DEAR SIR: I attended Dairy Day on Tuesday last. I enjoyed my day and the break from the hustle and bustle of everyday farm life.

I didn’t arrive in Punchestown until 11.45am because, like most other dairy farmers, I had to do the milking and other morning chores on the farm. I didn’t leave home until 10.15am and I live in Co Cavan, so it was quite a long journey to get there.

Upon entering the event I enquired about signing in for my Knowledge Transfer (KT) programme, only to be told that the Department facilitated KT signatures from 8.30am until 10.30am.

This in my opinion is absolutely ridiculous. An event aimed solely at dairy farmers and the Department official was gone by 10.30am at the latest.

This may be okay for a farmer living in Punchestown or the immediate area, there wasn’t too much consideration for any KT participants living in Cavan, Kerry or Donegal, or any other county far away from Kildare.

Does the Department of Agriculture expect us dairy farmers to milk the cows, do our work, travel to Punchestown and still arrive in the door before 10.30am?

Maybe for future events common sense might kick in and some consideration is shown for the KT participants by allocating a more sensible time and length of time for them to sign in.

I hope this email will be taken seriously and printed in next week’s Irish Farmers Journal so that other farmers can express their opinion on the matter.

Thank you.

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