A specialist business course for aspiring dairy producers that offers expert training and a networking opportunity is now open for applications.
The Entrepreneurs in Dairying (EID) course is designed to offer specialist instruction focusing on business efficiency and the key factors involved with running a dairy farm.
The 10-day long course will also provide delegates with the ability to network and form mentoring partnerships.
Delivered between October and December, this year it will take the form of live virtual training rather than through a classroom, meaning applicants can apply regardless of their geographical location.
The training will cover topics such as understanding the milk market and supply chain, tax and trading, people management, business planning, finance, and future opportunities.
Experts will cover each of the topics. This year sees the return of senior farm business consultant Tony Evans from the Andersons Centre; succession planning expert Sian Bushell and leadership expert Paul Harris.
Organisers the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) said applications were welcome from people of any age and from any background within or related to the industry.
Abi Reader is a former EID delegate and completed the course in 2015 to strengthen her knowledge of the wider issues surrounding dairy farming.
She said: “The course was a good chance to stop and focus on business issues rather than mainly stockmanship and herd performance.
"Focusing on input costs, assessing investments and managing gross margins can often get forgotten in day to day tasks so this provided a great opportunity to shift my focus.”
The course, now in its seventh year, has seen more than 250 people successfully complete the training.
Applications must be in by 31 August with numbers restricted to 50. They will be selected by the end of August.
