For the third year in a row the winner of the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year Award went to the west, and for the second year in a row the winner came from Mountbellew Agricultural College.

Edward Payne from Ballyroe, Co Roscommon, was given the 2014 title out of a pool of 800 students who completed Level 6 and REC part-time Green Cert agricultural training programmes with Teagasc last year.

Payne told the Irish Farmers Journal that he was “chuffed” with the award and that he is more used to being awarded on the sports field than in the classroom.

“I’m delighted that Mountbellew asked me to go forward and I’m delighted it is getting it twice in a row. I’ve been a student in a good few things, but never student of the year.”

Edward jointly runs the family farm with his father. It was originally a suckler and sheep enterprise, but the Paynes converted to dairy and purchased 140 dairy heifers. The farm has now expanded to 260 cows. Edward’s goal is to establish another dairy farm in the next five years.

Payne was one of 13 finalists who attended the awards ceremony at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday. Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney addressed the finalists.

“You’re the top gun of agriculture and farming now. You’re top of the class, the new generation coming through and people will look to you,” said the Minister.

He also asked parents to be generous in terms of handing over responsibility on the farm, noting these young farmers are receiving the status they are receiving for a reason.

Director of Teagasc, Prof Gerry Boyle noted that a recent Teagasc study found that farmers with an agricultural education consistently had a higher farm income per hectare and better farm outcomes in terms of output and farming intensity.

Such findings put to bed the sentiment Minister Coveney said was present during his 10 years in opposition, when “people were talking about how many agricultural colleges would have to close”.

Prof Boyle also noted that Teagasc will in the short term be comprehensively reviewing the existing Level 5 and Level 6 suite of agricultural awards.

“There is a challenge to ensure that curricula and programmes are fit for purpose and adaptive to differing needs,” he said.