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A group of pupils from Newtownhamilton High School has received an early Christmas present of a mini-herd of Angus cross calves courtesy of the agri-food company, ABP and the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group.
Over the next year Aimee McCombe, Ellen Bailie and Sophie McKnight who are all in Yr. 11, will have to rear their calves and sell them to ABP as part of reaching the final stage of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge. They will be competing against three other schools teams from Banbridge Academy; St. Catherine’s College Armagh and Cookstown High School for the title of Overall Winners.
Along-side the practical experience in beef production, the Challenge will see them working on special projects relating to the beef industry. The pupils at Newtownhamilton High will be exploring Trends in Beef Consumption and the Younger Consumer. A College of Agriculture Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) advisor will provide mentoring to the team. The pupils will also benefit from first-hand insights into ABP’s sustainable business practices and be trained in communication and interview skills relevant to the world of work.
To reach the final four, the pupils had to compete against 21 other teams at an exhibition that was judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Their performance across all aspects of the final stage will be continually assessed.
