NEWS

Announcing the closing date for the application period for Innovation Farms Kenneth Johnston, CAFRE Innovation Farms programme manager. A new network of Innovation Farms is being launched — and local dairy and beef producers are being urged to step forward before the deadline closes this week. The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) has opened applications for farmers to become part of its Innovation Farm programme, a key strand of efforts to accelerate

Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) farm in Hillsborough, and (inset) TUV Agriculture spokesperson Cllr Allister Kyle A political storm is intensifying around the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute  (AFBI) after verified whistleblower footage and mounting claims of “two-tier” enforcement prompted a senior TUV councillor to declare the Agriculture Minister’s position “untenable”. TUV Agriculture spokesperson Cllr Allister Kyle issued a scathing response following rep

Pictured at Ulster Farmers' Union headquarters following the stakeholder meeting (L-R) Sergeant Ross Hakin, Inspector Sorcha Irwin, Brian Megahey (UFU), Deputy President Glenn Cuddy, Policy Officer Daniel Toft, Dr Lizzy Pinkerton (Belfast Hills Partnership) Illegal scramblers, broken gates, frightened livestock and farmers left feeling intimidated on their own land — that is the stark reality behind renewed calls for action in the Belfast Hills. The Ulster Farmers’ Union  (UF

BBC Sounds podcast presenter Eve Blair on location recording Your Farm And Mine A new BBC podcast is set to shine a fresh light on rural life in Northern Ireland — and at its heart is a presenter who knows exactly what farm life demands. Your Farm And Mine, a six-part series coming to BBC Sounds, will see Eve Blair step beyond the studio and into farmyards across the country, bringing listeners face to face with the people, animals and graft that shape the agricultural commun

Farmers across Northern Ireland are being left “in the lurch” by a compulsory purchase system they no longer trust, according to the Ulster Farmers’ Union , which is now calling for a fundamental overhaul of vesting rules. Following a meeting with Land and Property Services  (LPS), the UFU said too many landowners are facing uncertainty, inadequate compensation and prolonged disruption as land is acquired for infrastructure projects. Speaking on behalf of the organisation,

In an industry where long hours and solitary work are often the norm, a simple invitation to sit down, share a meal and talk can carry real weight. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust joined forces with the UFU Ballyclare Group to host a ‘Breakfast and a Blether’ event at the Five Corners Guest Inn in Ballyclare, bringing farm families together for a morning focused on connection, conversation and community. Also attended by local industry leaders, the event offered far

TUV agriculture spokesman Councillor Allister Kyle Northern Ireland’s farming community is being “failed” by Stormont, according to TUV agriculture spokesman Councillor Allister Kyle , who used a West Tyrone fundraising breakfast to launch a sweeping critique of agricultural policy, bovine TB controls and the Windsor Framework. Addressing party members on Saturday (February 21), Cllr Kyle painted a picture of mounting pressure on farmers — from disease outbreaks and slurry st

Julie Martin from Northern Ireland Hospice with Mittlè McFadden and Jennifer Gardiner and members of Farmers’ Choir NI Farmers’ Choir Northern Ireland has raised £2,200 for Northern Ireland Hospice and Rural Support following its Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held at St Patrick’s Parish Church, Kilrea last December. The fundraising total was generated through a freewill offering at the seasonal carol service, which drew strong support from local farmers, families and me

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has renewed its call for responsible dog ownership after new figures revealed that farm animals in Northern Ireland worth an estimated £152,000 were severely injured or killed in dog attacks during 2025. The warning comes ahead of the busy lambing season, a critical period for sheep farmers, when pregnant ewes and newborn lambs are particularly vulnerable. Figures released by NFU Mutual show a 30% decrease in the financial cost of livestock att

Michaela McBurnie from the Meadows Equestrian Centre with students Emma Brow (Hillsborough) and Ellie Getty (Cloughmills). The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) has brought industry and education together at its Enniskillen Campus, hosting an Opportunities in Equine Careers Fair as part of its annual Careers Day to support students planning their future in the equine sector. The Opportunities in Equine Careers Day was designed to help students develop

Jane Rea on the family farm in Shilnavogy in the Antrim hills. (All Images: BBC NI / Below The Radar TV) Jane Rea’s Bloomin’ Wild, a new four-part farming series set on a family farm in Shilnavogy, County Antrim, begins this week on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer. The series follows the changing seasons in the Antrim Hills, exploring food, craft and Ulster-Scots culture woven into everyday rural life. Filmed on Jane Rea’s family farm in the small townland of Shilnav

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