The finalists for the 2023-2024 ABP Angus Youth Challenge have been announced, with students across four schools in Northern Ireland set to take part.
The winning groups of students will each receive five Angus-cross calves to rear over the next 12 months or so.
Each group also has a project or assignment to work on over that same period.
The winning students are as follows:
- Jack Steenson and Alexander Smith from Aughnocloy College in Aughnocloy, Co. Tyrone, whose project is ‘Creating a vibrant farming culture for future generations’;
- Quinn McKracken, Caitlyn Patterson, and James Menet from Dromore High School, Dromore High School, Co. Down, whose project is ‘Promoting diversity in the beef supply chain’;
- Patrick Kellet, Charlie Reaney, Harry Scott, and Daniel Anderson from The Royal School, Armagh, Co. Armagh, whose project is ‘Increasing efficiency of Northern Irish Beef Production’;
- Zara Mulhern, Sarah Gilchrist, Scarlett Twomey, and Zara Smyth, from St. Colmcille’s High School, Crossgar, Co. Down, whose project is ‘Informing consumers about sustainable beef production’.
The winners of the last edition of the competition, for 2022-2023, were announced only last month, with a set of Co. Antrim students taking the prize.
Students from St. Killian’s College, Carnlough in Co. Antrim were named in late October as the winners of the 2022-2023 challenge.
The three Year 12 students from St. Killian’s College were crowned overall winners of the event, despite enthusiastic competition from across the north.
The winning students – Emma Mitchell, Alex McAlister and Peter Agnew – who all come from farming families – impressed the judges with their sense of pride and responsibility in carrying on the agricultural traditions of the Glens of Antrim.
According to the judges, they “demonstrated real leadership by bringing their year-long assignment ‘A Health Approach to Agriculture’ to life with the help of their College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) mentor, Sineád Mathers.
The assignment included promoting sustainable agriculture through the establishment of an ECO Club in their school and they also shared information and advice about soil health; mental health and animal health with the wider community through participation in the ‘Heart of the Glens Festival’.
