Demand for Green Certificate courses has surged in recent months as young farmers scramble for limited places.

The hunger for formal agricultural qualifications has been high since they were made a requirement to access certain tax reliefs and schemes.

COVID-19 has seen many young people and working professionals return home to farm, driving demand for the course.

Teagasc is reporting stronger demand compared to the same period last year, while a college in the west of Ireland filled 200 places on its course within six minutes, with over 1,000 people interested. Another independent provider, FarmEd, has also filled its entire quota of 120 places for 2021.