RUAS recruiting new chief

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) is recruiting a new chief executive to replace the outgoing Colin McDonald. The RUAS is the organisation behind Balmoral Show and the Winter Fair and has a membership of 2,500 with 17 permanent staff.

McDonald is retiring from the position after 10 years in the job. During his tenure, the RUAS purchased the 65ac site at the former Maze prison outside Lisburn in 2012 and moved the Balmoral Show and Winter Fair from the King’s Hall in Belfast to the new site in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

The job requires experience of senior leadership, financial management and driving return from capital expenditure. The salary has not been disclosed.

The closing date for applications is 10 November and the new CEO is expected to be in post early in the new year. It is understood that McDonald will stay with the RUAS for a hand over period.

DAERA to review ANC applications

Farmers who mistakenly did not to apply for the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) in 2015 and 2016 are to have their cases reviewed by DAERA, according to Sinn Féin councillor Sheamus Greene.

The Fermanagh and Omagh district councillor said that DAERA has agreed to “relook” at cases where farmers forgot to tick the box for the ANC scheme in online applications.

“The fact that the name of the scheme had changed from LFA to ANC, as well as the form moving from the paper format to an online form, caused great confusion among the farming community leading to numerous farm businesses losing out on payments,” Greene said.

He urged any farmers that made this mistake to get in contact with DAERA.

Farmer fined due to safety failings

A farmer from Co Tyrone was fined £1,000 and required to pay £1,390.56 in court costs at Dungannon Crown Court earlier this week after an incident involving a 14-year-old casual employee.

The young worker was found unconscious in a tractor that was mixing slurry inside a farm building, having been asked to stay in the tractor while the slurry was being mixed, and to switch it off if it started to overheat.

Omagh farmer Charles Elkin pleaded guilty of failing to maintain safe conditions on the farm.

Auctions for children’s charity

Markethill Livestock Mart and Ballymena Livestock Mart in association with Gleno Young Farmers, are each to hold a Christmas show and sale of beef cattle, prime lambs and an auction of donated items to raise funds for children’s charity, the Children’s Heartbeat Trust. The aim is to raise £50,000 to help purchase a new portable echocardiogram machine for the new children’s heart centre being developed at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

The auction at Markethill mart takes place on Thursday 23 November at 7pm, with the Ballymena auction on Thursday 30 November at 6.30pm.

An online donation page has been set up: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LivestockAuctions.