County Armagh farmer wins UFU oats competition

1st place winner, Eugene and Declan McNally from UFU Armagh Down group.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union, along with the oats competition sponsors Fane Valley and Bayer, are pleased to announce that Eugene and Declan McNally from the UFU Armagh Down group has been awarded first place in the 2025 UFU oats cereal competition.

Second place this year was awarded to Jim Crother from UFU South West Down group, and scooping up a respectable third place was Fergal Watson from UFU Ards group.

The county winners were:

• Antrim – Seamus and Jonathan Glen
• Armagh – Eugene and Declan McNally
• Down – Jim Crothers
• Londonderry – Charles Acheson
• Tyrone – Paul and Mark Russell

Northern Ireland final judge Ethel White said, “The nine oat crops in the NI final all looked really well given the wet weather immediately prior to and during their judging this year.  Lodging was minimal with only two crops having lodging and even then it was confined to a few small patches.  Yield potential was high and only a few wild oats were found in a few of the crops.   Weeds were mostly well controlled, as was disease.  The crops were fairly uniform with some having taller shoots throughout the crop and a few with areas where plants were thinner and poorer.  All in all it was a pleasure to see all these crops and I hope that high yields will be achieved by all the farmers in due course”.

UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy said, “I would like to congratulate all of this year’s finalists and thank everyone who took the time to enter the competition, as well as those who volunteered as judges. The UFU cereals competition is a proud celebration of the expertise and dedication of cereal growers across Northern Ireland.”

The awards for the winter barley, oats, winter wheat and spring barley cereal competition categories will be officially presented at the 2025 UFU and sponsors cereals competition awards and lunch planned for later this year.