Vets are now on the frontline of agriculture’s response to the rocketing stress levels currently impacting on farm families across Northern Ireland.

Co. Antrim veterinarian, Paul Crawford, spoke on the matter while attending a mental health seminar, hosted by Rural Support on the first day of this year’s Balmoral Show (May 11-14).

The former president of the Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practising in Northern Ireland (AVSPNI) confirmed that he and his colleagues are now actively looking out for signs that would indicate that farmer-clients are coming under stress.

Identifying stress

Crawford said: “It’s all about identifying small changes in management practices, which could reflect that something much more serious is going on in the life of a particular farmer.

“Farmers that have stepped back from the worming and vaccination of stock is a good example of behavioural change, indicating that circumstances within the farm business as a whole have altered.”

Crawford indicated that veterinarians will engage with client farmers on these matters, if they feel there is a genuine need so to do.

“Vets are also receiving professional guidance on how best to deal with the growing stress levels impacting on their own lives.

“Working with farmers who, themselves, are under growing financial or emotional pressure brings its own inherent challenges.

Support for mental health

Former Ulster Farmers’ Union president Victor Chestnutt highlighted the increasing role played by the charity, Life Beyond, in helping farm families across the island of Ireland cope with sudden death, illness and life changing accidents as they try to look to the future.

“Just over £60,000 has been collected on behalf of the charity over the past three years,” he said.

“The organisation is helping to make a real difference for farming families who are trying to cope with changing circumstances that are just so difficult to adapt to.”

The seminar was hosted by the ABP Group at its Balmoral Show stand. Liam McCarty from ABP confirmed that everyone within that business, dealing with farmers on a day-to-day basis, is now on full alert, looking for any signs of stress that a producer might be coming under.

“ABP takes this issue very seriously. The bottom line is that we will do everything possible to work with suppliers in these circumstances,” he said.    

Current UFU deputy president, William Irvine, also spoke at the seminar. He referred to the ferocious rate of change now impacting on every facet of agriculture.

“I would implore any farmer coming under pressure of any kind to seek advice immediately.

“There is no point waiting for a problem to become a crisis. The good news is that help is available. Organisations like Rural Support are doing a tremendous job in this regard.”  

The post Balmoral seminar hears about stress in agriculture from vet perspective appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Opportunity at Balmoral for food sector

The society will, I’m sure, stress that ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and many people’s continuing fear of contracting the virus, will have served to restrict attendance levels, despite all the efforts made by the RUAS to fully comply with government and health service guidelines.

Balmoral Show 2021 broke the mould, across the UK and Ireland, in being the only national event of note with crowds, to have taken place within the farming and food sectors over the past 24 months.

Royal Ulster Agricultural Society

Society accounts for last year have already confirmed a loss of circa £1 million. And no doubt, even greater volumes of red ink will be required to reflect on its activities in 2021.

Future for Balmoral Show

The strategic location of Balmoral Park was a key driver for the RUAS when the decision was taken to move there in the first place.

Balmoral Show 2021 is now fast disappearing in the rear view mirror. The event will also take place next year during its normal time slot – the second full week of May.

The post Balmoral Show 2021 – the jury is still out appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

“The Eikon Centre is now in place. Combined with the recently completed Dr. E.F. Logan Hall, it provides us with the largest covered exhibition facility on the island of Ireland,” he said.

“This is all extremely positive. Continued house building in the greater Lisburn area should bring with it the prospect of an improved road infrastructure for the region. This may well include a direct or indirect link from the M1 motorway into the showgrounds.

Our next major project at Balmoral Park will be the development of a signature building.

The new president confirmed the continuing development of the old King’s Hall site in Belfast.

“The house building work at the back of the old site continues apace,” said Martin.

There is growing expectation that the commercial development of the King’s Hall will get underway in the very near future.

Billy Martin assumes the presidency of the RUAS at a time of improving finances for the organisation.

“If we had remained at the King’s Hall the state of our books would have been extremely challenging by this stage,” he stressed.

Moving to Balmoral Park on the outskirts of Lisburn has provided the RUAS with a unique opportunity of forwarding its objectives for the future.

The last financial year, ending October 31, 2018, saw the society return net incoming resources on ordinary activities (before other gains and losses) of £1,391,643. The fixed assets of the RUAS and its associated group of companies are valued at £26,908,622.

Additions to the society’s tangible fixed assets during 2018 included the completion of its second exhibition facility, the Dr. E.F. Logan Hall, and further improvements to the Eikon Exhibition Centre and Balmoral Park.

Last year saw the RUAS expend £3,244,471 on charitable activities, including support costs. These activities generated total revenues of £2,727,568, resulting in a deficit of £516,903.

This year’s Balmoral Show takes place between May 15 and 18. Ulster Bank is the principal sponsor of the event.

The post Newly-appointed RUAS president looks to the future appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Lely brought a live robotic milking exhibition to this year’s show and in association with Drayne’s Farm, an ice-cream stand.

Some 40 cows made the journey to the purpose built dairy unit at the Balmoral Show for the three days where they will be milked at their leisure.

Lely’s Tomas Cooney said that cows are milked more often than in a traditional system and the Lely Astronaut recognizes each cow individually.

“Every event from birth until the day she leaves the farm is stored on the T4C (time for cows) management program which is then very clearly presented in a dashboard format.”

It enables the farmer to supply an individual cow with all her needs for optimal health, milk production and well being.

Over the three-day event, visitors to the stand heard about different topics from grazing, to labour saving and comparing conventional to robotic milking and the public saw how easy it is to manage your herd from the palm of your hand from anywhere in the world with Lely Inherd.

They also provided live interviews with some of their customers on the stand each day at 11am, 2pm and 4pm.

Jim Irwin from the company’s Center Eglish said “who better is there to share their knowledge than those farmers who are using the system on a daily basis”.

Neil Dillion from Farm Management Support with Lely Centre Eglish interviewed Andrew Stewart, a dairy farmer from Banbridge, Co. Down at the Lely stand at the Balmoral Show.

The post Lely wins Best Trade Stand for Farm and Horticultural Machinery at Balmoral appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Food and drink exports from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland worth £850m (€1079m) would face an uncertain future if the UK voted to leave the EU, she said.

Truss highlighted the vital trade relationship Northern Ireland’s farmers have with the EU – in particular cross-border trade with the Republic of Ireland, which alone accounts for 65% of all the food and drink exports from the North.

The Environment Secretary said that family-run farms and innovative food and drink producers across Northern Ireland enjoy huge success in the EU, with over £1 billion of produce exported there in 2015.

“Northern Ireland particularly benefits from easy, hassle-free trade with the Republic of Ireland – a vital source of income for farmers and food producers.

“If we were to leave the EU, Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK would not be able to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland’s farmers would have no certainty on cross trade arrangements.”

Leaving the EU is a leap in the dark and a risk not worth taking, with no guarantees that such a good deal could be struck outside the EU.

“Northern Ireland’s world-class farmers and food producers are stronger, safer and better off in a reformed European Union.”

Food and drink exports account for over a fifth of Northern Ireland’s total exports, with food and livestock exports to the EU more than doubling in real terms since 1998.

During her visit to Northern Ireland the Environment Secretary met with Moy Park, the UK’s biggest poultry producer, based in Craigavon, to talk about the benefits of tariff-free access and common standards for food and farming businesses.

Outside the EU, Treasury analysis shows the UK will be worse off by £4,300 a year per household if Britain votes to leave.

Furthermore, DEFRA has said that it is not clear whether the Common Travel Area would be able to continue to operate between the UK and the Republic of Ireland and sustain the important free trade of goods for producers and traders.

As part of the EU single market, DEFRA has pointed out that Northern Ireland’s farmers producers can easily sell their goods to consumers in the Republic, and benefit from tariff-free access and common standards on labelling, safety and welfare.

Figures from DEFRA show that Northern Ireland’s food and drink export trade with the EU brings in over £1 billion to the economy.

Meat exports account for over a quarter of this export value, at £280m, with dairy and eggs a close second at £240m, the figures show.

The post Leaving the EU a ‘leap in the dark’ for the UK appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Cones, sun cream and sunglasses featured prominently at the showgrounds today temperatures in the high-teens.

Like yesterday, Ulster Bank has again compiled a great video of the highlights of Day Two of the Balmoral Show.

While official figures are yet to be released, it is expected that over 90,000 people will attend the show over the three days.

One of the biggest machines on show at this year’s Balmoral Show is this Terex TA300 which can carry 30t.

It has a Scania engine powering it and costs in the region of £200,000 (€254,000). To give an indication of the size of this Terex, the wheel heights are five foot!

There was plenty to see and do for younger patrons at today’s show. In the M&S tent, there was chicks on show to keep children entertained.

Meanwhile, over at the Tesco Children’s Farm there was kids, more chicks, lambs and calves on show.

Ice cream sales are understood to have shot through the roof at today’s show, with the traditional 99 as well as flavoured ice cream spotted!

In the cattle and sheep tents at the Balmoral Show, hair dryers and shampoo were common place. There was plenty of prize-winning cattle and sheep on show.

The post Pics: Plenty of sunshine at day two of the Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Over 90,000 people are expected to go through the gates of the three-day event this week and the weather did not disappoint on day one.

In case you missed day one of the show, Ulster Bank, principal sponsor of the Balmoral Show, has put together this great video of the day.

A fantastic 1st day of the 2016 @BalmoralShow! Visit until Friday for food, farming & fun! https://t.co/JuzOKArKfmhttps://t.co/nprFZTOH8b

— Ulster Bank (@UlsterBank) May 11, 2016

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Twitter has been on fire with tweets and the hash-tag #BalmoralShow has been a firm feature on users’ timelines all day.

Graeme Smyth tweeted that it’s been another great Balmoral Show and that it’s fantastic to get back to the rural roots.

Another great @balmoralshow – fantastic to get back to the rural roots! #BalmoralShow

— Graeme Smyth (@GraemeSmyth85) May 11, 2016

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There was more than just farming and food on show today with some stunt bike action!

https://twitter.com/RedBSierra/status/730460235303927810

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Rosemary Girven, a training consultant for health and safety tweeted that she had sore feet and sunburn – but that it was a great day out.

#BalmoralShow day 1 sore feet and sunburn great day out

— Rosemary Girvan (@onestopsafetytr) May 11, 2016

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If you plan on attending day two of the show tomorrow, there is a good day in store with bright and sunny spells.

The Met Office has said that there could be the odd isolated shower and it will be warm with maximum temperatures reaching 20 degrees.

Organisers are advising those who are planning on attending the event to plan their journey in advance and to be aware of local traffic diversions.

The post Video: The highlights of Day One of the Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

The launch was attended by farm organisations, the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI), Harper Adams Ireland and agribusiness leaders.

Brian and Norma Rohan, founders of Embrace Farm, thanked Barclay Bell and the Ulster Farmers Union, Martin Malone and NFU Mutual for hosting the launch on their stand.

He also thanked Keith Morrison, Chief Executive of the HSENI and Michael Reid, CEO of the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster for their support in launching this event at Balmoral Show.

Sinead McLaughlin, former Tyrone Ladies Football captain who lost her Dad, Cathal in a farm accident and Rory Best, the Embrace Farm Ulster Ambassador also attended the launch of this year’s Remembrance Service.

Embrace Farm was founded in 2014 to provide a bereavement support group for farm families who, like them, have lost a loved one or suffered serious injury in a farming accident.

Brian Rohan said that Embrace Farm holds an Ecumenical Remembrance service on the last Sunday of June each year to remember those lost and seriously injured on the farms of Ireland.

Our third annual service will be on Sunday June 26 this year in the Church of the Most Holy Rosary, Abbeyleix, Co Laois.

“In addition to this year’s service we are adding a family weekend for young children who have lost either their Dad or young sibling in a farm accident.

“The purpose of this weekend is to do something fun with the kids and bring families from similar situations together in an attempt to help them connect with each other and share their stories.

“Embrace Farm has no dedicated funding, we have been very fortunate to have benefitted from many fundraisers organised by kind supporters.

“This funding along with some very generous donations from Agribusiness is helping to finance the family weekend and Remembrance Service.”

Brian Rohan went on to say that they would be very grateful to the agriculture industry if you could help them out financially and through their marking departments to help get the word out about the remembrance service.

So far this year there have been four farmers killed in the Republic of Ireland and according to HSENI to date in 2016 there have been three farm fatalities in Northern Ireland.

Embrace Farm wants to help and support families with their service as a farm accident, whether fatal or causing serious trauma, can leave awful and lifelong consequences.

Norma Rohan said that even opening up and talking to people is a huge step for some, particularly men.

“We don’t underestimate the size of that step for people but we do know it’s worth it. There’s a lot to be gained from talking to people who know exactly what you’ve been through.

“You get real empathy and understanding and the toll on farm families from accidents has been so devastating that there’s an awful lot of trauma to deal with. ”

If you would like the name of your loved one remembered at this year’s service, please get in touch with Embrace Farm with their name by calling +353 (0)85-7709966 or emailing [email protected] or through Facebook.

Saturday June 25, 2016

10am: Registration at Maldron Hotel, 2km from Portlaoise at exit 17 of the M7/M8 Dublin – Cork/Limerick motorway.

10.45am: Bus leaves for Castlecomer Discovery Park, Kilkenny. Set in a stunning 80 acre woodland, this Park boasts an exciting range of recreational and educational activities.

These scenic walking trails, lakes, boating, high-ropes and low-ropes adventure activities, a fascinating multi media coal mining museum, orienteering trails, schools education programme, design craft workshops, Elf & Fairy village and an award winning café.

5.30pm: Adults one hour workshop – Information & Discussion on Dealing with Grief in our Families.
5.30pm: Children’s light entertainment e.g. movie for teens / disco for kiddies.

7pm: Dinner in hotel and chat.

Sunday June 26, 2016

Up to 10am: Breakfast.

10.30am – 11.30am: Children’s workshop. this will consist of creating a momento that will be included  in the Remembrance Service in Abbeyleix at 2pm which can be taken home.

2pm: Abbeyleix – Remembrance Service in Church of the Most Holy Rosary.

The post Embrace Farm week remembrance service launched at Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

The programme encourages young people into beef farming and educates them on best rearing practices to promote farming as a long term career option.

The winners will receive six calves aged 14 weeks old to rear through to slaughter, in addition to the highest level of professional support and knowledge from ABP and industry experts. The value of the prize is in the region of £6,000.

Budding farmers, interested in entering Farmer of the Future, should submit a 200 word proposal on why they deserve to win the calves and the support from ABP.

Entries should be submitted through the Farmers of the Future website. ABP has said that a short list of entrants will be chosen and the winners will be announced in July.

The winners of the 2015 competition were were Owen McGreevey of Dromore, Co. Down and Caleb Haffrey of Donaghcloney, Co. Armagh.

Arthur Callaghan from ABP Food Group said that this programme is about giving young farmers the opportunity to get first-hand experience on developing a quality beef production system.

“Our team, along with a number of industry experts, will support the winners through the whole process through an on-farm mentoring programme where the latest research and advice will be shared.

“I’d urge any young farmer who is interested in beef to log on to our website www.farmersofthefuture.today to find out more.”

ABP is platinum sponsor of this year’s Balmoral show. The company has two facilities in Northern Ireland at Lurgan and Newry and employs 491 people locally.

The post Young farmers! Want to win the chance to rear six calves? appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Some 40 cows have made the short journey from Lisburn to a purpose built dairy unit at the Showgrounds where they will be milked at their leisure during the show.

Michael Drayne from Drayne’s Farm said that after the reception from the local public at the 2015 show they had no hesitation in teaming up with the event organisers and Lely once again.

“We are excited that the public will have the opportunity of seeing our cows in action once more in a real live environment where they will experience first-hand how efficient the system is and how well the cows are cared for.”

The Lely robotic milking system and its excellent management tools have really freed up invaluable time on our farm to look after the welfare of our cows and for me welfare is everything.

“We’ve been milking cows here in Lisburn for over 80 years, our family business has grown over those years and we now supply milk and cream products to customers across three counties of Northern Ireland.”

Drayne said that they’ve recently started to make ice-cream with the milk and cream and are pleased to announce that they will be showcasing the ice-cream on the Lely stand at the show this year.

“So not only will the public see our cows producing wholesome fresh milk they will also have the opportunity of buying some delicious ice-cream.”

Lely’s Tomas Cooney said that cows are milked more often than in a traditional system and the Lely Astronaut recognizes each cow individually.

Every event from birth until the day she leaves the farm is stored on the T4C (time for cows) management program which is then very clearly presented in a dashboard format.

“It enables the farmer to supply an individual cow with all her needs for optimal health, milk production and well being.”

Jim Irwin from Lely Center Eglish who as well as 24/7 back-up, provides advice in all areas from barn design, layout, and installation along with start-up said that Lely will have live interviews with some of their customers on the stand each day at 11am, 2pm and 4pm.

“Who better is there to share their knowledge than those farmers who are using the system on a daily basis.”

Different topics from grazing, to labour saving and comparing conventional to robotic milking will be discussed and the public will also see how easy it is to manage your herd from the palm of your hand from anywhere in the world with Lely Inherd, he concluded.

First introduced in 1992, the Lely robotic milking machine today has over 24,000 working worldwide, milking over a 1.2m cows daily.

The post Lely’s live robotic milking display returns to the Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Therefore, it’s important to plan your route to the showgrounds in advance and to comply with local traffic restrictions.

Driving to the Balmoral Show

• From West: Take the M1 to junction 8 and follow the directional signage.
• From North West: Take the M1 to junction 8 and follow the directional signage.
• From Lisburn: Take the Moira Road out of Lisburn and follow directional signage.
• From Belfast: Travel South on the M1, coming off at Sprucefield and follow directional signage to Balmoral Park.
• From North East: Travel South on the M1, coming off at Sprucefield and follow directional signage to Balmoral Park.
• From South: Travel up the A1 dual carriageway and follow directional signage.

Public Transport

A complimentary shuttle service to Balmoral Park will operate from Lisburn Train station between 8.30am and 9pm to the new Showgrounds.

Translink is asking visitors to plan their journeys in advance and leave extra time to make onward train connections.

Visitors who use the Translink shuttle bus or special coach daytours will also enjoy priority show entry, organisers have confirmed.

Showgrounds Map

The show opens at 9.30am Wednesday through Friday and closes at 8.30pm Wednesday and Thursday. The Balmoral Show comes to a close at 8pm on Friday.

Admission on the door on the day is as follows:

• Adult (Over 18) – £18.
• Youth (12-18 years) – £12.
• Seniors (Over 65) – £14.
• Child (5-11 years) – £3.
• Children under 5 years are free.

The post How to plan the best route to the 2016 Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

“Nothing will happen in 2016,” he said.

“Last autumn we wrote out to all exhibitors seeking their views on the feasibility of transforming Balmoral Show into a four day event.

“If this proposal is approved, it would see the event ending on a Saturday, and not Friday, which is currently the case.”

McDonald said that the decision on the future format of the show will be made by the society’s Council members before the end of March.

“Prior to this the proposal will also be discussed informally by members attending our 2016 annual general meeting,” he said.

“This is scheduled for Friday, March 4.

If the Council vote is positive, this will pave the way for the changes taking effect in 2017.”

McDonald said that a very engaging response had been received from those exhibitors canvassed.

“I am not in a position to make any form of prediction on this matter.

“The Saturday may well attract more part time farmers and general consumers. So a lot depends on how this eventuality will go down with our agri exhibitors, who want to do business with full-time farmers.

“So, everything is still in the melting point. The full results of our exhibitor survey will be put before Council members in March. And this grouping will make the final decision.”

“We know already that not all of our current exhibitors are in favour of the extra day. At the end of the day it’s a question of balance.”

This year’s Balmoral Show will take place between Wednesday, May 11 and Friday, May 13.

The post Four-day Balmoral Show on the cards from 2017 appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Ulster Bank, which has been the principal sponsor of the three-day agri-food and family event since 2009, has agreed a new three-year deal that will see it remain the key sponsor of the Show until at least 2018.

As a result, the Show will continue to be called The Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank.

Making the announcement this morning, Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) Chief Executive, Colin McDonald, said that the agreement is a major boost for Balmoral Show as it seeks to continue to build on its successful move to its new location.

“Ulster Bank has been a fantastic sponsor of the Balmoral Show and its continued support will play a central role in helping us develop the event as a fitting showcase for the agri-food sector and a premier family occasion,” McDonald said.

“There is so much potential at Balmoral Park to expand and enhance the show. We are delighted to have Ulster Bank’s support, as a strategic partner and a passionate supporter of the local agri-food sector, to help us capitalise on the possibilities,” he also said.

Richard Donnan, Ulster Bank’s Managing Director of Retail Banking and Northern Ireland SME and CIB, said that the Balmoral Show is one of Northern Ireland’s most important and popular events.

“Ulster Bank is proud to be so closely associated with and centrally involved in it. It’s an event that is important to our customers and our economy and therefore we are delighted to continue our support.

“As we seek to continue to grow our business in the agri-food sector, with £1.5 billion available to lend to businesses this year, continuing to be the principal sponsor of the Balmoral Show is a very important part of our strategy and a great fit for our business,” Donnan said.

Ulster Bank Senior Agriculture Manager, Cormac McKervey, said that these are challenging times for many farmers, but the sector has proven itself to be resilient and its long-term prospects remain strong.

“We see our principal sponsorship of the Balmoral Show as a symbol of our commitment to supporting farmers through the good times and the more difficult times.

“We also think the current challenges the sector is facing underline the importance of Balmoral Show as a place for farmers to meet, share their experiences, and plan for the year ahead,” McKervey said.

The post Ulster Bank to remain main sponsor of Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

It’s a great mix between business and pleasure at the show, according to Ulster Bank’s Cormac McKervey.

One of the highlights of the show this year was the Lely live robotic milking display, in association with Drayne’s farm. A herd of 40 cows made the short journey from Drayne’s farm in Lisburn to a purpose built dairy unit at Balmoral Park where they were milked at their leisure during the Show as they are on the home farm.

Michael Drayne said the family has been milking cows here in Lisburn for over 80 years and were delighted visitors to the Balmoral Show could see their cows and how efficient the system is and how well the cows are cared for.

“They are more relaxed and have the freedom of choice to be milked at any time of the day or night.”

Some of the winners at the show included the Patton family from Newtownards, whose cow Ards At Wood Lou Ella won the supreme champion holstein.

The best Charolais bull of the show went to Robert Williams, while the supreme champion Charolais prize went to the Connolly family of Ballynahinch.

Here, Ulster Bank has put together a great video of some of the highlights of Day 3 at the show and the people – see if you can spot yourself!

The post Video: All the highlights from day 3 of Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

The two year old Beef Shorthorn bull was bred by Dungannon farmer Dominic Dorman. Noted more as a breeder of British Blonde cattle, Dorman has only two Shorthorn cows.

“This is my first Balmoral inter breed title,” he said.

“The interest in Shorthorn cattle goes back to my mother, who had a real love for the breed. The bull’s sire hails from the Carrorock herd in Co Galway.”

Ireland competed in a young bull class at Balmoral last year, but did not overly impress.

“However, he went on to win the Shorthorn Championship at six local shows last summer,” Dorman explained.

“But it was only when I cleaned him up at the end of last winter that I realised his full potential.”

The initial plan for the bull is to draw semen from him over the coming months.

“After that we will see what happens. If someone writes me a big enough cheque then he’s for sale.”

Meanwhile, Farm Minister Michelle O’Neill has called for Northern Ireland to have its own separate referendum on EU membership.

“This is too big an issue to be decided at a UK level,” she said.

“Our agriculture and food sectors are highly dependent on support from Brussels. And for this reason alone, farmers must have their say on this crucially important issue.”

The Minister was the keynote speaker at the Department of Agriculture Breakfast, a key highlight of Day 2 at Balmoral Show. O’Neill also indicated that she would favour a ‘yes’ vote, if a referendum on EU membership were to be held.

“The farming sectors would be the big losers if we were to withdraw from the European Union,” she said.

“Another important factor to be considered in this regard is our land border with the Republic.”

The post Video: Day 2 at Balmoral Show appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

A 32-month-old bull – Dermotstown Del Boy – swept the boards in the Simmental classes for the second successive year.

“We bought him privately at eleven months of age, after seeing him compete in a young bull class at Tullamore Show,” said Leslie Weatherup, who owns the bull in partnership with his son Christopher.

“He stood out that day and has not disappointed since, given his achievements over the past couple of years”.

It was also a day to remember for the Connolly family from Ballynahinch in Co Down. They won the Charolais championship with their 4-year-old cow Wesley Glamorous. She was purchased at a dispersal sale in England as a calf.

Albert Connolly established the Brigadoon herd back in 1979. The family has taken part in most Balmoral Shows since. In addition to the breed championship victory the Connollys also won the Group of Three class and the Reserve Junior Bull Championship.

Co. Down Simmental breeder Neill Wilson said that Balmoral Show is a great ‘shop window’ for pedigree beef cattle breeders in Ireland.

“A good showing at Balmoral means a lot when it comes to selling stock at all the main breed sales held throughout the UK and Ireland.

“These are particularly upbeat times for Simmental cattle. The cattle are recognised as being the foundation stone for top quality suckler beef production,” he added.

If you couldn’t make it today, below is a flavour of what was happening:

Video thanks to Ulster Bank and JPR.

The post Video: Balmoral Show 2015 Day 1 highlights appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Lely is to host a live robotic milking demonstration at this years show, the first live milking event at a show in Northern Ireland.

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) says that the event will be in association with Draynes Farm, the Northern Ireland milk producers, who will be providing forty cows to be milked with a Lely Astronaut A4 robotic milking system.

Dairy farmers and visitors to the show will have the opportunity to experience first hand how the system works.

The Dairy Cattle Champion of Champions and the Beef Young Handler competition will be taking place at the show.

Vintage machinery will feature at the show. Launched at Balmoral Show in 1994 Friends of Ferguson Heritage has grown to be the biggest one make tractor club in Europe, organisers say.

Vintage tractors and machinery from times gone by will be on display in the Showgrounds.

Sheep

Various sheep shearing competitions will be taking place daily at the Husqvarna Shearing Pavilion at the show.

The RUAS National Sheep Shearing Championship will be taking place on the Thursday of the show.

Organisers says that good clean shearing without damage to sheep or wool remains the first and overriding priority. Speed is a bonus only when the quality is there, they say.

Livestock shows will again feature prominently at this years show. Competitions such as the Long Wool Sheep Breeds Championship will be taking place.

There will also be competitions for pigs, goats and horses.

Food

The Northern Ireland Food Pavilion will return to the Balmoral Show this year and will be showcasing local food and drink.

The Tesco Cookery Theatre and Taste of Ulster TV Kitchen will also have cookery demonstrations each day.

At Balmoral 2015 there will be 500 trade stands situated all over the showgrounds. From farm and plant machinery to crafts and food, there are trade stands to suit everyone, organisers say.

Sponsors of this years show include ABP Food Group, Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Spar and Lidl.

Getting to Balmoral

If you’re driving to the show from the west or north west organisers say to take the M1 to junction 8 and follow the directional signage.

If you’re coming from Belfast or the north east, travel south on the M1, coming off at Sprucefield and follow directional signage to Balmoral Park. From the south travel up the A1 dual carriageway and follow the signage.

A complimentary shuttle service to Balmoral Park will operate from Lisburn Train station between 8.30am and 9pm to the new Showgrounds, organisers say.

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“This figure encompasses all the activities taking place at this year’s event,” he said.

“Key attractions include a new sustainability village and an expanded Food Northern Ireland Pavilion.”

McDonald made these comments while attending the official launch of Balmoral Show 2015.

From a production agriculture perspective, the key attraction will be a working demonstration of a Lely milking robotic throughout the three days of the event.

“A group of 40 cows will be provided by the Drayne family from Lisburn in Co. Antrim,” said Lely’s Tomas Cooney.

“The cows in question are averaging 8,000L per annum. This will be a repeat of the demonstrations that we have hosted at the last 2 Irish Ploughing Championships.”

Ulster Bank is the named sponsor of Balmoral 2015.

“We have £1.5bn to lend to businesses in Northern Ireland this year,” said the bank’s regional director Andy Mills.

“And we want to ensure that agriculture secures its fair share of this funding.”

The bank’s Agricultural Manager for Northern Ireland Cormac McKervey confirmed  that milk producers must sit down and compile accurate cash flow forecasts for their businesses covering the next 12 months.

“The next few months will prove challenging for the dairy sector,” he said.

“The devaluation of the euro against Sterling has served to cancel out the gains that farmers in Northern Ireland might have expected to secure from the recent tightening in world milk supplies.

“Sterling is up 18% year-on-year, which a big disadvantage for processors here trying to compete with product from the Republic of Ireland.

“So, there is no real evidence to indicate that farmgate milk prices will increase to any great extent here in Northern Ireland for the coming months. This is why it is so important for dairy farmers to develop accurate cash flows, certainly through until the end of 2015. Armed with this information producers can then sit down and discuss their finance requirements.”

Balmoral Show will take place between Wednesday May 13 and Friday May 15 2015, The venue is Balmoral Park, located on the outskirts of Lisburn.

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RUAS says that the event will be the first live milking event at an exhibition in Northern Ireland. Tomás Cooney of Lely said that it is delighted to give the project the go ahead and that it has been in the planning stage for the last six months.

The live milking exhibition will be in association with Draynes Farm, the Northern Ireland milk producers, who will be providing forty cows to be milked with a Lely Astronaut A4 robotic milking system.

Organisers of the Balmoral Show said that dairy farmers and the general public will have the opportunity to experience firsthand how the whole system works. A first for many, it says.

“The main revolutionary feature of the Lely Astronaut A4 cow box is the walk through design called the I‑flow concept. Thanks to this the cow walks straight in and out of the unit without making turns. This makes it easier for the cow which shortens the learning curve, increases the throughput and as a result of that the capacity of the robot,” Lely says.

Lely says that attachment speed and accuracy is a crucial factor for the capacity of the robot. Lely says its teat detection system (TDS) features three‑level scanning technology which ensures quick and accurate detection of the teats. It also eliminates unnecessary arm movements, is much gentler for the cow and allows the fastest possible attachment for all types of udders, the robotic milking manufacturer says.

The 2015 Balmoral Show takes place at Balmoral Park from May 13 to May 15 and it is the 147th running of the show.

Take a look at the Lely robotic milking exhibition that took place at the 2014 National Ploughing Championships in Co. Laois:

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