Scroll down through the timetable to see which ones interests you.

Timetable of events for the main stage

Irish Farmers Journal and friends 11am to 12pm

We welcome the Irish Farmers Journal team and colleagues from the sector to the stage to discuss the career opportunities throughout the agri sector.

Chair:

Justin McCarthy (Irish Farmers Journal).

Speakers:

Jack Kennedy (Irish Farmers Journal).

John Fitzgerald (Bank of Ireland).

Eoin Lowry (Irish Farmers Journal).

Stan Lalor (Grassland Agro).

Caitriona Murphy (Irish Farmers Journal).

Deirdre O’Shea (Agri Aware).

The apprenticeship route 12pm to 12.30pm.

Doing an apprenticeship in an area that you love can lead to a great career. Working your way to the top with a strong understanding of what makes the business tick right throughout is possible. We welcome guests to the stage who will tell that story.

Chair:

James Maloney (Irish Farmers Journal).

Speakers:

Trevor Tyrrell (CLAAS).

William Judge (AGCO).

Dr Patrick Carney (IT Tralee).

A day in the life 12.30pm to 12.40pm

As eir announces its intention to hire 50 new apprentices, we take a look at what an apprentice in eir actually does day to day.

Chair:

James Maloney (Irish Farmers Journal).

Speakers:

Ronan McDermott (open eir).

John Dillon (open eir).

Andrew Shorten (CLAAS).

A career that feeds the travel bug 12.40pm to 1.10pm.

We all get a touch of the travel bug from time to time. For some, it never leaves us. A career in agriculture can feed that travel bug. Our stage will host leaders in the sector who have travelled the world through their work while also building an exceptional career in the agricultural industry.

Chair:

Eoin Lowry (Irish Farmers Journal).

Speakers:

Robbie Walker (Keenan Alltech).

Jeanne Kelly (Ornua).

Successful families 1.10pm to 1.45pm

The Whyte family from the Naul have a story to tell that won’t be found elsewhere. Seven sons farming together and followed closely by the next generation with seven cousins now making the place tick. The ethos and work ethic of the business is an inspiration to all involved in the agricultural sector.

Chair:

Andy Doyle (Irish Farmers Journal).

Speakers:

Whyte family members take to the stage.

Farm to business 1.45pm to 2.15pm

Added value is a term used by many and delivered by a few. This is an opportunity to hear from farmers who are adding value to their produce and driving their businesses from strength to strength.

Chair:

Mairead Lavery (Irish Farmers Journal).

Speakers:

Colm Connolly (Rucksnacks).

Martina Calvey (Achill Mountain Lamb).

Mags Kirwan (Goatsbridge Trout Farm).

Billions in by-products 2.45pm to 3.15pm

Some will be surprised by the products discussed, the distance that these products travel how the sales process works and how some business link into different cultures and how others depend solely on our own. We will meet people who have built relationships, product lines, careers and successful businesses in the by-products sector.

Chair:

Phelim O’Neill.

Speakers:

Paul Daly (Irish Casings).

Sean McNamara (ABC Nutritionals).

Rory Fanning (Slaney Foods).

MacGyver disguised as a farmer 3.15pm to 3.45pm

All small business owners need to be problem-solvers. But none need this skill as much as the farmer. They are a vet, an accountant, an engineer, a mechanic, an environmentalist, a nutritionist, an agronomist, a HR manager, the list goes on and on. How do they maneouvre their way through these challenges on an annual basis?

Chair:

Jack Kennedy (Irish Farmers Journal).

Speakers:

Anne Marie Butler (Ulster Bank).

Billy Curtain (dairy).

Chris McCarthy (beef).

Connected Ireland 3.45pm to 4.15pm

As open eir begins to roll out high-speed broadband across rural Ireland, the “Connected Ireland” forum will examine the importance of connectivity, its power to transform areas of rural Irish life including farming, the rural economy, education, health delivery, home entertainment and home working. Panellists will include leading figures from rural Ireland who have been amongst the first to benefit from open eir’s rural broadband rollout.

Chair:

Orlagh Nevin (open eir).

Speakers:

Tara McCarthy (Bord Bia).

Philip King (southwindblows).

Vanessa Tierney (Abodoo).

Ag tech 4.15pm to 4.45pm

Welcoming our judges from the Ag Tech hub to the main stage to outline what they see as requirements for a successful company in the Ag Tech space. They will announce the winners of the Ag Tech showcase.

Chair:

Peter Young (Irish Farmers Journal).

Beefing up your potential 4.45pm to 5.15pm

The suckler cow has often been referred to as the wealth generator of rural Ireland. Is the sector under pressure? Is the suckler cow under pressure? Where is the opportunity in the sector? This session welcomes farmers and those depending on farmers for their career to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Chair:

Adam Woods.

Speakers:

John Heslin (Teagasc).

Liam Delaney (beef).

Richard Dudgeon (Alltech).

Careers in an expanding sector 5.15pm to 5.45pm

Projections suggest that there will be at least 5,000 extra jobs on farms by 2025 in the expanding dairy sector. This is in addition to jobs supporting dairy farming; in milk processing, service providers and farm inputs. The stage will tell the story of farmers and processors who are excited about the future and what it holds. It will outline where the career opportunities will arise, from farm level right through to the end product.

Chair:

Aidan Brennan.

Speakers:

Seamus Quigley (dairy farmer).

Paidi Kelly (Teagasc).

Adrian Beatty (Dairygold).

Close of conference

Justin McCarthy and Orlagh Nevin (open eir).