NE Group raises money to benefit local charities

In February the County Armagh annual dinner took place at the Canal Court Hotel, Newry. This provided an opportunity for members to socialise together and enjoy excellent food and entertainment. Proceeds collected from a charity raffle, provided a donation of £935 for the Southern Area Hospice.

A further donation of £310 has been made following the group’s Health and Welfare Day, which has been presented to the Brain Tumour Charity and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The generosity of members has been much recognised and appreciated.

The final meeting of the NE Armagh winter programme was an informative session on the responsible use of antibiotics in livestock. A local vet was able to share with members key research developments in this area and other methods of disease prevention and control. This provided a lively discussion for farmers across a variety of commodities.

Some group members received awards for their results in the UFU Silage Competition at a presentation dinner held recently in the Hilton Hotel Templepatrick.

Watson Spence was presented with a third place prize in the Dairy category, whilst Matthew and Thomas Harrison received a third place in the beef and sheep category. This is a fantastic achievement for these farmers, who were recognised for their excellent standard of silage.

The committee will be meeting in June to discuss upcoming activities that will make up the 2017/2018 North East Armagh winter programme. Chairman, John McCullagh is keen to see a varied programme of events that will appeal to the whole farming family.

As a reminder for members intending to go to the Balmoral Show this year, tickets can still be purchased at a discounted rate from the NE Armagh Group office.