The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) runs a graduate programme which sees it take on graduates from information technology, agricultural science and genetics. In 2016, it took on five graduates. ICBF is hoping to run a similar programme again in 2017. The aim of the graduate programme is to provide candidates with the skills they required to further their careers, whether it is in software development, data science or genetics. ICBF also filled two new software development roles in 2016.

Alltech Ireland and KEENAN took on 15 employees in 2016, 12 of those in new positions in research, technical research support, sales and on dairy, beef and business graduate programmes. Three roles were replaced in graphics (marketing) and sales. Alltech Ireland and KEENAN employ 300 people altogether.

Thompson & Sons Ltd, based in Belfast, created 11 positions in 2016. Three of these were graduate/student internships. It plans to hire 11 people in 2017 as well.

Interchem created five positions in 2016 – three were in sales, one was in accounts and one was in warehouse operations. There are no plans to recruit in 2017 just yet. There are 29 people employed altogether between Interchem and PharVet (which is a subsidiary of Interchem).

Farmco Agritrading, which employs 12 people, took on three people in 2016, two in newly created sales agronomist positions while one sales agronomist was replaced. The company expects to take on two people in 2017.

Cooney Furlong/Target will have hired three people by the end of 2016 – two for Cooney Furlong (it is currently looking for a weighbridge operator) and one for Target in sales. Walter Furlong, managing director of Cooney Furlong, said recruitment will be ongoing in 2017. Cooney Furlong/Target Fertilizers employs 65 people full-time in total.

OCAE Consultants created three consultancy positions for graduates in 2016. In 2017, the company expects to take on 20 people on six-month contracts for a geochemical survey, the TELLUS projet.

Goulding Fertilizers, based in Cork, took on one person in 2016. This company employs eight people in the south and three people in Northern Ireland. Eighty-two jobs were created across 14 players who responded to the Irish Farmers Journal survey in the area of animal health, feed and genetics.

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Special focus: agri careers