Honours for NI agri-food

A number of people from the agri-food industry in NI have been named in the 2017 New Year Honours list.

Receiving an OBE for services to the agri-food industry is chair of the agri-food strategy board and Dunbia deputy chief executive Tony O’Neill.

Fermanagh show organiser Ann Orr is to receive a BEM for services to the agriculture industry and rural community in Co Fermanagh.

John McCann of vegetable processing company Willowbrook Foods, based near Strangford, is to receive an MBE for services to the food industry and community in NI.

Also on the list is chef and owner of the Yellow Door Deli, based in Portadown, Simon Dougan, who was awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality and catering sector.

UGS annual conference

The Ulster Grassland Society will hold its 58th annual conference on Tuesday 24 January in the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, from 9.45am.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Turning Grass to Cash” and will focus on how farmers can optimise output from grass to help reduce production costs.

Welsh grassland management consultant Charlie Morgan, Teagasc dairy researcher Donal Patton, Yorkshire suckler beef farmer Mike Powley and Dairylink Ireland programme adviser Conail Keown will speak at the event.

The conference costs £20 for members, £30 for non-members and £15 for agricultural students or members’ sons or daughters aged under 25. To book, email secretary@ulstergrassland.co.uk.

Suckler replacements sell for up to £1,850

There was plenty of goodwill and Christmas cheer among buyers at last Friday’s cattle sale at Draperstown Mart. The sale, conducted by Richard Beattie, saw a large entry of all types of cattle.

A special entry of Simmental and Limousin cross in-calf heifers due to calve in January and February were met with exceptional farmer demand. All heifers were in calf to Limousin and Shorthorn bulls.

General prices sold from £1,300 up to a top price of £1,850 with several lots selling to repeat buyers.

A packed sale ring of farmer buyers offered a solid trade for weanling cattle. Prices of £500 up to £760 were paid for Limousin and Charolais cross animals weighing 240kg to 340kg liveweight.

Cull cows were also a good trade with younger, fleshed continental cows being purchased for £1.70/kg to £2/kg.

That same evening, Beattie also presided over a special sale of cows and calves in Gortin Mart. Again, there was another large crowd of buyers present looking to purchase breeding females.

Freshly calved cows with a calf at foot sold from £1,100 up to a top price of £1,650 for cows with calves aged two to three months. Prices for springing heifers started from £950 and peaked at £1,300.

Ewes with lambs sell to £198

Sales of ewes with lambs at foot got off to a flying start at Swatragh Mart last weekend. Good quality crossbred ewes suckling twins sold to a top price of £198. Several other lots were selling from £190 to £196.

A smaller entry of ewes suckling single lambs reached a peak price of £139.

With limited sheep sales over the past 10 days, fat lamb prices were also holding up on previous week.

Prices typically ranged from £80 to £83 for lambs, with £84 paid at the top of the trade. Fat ewes surpassed the lamb trade with several lots selling for over £100.

The ewe trade peaked at £107 while store lambs sold to 380p/kg.