The final plans are now in place for the National Beef Association (NBA) Beef Expo 2018, taking place at Dungannon Farmers’ Mart on Monday 26 February. Doors are open to the public from 9am to 5pm.

Major sponsor for the event is Dunbia, with around 60 trade stands and breed society displays booked in, to go alongside an excellent lineup of technical seminars, and the annual “young stars” show and sale organised by the NI commercial cattle exhibitors club.

The show of commercial cattle starts at 10am, with the sale following at 2pm. There are classes for Charolais, Limousin, British Blue, Native Breed, any other breed and a class for breeding heifers.

The series of seminars kicks off at 11am, and runs until 2pm. The first speaker is DAERA chief vet, Robert Huey, who will discuss bovine TB policy in NI. He is followed by Maura Langan from Norbrook who will consider liver fluke control in cattle. The second set of seminars will cover grass and grazing management, and will be given by Dr Francis Lively from AFBI and James Daniel from Precision Grazing Ltd, based in England.

The final two seminars will look at breeding. First up is Irish Farmers Journal beef editor Adam Woods, who along with the vet from Parklands Veterinary Group, will give a practical demonstration on calving the cow, and care of the newborn calf. The final seminar speaker is Boomer Birch from Cogent Breeding who will outline the benefits of using artificial insemination within the beef industry.

Entry to the event costs £10, but is free for NBA members.

11am to 12pm – animal health

  • Robert Huey, DAERA.
  • Maura Langan, Norbrook.
  • 12pm to 1pm – grassland

  • Francis Lively, AFBI.
  • James Daniel, Precision Grazing.
  • 1pm to 2pm – breeding

  • Adam Woods, Irish Farmers Journal and Parklands vet.
  • Boomer Birch, Cogent.
  • Farm tours and workshops ahead of main event

    Ahead of the main event, the NBA, in partnership with Dunbia, has organised a series of workshops taking place on three different farms on Friday 23 February.

    The first visit is to the calf rearing unit of Gary Fitzpatrick and John Toland outside Lurgan. Gary will give an overview of the farm business, following which Eamon Donnelly from Parklands Veterinary Group will discuss calf health. The third speaker is Dr Ryan Law from Dunbia, who will lead a workshop on calf nutrition. Finally, AFBI researcher Gillian Scoley and PhD student Naomi Rutherford will present results from a trial looking at the use of calf jackets.

    The second visit is to AFBI Loughgall, where the organisation’s research suckler herd is kept over the winter. Dr Francis Lively and PhD student, Lauren Chesney, will discuss how farmers can improve suckler herd genetics through novel breeding methods. Following that, the former head of beef research at AFBI Hillsborough, Dr Raymond Steen, will lead a workshop on how to meet the nutritional needs of suckler cows. The remaining speakers will discuss the use of BovIS to achieve 24-month calving and provide an update on the Grass Check beef project.

    The final farm visit is to the beef finishing unit run by Jonathan Price, Glenavy. Jonathan will begin with a farm business overview and discuss handling facilities, and the importance of having a safe environment to work with cattle.

    He will be followed by Dr Ronald Annett, from Thompson Feeds, who will look at beef nutrition, while Dr Denise Lowe, AFBI, will discuss flooring systems for beef cattle.

    The final speaker is George Williamson, from Dunbia who will present on beef market trends and key challenges facing the beef industry.

    The farm tours will set off from Dungannon mart, or AFBI Hillsborough, at 9am sharp and return at 5pm. Tickets cost £24 for NBA members and £30 for non-members, with students charged £15. The cost includes transport and lunch. There are still places available. Tickets can be purchased on www.nibeefexpo.co.uk or by calling 01434601005.