Farm Partnerships provide Wide-Ranging Benefits to Irish Farmers
03 April 2012
A new Teagasc study has highlighted numerous
benefits associated with Farm Partnerships,
ranging from improved financial performance to
enhanced quality of life and safety on farms.
The three-year study involved case-studies of
Irish farmers’ experiences of Farm Partnerships
and focused on the wide variety of farmers who
have established partnerships in Ireland:
fathers and sons; neighbouring farmers;
brothers; brothers in-law; mothers and sons;
fathers and daughters; husbands and wives.
“Farm Partnerships can be established to
accommodate a wide variety of circumstances,
needs, preferences and aspirations,” said
Teagasc Sociologist
Dr. Áine Macken-Walsh. Farm Partnerships were
found to be attractive to Irish farmers because
they could maintain the value and style of
family farming, while also achieving additional
scale and expertise to allow for more profitable
and sustainable farm enterprises. Dr.
Macken-Walsh found that farmers’ fears about
ownership rights were not a significant concern
in farmers’ decisions to establish Farm
Partnerships.
“Farmers can be very knowledgeable of legal
issues relating to ownership and they were aware
that establishing a Farm Partnership does not
infringe on these rights”, she said. On the
other hand, the study highlighted that a
consultative approach with wider members of farm
families is required to make Farm Partnerships
workable. “Family farming typically involves
inputs from a range of family members, and these
inputs are a resource for Farm Partnerships.
It’s crucial that these inputs are recognised
and that family members are consulted and
involved in the planning process”, she said.
Teagasc Farm Structures Specialist, Ben Roche,
emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach
to planning Farm Partnerships. “Farm
Partnerships are flexible and their success is
enhanced by dedicating time to exploring what
possible forms collaboration may take and also
to avoiding common pit-falls” he said. Ben Roche
noted that there are almost 600 Milk Production
Partnerships currently in operation. “There is
substantial opportunity for Irish farmers to
engage in other types of production
partnerships, as well as in a wide variety of
other joint farming ventures”, Mr. Roche said.
The findings of the study are presented in a
guide for facilitating farmers’ establishment of
Farm Partnerships and contribute to a broader
Teagasc campaign that is underway to promote a
variety of collaborative farming ventures.