Registered Farm Partnerships
A Farm Partnership is where two or more farmers join resources and efforts in order to acquire various benefits. Farm Partnerships, are becoming increasingly popular in Ireland with almost 850 formally registered on the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine Register of Farm Partnerships. Partnerships are associated with wide-ranging economic and social benefits and are identified by Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) as critically important to the future development of agriculture.
A Teagasc study of Milk Production Partnerships (MPPs) published in 2012 Facilitating Farmers Establishment of Farm Partnerships(pdf) identified many benefits of Farm Partnerships including:
- They were used as a strategy to develop larger farm enterprises/increase scale by managing two previously independent enterprises together.
- Partnerships helped to increase efficiency by consolidating land and facilities and by developing new management strategies and business plans.
- Farmers were assisted to share their work-loads to cope with the extra work involved in up-scaling and applying new technologies on the farm.
- Farm Partnerships introduced new skills, specialisations and occupational preferences to enhance the operation of the farm.
- New diversification activities were fostered on the farm by bringing in new expertise and business interests.
- Partnerships facilitated off farm work.
- Farm Partnerships were used to share decision-making power between members of farm families (spouses, heirs, for example).
- Partnerships reduced isolation in farmers’ working lives and improved farm safety.
- Family circumstances and needs were facilitated where, for example, farmers had childcare responsibilities.
- Farm Partnerships allowed farmers time-off to pursue other interests and take holidays, improving their quality of life.
(Source Macken-Walsh 2011)
A Registered Farm Partnership must operate to certain conditions as set out in SI 247 of 2015 and the associated requirements for registering farm partnerships.
The Farm Partnership Register is managed and maintained by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Registered Farm Partnership Unit (3C)
Agriculture House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2
