Hundreds of farmers attended the CAFRE meeting on the new Business Development Groups at Enniskillen Campus on Tuesday evening (01/12/2015).
The Farm Business Development Groups are the first scheme launched under the new Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.
Don Morrow and William Johnston, CAFRE Advisers, presented details of the scheme which closes for applications on Monday, December 14.
(Source – Impartial Reporter – Brian Donaldson – 05/12/2015)
Farmers attending the CAFRE meeting about Business Development Groups in Enniskillen
RDP Business Development Groups
Knowledge transfer through Business Development Groups (BDG) is a new scheme which will be funded through the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme. The scheme will use a group approach to improve the technical efficiency of farm businesses and will also offer participants the opportunity to gain a level 3 qualification.
How will Business Development Groups work?
Discussion groups have been used throughout the world, in all agricultural sectors, as a way to improve farm business performance. They provide a forum for peer learning, sharing ideas and an opportunity to keep up-to-date with new technology.
Each BDG will comprise of 15 – 20 like-minded farmers who will meet up to eight times a year to focus on the topics agreed by the group. The group will be facilitated by a CAFRE Development Advisor and activities will include on-farm meetings, demonstrations and skills training.
Farmers participating in the scheme will benchmark their business to identify areas that have the potential to be improved. A business development plan will be created to identify the actions to be taken to improve the technical efficiency of the business and improve the sustainability of the farm.
As participants work to improve the efficiency of their businesses, they will be awarded credits that will build towards gaining a level 3 qualification.
What are the benefits to Farmers?
- a clear development plan for your business
- improve your profitability
- keep up to date with the latest technologies
- access to a CAFRE Development Adviser
- option to gain a qualification
- meet with like-minded individuals
(Source DARD Website – https://www.dardni.gov.uk/articles/rdp-business-development-groups)