TEAGASC: Mayoman’s West Cork work placement changed his life!

By John McNamara

PADRAIG Cunnane came to West Cork from Mayo in 2005 on placement as part of the farm apprenticeship scheme to qualify as a farm manager. 

This farm placement with Johnny O’Brien, Barryroe must have left a good impression as he has stayed here ever since – except for a few short adventures outside the area.

He subsequently qualified as a farm manager and now calls West Cork home. He is married to Grainne from Clonakilty and they have a young daughter, Grace. They have put down their roots in Ballinacarriga, buying a house there in 2018. 

Padraig is the second share farmer on the Shinagh Estates Limited (SEL)-owned farm at Gurteen in Bandon. This is a 34ha (85acres) farm that was converted to a dairy farm in 2015 with advice from Teagasc. 

The purpose of Shinagh Estates in creating this dairy farm is to provide an entry into dairy farming for young people who don’t or won’t own their own farm. 

Shinagh Estates is wholly owned by the four West Cork co-ops. They feel it is important to both encourage and provide a starting opportunity for at least one person at a time to get started in dairying. Padraig is the second person that has farmed successfully on their Gurteen farm.

This share farming model should be of interest to other farmers who are also thinking to their futures. It works like this – SEL owns the land and all the buildings, and is responsible for the upkeep of these, including farm roadways, fencing, water and buildings. 

Padraig owns the cows (105), and is responsible for all the labour on the farm. All costs are split 40:60 between the two parties, and the milk cheque is split the same way. 

Because Padraig owns the cows, their AI and veterinary costs are Padraig’s and equally the calf and cull cow sales are his. Padraig has to provide the heifers each year to keep the herd at the agreed number. 

Both parties are happy with the arrangement and with the money the farm has generated each year. Padraig is running the farm very well, with high output being achieved from low costs. In share farming the landowner still claims the full BPS payment attached to the land. 

When you include this, the owners have on average got €75,000 per year from the farm, and Padraig has got €70,000 per year. Padraig has to pay himself and repay his loans for stock from this, like any farmer. 

Both parties are making a good return on the money they invested first day. The land owners on their land and buildings investment – and Padraig on his cows and labour.

Padraig is in his third year of a seven-year contract in Gurteen, and he can leave from now on by giving sufficient notice to the landowner. The contract states that he must stay for the first three years. 

He is now in a strong financial position to look for his next opportunity to either move to a similar or larger farm to share farm, or the possibility of leasing a farm in the area. 

Leaving Gurteen, he will be bringing a great herd of cows with him, and a proven track record of top class physical and financial performance that will attract any farm owner looking to step back from the day-to-day running of a farm.