A group of west Cork dairy farmers has initiated the first machinery-sharing co-operative in Ireland.

Machinery sharing has been around a long time but the twist with this new initiative is the farmers have formed a co-op. The co-op buys the machine and the farmers hire it from the co-op.

A rule book has been drafted and new rules from the Department of Agriculture are allowing the co-op to draw down grant aid for the investment.

For the last three months, the farmers have been sharing a slurry tank, the first machine purchased in the co-op.

Collaboration

This is the first such initiative in Ireland, backed and developed by Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS). These three organisations bring the State support to collaboration and sharing of machinery.

Individually, the four farmers said they couldn’t justify the investment in a new slurry tank with trailing shoe. However, collectively, they could justify a top-of-the-range slurry tank with lots of added features that make the job easier, safer and more environmentally friendly.

The basic structure of the model is that the co-op purchases the slurry tanker, the farmers put forward 20% of the purchase price as share capital and the balance of the purchase price is borrowed. The farmers pay the co-op for usage.

The west Cork farmers purchased a slurry tank manufactured by OBE, borrowed money from Bank of Ireland, created a co-op with ICOS, drafted and adapted a new rule book with Teagasc and got grant aid from the Department of Agriculture.

After some French exchange students worked in Ireland, the Kilnamartyra discussion group decided to visit France to understand and learn about machinery sharing.

Over 50% of French farmers are part of a machinery sharing co-op.

See more on pages 2-3.