Latest news with #CAFRE
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
County Antrim: Young beekeepers buzz with excitement at competition
Young beekeepers from across the UK were buzzing with excitement as they took part in a beekeeping competition in County Antrim this Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA) hosted young beekeepers from Northern Ireland, England and Scotland as part of a home nations young people, aged between 12 and 18, made sure to leave their sting on the beekeeping world as they took part in theory and practical event was held ahead of the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers, which will take place in Belfast in July 2026 and will welcome competitors from 40 countries. The competition, which took place on Friday and Saturday, was held at the College of Agriculture Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus and at the Randalstown & District Beekeepers Association apiary. What is the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers? The International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB) is the world's largest gathering of young beekeeping IMYB 2026 will have an opening ceremony at Titanic Belfast and a finale at Belfast City Hall, while the challenges will be held at Riddel Hall at Queen's University Belfast (QUB).It will be the first time Northern Ireland has hosted the IMYB. Sarah, 16, first asked her parents for bees for her 12th birthday, and since then she has competed in two IMYBs for Northern Ireland."I've met people from all over the world, and I've still been in contact with some of them so it's an incredible opportunity not just to educate yourself on other cultures' beekeeping but also just to make friends," she told BBC News said she is scared of beekeeping "almost dying out" as she doesn't see many other young beekeepers."No offence to beekeepers around but a lot of them are sort of retirement age, I guess because they have the money and the time to do it, but I think you need new blood for new ideas." Last year Sarah competed as part of the Northern Ireland team at the IMYB in Dubai. She said: "It was absolutely incredible, probably bit of an odd place for a beekeeping competition since a lot of it is artificial and they import all their bees in."But I really enjoyed it, they treated us really well and I guess it was interesting seeing how they do things, even if it is a bit unconventional."She is hopeful that she will make the team again when the event comes to Belfast next year "I think it would be an amazing opportunity and even if I didn't get on I would still like to help with the hosting in Northern Ireland because it's my home country, I want to be a part of it." 'You'll learn so much' Blair, who is 17-years-old, competed for Team Scotland at Dubai's IMYB and has 14 hives of his of the County Antrim competition, he said: "I'm excited, I think it's a great opportunity for everyone. You'll learn so much and you'll meet so many nice people".Blair described the meeting in Dubai as "amazing" saying he had met people from all over the world who he still speaks to regularly. He said beekeeping is "good for your mind" and that the community is great at all levels. Phoebe, 16, is a young beekeeper for Team England and also took part in the IMYB in said she was "very excited and happy" to take part in the competition in County Antrim. Speaking ahead of the IMYB in Belfast next year, Phoebe said she was lucky to have the experience in Dubai and "it would be nice to let someone else have a turn". 'Dress rehearsal' John Hill, President of the Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA), said seeing all the young people at the home nations competition is "very good for beekeeping in general"."We are certainly trying to encourage young people to become beekeepers and to start off the craft at an earlier age. "Because young people do tend to absorb the knowledge that is required like blotting paper, they just soak it up and they find it very interesting."Mr Hill said the home nations meeting is like a "dress rehearsal" for IMYB 2026, which will be a "prestigious event to come to Northern Ireland". "The idea is that we will put them through the various skills and knowledge that they need to know, and certainly in previous competitions the Northern Ireland team has done extremely well," he Hill said there was "some competition" to bring the IMYB event to Northern Ireland."We are very pleased that we managed to win them over to allow it to come here."
Agriland
09-07-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Suckler farm benefits from groups with other farmers
The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) recently launched new Suckler Cow Fertility Themed Groups to help farmers improve key fertility metrics and build more resilient businesses. The programme is open for applications now, and participation can directly support achieving Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Suckler Cow Scheme targets. Regina McBennett, a CAFRE beef and sheep adviser recently visited the Clarke family who she has worked with for many years in the previous Business Development Groups (BDGs). The Clarke brothers farm near Slieve Gullion, Co. Armagh. Gary, Gavin and Conor are better known collectively under their business name KC Hire. They have successfully blended agricultural and plant hire enterprises with lessons learned through peer learning and CAFRE support and now serve as an example of generational learning and practical innovation. Armagh suckler farm It was the brother's late father Kevin who started both the farm and the hire business. Kevin had a belief that every day was a school day whereby he could learn from the experience and ingenuity of others. This manifested itself in his participation and leadership of the legacy of Business Development Groups (BDGs) organised by CAFRE with their regional advisers across the province. While bringing at least one of the boys along to each meeting and taking his turn to host a meeting on farm, Kevin would remark to his sons that there was always 'something to learn that could be applied to our farm at home'. The farm at Flagstaff in Newry has approximately 35 suckler cows and there is a very specific focus. Principally, the aim is to maximise hybrid vigour on the maternal side and then cross back to a Charolais stock bull from the renowned now dispersed Skidoo herd. The success of this breeding plan was evident as the sire produced several top-quality weanlings that would be eligible for 'Best in Show' at Camlough weanling sales in recent years. It was both a source of enormous pride to Kevin prior to his death in June 2024 and an inspiration to his three sons who follow in his footsteps. Challenges Not everything was simple however, with the farm consisting of the typical disadvantaged land type terrain that is prevalent in south Armagh with numerous sheltered pockets beside the mountain. When faced with the absence of their father's guiding hand the three brothers had to take stock and take charge. They actively implemented a reseeding policy and a paddock grazing rotational system for the suckler herd. The boys are quickly learning that excellent grassland management is a core driver of farm profitability and herd fertility. Conor Clarke points to the immersive education he gleaned from his late father while with him at the former BDG meetings – it dawned on both generations that they were sitting 'in the midst of a wealth of knowledge'' where neighbours, friends and farmers alike were 'open and willing to share very useful and practical tips'. Gary, who is the eldest of the Clarke brothers, has spoken of the 'confidence gained from the peer-to-peer meetings which allowed me a great opportunity to connect with likeminded farmers who could help guide the farm and also shape the requirements of the hire business'. The brothers are all advocates of the educational courses offered through CAFRE as well as the new Knowledge Transfer programmes. CAFRE Suckler Cow Fertility Themed Groups are now open for application. CAFRE has said that participation in a Suckler Cow Fertility Themed Group can help increase the number of calving events achieving the annual DAERA Suckler Cow Scheme targets.
Agriland
10-06-2025
- General
- Agriland
CAFRE models cutting ammonia emissions on beef and sheep farms
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has announced that the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) has modelled both its Lowland Beef and Sheep Centre and their Hill Farm as part of efforts to reduce ammonia emissions. The Lowland Beef and Sheep Centre at the Greenmount campus in Co. Antrim is spread across 130ha of grassland, carrying approximately 100 suckler cows and 270 breeding ewes. The Hill Farm Centre, also in Co. Antrim, is comprised of 960ha, carrying 100 suckler cows and a further 1,300 breeding ewes approximately. The farms have being modelled using data from their 2022 year in line with the National Ammonia Reduction Strategy Evaluation System (NARSES) Ammonia mitigation measures in place In terms of cattle, DAERA stated that both farms are applying all slurry using low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE), which is said to reduce ammonia by approximately 30%. On top of this, they are using only stabilised urea when spreading artificial fertiliser, which decreases emissions up to 15%. There are four above-ground slurry stores across the two farms, one of which has an impermeable cover. The other three above-ground stores have lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) applied, which can reduce ammonia emissions by 60% compared to stores with no cover. As regards to housing, CAFRE are outwintering approximately 20 sucklers to reduce silage and slurry storage demand. Sheep In terms of the on-farm sheep, the main difference between the two locations is that 80% of the Hill Farm flock is housed for three months, while the lowland herd are at pasture all year round. Lowland Farm Hill Farm Grazing/outdoor 72% 53% Housing 0% 18% Manure storage 0% 9% Manure spreading 0% 15% Nitrogen fertilisers 28% 4% Source: DAERA LECA CAFRE applied LECA to their uncovered above-ground slurry storage unit in January, 2025, in a bid to reduce ammonia emissions. The product comes in large 2.2m3 bags with an approximate price guide of £330/bag. The amount of product needed is calculated by multiplying size of the store in square metres by 0.1, which will result in a 10cm layer volume. This value is then divided by the volume of the bags to give the number required for the store.
Agriland
05-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Agriland
Photos: CAFRE Greenmount students celebrate at annual formal
College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) students swapped their workwear for their finest attire to attend the annual Greenmount Campus formal recently. The event held at Tullyglass House Hotel brought together agriculture, floristry, horticulture, land-based engineering, and veterinary nursing students for a well-deserved night of celebration. The hotel provided the perfect setting for a night of dining and dancing with laughter and music filling the room, according to the organisers. For many, it was a chance to catch up with friends, share stories, and make memories before the demands of exams and final pieces of coursework fully set in. CAFRE Students were delighted to welcome back to CAFRE Clare Gowell, who had studied for a semester at Greenmount Campus, as part of the student exchange programme with Michigan State University (MSU) in the autumn. Clare attended the event with current MSU student, Mariah Palazzola. The students completed agriculture and horticulture modules for a semester at the Greenmount Campus during the 2024-2025 academic year. There was also generous support from local agri-food businesses who donated an array of prizes for a charity raffle. A total of £1,246 was raised for the Student Council's nominated charities, Friends of the Cancer Centre and Kidney Research. CAFRE has wished all of its students well in their forthcoming assessments, and for some their final exams at CAFRE Greenmount Campus.
Agriland
07-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
20 NI farmers visit The Netherlands to explore innovations
The College of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) has led a farm innovation visit of 20 Northern Irish farmers to The Netherlands, in an effort to learn about the innovations being implemented on farms there in a bid to reduce ammonia emissions. The visit comes after the Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs (DAERA) published its 'Environmental Improvement Plan', which sought to develop an ammonia strategy to deliver reductions in emissions from agriculture in Northern Ireland. According to Judith McCord, senior air quality technologist with CAFRE, this visit to the Netherlands represented an 'ideal opportunity' to learn about cutting-edge research on ammonia reduction, the adoption of these technologies on farms, and to facilitate knowledge transfer on the topic to the 20 Northern Irish farmers in attendance. Dutch innovation The first day included a visit to Wageningen Dairy Research Centre at Leeuwarden, looking at the continuing research being carried out there on ammonia emissions, the measurement of ammonia emissions, and the direction of future research. Later that day, the group visited Marijin Van Art, a farmer within the Dutch 'Network of Practical Farms', who is monitoring the impact of emissions, based on changes in farm management. The 'Network of Practical Farms' was developed and run by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality as part of its climate policy, according to McCord. Frank Verhoeven, director of Boerenverstand, an independent consultancy firm for regenerative farming, addressed the group that evening on the role of data and how, by using a nutrient cycling assessment tool called the Kringloopwizzer, farmers can measure sustainability across a wide range of metrics in assessing farm emissions. On the second day, the group visited two Lely factories at Lely headquarters in Maassluis. Here, discussions centred on how technology has developed over the years and where the future of technology and innovation lies in meeting sustainability targets. The final visit was hosted by Farm Nescio, who McCord said was the first farm to have a milking robot installed in 1992 and has since further retrofitted technology to advance their sustainable enterprise. McCord stated that this was an 'ideal' farm to look at how retrofitting innovative technology has improved production efficiency and helped to chieve the Dutch legislative targets for emission reductions.
