of the legendary hospitality of Nuffield scholars in the countries he visits.

When his research is completed he will be required to produce an in-depth report to Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust Ireland Ltd on his findings.

Other winners of the 2008 Nuffield awards are:

Kevin Commins - Peter Daly Memorial Award

Gerard Buckley - FBD Award

James Murphy - ICOS Award

Tadgh Healy - One 51 Trust Award.