We Are Tyrone

Farming focus

  • Beltex champion hits the sweet spot at Omagh Show

    Beltex champion hits the sweet spot at Omagh Show

    MATT’S Jellybean, from Matthew Burleigh’s Kinawley-based Matt’s Flock, won the Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club’s National Show, held at this year’s Omagh Show.

    The Shearling Ewe hit the spot for Lancaster judge Nick Brown, coming first in large class of sixteen and taking Female Champion, before being tapped out as Overall Champion. Sired by the 16,000 gns Muirton High and Mighty, she is home-bred out of Matt’s Glassware.

    From a winning family, her great-grandmother, Matt’s Curious, picked up the same title in 2018. Matthew has had a brilliant run, claiming his sixth National Show Championship win with Matt’s Jellybean, at his only show of the season.

    The Champion Shearling Ewe will be heading to Carlisle for the Beltex Beauties Sale at the end of August.

    Meanwhile, in Reserve Champion spot was Andrew McCutcheon’s Ram Lamb, born between January 1 and February 29. Bodoney King was sired by Matt’s Hellboy, a private purchase for the flock as a lamb in 2022, and he is out of Ardstewart Arrogento.

    There were multiple titles amassed on the day for Bodoney Flock’s Reserve Champion including Champion Ram Lamb, Champion Lamb and Male Champion.

    The McCutcheons from Trillick also got first place rosettes for their Ram Lamb (born after March 1) and Pair of Lambs, as well as coming second in the Group of Three, Shearling Ram and Aged Ewe classes.

    The National Show was very well supported with a brilliant entry of Beltex sheep competing and showcasing the breed. Judge Nick Brown was impressed, commenting, “The size and quality of classes made judging difficult, especially the shearling ewe class. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, there were super sheep, a warm welcome and great hospitality.”

    His wife, Charlotte, also entered the showring and aptly judged the young handlers, saying, “It was brilliant to see the enthusiasm and skill of the young handlers, the older ones were evidently experienced stockmen and women. They were all a credit to the Irish Beltex Club.”

    The Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club would like to extend their gratitude to Omagh Show, as well as sponsors Abbey Autoline, P&M McKenna, Shortts Feeds and Eco Eggshell.

    The next club events are the Show and Sale at Beattie’s Pedigree Centre, Omagh, on Saturday, August 10, followed by the Premier Show and Export Sale on Monday, August 26 at Dungannon Farmers’ Mart.

  • Strabane record-breaker named as new Ulster Wool ambassador

    Strabane record-breaker named as new Ulster Wool ambassador

    A RECORD-breaking sheep shearer from Strabane has been named as one of Ulster Wool’s two new ambassadors.

    Under the ambassador programme, Tom Perry has been enlisted to represent the farmers’ co-operative in Northern Ireland, along with Claudy’s Jack Robinson.

    First introduced to shearing at an Ulster Wool shearing course at age 17, Tom returned to refresher courses and progressed as far as a gold seal when he was 23. He spent his twenties and early thirties travelling to the southern hemisphere progressing his career.

    Tom is an Ulster Wool instructor, and was also successful in achieving the nine-hour Irish Lamb Shearing record in 2023.

    Meanwhile, Jack keeps roughly 700 sheep and has a shearing run covering around 30,000 sheep. He has won the Northern Ireland national shearing title 10 times and made two world individual machine shearing finals.

    PASSION

    Ulster Wool’s two ambassador roles will be to support the organisation through good advocacy and best practices, encouraging farmers to be stronger together by supporting Ulster Wool. The ambassadors’ passion for the industry will also hopefully work to motivate the next generation while also flying the flag for Ulster Wool.

    Brendan Kelly, chair of Ulster Wool, said, “We are thrilled with the standard and talent of our ambassadors.

    “Both are extremely skilled, passionate, and knowledgeable individuals who can bring a lot to what we do here at Ulster Wool.”

    On top of helping to promote the Ulster Wool across its different media platforms, the ambassadors will also gain useful insight into the governance of the organisation and what goes into marketing its members’ wool.

    Mr Kelly said, “Ulster Wool represents sheep farmers across Northern Ireland. We collect, grade, market and sell wool on behalf of our members to the international wool textile industry for use in flooring, furnishings, and apparel.

    “As a collective marketing organisation, everything Ulster Wool does is about adding value to our members’ wool and we look forward to working with our ambassadors in promoting this to a much wider audience.”

  • Forestry grant opens to encourage farmers to plant new woodlands

    Forestry grant opens to encourage farmers to plant new woodlands

    THE Forest Service has announced the reopening of two forestry grant schemes, designed to support landowners to plant new woodlands for environmental and economic benefits.

    Forest Service chief executive, John Joe O’Boyle, said that the ‘Forest Expansion Scheme’ and the ‘Small Woodland Grant Scheme’, which are now open, will ‘also help tackle climate change’.

    “Planting new woodlands is widely recognised as having an important role in mitigating impacts of climate change,” he said. “The trees absorb carbon as they grow, and store it when the timber is processed into wood products, used, for example, in building construction.

    “They can, therefore, play a part in helping us meet our net zero targets.

    “Well-designed new woodlands also enhance the landscape, environment, create new habitats and support farm business sustainability and contribute to our ‘Forests for the Future’ project,” he added.

    The Forest Expansion Scheme aims to encourage landowners to plant a wide range of sustainable new woodlands of three hectares and larger.

    Some landowners may wish to establish woodlands to produce timber, primarily from conifer species, while others tend towards native woodland to enhance environmental and other characteristics of their holdings.

    The Forest Expansion Scheme funds successful applicants for these woodland types at up to 100 per-cent of the establishment costs and annual premium payments for a 10-year period.

    The ‘Small Woodland Grant Scheme’ is particularly-designed to support landowners to plant smaller scale new native woodlands that are at least 0.2 hectares in size.

    The scheme funds planting of trees, new stock fencing where required, and annual premium payments for a 10-year period.

    “In making their applications, I would urge landowners to engage early with Forest Service or their forestry agent who can provide advice and assistance on suitable forestry proposals that best meet their objectives,” Mr O’Boyle said.

    Landowners who wish to plant this winter are reminded that all applications must be submitted to Forest Service before 3pm on Thursday, August 31. Early applications are encouraged.

    Meanwhile, ‘Small Woodland Grant Scheme’ applications must be submitted through DAERA Online Services by 10pm on Thursday, August 31.

    Further information including questions and answers is available from: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/ articles/daera-forestry-grants.

    This includes a How To guide for the online Small Woodland Grant Scheme application. Alternatively, contact Forest Service on 028 6634 3019 or email: grants.forestservice@daera-ni.gov.uk

    A list of Forestry Services and Suppliers that will help land owners to contact businesses for advice can be viewed at https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/list-forest-service-contractors-suppliers-northern-ireland

    DAERA has launched Northern Ireland’s first ever consultation on carbon budgets, which set the maximum amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted in a given period. You can take part here: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/carbonbudget The 16-week consultation will run from 21 June to 11 October 2023.

    Since ‘Forests for Our Future’ launched in 2020, landowners have planted 1,300 hectares of new woodland across Northern Ireland under forestry grant schemes support.

  • Bursaries for students at CAFRE

    Bursaries for students at CAFRE

    STUDENTS at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) have welcomed the launch of the 2022-23 Student Bursary and Scholarship Programme.

    With a total cash value of £94,500 the programme is sponsored by leading agri-food and land-based businesses.

    As CAFRE celebrates 25 years of bursary support, Martin McKendry, CAFRE Director, said, “The college management appreciate the generous financial commitment made by bursary and scholarship providers in supporting the next generation of talent entering the agriculture, food, horticulture and equine industries.

    “At a time when many students are facing challenging financial pressures this support is especially welcomed.”

    Bursary Awards, with a total value of £72,000, are open to all to first year students studying on Higher Education courses at Enniskillen, Greenmount and Loughry Campuses.

    Forty-eight bursaries, each with a cash award of £1,500, will be presented to successful applicants in Semester 2.

    Eric Long, who is the head of education service said, “CAFRE Higher Education students have welcomed the outstanding support shown by the industry in making this extremely generous and transformative investment in their future.”

    For more information about Higher Education Degree courses at CAFRE visit www.cafre.ac.uk.

  • Eskra man is appointed ‘beef technology demonstration’ farmer

    Eskra man is appointed ‘beef technology demonstration’ farmer

    AN Eskra man has become one of the first beef farmers in the North to be appointed as a ‘Beef Fertility Technology Demonstration Farmer (TDF).

    To date, Oliver McKenna has hosted almost 20 farm groups on many aspects of how he farms including fertility management.

    Oliver runs a 40 suckler cow enterprise on his 27 hectare farm. He operates a closed herd of mainly Limousin, Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and Simmental cross cows, rearing his own replacements and finishing male calves as bulls with surplus heifers being sold in calf.

    Oliver has been using 100 per-cent AI on his farm for a number of years, and has introduced a series of technologies to aid fertility management.

    Mr McKenna said that he recognised the need to ‘get the best out of his farm’, which is ‘relatively small’.

    “I can achieve this through a high stocking rate – currently 2.61CE/HA – and also excellent cow fertility (calving index is 369 days),” he said. “I am passionate about farming, and since coming home from the College of Agriculture of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Enterprise, I have been able to increase stocking and profitability rates significantly as a result of producing and utilising more grass and improving cow fertility.

    “This has been achieved through a range of technologies, including using a herd health plan, pre breeding health checks, pregnancy diagnosis, the: ‘Sensehub beef system’, performance recording on farm and performance recorded sires. I am also excited about being a TDF Beef Fertility management farmer as I really enjoy hosting groups of farmers. I am looking forward to having other groups of farmers visit my farm in the months ahead.”

    Details of all TDFs, including Oliver’s, and how to book a visit are available on the CAFRE website: www.cafre.ac.uk/TDFs