NEWS

The Silnavogie Sheepdog Trial organisers and committee presenting a cheque to Air Ambulance NI The annual Shilnavogie Sheep Dog Trial once again united competitors, families, and supporters on Saturday 13 September, raising an impressive £1,502.50 for Air Ambulance NI. Held at the farm of Mr John Davison in Shilnavogie, the friendly, strictly amateur event drew 25 competitors and their highly trained dogs for a day focused on skill, participation, and community spirit. Despit

L-R Claire McNair, Ballyclare Ladies Farm Forum, Ashleigh Magee, Gillian Dawson, Suzanne Pullins, Interim Chief Executive, NHSCT, Yvonne Carson, Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager, NHSCT and Anna Simms, Ballyclare Ladies Farm Forum, More than sixty women from across rural communities gathered at Gleno Young Farmers Hall to mark the International Day of Rural Women, at an event organised by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) in partnership with Ballyclare Ladies

Pictured launching the new ‘Perfect for…’ range of potatoes are (from l-r): chef, Stephen Ferris, Mary McKillop, Glens of Antrim Group, and potato grower, Stephen Christie who farms in Newtownards. Glens of Antrim Group has unveiled a major £250,000 investment in a new retail potato range designed to remove the confusion many shoppers face when choosing the right potato for their favourite dishes. The Cushendall and Ballymena-based agri-food group – which produces potatoes, c

Lapwing nest in the Antrim Hills The 2025 breeding season has delivered a significant boost for some of Northern Ireland’s most threatened wading birds, thanks to a close partnership between RSPB NI, local farmers and landowners across the Antrim Hills. RSPB NI staff and volunteers have spent recent months surveying, protecting and monitoring key species across a number of sites, working hand-in-hand with the agricultural community to improve habitat conditions and give vulne

Northern Ireland is being prevented from participating in the UK-wide rollout of a bovine tuberculosis (bTB) cattle vaccine due to a combination of EU regulations applied under the Windsor Framework and Northern Ireland’s own domestic legislation, South Antrim MP Robin Swann has warned. Mr Swann raised the issue directly with the UK Government, receiving confirmation that Northern Ireland cannot currently be included in the marketing authorisation for the vaccine. Responding

farmdrive co-founders - Gareth Gordon, CTO, and Gareth McDonald, CEO Northern Ireland agri-tech company farmdrive has raised £1 million in pre-seed investment to drive international growth of its pioneering livestock data and supply chain platform. The funding round was led by TechStart Ventures and Ascension Ventures, with participation from Angel Invest, and will support product development, team expansion, and entry into new markets across the UK and Europe. Founded in 202

Police have confirmed that a man has died following a single-vehicle road traffic collision in Magherafelt on Thursday evening, 6 November. Chief Inspector Celeste Simpson from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Collision Investigation Unit said: “Police received a report shortly after 5.50pm of a collision involving a car and a pedestrian in the Grange Road area. “Our officers attended, supported by colleagues from partner emergency services. However, sadly, the pedest

Mandatory housing measures for all kept birds and poultry will come into force across Northern Ireland from 00:01 on Thursday, 6 November 2025 , as part of new efforts to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has announced that the new Housing Order will require all bird keepers — including pet bird owners, commercial operators, and those with backyard or hobby flocks — to keep thei

Ian McMaw, Business Lecturer at the College of Agriculture Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus and Richard Henderson, Head of Agriculture at AbbeyAutoline. AbbeyAutoline has reaffirmed its commitment to the future of Northern Ireland’s agricultural industry by renewing its partnership with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) for the 2025/2026 academic year. As part of the CAFRE Industry Support Programme, AbbeyAutoline will once again o

Barkley Thompson Musical Director and members of the Farmers Choir who attended the awards evening.   Members of the Farmers’ Choir were delighted to attend the Northern Ireland Farming Awards 2025, where the group was recognisedo as a finalist in two prestigious categories – Farming Event of the Year and Farming Society of the Year. The choir received a Highly Commended accolade in the Farming Society of the Year category, acknowledging its exceptional contribution to rural

A suspect case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been identified at a commercial poultry premises near Pomeroy, County Tyrone, prompting swift disease control measures by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). The Department confirmed that the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) for Northern Ireland, Brian Dooher, took the decision to initiate control protocols following the emergence of concerning clinical signs and preliminary test re

South Antrim MP Robin Swann has issued a stark warning that Northern Ireland could face a serious animal welfare crisis unless urgent action is taken to secure the supply of vital veterinary medicines. The former Health Minister has written to both the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), urging them to make the issue a priority. His intervention follows contact from a local animal

Two senior Northern Ireland politicians have backed the Ulster Farmers’ Union’s (UFU) unprecedented vote of no confidence in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), describing it as a “seismic moment” and “wholly understandable”. Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Agriculture spokesperson and Chair of the Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, Robbie Butler MLA , said the move represents a damning indictment of a department an

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), citing a series of failings that have left farmers across Northern Ireland “deeply dissatisfied” . The decision was taken at the UFU Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday evening, 29 October, following months of frustration over what the union described as DAERA’s failure to address key agricultural concerns. UFU President W

Presenter Steph McGovern on a farm in Northern Ireland. (Images: BBC / Stellify Media) Filmed at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) in County Antrim, a new BBC series is set to uncover the unseen side of rural life — where danger, dedication and resilience meet on Britain’s farms. The 15-part series, Farm 999, launches on Friday 7 November on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer . Presented by Steph McGovern , it takes viewers deep into the chal

Farmers Margaret little & Delene Shannon alongside Diana Armstrong MLA and UFU President William Irvine Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Diana Armstrong has urged the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to act on key recommendations from the Breaking the Grass Ceiling report, calling for faster progress in achieving gender equality across Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector. Speaking after attending the Women in Agriculture Conference at Loughry

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) will come into effect across Northern Ireland from 00:01 on Saturday 1 November 2025, Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has announced. The new measures, which place a legal requirement on all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity rules, are being introduced to help prevent the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) during the winter migration season. Whether keeping pet birds, a small backyard flock, or a large commerci

Richard Gilpin, Head of Farm Operations, Gilfresh Produce and Lorraine Drennan, Customer Service Manager, Asda Portadown As Halloween approaches, Co Armagh-based Gilfresh Produce is gearing up for its biggest pumpkin season yet, supplying over 70,000 pumpkins to all 17 Asda stores across Northern Ireland – including two new seasonal showstoppers: the pale and eerie Ghost Pumpkin and the giant XL Pumpkin, perfect for carving or autumnal displays. Founded in 1965 by Thomas Gil

A Glenavy man has been sentenced to five months in prison after being found guilty of breaching a court-ordered ban on keeping animals. James Steele (55), of Gobrana Road, Glenavy, Crumlin, appeared before Lisburn Court where he was handed a five-month custodial sentence and ordered to pay a £25 offender levy for one charge under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) confirmed that the case aro

South Antrim MP Robin Swann, Ms Antoniazzi, and UFU President William Irvine Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann has hosted a high-level meeting in Westminster with representatives from the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and the Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, Tonia Antoniazzi MP, to discuss the major challenges facing the farming sector. The meeting followed a presentation by the UFU to the Committee earlier the same day, with discussions focusing on the pres