Building Digital Confidence: AgFood Training Programme for Dublin Farmers

As Irish agriculture continues to embrace digital technologies, farmers are increasingly required to use online platforms to access essential services and manage their businesses efficiently. Recognising the need to strengthen farmers’ digital skills and ability to use online services effectively, the ‘AgFood Training Programme for Dublin Farmers’ was developed to equip participants with the practical knowledge and hands-on experience needed to use MyAgFood.ie and associated digital platforms, including the Area Monitoring System (AMS) and AgriSnap.

MyAgFood.ie is Ireland’s central online portal for farmers, providing secure access to a wide range of agricultural services, including farm payments, livestock registrations, scheme applications, and regulatory compliance requirements administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM). Building farmers' confidence in using these digital services is essential to ensure timely access to financial supports, compliance with scheme requirements, and effective day-to-day farm management.

Delivered on behalf of Fingal LEADER Partnership CLG and funded under the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme, the initiative comprised of in-person workshop sessions over a six-week period.

The introduction of AMS under the 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) schemes, including ACRES, has created new digital and compliance demands for farmers. Consultations across rural Dublin identified a number of recurring challenges: 

• Increased administrative burden for small and medium-sized farmers 

• Low digital confidence and challenges accessing online agricultural systems 

• Limited understanding of digital notifications and the actions required to maintain compliance 

• Inconsistent record management across AMS, Livestock Census, and Fertiliser Database systems. 

Without targeted training, many farmers risked non-compliance and potential loss of payments. This programme was designed to address these challenges through clear, practical, and locally accessible support.

In Spring 2026, six interactive training sessions were delivered over a six-week period, covering key areas including AMS compliance, MyAgFood.ie navigation, responding to digital notifications, use of the AgriSnap application, digital record management, and data security awareness. The final sessions incorporated practical examples tailored to livestock, tillage, and horticulture enterprises. 

A hands-on, example-led approach was central to the programme. Participants worked through real AMS correspondence, live platform demonstrations and guided exercises, allowing them to apply new skills directly to their own farm activities. The small-group format encouraged discussion, peer learning, and confidence-building among participants.

• Farmer-focused delivery: Sessions were scheduled and designed around farmers’ availability, experience, and practical learning needs.
• Learning by doing: Live exercises using MyAgFood.ie, AMS and AgriSnap built confidence through practical experience.  
• Sector- specific training: Content was adapted to reflect the specific needs of livestock, tillage, and horticulture enterprises.  
• Embedding digital safety: Data privacy and cybersecurity awareness training were integrated into everyday farm operations.
• Ongoing support beyond training: Optional drop-in clinics and access to recorded materials supported continued learning. 

The programme exceeded its original target, with 20 farmers trained against an initial target of 10–15. All six modules were delivered as planned, attendance remained consistently high throughout, and more than 90% of participants completed the programme.  

Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with farmers particularly valuing the supportive learning environment. Participants reported feeling better equipped to use MyAgFood.ie, AMS, and AgriSnap, and welcomed training that was directly relevant to their day-to-day farming activities. 

Andrew Chilton, the course tutor who designed and delivered the programme on behalf of Fingal LEADER Partnership CLG, reflected on its success:

"Delivering this programme on behalf of Fingal LEADER Partnership was both rewarding and informative. The positive participant feedback and strong engagement demonstrated a clear need for practical digital skills training within the farming community. The programme showed that farmers are willing to embrace digital technologies when training is practical, relevant, and accessible. Participants left with greater confidence, an improved understanding of MyAgFood and the AMS system, and the skills to respond to AMS queries when required." 

Angela Magoli, of Fingal LEADER Partnership CLG, added:  

“A key insight was that confidence, rather than capability, was often the real barrier to engagement with digital DAFM systems: once guided through the process, many farmers proved more digitally capable than they initially believed. Sector-specific sessions for livestock and horticulture/tillage farmers were especially well received, as participants felt their needs were addressed directly.”

• There remains strong demand for farmer-focused digital training as DAFM expands online services. 
• Strong local partnerships, in this case with Teagasc, are invaluable in supporting participant recruitment and ensuring training content is relevant. 
• Live demonstrations and hands-on exercises are more effective than theory alone. 
• Allowing sufficient time for open discussion and troubleshooting supports peer learning. 
• Delivery by an advisor with practical experience of the challenges farmers face helps to build trust and ensures that the training is relatable. 
• While the timing of this programme successfully coincided with the transition from AgFood.ie to MyAgFood.ie, feedback suggested that late winter/early spring may be the optimal period for future delivery, before peak farming activities such as lambing and planting begin.

This project was supported as part of the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme under the theme of Rural Infrastructure and Social Inclusion, and the sub-theme of Optimising Digital Connectivity. The Local Action Group is Dublin Rural LEADER.