The Green Cert - A course with many benefits

By Brendan Garry, Teagasc Ballinrobe

Students are in a fortunate position nowadays with many routes and course options in the area of Agricultural Education. One of the most popular courses that farmers enrol on is commonly known as the Green Cert and such courses are available nationwide through the network of Teagasc Regional Education Centres, Agricultural Colleges and other providers.

Here in Co Mayo, Teagasc run courses from our two Regional Education Centres in Ballina and in Ballinrobe. Within Teagasc and its network of providers, there are three options available to students wishing to complete the Green Cert.

1. Full time two year course in Agricultural Colleges across Ireland;
2. A Part-time option (available in our Mayo centres), to over 23 year olds;
3. A Distance Education option (available in Teagasc Mayo centres) for students who hold a level 6 or higher non-Agricultural Award.

Regardless of which pathway is chosen, the completion of the Green Cert course meets the training requirements of qualified trained farmers for the purposes of current Revenue and Department of Agriculture (DAFM) schemes.

The benefits of completing the Green Cert are numerous. Throughout the course, participants will be exposed to the latest farming methods and technologies to equip young trained farmers to successfully run and manage their farming enterprises. Furthermore there are many financial benefits to completing the course, including potential exemption from stamp duty if the qualified farmer is under the age of 35 at the time of the farm transfer or property purchase and fulfils all other requirements.

Under TAMS 3, it is expected that a qualified young farmer will be able to avail of 60% grant aid for a whole range of items for the first five years of their farming career up to the age of 40. The terms and conditions for this new YCFIS aren’t available at time of print. Farmers are encouraged to check out the full suite of eligible items on the Department of Agriculture website. Furthermore final details of a new measure under TAMS known as the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.  It is expected that it will provide an opportunity for higher grant aid for female farmers ranging from 41 to 66 years of age. It is not known yet the extent of agricultural education required for the scheme.

Young qualified farmers can also avail of financial incentives under the new National Reserve (NR) and the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CIS-YF). One common requirement is that the agricultural education element must be completed prior to application.

Education is a key consideration when planning the transfer of the family farm. Other financial benefits from completing the course include assisting applicants to meet criteria for a range of taxation measures including enhanced stock relief, consanguinity relief and for agricultural relief. These reliefs can have a major impact on tax liability at the time of farm transfers. Farm transfers are complex processes involving a number of stakeholders and we recommend discussing your situation with your accountant, solicitor and farm advisor at your earliest opportunity.

Whichever course option suits your requirements, students who complete the Teagasc Green Cert course are introduced to a wide range of farming issues, they visit top performing hosts farms in Co Mayo and carry out a range of husbandry tasks on course days whilst developing friendships which last for life.

Variables such as farm size, student-farmer age, farm size, time spent farming, and duration of official farming career, plus other factors all impact the extent to which students can benefit from the Green Cert qualification so consult with your advisor or consultant if in doubt. Further details on these DAFM schemes can be accessed on www.agriculture.gov.ie

Teagasc Mayo are now taking names and numbers of potential applicants who may be interested in completing the Green Cert here in Co Mayo. These courses are expected to start in the Autumn/Winter of 2023 and for more information please contact Teagasc Ballinrobe on 094 9541125 or e-mail cora.owens@teagasc.ie, or contact any Teagasc office. Please also follow Teagasc Mayo on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news in the region.