Written by Hayley Lynch

The sale at 14 Ballybracken Road, Ballynure, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim, sees a 118ac farm on the market – in two lots.

John McIlrath, of HA McIlrath & Sons, is facilitating the sale. The owner nolonger has need of the lands as they are moving away.

It is situated 1 mile from Ballynure, and 4 miles from Ballyclare. Antrim town is 10.3 miles away, while the port city of Belfast is circa 16 miles in distance.

Every year, Ballyclare hosts the Ballyclare May Fair, which sees traditional horse trading taking place.

Lot 1


Lot 1 comprises a total of 88ac, with a house, a yard and two cottages. The land itself takes up 83.9ac. It has a guide price of £1.1 million.

The land is ideally suited to dairying, with cow lanes situated behind the yard. It has been well farmed throughout the years.

According to John, who was speaking about the enterprise: “The dairy farm could also be used for sucklers.”



It can be broken down into 69.49ac of very good arable land; 12.87ac of grazing land; and 1.54ac of trees / rough land.

The yard comes set with a variety of outbuildings. These include:

• ...

Written by Rachel Martin

Researchers in Scotland have launched a survey to gauge the public’s views on the use of gene editing in animals.

The questionnaire focuses on people’s perceptions of gene editing in livestock, and whether they would eat meat from an animal that has had its DNA altered.

Responses will be used to inform research at The Roslin Institute, which has already used the technology to produce pigs that are resistant to a devastating disease.

For example, researchers at The Roslin Institute have used gene editing to produce pigs that are resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome – or PRRS – which causes pig producers significant losses worldwide.

Gene editing and disease resistance


Gene editing involves altering some of the individual letters that make up an organism’s genetic code at precise points.

The technology can be used to introduce characteristics into plants and animals, such as resistance to a specific disease or improved adaptation to different environments.

The changes introduced are the same as those that could occur spontaneously in nature. Most natural changes either have no impact or are harmful to the animal.

However, researchers explain that with gene editing, precise changes that are likely to be beneficial can be introduced.

The approach does not involve transferring genes from one...

Written by Agriland Team

Four young farmers and crofters have been appointed to champion a cultural and behavioural shift towards low-carbon, environmentally sustainable farming in Scotland.

The Young Farmer Climate Change Champions will work through peer-to-peer learning to highlight how farmers can improve efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce costs, and enhance the sustainability of their businesses.

Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon made the announcement, which is a Programme for Government commitment, while visiting one of the champions’ croft in the Cairngorms.

Gougeon said: “We want farmers and crofters to move towards a more profitable, low-carbon, environmentally sustainable future, adapting to the changing climate and securing business viability for future generations.

It’s great to see so many examples of young farmers leading the way when it comes to tackling climate change, and embracing the kind of on-farm practices we need to see replicated across the industry.
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“That’s why I have asked the four champions to engage with their peers to highlight good practice and some of the actions they have taken to increase sustainability, protect our natural environment, and reduce costs and emissions on their farms and crofts.”

Champions


The Climate Change Champions are:

• Aimee and Kirsty Budge...

Written by Agriland Team

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is challenging proposals to release white-tailed sea eagles on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England.

The NSA understands the Roy Dennis Foundation and the Forestry Commission have formally lodged an application to Natural England to release birds during the summer of 2019.

Responding to concerns raised by its members, a spokesman for the NSA said it feared any plans to release large apex predators into the UK environment when habitats and food availability have changed since before the species’ extinction.

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: “The idea of releasing these large predators into our environment may sound very appealing – but as any livestock farmer will tell you, you don’t buy a batch of animals without first being confident you have the right conditions for them, and you can feed them. It would be completely irresponsible to do so otherwise.

We are told the white-tailed sea eagle was last present in the early 1800s – some 200 years ago – and no one can dispute our environment has since changed to the extent that it would be unrecognisable now.
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Members of the NSA feel the birds, if introduced, would prey on sheep and affect the livelihoods of many farmers and small-scale businesses due to a lack of wild prey.

Stocker added: “The built-up environment along the...

Written by Agriland Team

A pioneering partnership could transform the agri-food sector by using technology to create mini-farms inside retail stores.

The John Lewis Partnership has announced that, following a competitive pitch day for its retail innovation programme JLAB, it will continue discussions with LettUs Grow, a British agri-tech startup.

By situating mini-farms within stores, agri-tech firm LettUs Grow says retailers could slash food miles, minimise food and plastic waste, as well as helping to connect customers with growing.

By sitting mini-farms in supermarkets, the firms can open up a dialogue with the public about how new technologies can be used to make big changes in our broken food system.

LettUs Grow


LettUs Grow was co-founded Charlie Guy, Ben Crowther and Jack Farmer in 2015. Since then, they have become rising stars in the world of green-tech, winning multiple awards for their application of innovative technology to create a more sustainable food system.

They have developed novel aeroponic technologies to revolutionise indoor farms. Instead of using soil or water, plant roots are suspended in a nutrient-dense mist.

More than 160 new startups and more established businesses entered the experiential retail challenge with the chance of being selected to develop their ideas with John Lewis & Partners.

LettUs Grow was invited to...

Written by Rachel Martin

AgriSearch is looking for upland farmers in Northern Ireland to volunteer to participate in a European grassland project.

The Europe-wide Research Project into Developing SUstainable PERmanent Grassland systems and policies is dubbed ‘SUPER-G’ for short.

The project aims to develop sustainable permanent grassland systems and policies with farmers, citizens, and policymakers; ensuring business viability, while supporting biodiversity and delivering several other ecosystem services.

What’s involved?


The recruited farmers must be willing to participate in workshops and surveys throughout the project.

Two of the farmers from the newly-established network will be then selected to participate in further on-farm testing of innovations.

The farmers selected to participate in on-farm testing will also be required to host at least one farm walk.

If you are interested in participating in the project or require more information, please contact Nicola Annett at: nicola@agrisearch.org.
SUPER-G


SUPER-G is a five-year project funded under Horizon 2020. The €10 million project began in June.

The consortium is made up of 20 project partners, 20 farm networks and around 17 experimental platforms and field experiments across five biogeographical regions in Europe.

The project will benchmark and...

Written by Rachel Martin

As fears grow over the future of meat exports post-Brexit, the Welsh agri-food sector has taken matters into its own hands, launching a promotional campaign to remind British shoppers they don’t need to go far for quality food.

The Welsh red meat levy board Hybu Cig Cymru / Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) said the decision to begin the strategic marketing drive is due to the uncertainty of export markets post-Brexit.

Currently, more than 90% of Welsh red meat exports land on European shores – something, many fear leaves the industry exposed in the event that no trade deal is reached between the UK and the UK.

Over the coming weeks and months, HCC will be ramping up its presence and marketing activity among consumers, retail buyers and within the foodservice and hospitality sectors in the domestic market.

Drive to promote Welsh within the UK


In late February and over the St. David’s Day period, HCC will be taking PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef samples to buyers and senior staff members at the headquarters of one of Britain’s most influential multiple retailers, in a joint venture with Welsh Government.

The campaign will also involve in-store sampling and HCC will be working with Welsh food service and hospitality businesses at customer engagement events.

HCC will also be involved in a Welsh hospitality event taking place at...

NFU draw raises £10k

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For the fourth consecutive year, the NFU staged a prize draw at their annual Conference dinner at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham. This year’s draw generated close to £10,000. The two-day NFU Conference sets the tone for the farming year and is one of the agricultural sector’s biggest events. The prize draw at the Conference dinner encouraged some 1,250 guests to enter, with the draw generating the remarkable sum of £9,945.77. R.A.B.I Chairman, Malcolm Thomas, said: “The NFU is a committed and longstanding supporter of our work and we are indebted to the efforts of so many of their staff, members and volunteers. “This draw raises a huge amount, however represents just one of many fundraisers the NFU carries out on our behalf throughout the year, up and down the country.” In 2018, the NFU was awarded the Dennis Brown Shield in recognition of its support of R.A.B.I and Guy Smith, NFU deputy president, collected the shield from Lord Plumb in front of more than 220 guests at R.A.B.I’s annual AGM / awards ceremony in Oxfordshire. Mr Thomas added: “We present this shield to the organisation that makes the greatest contribution to what we do, either in terms of raising money or awareness of our work. The NFU actually does both, incredibly well. They keep us at the forefront of their members’ minds and...

Written by Rachel Martin

Canadian dairy giant Saputo has announced plans to takeover Cathedral City and Clover owner Dairy Crest as part of a £975 million deal.

Under the terms of the acquisition, shareholders will receive £6.20 for each Dairy Crest share, valuing the firm at approximately £975 million.

It’s a premium of around 11.7% on the most recent closing price of a Dairy Crest share.

Saputo


Saputo is one of the biggest dairy processors in the world employing 12,800 people and operating in Canada, Argentina, Australia and North America. However, the group does not currently have any operations in Europe.

The group’s interest in Dairy Crest is said to be motivated by a desire to increase its international presence and enter the UK market.

It sees Dairy Crest as a “well-established and successful” industry player with a solid asset base and an experienced management team.

Dairy Crest is one of the leading British-owned dairy companies and is best known for its Cathedral City, Clover, Country Life and Frylight brands.

The company, which is supplied by around 330 South West farmers also manufactures ingredients for baby formula.

Saputo chairman and chief executive Lino Saputo Jr. said: “Dairy Crest is an attractive platform for Saputo and fits well within our growth strategy.

“We believe that under Saputo ownership, Dairy Crest will be able...

Written by Jim Breen

Yesterday (Thursday, February 21), we brought you news that Canadian manufacturer Versatile may have been launching a new range of tractors.

That news is now confirmed. The company did, in fact, unveil a new line-up of tractors at an event in Arizona (US) this week (one of which is pictured above).

Designed and built in Canada, Versatile’s new Nemesis range spans the 175-210hp segment. The tractors are powered by 6.7L Cummins engines.

These tractors (another of which is pictured below) are decidedly smaller and less powerful than existing Versatile offerings.



It’s expected that further details (including technical specifications of each model) will be released shortly. In any case, stay tuned to AgriLand for ongoing updates…



Of course, as reported in yesterday’s article, Versatile is best known for its existing, high-horsepower tractors.

Its flagship DeltaTrack (rubber-tracked, articulated) models (one of which is pictured below) have rated power outputs from 520hp to 605hp....