Farmers in Teagasc-facilitated Knowledge Transfer (KT) groups will have to pay a Teagasc club fee for year two of the programme.

The Department has confirmed that under the terms and conditions of the KT programme, farmer participants are not permitted to transfer between KT groups for the duration of the programme. However, in exceptional circumstances such as where a KT facilitator is unable to complete the KT programme, a KT group may be allowed to transfer to an alternative DAFM-approved KT facilitator at the Department’s discretion. This means that for a farmer with between one and 50 livestock units they must pay the Teagasc club fee of €145. A Teagasc spokesman said in late December: “It is Teagasc policy that all KT discussion group members in any Teagasc-facilitated discussion group must be paid up clients of Teagasc.”

The spokesman said: “If a farmer is unhappy with the service provided by Teagasc, we are willing to facilitate any farmer who wishes to transfer to a non-Teagasc discussion group.” However, it has now become apparent that this is not an option.

Teagasc and private consultants are paid €500 per farmer in its KT groups by the Department of Agriculture but farmers in private KT groups are not charged any membership fee.