The Irish Angus Producer Group is giving five schools Angus cross calves, which will be used to help fund their college fees.

The prizes will be given to the five schools at this years National Ploughing Championships.

In February 2014, the Producers Group invited secondary school students in Transition Year from all over Ireland to put forward a written proposal of how they would manage the production of five Angus cross calves through to beef if they were to be successful in winning them. Some 64 schools from across the country applied of which 20 were asked to submit additional information.

At the Ploughing on Tuesday, the five finalist schools will receive a gift of five Angus cross calves each valued at €2,800. They will rear these calves through to beef by March 2016 and will benefit fully from any financial gain they derive from this production.

Heywood Community School

Four young men students Heywood Community School, Ballinakill, Co. Laois will take home five Angus cross steer calves which they intend to rear within their school grounds. Along with tracking the performance of the calves, they will place special emphasis on improved animal welfare through their production system.

Coláiste Bhríde

Three creative students from Coláiste Bhríde, Carnew, Co. Wicklow will take home five Angus cross steer calves which will be reared on the family farm of one of the lads. They will put particular emphasis on the reduced carbon footprint of Certified Irish Angus beef.

CBS Thurles

Two ambitious young students with careers in agriculture already planned out will take home another five Angus cross steer calves to Thurles whey they will measure and monitor the calves’ performance in order to assist other farmers in focusing on the financial benefits of marketing their calves through the Certified Irish Angus beef programme and the efficiencies that can be obtained from good farming practices.

Sacred Heart

Four very enthusiastic young ladies from Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, Co. Cork will take home five Angus cross heifer calves to one of their family farms where they will focus their research on the sustainability of Certified Irish Angus beef production on family farms.

Presentation Secondary School

Four very talented and confident young ladies from Presentation Secondary School, Thurles, Co. Tipperary  will take home five Angus cross heifer calves.  These beef loving girls will research the factors that create the unique flavour and quality of Certified Irish Angus beef and how that information is relayed to discerning consumers.