NEWS

Friday 13 November 2026 Bluetongue virus has been detected in three sheep on a farm in County Down, marking the first confirmed cases of the BTV-3 strain in Northern Ireland this season. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has urged livestock farmers across Northern Ireland to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases immediately. Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir confirmed the cases on Friday evening (13 November), but officials have said

The dead cattle strewn across a field in Fivemiletown following the DAERA cull operation. Tuesday 10 November 2026 A major independent review into the controversial culling of 51 cattle near Fivemiletown has exposed serious failures in DAERA’s governance, planning and control of the operation — despite concluding that the Department acted lawfully and the animals killed were humanely destroyed. Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has accepted all 10 recommendations from former I

Matthew Arbuckle from Ballymena, believes his placement year and final year research project are helping him prepare for the future of farming. Saturday 07 November 2026 Ballymena agriculture student Matthew Arbuckle hopes to continue the pedigree cattle breeding work established by his late father while improving the sustainability and profitability of the family farm. Matthew, from Kells, is entering the final year of his BSc (Hons) Sustainable Agriculture degree at CAFRE’s

MP for Upper Bann Carla Lockhart during her visit to the inaugural Slurry Live event, held this week at the Eikon Exhibition Centre near Lisburn. Friday 6 November 2026 A Northern Ireland MP has called for greater flexibility in slurry spreading regulations after Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir rejected a request to reconsider the winter ban, despite concerns that prolonged wet weather prevented farmers from emptying slurry tanks before the October deadline. Upper Bann MP Ca

Farmers’ Choir NI committee members celebrate the £19,600 funding Saturday 31 October 2026 Farmers’ Choir NI has been awarded £19,600 from The National Lottery Community Fund to strengthen friendships and bring farming and rural communities together through music and social activities. The funding will help the registered charity develop community networks, organise social events and support concerts, creating more opportunities for people across Northern Ireland to connect.

Sunday 25 October 2026 Almost nine in ten farmers responding to an Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) survey say inheritance tax changes have increased stress or worry within their families, raising concerns about the emotional and financial pressures facing Northern Ireland’s farming community. The findings reveal that 88.6% of respondents reported increased family stress or worry, with 60.3% describing the increase as significant. The UFU says the uncertainty is forcing farming fa

Katie McNeilly and Samantha Dunlop of Ballymena Academy are winners of the 2026 ABP Angus Youth Challenge. They are pictured with the ABP Angus Youth Challenge Cup and ABP’s Managing Director in Northern Ireland, George Mullan, guest speaker Sophie McAllister, Teacher Laura Clotworthy and Charles Smith, General Manager of Certified Irish Angus. Sunday 25 October 2026 Two Ballymena Academy pupils have been crowned overall champions of the 2026 ABP Angus Youth Challenge after i

Friday 23 October 2026 Marks & Spencer has cut prices on a selection of British beef, lamb and pork products by up to 26%, helping shoppers save on everyday family meals while maintaining the prices it pays to farmers. The supermarket is adding more meat products to its Remarksable Value range, including diced beef, lamb mince and pork sausages, as part of a wider effort to make the weekly food shop more affordable. M&S says customers will receive exactly the same products, w

The Queen's team will be led by Professor Sharon Huws (right) and co-led by Dr Katerina Theodoridou (left) who will work alongside Dr Kayley Barnes (centre) from the Institute for Global Food Security and School of Biological Sciences at Queen's to drive the program forward. Sunday 18 October 2026 Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast are set to play a key role in a major international research initiative aimed at improving livestock productivity, reducing methane emissio

Lisa Burrows, Greenmount Association President, encourages the class of 1966 to attend the 60-year reunion. Saturday 17 October 2026 Former students who attended Greenmount Campus in Antrim are being invited to turn back the clock and reconnect with old friends as the Class of 1966 prepares to celebrate its 60-year reunion. The special gathering, organised by the Greenmount Association, will take place on Friday 23 October, bringing former classmates together six decades afte

Friday 16 October 2026 The future of family farming in Northern Ireland is under growing pressure, with almost nine in ten farmers reporting increased stress over inheritance tax changes and more than four in ten already cutting back on investment, according to a major new survey. The findings, published by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), reveal deep concerns about whether farms built up over generations can survive being passed from parents to children, with some families a

Thursday 15 October 2026 Eighteen farms across Northern Ireland have been awarded more than £130,000 to improve facilities and accessibility for people with disabilities and learning difficulties, helping provide opportunities to build confidence, develop practical skills and connect with others through everyday farming activities. The funding, announced by Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir, will support the development of social farming, an alte

(L-R) Irish Black Butter’s International Ambassador Alastair Bell, PRM Group Key Account Sales Development Manager Gary Hopkins, David Thompson, Buying Manager – Dairy at Tesco Northern Ireland and Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt Commercial Director Patrick Black. Tuesday 13 October 2026 Tesco Northern Ireland is expanding its range of locally produced dairy products, with new yoghurt, flavoured milk and award-winning cheddar being introduced in stores and online. The additions bri

Discussing plans for the Meet the Showbox Sires meeting are: Jim Stevenson, president, and Kenny Watson, chairman, Holstein NI, with James Woods, World Wide SIres. (Picture: Mullagh Photography) Sunday 11 October 2026 Dairy farmers and pedigree cattle breeders from across Northern Ireland will have an opportunity to learn directly from internationally recognised Holstein breeding specialists at a meeting in Antrim on Monday evening, 12 October. The Holstein NI event, ‘Meet th

The Champion Beltex at the Omagh Show and Sale was from Elizabeth McAllister Sunday 11 October 2026 A shearling ram from Elizabeth McAllister’s Artnagullion Flock in Kells has claimed the championship at the Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club’s Omagh Show and Sale, while a ram from Glenarm breeders Hugh and Eddie O’Neill secured the highest price of the evening at 1,450 guineas. The event, held at Beatties Pedigree Livestock Centre on Friday 25 September, saw judge Cathaoir O’C

Entrepreneur Sharon Gault celebrates with Cllr Dawn Higgins, Mayor, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, after she won the Causeway Coast and Glens Ultimate Pitch final, securing her place in the regional final with her business Kingsbarn Farm, which rears grass fed additive free meat Friday 09 October 2026 A traditional farm outside Dunloy has secured £1,000 in investment and a place in a Northern Ireland-wide business competition final after impressing judges with its

DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart Friday 09 October 2026 DUP MP Carla Lockhart has called on Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir to act on new research into bovine tuberculosis (bTB), warning that farmers cannot continue to shoulder the financial and emotional burden of a disease which has affected Northern Ireland's cattle industry for decades. The Upper Bann MP has welcomed an independent evidence review by AgriSearch examining DAERA’s proposed wildlife intervention options, ar

ChampionToberhill Lucky Tuesday 06 October 2026 Toberhill Lucky lived up to her name as Cathaoir O’Connor secured the overall championship at the Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club’s Ballymena Show and Sale for the second year running. The shearling ewe from O’Connor’s Toberhill Flock, Cookstown, was named Female Champion and Overall Champion by judge Joshua Keys of the Bolies Flock, Fivemiletown, before selling to the judge for 1,000gns. Sired by Glenview Jackpot and out of De

Emma McElhone, Margaret Purdie, Jill Stewart, Doreen Bolton and Christina Faulkner, pictured at CAFRE's recent Freshers Fair. Wednesday 07 October 2026 A new health and wellbeing partnership is targeting some of the pressures facing Northern Ireland’s next generation of farmers after research identified concerns around mental health, diet, alcohol use, cancer awareness and physical inactivity. The initiative brings together the Northern and Western Health and Social Care Trus

Dairy Council for Northern Ireland Chair Ivor Broomfield (left) and CEO Ian Stevenson launch the Dairy Council’s new manifesto “A Pathway to Success” outside Stormont. Tuesday 06 October 2026 Northern Ireland’s dairy industry is calling on the incoming Executive to provide greater support for a sector generating close to £2 billion in annual sales and sustaining thousands of farming and processing jobs. Four priorities for Northern Ireland dairy The Dairy Council for Northern