ICOS chief executive TJ Flanagan told the Irish Farmers Journal after the AGM that seven board members of seven co-ops had received training from the organisation’s new Plunkett Institute programme last winter.

Most followed a six-day training course: “They are all bespoke, with some common elements,” said Flanagan.

The latest round of training ended in January, before most farmers become busy with spring calving. The programme will continue later this year and ICOS aims to train more directors from its more than 100 member co-ops.

At the AGM, ICOS president Martin Keane called on co-ops to show leadership, especially in the context of Brexit.

“That doesn’t mean telling people what they want to hear, or pretending our problems can be made to go away,” he said, adding that training of co-op board members formed part of ICOS’s contribution to this leadership.

“Through its training programmes, mentoring, and advice on rules and governance, it is a resource and a support to co-op directors to ensure that they can exercise that leadership responsibility,” Keane said.

Consolidation

Asked about the prospects for any upcoming mergers between co-ops, Flanagan said there was “no consolidation exercise happening at the moment”, whether between dairy processors or livestock marts.

“They’re having a good year so far, with a lot of dairy stock on the ring,” he said about the marts. “They’re busy with the day-to-day business.”

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