Pictured: (Back Row) Kevin Henry, CAFRE; Kieran Mailey, Karen Kidd and Eoin Donnelly, First Trust Bank interview team, and George Moffett, CAFRE. Front row, Foundation degree final year students - Lindesay Allen, Dungannon, Heather Steele, Ballymena, Orla Kelly, Downpatrick, Iain Crockett, Lifford, Co. Donegal and Brendan White, Castlewellan. 

The winners have been announced for the First Trust Bank farm business management competition for final year Foundation degree students at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus.

First place was awarded to Orla Kelly, Downpatrick, runner-up was Aedan Duggan, Magherafelt, and Brendan White, Castlewellan was third.  Highly commended places were awarded to Lyndsey Allen, Dungannon, Iain Crockett, Lifford, Co. Donegal and Heather Steele, Ballymena.

In the first part of the project, students were asked to present an analysis of the performance of a farm that they were familiar with in relation to farm enterprises and overhead costs.  They then had to propose an appropriate change in farm policy or development idea for their farm and assess the implications of the change including its effect on monthly cash flow and profitability. The project considered any expenditure on farm buildings, machinery or stock, bank borrowings and repayments. The plans also forecast the effect of possible changes in key costs and selling prices. 

The leading business development plans from this group of students included Angus suckler beef, dairy conversion, milking goats, a new poultry unit, a beef and sheep development plan and a dairy business improvement plan.

During the judging of the competition First Trust Bank personnel, Eoin Donnelly, Karen Kidd and Kieran Mailey discussed the proposed development with each student and assessed their understanding of the proposed change. CAFRE’s George Moffett, Head of Agriculture Education said:  “The judges were extremely pleased with the standard of student work and the competent manner in which each student discussed his or her farm development plan.”

The winning student, Orla Kelly, will now represent CAFRE in the all-Ireland colleges First Trust Bank Farm Management competition which will be held in June 2016.