Develop Your Online Skills with DARD
Tuesday 7th February 2012
YFCU has joined forces with DARD in order to raise awareness of DARD online services among young farmers. A series of evenings and demonstrations have taken place across the 6 counties during the month of January.
The Aphis online team, Jonathan McFerran, Ian McMaw and Ronan Coll travelled the country highlighting the benefits of using DARD online services and the facilities it offers including; registering Cattle births, deaths and stillborns. Notifications of all cattle movements, to be able to view, print and download your herd list at the touch of a button. You can also view detailed information about your animal including comprehensive movement and calving history. View post and ante mortem information on slaughtered animals and Produce a report that counts and classifies your animals in accordance with the nitrate action programme. Apart from aphis online there are many other DARD online services which help farmers manage their business such as online maps, benchmarking, single farm payment online and the nitrate calculators. All these services are free, easy to use and secure.
Of the members who attended the demonstrations 81% found the information session extremely useful. 79% of the participants were practical farmers with only 43% of these currently using DARD online services stating that the benefits of using them was that it was Quick, easy to use, convenient, less mistakes made and less paperwork. For the remaining 57% of members present who are not currently using the online services said the main reasons for this included that they were not aware of the DARD online services, lack of internet access, found it confusing, were non farming and not computer literate, however after the demonstrations and information sessions 76% of participants say that they will now use the Online services in the future. With 39% of young famers present hoping to get further training.
YFCU are starting a mentor scheme which allows members to receive in depth training on the online Services and then act as a point of contact for members within their own clubs and Counties who are keen to get started and need some assistance, if you would like more information about the mentor scheme or would like to join up then please contact Kerry in YFCU HQ on 028 90370713 or email kerry.megrath@yfcu.org
DARD offer a number of courses around the province, dates include:
|
VENUE
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
TIME
|
|
Ballymoney Community Resource centre
|
Monday
|
13th & 20th Feb
|
8-10pm
|
|
Comber Resource centre
|
Tuesday
|
14th & 21st Feb
|
7.30-9.30pm
|
|
Greenmount Campus
|
Tuesday
|
14th & 21st Feb
|
8-10pm
|
|
Limavady- North West Regional College
|
Wednesday
|
15th & 22nd Feb
|
7.30-9.30pm
|
|
Ballymoney, Community resource centre
|
Thursday
|
16th & 23rd Feb
|
8-10pm
|
|
Ballynahinch High School
|
Monday
|
27th & 5th Mar
|
7.30-9.30pm
|
|
Ballynahinch High School
|
Tuesday
|
28th Feb & 6th Mar
|
7.30-9.30pm
|
|
Greenmount Campus
|
Tuesday
|
28th Feb & 6th Mar
|
8-10pm
|
|
Loughry Campus
|
Wednesday
|
29th Feb & 7th Mar
|
8-10pm
|
|
Ballymoney Community Resource centre
|
Wednesday
|
29th Feb& 7th Mar
|
1.30-3.30pm
|
|
Greenmount Campus
|
Thursday
|
1st & 8th Mar
|
8-10pm
|
|
Enniskillen Campus
|
Tuesday
|
13th & 20th Mar
|
8-10pm
|
|
Ballymoney Community Resource centre
|
Tuesday
|
13th & 20th Mar
|
8-10pm
|
|
Loughry Campus Cookstown
|
Wednesday
|
26th Mar & 2nd Apr
|
8-10pm
|
|
Enniskillen Campus
|
Thursday
|
15th &22nd Mar
|
8-10pm
|
|
Ballymoney Community Resource centre
|
Thursday
|
15th & 22nd Mar
|
1.30-3.30pm
|
|
Loughry Campus
|
Monday
|
26th Mar & 2nd Apr
|
8-10pm
|
|
Newry- Southern Regional College
|
Tuesday
|
27th mar & 3rd Apr
|
7.30-9.30pm
|
|
Greenmount Campus
|
Tuesday
|
27th Mar & 3rd Apr
|
8-10pm
|
To book a place on any of the above courses contact DARD online Services helpdesk 028 94426699 or email info@ruralni.gov
Photo Caption
Pictured are Trevor Wilson, YFCU vice President, Jonathan McFerran, Online Services Manager and Stephen Ferguson, YFCU Co Fermanagh chairman at a recent training session.
