Assistant principal of Ballyhaise Agricultural College, John Lynch said managers in the pig production sector were crying out for qualified people to fill job vacancies in Ireland, the UK and Germany.

"For the first time in 10 or 15 years we've got an interest in pig production again.

"We've got managers coming in looking for people because their workers, a lot of whom were foreign, have left," Mr Lynch said. However, he said it wasn't just operative positions that were available. There were also well-paid opportunities for suitably qualified graduates in management roles at home and abroad.

"Pig prices are good at the moment and pigmeat is on the up having recovered from the dioxin scare and good managers are needed," he added.

Ballyhaise Agricultural College has had to turn down applications from people wishing to complete the Green Cert and other courses after a surge in interest in farming.

"We have people coming to us who should have been with us five years ago but were working in the building industry instead," Mr Lynch said.

"Many of those would not even have completed apprenticeships.

"The sad thing is that there are a lot of genuine people who are not getting places."

He said the proposed closure of some colleges had also led to a huge increase in people applying to do courses at the Co Cavan college.

"There's been an increase in applications from areas that would have been outside our traditional catchment area. We've had applications from Galway and Mayo that would have gone to Mountbellew before," Mr Lynch added.