As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we weren’t able to hold a live awards ceremony to announce our 2018-2020 Award winners. Faced with imminent school closures ABP moved swiftly to commission a virtual awards show to watch on YouTube.

The show included a dedication from the Ireland Ladies Hockey Captain, Katie Mullan on how growing up on a farm had taught her valuable life lessons to help her succeed in the face of challenges. Local radio DJ’s relayed congratulations to the four finalist teams, who were from Belfast Royal Academy, Enniskillen Royal Grammar, Rainey Endowed Magherafelt and St Louis Grammar School Ballymena.

The overall winning team was the trio of boys from St Loius Grammar. The Challenge has entailed them competing with the other schools in the rearing of their Aberdeen Angus cross calves through to beef which were awarded to them by ABP; then selling them to ABP for a financial reward and completing a research assignment on a particular aspect of Northern Irish Angus beef production. The boys’ theme was to demonstrate ‘the value of family farming to drive sustainability’. They delivered an impressive campaign to promote family farming to their non-farming school community as well as a deep understanding of the concerns of today’s consumer such as animal welfare.

The runner-up in the 2018-2020 ABP Angus Youth Challenge is the team from Enniskillen Royal Grammar whose research assignment was on how the Aberdeen Angus breed can enhance the sustainability of farming in Co. Fermanagh. The team managed to raise over £4000 for Northern Ireland Air Ambulance as part of their project.

Congratulating the winners on their success, the Managing Director of ABP, George Mullan said, “Our first set of ABP Angus Youth Challenge award winners complete the 2018-2020 programme with a proud legacy. They have set the bar very high for those who are following in their footsteps. ABP introduced this initiative to help bridge the gap between school and employment. Already we are seeing participants taking the next steps towards working in agri-food and the benefitting from taking part.”

Congratulations to all the winners and well done again to all the finalists on their achievement.

The 2019 ABP Angus Youth Challenge Finalist Teams now going through the programme are: Aughnacloy College, Fivemiletown College, Royal Belfast Academical Institute and Wallace High School.

17 schools have also been shortlisted to compete for a place on the 2020-2022 programme.