On Tuesday evening at the Ploughing Championships, five lucky teams of secondary school students were presented with their Irish Angus calve prizes as part of the Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition.

This presentation took place at an information stand set up at the event by the Irish Angus Producer Group, along with its processor partners – ABP Ireland and Kepak Group.

The five successful finalists came from five schools dotted all over Leinster and Munster: Heywood Community School ,Co Laois, Colaiste Bhríde, Co Wicklow, Presentation Secondary School, Co Tipperary, CBS, Co Tippearary, and Sacred Heart, Co Cork.

These five finalist teams will receive five six-month-old Irish Angus cross calves each (worth €2,000), which they will rear through to slaughter to coincide with their Leaving Certificate agricultural science project.

Any profit they make is theirs to keep.

The calves will be reared on the students’ family farms with the exception of one school, which has adapted part of its school grounds into a mini-farm.

Charles Smith, director and general manager of the Irish Angus Producer Group said: “Rearing cattle from a calf through to slaughter is the best way for students to learn the care and consideration that goes into producing meat of the highest quality.”

Each team will also complete a project about beef rearing, demonstrating their understanding of the entire production system.

In March 2016, they will present their research to a panel of agricultural, beef and food industry experts who will select an overall winner. The winning team will come away with a further prize to the value of €2,000.