Young people from every county in Northern Ireland will showcase their projects at the ABP Angus Youth Challenge semi-final on Friday, March 9.
The event will take place at CAFRE’s Loughry Campus, Cookstown.
The competition, which is in its first year in Northern Ireland, has already proven popular with 42 young people aged between 14 and 16 shortlisted to present their projects to an independent panel of industry experts.
The 11 projects showcase innovative approaches and creative thinking on Angus beef related themes ranging from women in agriculture, promoting Northern Irish beef and the contribution of the agri-food sector to the rural economy.
The process
To get this far, the semi-finalists have already had to produce a video and attend a panel interview.
They will now be turning their concepts into reality by bringing to life their aspirations for and interests in the beef and agri-food sector.
George Mullan, managing director of ABP Northern Ireland, said: “This competition is about looking to the future of Northern Ireland’s beef and wider agri-food sector.
We believe that it will inspire a future workforce across all disciplines from beef farmers to food scientists and agri-technologists all bringing innovation and technical know-how to the table.
“We look forward to some ‘out-of-the-box’, innovative thinking from our young semi-finalists – as well as the ability to embrace the benefits that technology is bringing to beef and agri-food.
‘Enthusiasm to make an impact’
Northern Irish Angus Producers Group general manager, Charles Smith, said: “The ABP Youth Challenge is reaching out to schools and clubs right across the province to show how diverse a career in the sector can be and the future skills that are required.”
The semi-finalists are made up of a mix of teenagers from rural and urban backgrounds – so not all live on a farm, the manager noted.
“Common to them all is an interest in our sector and an enthusiasm to make an impact,” added Mullan.
Judging panel
The judges – who will have the tough task of selecting the three finalist teams – will include senior figures from:
- College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise;
- Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association;
- Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association;
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute;
- Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster;
- Livestock and Meat Commission.
The prize
The finalist teams will then be presented with five Aberdeen Angus x calves at a high-profile public event at the 150th Balmoral Show in May.
They will go on to rear the calves through to sale over an 18-month skills development programme with ABP covering insights into beef production from farm to fork.
ABP Food Group is the largest beef processor in Ireland and the UK. It partners with over 12,000 farmers in the UK and 4,000 in Northern Ireland.