The Certified Irish Angus Beef School Competition, run by the Irish Angus Producer Group, along with its processor partners ABP Ireland and Kepak Group, aims to encourage second-level students to gain an understanding about the care and attention that is required to produce and market the highest quality beef for consumers.

Each year, five school groups are chosen to receive five Irish Angus cross calves. As part of their Leaving Certificate agricultural science project, the students are required to set milestones through the lifetime of the animals, rear them through to slaughter and visit processing and retail facilities to understand how the food chain works.

This year, 119 secondary schools applied to the competition – over five times as many as when the competition was first launched back in 2013. Through a strict interview process, the 119 schools were whittled down to 34, and these were given the opportunity to attend and showcase at an exhibition in Croke Park as to why they should be one of this year’s lucky five.

Twenty-seven judges from across the agri sector visited the different groups throughout the day, examining students on all aspects of the competition – from the Angus breed to the producer group’s carcase requirements to promotional strategies and everything in between. Over the coming weeks, the Irish Angus Producer Group panel will take these judges’ opinions along with the original interview marks into account to select their final five. The tension builds.