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Some 1,016 students enrolled in distance Green Cert courses last year, according to Teagasc’s Annual Report.
It marked a 31% jump in the number of enrolments compared to 2016 and indicates that an increasing number of mature students are taking up the course.
However, there was also a 10% drop in the number of students enrolled in higher-level full-time courses, with just 451 enrolments in 2017.
Director of Teagasc Gerry Boyle said that part of the reason behind the dip in full-time enrolments was due to the improvement in the overall economy, with people opting to take up jobs in sectors outside agriculture.
We’re at the maximum in terms of our capability for handling the part-time students
However, he pointed to the growing demand for part-time and distance courses as an area of concern.
“We’re at the maximum in terms of our capability for handling the part-time students and distant education, there’s a big waiting list behind that.
“We had about 400 last year in the regular part-time programme, about a 1,000 or more in the distance education. I’d say now there are a couple of thousand waiting for places.
“We have a capacity problem to some extent in terms of teachers. We had a difficulty a number of years ago and the Minister permitted us to take on additional contract staff and that alleviated the situation.
To maintain seven colleges around the country is a huge overhead
“Now those contracts are coming to a conclusion shortly and we’ll have to see if we can persuade the minister again that there is still a backlog.
“There’s big challenge in the northeast of the country, it seems to be a big demand area there and we’re going to have to renew some of the contract staff definitely.”
With just a year left before contracts end, Boyle said it was crucial to maintain enrolments in the coming years.
“To maintain seven colleges around the country is a huge overhead so obviously increased numbers are essential to justify investment,” Boyle said.
Fodder
The Teagasc director also highlighted the difficult year farmers had in 2018. The report showed that over 70% of dairy farmers had received an income of over €50,000 last year, but with mounting bills facing every sector the relatively good year of 2017 would be used to pay for a costly 2018.
A second national Teagasc survey is currently underway, with the previous survey pointing to an average 28% deficit on farms.
Boyle said that the situation had improved with the onset of grass growth in some regions but stated that some farmers were still facing huge deficits, with some unable to even countenance getting second cuts of silage after the drought period.
As previously reported in the Irish Farmers Journal, Teagasc maintained their overall income of €187m, paying out €74m in salaries and receiving almost €12m from farmers in advisory fees.
Chair
A new chair will shortly be appointed to Teagasc and speaking at what he acknowledged would be his last annual report in the role, Dr Noel Cawley said that he was extremely proud to be part of the work Teagasc had done during his last 10 years as chair.
He said he had always been particularly impressed by the organisation worked in an “open and transparent” manner, and wasn’t afraid to shy away from difficult topics in agriculture.
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