
Commodity watch by senior policy officer Patricia Erwin
The Ulster Farmers’ Union, Ulster Arable Society and College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise are pleased to announce that bookings for the upcoming arable conference open.
This is an all-day conference that will provide arable growers with an update on current agronomy and business management issues, taking place on Thursday 6 February in CAFRE Greenmount College.
To book your place please register on the UFU website. Tickets are £35 (£40 if booked after 30 January 2025).
9.00am: | Registration |
SESSION 1 |
|
9.30am: | Welcome and Chairperson’s Address |
9.40am: | Keynote Address |
9.50am: | NI Agriculture Policy Rosemary Agnew (DAERA)
Rosemary is Policy Director and responsibilities include leading on the development of a future agriculture policy. |
10.20am: | Questions and Answer session |
10.30am – 11.10am: | Break |
SESSION 2 | |
11.10am: | Soil Fauna and Integrated Pest Management Archie Murchie (AFBI)
Archie has worked on a wide range of issues including biological control of pests in arable crops, targeting and monitoring of pesticides and integrated pest management. |
11.40am: | Carbon Footprint of Irish Tillage John Spink (Teagasc)
John is based in Oak Park Carlow leading on crop physiology of arable crops covering a wide range of management decisions on variety choice, fertiliser use and crop protection. |
12.10pm: | AFBI-PhD students Research Update
Students will share research projects currently being progressed within AFBI. |
12.40pm: | Lunch
UAS AGM |
1.00pm – 1.50pm: | Lunchtime Seminar |
SESSION 3 | |
2.00pm: | A Farmer’s Thoughts Richard Gilpin (Gilfresh)
Richard is a third generation farmer and after qualifying as an engineer changed his career path into horticulture and joined the family business growing, processing and packing vegetables for retail. |
2.30pm: | Robotics in Arable Thomas Beach (Autonomous Agri Solutions)
Tom is a visionary leader and entrepreneur with expertise in agriculture technology transforming farming practices through cutting-edge robotics an automation. |
3.00pm | Panel Discussion David Wright (Irish Farmers’ Journal editor)
David will facilitate panel discussion. |
3.45pm – 4.00pm: | Conference close |
Attendees please note that photographers will be taking general photographs of the audience throughout the day for post event publicity. If you have any issue with your photograph being used for these purposes please speak to any of the CAFRE staff on the day.