230 ag students graduate at CAFRE Greenmount

A total of 230 students graduated from agriculture courses at CAFRE’s Greenmount campus based in Antrim on 30 June.

The college has witnessed strong growth in numbers in recent years, with 2,300 students enrolled in full- and part-time courses in agriculture, horticulture, food and equine which are offered across CAFRE’s three campuses in Enniskillen, Greenmount and Loughry.

College director Martin McKendry told assembled guests and students during the awards ceremony at Greenmount that given the ambitious plans from industry to grow the sector, there is a greater need now than ever before for young people to come into the industry.

He also highlighted that CAFRE has a strong record when it comes to graduate employment and training. In total, 98% of students who completed full-time courses in 2015 were in employment or had undertaken another course within six months of graduating from the college.

The presentation of awards at Greenmount was conducted by Minister for Agriculture Michelle McIlveen.

Agri-environment scheme to be online application

With a new Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) due later this year, Minister for Agriculture Michelle McIlveen has said that before the scheme opens, there will be a programme intended to raise awareness among farmers.

“This will provide farmers with important information about the scheme and assist them to understand its requirements,” she explained in an answer to a written MLA question.

As part of the scheme, farmers will be paid the costs incurred and income foregone for carrying out environmentally beneficial actions on their land.

According to the minister, the scheme has been designed to be “straightforward for farmers”, with an online application process and training provided to successful applicants to help them implement their EFS agreement.

The EFS has three levels: a higher level mainly for environmentally designated sites; a wider level; and a group level to support co-operative action in specific areas such as a river catchment.

While the minister did not provide a definitive timeline, she said the scheme would be open “as soon as possible”.

NI breeders top Hampshire Down sale

Hampshire Down breeders Kevin and Anna McCarthy from Comber, Co Down, received the top female price of 1,000 guineas (gns) at the breed association’s annual premier sale in Stratford last Saturday.

The ewe lamb was sired by the McCarthy’s Ballycreelly Devil’s Advocate. The McCarthys sold another ewe lamb, sired by Yarcombe Flashman, for 850gns and their top-selling ram lamb was sired by Westland Fusilier and sold for 700gns.

The top price on the day was 1,600gns for a ram lamb shown by Jim and Jane Birkwood from Grimsby. The ram was sired by Thorbeck Hurricane and out of a Yarcombe Surprise ewe.

Overall, average prices were £371 for three shearling rams, £673 for 23 ram lambs, £438 for 14 shearling ewes and £460 for 17 ewe lambs.