SCHOOL EDITION 1 MARCH 2023 - Flipbook - Page 14
14 FARM WEEK
NEWS
NOVEMBER 23 2017
farm events diary
THURSDAY, November 23 - Dungannon dairy sale,
show 10.30am, sale 11.30am.
FRIDAY, November 24 - NI Farm Toy and Model Show,
Magherabuoy House Hotel, Portrush, 2pm-10pm,
details tel. Alastair 07732 266502; Hillsborough
ploughing dinner and presentation of awards, Hilden
Bowling Club, Lisburn, details tel. Helen 9269 9295
or 07900 053805, Mercer 9268 2128 or James
07843 962645; Co Tyrone Ulster Farmers’ Union
annual dinner dance in Silverbirch Hotel, music by
Paul Cummings and his band, guest speaker UFU
President Barclay Bell, tel. any Tyrone UFU office
to book tickets; County Armagh Vintage Vehicle
Club annual Christmas dinner in the Masonic Hall,
doors open 7.30pm, traditional Christmas dinner
and dancing to The Dimes, cost £22.00, those
interested tel. Janet on 07519 651736.
Farm Week, 113-117 Donegall
Street, Belfast, BT1 2GE
SATURDAY, November 25 - Clough Vintage Club’s
Christmas dinner, details tel. Bertie Shaw
07926 970643; Magherafelt Ploughing match at
Kilcronaghan, Tobermore BT45 5QL, For entries
and details contact the secretary Albert Hogg
(8674 8847) by Monday 20th Nov.; Northern
Ireland Sheepdog Handlers’ Association Eastern
Region Nursery Trial at R McNinch’s, Ballymullock
Rd, Larne, start 10am, details D McAuley 07860
567169; Northern Ireland Sheepdog Handlers’
Association Western Region Nursery Trial at S
Gormley’s, Kilcreen Rd, Claudy, start 10am,
details B Kelly 07753 260947; North of Ireland
Sheepdog Society’s Eastern Region Nursery Trial
at 20 Bankhall Road, Magheramourne BT40 3JQ,
run by Jordan McGowan, 10am start, further info:
Donal McCallister 07749 068130; North of Ireland
GROUP: Neville Graham, Director NIFCC; Liam McNeill, chairman of
NIFCC Certification Committee; Suzanne Blain, Accountant and Paddy
McElroy, Company Representative, LMC at the NI Food Chain Certification
AGM in Portadown.
fweditorial@farmweek.com
Sheepdog Society’s Donegal Region Nursery Trial
at Creggan, Ballybofey, Co Donegal, run by James
P McGee, 9am start, further info James P McGee
00353 862798219.
FRIDAY, December 1- NI Charolais Cattle Club’s
female sale, Dungannon Farmers’ Mart.
SATURDAY, December 2 - Northern Ireland Sheepdog
Handlers’ Association Nursery Final at R McNinch’s
Farm, Ballymullock Rd, Larne, starts 9am, details D
McAuley 07860 567169.
TUESDAY, December 5 - Holstein NI bull show
and sale, Kilrea mart, show 11am, sale noon,
catalogues from HA McIlrath and Sons, details tel.
2954 0269; Aberdeen Angus Society’s show and
sale, Dungannon Farmers’ Mart.
FRIDAY, December 8 - Collective auction of tractors,
trailers and farm machinery, Dungannon Farmers’
CHAT: Tony O’Neill, Company Representative,
NIFDA and Niall O’Donnell, Company Representative,
NIGTA at the Northern Ireland Food Chain Certification
AGM in Portadown.
PICTURES: Columba O’Hare
Mart, 11am.
THURSDAY, December 14 - RUAS Winter Fair, Balmoral
Park, Lisburn.
FRIDAY, December 15 - Irish Beltex Breeders’ Club
in-lamb sale, Dungannon Farmers’ Mart; Rouge
de l’Ouest Club in-lamb sale, Dungannon Farmers’
Mart.
SATURDAY, December 16 - Poultry Fair, car boot and
home produce sale, Dungannon Farmers’ Mart.
TUESDAY, December 19 - Dungannon dairy sale, show
10.30am, sale 11.30am, catalogues from Taaffe
Auctions.
q Items intended for the ‘Farm events diary’ – a
FREE SERVICE – should be forwarded to the
Editor, FarmWeek, 113-117 Donegall Street,
Belfast, BT1 2GE. Tel 90 33 4480; Fax: 90 33
4481; email: fweditorial@farmweek.com
MEETING: Pictured at the NIFCC AGM in Portadown were Robin Irvine,
Chairman, NIFCC; Bettina Ruddell, Company Representative, Ulster Curers
Association and Tom McKeown, Company Representative, Moy Park.
Northern Ireland agri food industry
meets quality targets
U
NCERTAINTY for the agri-food
industry post Brexit has resulted
in much discussion and many
predictions.
However, one common theme
throughout all of this has been the need
to differentiate our products in order to
penetrate new markets and maintain existing
customers.
An aspect that all customers require is
quality assurance – not just high quality
standards but the assurance that these
standards are continually monitored to
ensure compliance.
The recent annual general meeting of
Northern Ireland Food Chain Certification
(NIFCC) illustrated that the province is well
placed to meet these targets. Each aspect has
its own quality assurance scheme and these
are closely monitored on a regular basis
supported by a comprehensive IT system.
NIFCC chairman, Robin Irvine, outlined
the amount of surveillance and achievement
when he addressed the AGM.
Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Scheme
The core business of NIFCC continues to be
the service delivery of the Northern Ireland
Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance
Scheme (FQAS). During the year, a total of
8,740 inspections were completed made up
of 431 initial, 7,643 surveillance, 634 spotcheck and 32 re-inspections. The number of
Approved Producers in FQAS at the year end
was 11,865.
Farm Quality Assured Cereals Scheme
NIFCC has also been administering the
Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured
Cereals Scheme (FQACS) since 2006. During
the year, NIFCC completed 646 cereals
scheme inspections made up of 190 ‘Cereals
only’ inspections and 456 combined Cereals
and Beef and Lamb inspections. Membership
of the cereals quality assurance scheme
currently stands at 922.
RIGHT: The top table at the NIFCC AGM. From
left: Noel Lavery, Operations Manager, NIFCC;
Valerie McCann, Company Secretary, NIFCC; Robin
Irvine, Chairman, NIFCC and Gerard Donaghy, MG
Accountants.
LEFT: Niamh Grimley and Gerard Donaghy,
Auditors, MG Accountants at the NIFCC AGM in
Portadown.
TIME OUT: Pictured at the NI Food Chain
Certification AGM in Portadown were from left:
Noel Lavery, Operations Manager, NIFCC; Valerie
McCann, Company Secretary, NIFCC and Robin
Irvine, Chairman, NIFCC.
Red Tractor Assurance Livestock Transport
and Livestock Market Schemes
NIFCC has been administering the Red
Tractor Livestock Transport and Livestock
Market schemes since 2006 and 2007
respectively. During the year, 60 transport
scheme inspections and 29 market scheme
inspections were completed. Currently
there are 64 assured livestock hauliers and
26 assured markets and collection centres
registered with NIFCC.
Red Tractor Farm Assurance Poultry Scheme
NIFCC has also been administering the
Red Tractor Poultry Scheme since 2008. 646
Poultry Scheme inspections were completed
during the year and there are currently 586
approved producers in the Red Tractor
Poultry scheme.
Red Tractor Farm Assurance Dairy Scheme
NIFCC has been providing inspection and
certification to the Red Tractor Dairy Scheme
since 2009. 1,181 Dairy Scheme inspections
were completed during the year, made up of 166
‘Dairy only’ inspections and 1,015 combined
Dairy and Beef and Lamb inspections. The
number of Approved Producers in the Red
Tractor Dairy Scheme at the year end was
1,636, which was a year on year increase of
178 members.
British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Red
Tractor Meat Processing Schemes
NIFCC has also been providing inspection
and certification services to the food
processing sector since 2009. During the year,
43 BRC Food, 12 BRC Storage and Distribution
and 10 Red Tractor Meat Processing
inspections were completed.
Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable
Crops
We have also been providing audits for the
Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable
Crops (TASCC) since 2010. During the year,
nine grain stores and 84 hauliers were
inspected, both in Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland.
Business development
The main focus of business development
continues to be the investment in our IT
system, known as Live Q. The main area
of focus has been the integration of the
Red Tractor Dairy Scheme into the Live Q
certification system. Further developments of
Live Q, during the current year, will include
the integration of LiveQ with an electronic
document management system.