Just 204 female farmers took part in Knowledge Transfer Schemes in Kerry.
The schemes involve sharing skills and encourage efficiency and are worth up to €100 million in total in payments for all farmers taking part.
The newly-formed Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group says that only 204 female farmers in Kerry took part in the Knowledge Transfer Schemes out of 3,173 female farmers in the county.
Through a Freedom of Information request, the group found 111 female farmers in Kerry were in dairy KT groups, 91 in beef, two in equine and none in sheep KT groups.
The Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group says the low numbers point to a worrying future for the diversity of the sector in Kerry.
A key area of its submission on the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was the creation of female only KT groups and top up payments for groups with at least three female members.
The Department of Agriculture own’s analysis shows only 3.8% of farms were registered in joint male and female names despite Central Statistics Office data showing up to a quarter of the work done on farms is fully or in part by women.
