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Since our last group update for South Antrim, we have held our annual quiz in the Ballymac Hotel, raising £620 for Children’s’ Heartbeat Trust.

There was an excellent attendance of group members, and the Group Managers acted as quiz masters on the night.

In January, we ran the group stages of the silage competition, which were tightly contested, resulting in David and Alan Wallace placing second in Northern Ireland in the dairy class, and Robert and Christopher Duncan placing within the top five in the alternative forage class. We must thank Roger Bell for taking time to judge the first round.

In February, we had an industry update from UFU policy, technical and communications manager James McCluggage who then chaired our group AGM. Jonathon Brown finished his two-year term as group chairman, with us welcoming Jonathon Tuft as our new chairman with Gareth Murray elected as vice chairman.

New group chair Jonathon Tuft and vice chair Gareth Murray with group manager Janette Stirling.

Jonathon farms in partnership with his father John, at Bessvale Farm, Ballinderry. They run free-range units and free-range organic poultry units for Moy Park, and also a beef finishing enterprise. Jonathon is currently the vice chair of the UFU poultry committee.

Gareth also runs broiler units for Moy Park, where he runs his enterprise in partnership with his wife, and also runs a flock of pedigree Dorset sheep.

Look out for details for our day trip in the coming weeks.

South Antrim group focus