NEWS

Rhonda Geary, RUAS Group Operations Director and Cormac McKervey, Senior Agriculture Manager, Ulster Bank, kick off the countdown to the 2026 Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank. The pair are joined by county Antrim farmer, John Cross, who received the award for Champion Clydesdale at the 2025 event. The countdown to Balmoral Show 2026 has officially begun, with the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) announcing that Ulster Bank will return as principal sponsor

The Farmers’ Choir Northern Ireland Committee Members The Farmers’ Choir Northern Ireland has marked a year of continued growth, strong community engagement and musical success at its fourth Annual General Meeting, held recently at Ballymena Academy. Members gathered to reflect on a busy and productive year for the choir, which has continued to expand its audience reach while strengthening its role as a social and cultural outlet for people from rural and farming backgrounds

(L-R) Orlaith McLoughlin, Paul McHenry (Acting Director of CAFRE), Maynard Mawhinney (Chair of the CAFRE College Advisory Group), Cathal O’Donnell, Lawrence Whyte and Stephen Black. Stephen Black, Principal of Ballymena Academy , has been appointed to the CAFRE College Advisory Group, as the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) confirmed four new members to the strategic body supporting agri-food and rural education in Northern Ireland. The appoin

Anna Short secured a scholarship through CAFRE’s Industry Support Programme in conjunction with Pilgrim’s Europe. A paid placement year through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Industry Support Programme has helped a Greenmount Campus student gain hands-on experience across the poultry sector and clarify her future career ambitions. Anna Short, a BSc (Hons) Sustainable Agriculture student at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus , secured a scholarship placem

Fundraising events help fund one full day of life-saving air ambulance service Craigs Vintage & Classic Club has raised £8,320 for Air Ambulance NI through a series of fundraising events held across 2025, generating enough money to fund one full day of the life-saving helicopter emergency medical service operating across Northern Ireland. The funds were raised through a corn cutting day in August and a tractor run in November, with club members visiting the charity’s airbase

William Sayers A powerful first-hand account of the dangers faced on Northern Ireland’s farms will be shared in Ballyeaston tomorrow night, as William Sayers addresses a Farm Health and Safety talk hosted by the Ballyeaston Vintage Tractor Club. The free event takes place on Friday 6 February at 7.30pm, at 19 Trenchill Road, Ballyeaston, BT39 9SJ , with tea and refreshments served and everyone welcome. Organisers say the evening is aimed at farmers, families and the wider r

A 1970s County 1254 Ballymena is set to take centre stage in the international vintage machinery market as Europe’s leading agricultural machinery auctioneer, Cheffins , brings one of its flagship Vintage and Classic Tractor sales to Northern Ireland. The high-profile auction marks only the third time in Cheffins’ 200-year history that the firm has taken a major machinery sale across the Irish Sea, underlining both the significance of the event and the growing reputation of N

Lisnamurrican YFC members Stuart, Claire, Alexis, Ruth and Rachel visited Air Ambulance NI headquarters to present the cheque for an incredible £15,000 Members of Lisnamurrican Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) have proudly presented a cheque for £15,000 to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, marking a major fundraising achievement during the club’s 85th anniversary year. A group of club members — Stuart, Claire, Alexis, Ruth and Rachel — travelled to the charity’s headquarters in Lisbur

Dead fish in Four Mile Burn, a tributary of the Six Mile Water river in May 2024 A County Antrim farmer has been convicted at Antrim Magistrates’ Court following a slurry pollution incident that killed more than 1,100 fish across two local waterways, prompting renewed political calls for tougher penalties for environmental offences. Seamus Kane (52), of Ballymena Road, Doagh, was convicted at Antrim Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ballymena under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (N

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston with farmer David Irwin, Redhouse Holsteins (far left) and other members of the farming community who supported Saturday night’s protest at Tesco . Farmers blocked the entrance to one of Tesco’s main Northern Ireland distribution centres on Boucher Road in Belfast on Saturday night, January 30, in a protest highlighting growing frustration across the agri-food sector. Tractors and other agricultural vehicles were used to obstruct access to

Rebecca Mackey, Level 3 Agriculture Apprentice pictured on her home farm in Ballynure. For Co Antrim farmer Rebecca Mackey , agriculture has always been more than a career choice—it has been a way of life. Now an Apprentice on the Level 3 Agriculture programme at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Rebecca is combining hands-on farm work with structured academic learning to build a future in the industry she has grown up in. Raised on her family’s d

CAFRE trained Apprentice, Jack Johnson from Belfast secured his first Point-to-Point win having recently achieved his Jockey’s Licence. The upcoming Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week (2–6 February) is providing an opportunity to spotlight the achievements of a rising local talent, as former CAFRE Equine Apprentice Jack Johnson celebrates a remarkable journey from classroom to racetrack success. Staff at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) have pr

Minister Andrew Muir pictured with Newry Mourne and Down Council Chair Cllr Philip Campbell, Shane O’Reilly, Manager of Ballyward Equestrian Estate and Ceto a six-year-old mare bred at Ballyward. DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has welcomed a £7.91 million investment supporting more than 2,350 rural community organisations and businesses across Northern Ireland over the past year, describing it as a significant step towards building stronger, more sustainable rural communities. Th

Minister Muir was speaking at Primrose Cottage Social Farm, where he presented their grant aid Letter of Offer for £4,960 to Anne Brown. More than £120,000 in funding has been awarded to Social Farms across Northern Ireland under a new capital grant scheme aimed at improving accessibility, inclusion and wellbeing for some of society’s most disadvantaged people. DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA today announced that 15 eligible Social Farms have received funding through the Depar

Kells & Connor Young Farmers’ Team ‘Tour de Kells’ leaving Kells in Ballymena, Co Antrim – Andrew Millar, Alex Millar, Adam Lyttle, James Fullerton and Zoe McIlroy Five members of Kells & Connor Young Farmers Club (YFC) have completed an impressive long-distance cycling challenge, raising thousands of pounds for a Northern Ireland children’s charity. The group — Andrew Millar, Alex Millar, Adam Lyttle, James Fullerton and Zoe McIlroy — took on the “Tour de Kells” challeng

Land & Property Services has launched a new digital service designed to make it easier for ratepayers across Northern Ireland to manage their rates accounts online. The new Rates Online platform allows customers to view account details, report changes, make payments and raise queries through a single online portal. Users can also opt to receive their rates bills electronically, reducing paperwork and offering faster access to important information. The service forms part of a

Police in Ballymena have attended the Shilnavogy Road area following reports of suspected hare coursing, as officers continue to step up efforts to tackle wildlife crime across the district. Ballymena Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) confirmed they were in the area on Saturday (January 10) after receiving information suggesting illegal hare coursing activity. Hare coursing, which involves the pursuit of hares by dogs for sport or gambling, is illegal and widely regarded as a

South Antrim MP Robin Swann has welcomed new assurances from the Treasury that proposed inheritance tax arrangements for family farms will apply beyond married couples and civil partners, following strong concerns raised by farming organisations in Northern Ireland. The clarification was provided by Treasury Minister Dan Tomlinson after Mr Swann raised the issue in Parliament, highlighting widespread anxiety within the farming community that the proposed rules could unintent

Farmers across Northern Ireland are being urged to familiarise themselves with newly introduced Farm Sustainability Standards (FSS), which came into force today, 1 January 2026 , and will underpin eligibility for a wide range of agricultural support schemes. The new standards form a central pillar of the Sustainable Agriculture Programme (SAP) and are designed to ensure continued access to the Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP) and other key schemes supporting the agri-food se

Farmers’ Choir members who participated in the Life Beyond Service. The past year has proved to be both memorable and deeply fulfilling for the Farmers’ Choir, as its 55 members came together through music, friendship and a shared commitment to supporting rural communities across Northern Ireland. Under the leadership of Musical Director Barkley Thompson, the choir enjoyed a packed programme of concerts, community events and media appearances, reinforcing its role as an impor