Agriculture Committee Meets Farmers of the Future

Synopsis: The Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development visited CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus where they met with students and staff.

Session: 2013/2014

Date: 20 March 2014

Reference: AGR 09/13/14

The Assembly Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development today visited CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus where they met with students and staff and saw first-hand the state of the art learning resources and training facilities available onsite.

Speaking after today’s visit, Committee Chairperson Paul Frew said: “The Committee was delighted to visit CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus today. Agriculture is a vital part of our local economy in Northern Ireland and with increasing demands on the industry and mounting competition it is now more important than ever that our future farmers have the practical, technical and management skills they require to succeed.

“Members were particularly interested in talking directly to students and finding out more about how the technologically advanced facilities onsite help to develop their skills and enhance future career opportunities.

Committee Deputy Chairperson Joe Byrne MLA said: “We were very impressed with everything we saw here today, particularly the College Farm which provides a unique practical resource for students.  Greenmount has been at the forefront of excellence in agricultural training for over 50 years now and we are in no doubt that it will continue to provide first class facilities and learning opportunities to its students for a long time to come.  

ENDS