Summer 2015
In this issue
> Novus finalists announced
> Appetising beef tour
President Eoin
Lowry with Stan
McCarthy, chief
executive Kerry
Group, award
sponsors, and
Simon Coveney,
Minister for
Agriculture, Food
and the Marine
at the launch of
the inaugural ASA
Novus Award. See
page 3.
> Business masterclass
> Oldest member honoured
> Update on new technologies
> Northern Ireland study tour
> Work experience scholarships
Brilliant Line-up for Conference 2015
Aidan O’Driscoll (left) Secretary General Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Hugh
McGuire, Glanbia Chicago, among the panel of high-powered speakers and panellists at Conference 2015
We have a brilliant line-up for Conference
2015, which takes place in the Lyrath Hotel,
Kilkenny on Friday 11 September. Whatever
your role in the agri-food sector, we are
confident the high-powered programme will
appeal to you.
The international panel of speakers
includes Gordon Hardie from global food
and agribusiness giant Bunge, which has a
turnover of over $60b, 35,000 employees
and operations in 40 countries. Based in
New York, Gordon heads Bunge’s food and
ingredients business with annual sales of
$15b. His insights on global trends will be
worth hearing.
John Moloney, chair of recently published
Food Wise 2025 Strategy will lead a
discussion on the new strategy. Adding value
ASA_Digest.indd 1
is a central component of the strategy and
Hugh McGuire is travelling from Chicago
to tell the success story of the Glanbia
performance nutrition business. This will be
followed by a debate involving Kevin Lane of
Ornua, Prof Dolores O’Riordan, UCD, Kevin
Cahill of Kepak and food analyst Joe Gill of
Goodbody.
Aidan O’Driscoll, secretary general of the
Department of Agriculture, Food and the
Marine will give the opening keynote address.
This will be Aidan’s first appearance at a
national conference since taking up the
Department’s top position.
Rabobank’s Kevin Bellamy, one of Europe’s
leading analysts, is travelling from Utrecht and
will update us on global trends and prospects
for product and input prices. The programme
will also feature a big debate on the carbon/
climate change challenge. Panellists include
outspoken economist Prof Alan Matthews,
Teagasc scientist Dr Roger Schulte, Jaap
Petraeus from FrieslandCampina in the
Netherlands and Padraig Brennan, Bord Bia.
The full conference programme will be sent to
all members and will be on our website www.
asaireland.ie in mid August.
The Conference Banquet takes place on
Thursday 10 September and promises to
be another sell-out event. Our conference
partner is again FBD and Bord Bia is our
banquet partner. Other major sponsors are
listed inside.
Conference Booking
Early booking helps hugely with the
smooth running of the conference.
Online booking is now open at
www.asaireland.ie.
Or contact the ASA office 01 4603682;
[email protected].
Costs are again maintained at last
year’s levels: Member - €80; Retired
members, students and recent
graduates - €50; Non-members - €150.
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Oldest ASA member honoured
President Eoin Lowry making a presentation to
ASA’s oldest member Ned Sheehy. Also included
is Dr Austin Mescal (right) who succeeded Ned as
chief inspector in the Department of Agriculture.
Ned Sheehy, our oldest member, was a
special guest at our retired members’ event
held in April. Ned, who celebrated his
98th birthday in June, was ASA President
in 1968/69 and was a leading light in the
ASA in the early decades following its
establishment in 1942.
From Union Hall in Cork, he joined the
Department of Agriculture in 1944. He
served as the Department’s chief inspector
from 1973 until his retirement in 1982. He
is a lifelong member of the RDS and a
former president of the Blackrock rugby
club in Dublin.
This year’s retired members’ event again
attracted a capacity attendance. It included
visits to Áras an Uachtaráin and Glasnevin
Cemetery. Our thanks to Prof Frank Crosby
and Dr Dermot Ruane for their usual superb
organisation.
ASA at Ploughing
Call in to us at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois on 22-24
September. ASA will be located on the UCD stand at the three-day event. Our thanks to UCD
for kindly making space available for us.
President-elect Neil
Neil Keane will take over as the 65th
President of the ASA at our AGM on Friday
11 September. Neil, who holds a BAgrSc and
MAgrSc from UCD, is commercial manager
for the Alltech beef business across Europe.
He has served as ASA Vice-President for the
past year. He will take over the reins from
Eoin Lowry who has worked like a Trojan on
behalf of ASA for the past 12 months.
Student scholarships
President Eoin Lowry (left) and Shane Whelan, AIB (right) with winners of the 2015 professional work
experience scholarships, from left: Jason Meenaghan, Tarlach Mac Giolla Cheara, Michael Cox and
Maeve Regan.
Hectic ASA
Schedule
The past six months have been
hectic for the ASA. Events
for members have included
an attractive beef tour, a
masterclass in business, an
equine tour and a two-day
tour of Northern Ireland. We
participated with Teagasc
and UCD in running a
major conference on new
technologies.
We also ran a special tour
for retired members and we
continued our mentoring and
support programme for undergraduates. We launched the
inaugural Novus award and ran
an exclusive ASA President’s
dinner for industry executives.
All of these activities are
covered in this issue.
We continued to represent the
interests of members through
meetings with policy makers
and through issuing public
statements on key policy
issues. Formal submissions
were made on the 2025
Agri-Food Strategy draft
consultation paper and on the
Leaving Certificate agricultural
science syllabus. Copies are
on our website.
Four UCD third year agricultural science students
were awarded ASA scholarships, sponsored by
AIB, to help them undertake the professional work
experience element of their course overseas.
The 2015 scholarships were awarded to: Maeve
Regan, Cloonfad, Co Roscommon who worked
on a 3,000-cow dairy farm in South Dakota; Jason
Meenaghan, Belmullet, Co Mayo, who undertook
his work experience in a forestry research
centre in California; Michael Cox, Rathowen, Co
Westmeath who worked on farms in Scotland
and England and participated in a genetics
internship in the US; and Tarlach Mac Giolla
Cheara, Carrickmore, Co Tyrone, who travelled to
Japan to work on an Irish-owned horse breeding
operation.
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Day Out in Kildangan
We had a capacity attendance of ASA horse enthusiasts at our
equine tour of the famed Kildangan Stud in Co Kildare on 23
January. Kildangan is one of seven stud farms in Ireland run
by Darley, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global
thoroughbred breeding operation. The Irish farms total almost
5,000 acres.
We had the pleasure of meeting 10 of the world’s leading stallions.
We also saw Kildangan’s iconic American stables and the woodchip
gallops, used for breaking 250 yearlings every year. We toured the
Kildangan museum and we also got insights into the stud’s farming
operations which includes over 600 acres of cereals and haylage.
Other attractions included the willow enterprise, the reed beds and
the composting unit where dung and waste from all seven Irish stud
farms is reduced to compost using a massive composting machine.
Our thanks to all at Kildangan for a most informative and enjoyable
day and to Gain Feeds for its sponsorship of the event.
Members pictured in Kildangan Stud during the ASA equine tour.
Jimmy Hyland, Kildangan Stud director with Mary Delaney, Gain Feeds and
ASA Council member and President Eoin Lowry during the tour of Kildangan
Stud
Finalists for Novus Award
Announced
Tom Gallagher, Kildangan Stud with ASA members Dr Vanessa Woods, Breian
Carroll and Con Colbert in the Kildangan Stud museum.
Colm Matthews and Council member Susan Kavanagh take charge of the
composting machine during the visit of members to Kildangan Stud.
Members hear about the Kildangan composting system.
We had a large number of high quality
applications from ASA members for the inaugural
Novus award. Sponsored by Kerry Group, the
award, which will initially run for three years,
is aimed at recognising outstanding leadership
among graduates working in the agri-food sector.
The first stage of the judging process is now
complete and, following a rigorous assessment
by an independent panel of judges, a shortlist of
five candidates has been selected. These will go
forward to the final selection process which will
take place during August with the overall winner
announced in early September
The five finalists are: Dr Anne Finnegan, AIB; Roy
Geary, Zoetis; Páidí Kelly, PhD student Teagasc
Moorepark; Dr Stan Lalor, Grassland AGRO and
Dr Karina Pierce, UCD School of Agriculture and
Food Science.
The award has a prize fund valued at €10,000
with the overall winner attending the prestigious
Harvard Business School Agribusiness seminar
which takes place over four days in Boston, USA in
January 2016.
All applicants are deserving of the highest
commendation. The quality of applications
is demonstration of the outstanding calibre of
professionals within the ASA.
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Members Tour Northern Ireland
Members who participated in our study tour of Northern Ireland on
18 and 19 June were treated to a feast of excellent farming, cutting
edge research and world-leading technologies in food and farm
inputs. The tour was run in association with AIB.
The tour included visits to the Pritchitts food service products
facility and to the state-of-the-art dairy research farm at
Greenmount. The group also visited Thompsons, Europe’s largest
animal feed mill.
The farm visits included a 500-cow dairy herd on the Ards Peninsula
and a high-performing organic suckler farm in nearby Downpatrick.
The group saw the best of tillage farming during a visit to the 1,000
acre enterprise run by Simon and Rory Best outside Newry.
The busy schedule included a lively discussion forum involving
George Ramsbottom, Teagasc, Ian McCluggage, CAFRE and Patrick
O’Meara, AIB. We are grateful to our hosts for a most informative
and enjoyable tour.
CAFRE adviser Michael Doherty addressing the ASA tourists during the visit to
Jonathon Carson’s organic suckler farm at Downpatrick, Co Down.
Members meet dairy farmer Thomas Steele on his farm at Kircubbin, Co
Down.
On a trailer tour on the farm of Jonathon Carson.
Members Con Curtin, Brian Doocey and Noreen Lacey on tour.
Banquet
Booking Out
Fast
Demand for tables and places at
our conference black tie banquet
in the Lyrath Hotel on Thursday
10 September is extremely high.
Some 40 industry-sponsored tables
are already reserved, demonstrating
the reputation of the banquet as
a premier networking and social
event. A limited number of tables
and places are still available. To
avoid disappointment, book
immediately. Contact 01 4603682
or email [email protected].
Accommodation
in Kilkenny
All 140 rooms in the Lyrath Hotel are
already booked, demonstrating the interest
in banquet and conference 2015. However,
there is plenty of accommodation in
Kilkenny. Rooms have been reserved in the
nearby Newpark Hotel; B&B €79 for single
occupancy and €109 for double/twin
occupancy. To book, contact the hotel
directly at 056 7760088. Other suggested
nearby hotels are: River Park - 056
7723388; Hotel Kilkenny – 056 7762000;
Kilkenny Pembroke Hotel – 056 7783500;
Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel – 056 7750200.
Attractive Conference
Tour
Partners of conference delegates and
retired ASA members and their partners
have the opportunity to participate in
what promises to be an unmissable
Conference Tour on Friday 11 September.
The attractions include Kilkenny
Castle, Kilkenny Design Centre, Butler
House Gardens, the new Smithwick’s
Experience and Rothe House and
Gardens. Cost, including lunch is just
€20/person. Places are limited to 50.
Book early – online at www.asaireland.ie
or through the ASA office.
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Masterclass in Business
There was strong interest from members in the high-powered
masterclass delivered by agribusiness and marketing expert Prof
Damien McLoughlin, which was held in the Michael Smurfit
Graduate Business School on 3 March.
Participants were given a copy of the food-centred case study
in advance of the event and were given guidance on how to get
maximum benefit out of participation in the masterclass. Those
who attended found the experience both challenging and engaging.
This was a unique opportunity to benefit from the expertise and
moderating skills of Prof Damien McLoughlin who has vast
experience in leadership and strategic issues in the food and
agribusiness sector worldwide.
Members Michael Slattery, Drummonds, Yvonne Farrell, Monsanto and
Maurice Keane, Glanbia arriving at Smurfit Business School for the business
masterclass.
Gerard Walsh, Forum Group and Tommy Conway, Investec at the masterclass.
Denis Carpenter, Adesco in deep contemplation.
Rob O’Keeffe, Glanbia and Dr Ailish Byrne, Ulster Bank pay close attention to proceedings.
Thomas Owens, student with Andrew McInerney, Nutribio and Frank Walsh,
Dawn Meats at the masterclass.
Leaders Attend
President’s Dinner
The top executives and policy influencers in the agri-food
sector attended the ASA President’s dinner on 31 March. The
event, “Food for thought” – learning today, leading tomorrow”,
was sponsored by Bord Bia and the guest of honour was the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney.
Over 20 of the country’s leading executives and key industry
stakeholders were in attendance. It provided an opportunity for
the ASA to acknowledge the ongoing generous support of the
major companies and organisations and to facilitate a high level
discussion on policy issues among key players in the sector.
The discussion, moderated by our President Eoin Lowry,
offered industry leaders the opportunity to debate national and
international challenges with the Minister.
ASA_Digest.indd 5
Thanks to our Loyal Sponsors
We are grateful for the continuing support of
our loyal sponsors for Conference and Banquet
2015. FBD is our conference partner for the
15th consecutive year. Glanbia, Goulding, Kerry
Group, Irish Farmers Journal and Rabobank have
kindly agreed to again act as session sponsors.
Bord Bia is again our banquet partner and
Alltech is the sponsor of our conference lunch.
Many other companies and organisations have
renewed vital sponsorship this year and we are
delighted to welcome new sponsors who have
come on board for the conference or have agreed
to become table sponsors at the banquet. Their
support will be fully acknowledged in conference
literature, at the events and on our website.
This support and the help of the many
companies in running events for members
throughout the year is testament to the esteem in
which the ASA and its members are held.
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Conference on New Technologies
There was a large attendance of ASA members and other
professionals from across the agri-food sector at the conference
on ‘Advances in Knowledge and Technologies for Agriculture’ in
Tullamore on 10 June.
The conference, which was organised by Teagasc and UCD and run
in association with the ASA, was an ideal opportunity to get updated
on new technologies and opportunities for innovation emerging from
the latest research from Teagasc and UCD.
The attendees were updated on a wide range of technologies
including animal genomics, precision tillage, nutrient management,
grass management and financial management. A striking feature was
the level of research collaboration between Teagasc and UCD. We
are grateful to our colleagues in Teagasc and UCD for generously
sharing their time and knowledge with us.
Dr Frank O’Mara, director of research, Teagasc, ASA president Eoin Lowry
and Prof Alex Evans, head of the UCD School of Agriculture and Food
Science, announcing details of the conference on ‘Advances in Knowledge and
Technologies for Agriculture’.
Speakers Dr Rachel Creamer, Teagasc Johnstown Castle, Dr Tommy Boland
UCD and Dr Donagh Berry, Teagasc Moorepark at the conference on
‘Advances in Knowledge and Technologies for Agriculture’.
Members Declan Spillane, Liam Dunphy and Peter Ging, all Goulding, in
Tullamore at the Teagasc, UCD, ASA conference.
Members George Ramsbottom, Teagasc, Philip O’Connor, IFAC and Susan
Kavanagh, agricultural consultant were also at the conference.
ASA Golf Events
Cork-based consultants Julie Roche and Paddy
Fitzsimons attended the technology updating
conference.
The ASA President’s Prize golf outing takes place in the magnificent
Jack Nicklaus-designed Mount Juliet course, Kilkenny on Thursday
10 September. Tee times are from 9.00am to 11.00am and the green
fee is €60.
We are grateful to Catherine McGrath who has again generously
agreed to take the bookings. To book your tee time, contact
Catherine at Teagasc Tullamore; Tel: 057 9329431; Email: catherine.
[email protected].
The annual inter-county agricultural graduates’ competition takes
place in the County Longford Club on Friday 28 August. This is
the 21st year of the competition and the organisers are looking for
a big turnout. For full information, contact Michael Lennon at 086
1531244 or Sam Donaghy at 087 2996530.
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Appetising Beef Tour
Members who participated in the ASA beef tour to the Kepak feedlot in Meath on 16 April got
plenty of information on feeding and management systems for animals tailored for a range of
consumer markets.
The tour, which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland, provided an opportunity to see the operation of
the 1,800 animal feedlot and to hear about the unique feeding and health programmes for animals
destined for home and export markets.
The tour also included a discussion on beef trends and prospects which was led by prominent
British producer and former NFU vice-president Adam Quinney. The discussion was moderated by
commentator and former journalist John Shirley.
Greg
McCloskey,
Kepak farm
manager with
Seán Farrell,
Bank of Ireland,
tour sponsors,
and ASA
President Eoin
Lowry in the
Kepak feedlot.
Jan Douglas, Trouw Nutrition getting
updated on beef.
Jonathan Forbes, group procurement manager Kepak discussing carcass and
meat quality traits with members.
Members hear about diets and feed ingredients.
Members James O’Hare Churchtown, Co Cork with Teagasc advisory stalwarts
Pat O’Gorman and Tom Everard on the beef tour.
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Honing Job Seeking Skills
Almost 100 final year agriculture science
students in UCD participated in ASA mock
interviews held as part of the UCD Careers
Day in February. The students applied for
‘real’ jobs, were interviewed by panels of
ASA members and were given feedback on
the quality of their application and their
performance. The ten top performers were
presented with ASA awards by Minister
Simon Coveney.
Our congratulations to the following award
winners: Alec Perrott, Michael McManus,
James Taylor and Angela Ryan, all
studying Animal and Crop Production; Zoe
McKay and Siobhán Ring, studying Animal
Science; Shaileen McGovern, studying
The ten winners of the ASA mock interviews
pictured with Minister Simon Coveney and
Prof Alex Evans, head of the UCD School of
Agriculture and Food Science, at the presentation
of ASA prizes during UCD Careers Day.
Animal Science – Equine; Deborah Stewart
and Odile Evans, studying Food and
Changing Career Paths
Scott Lovell
John Dardis
We extend good wishes to the
following members who have switched
careers in recent months:
Pat O’Keeffe has moved from his
position as deputy editor and news
editor of the Irish Farmers Journal to
head of farmer relations with Glanbia.
Pat was President of the ASA in
2010-11. Dr John Dardis has left the
Department of Agriculture to join
Glanbia as senior vice-president for
corporate affairs in the US. John was
first secretary for agriculture and food
in the Irish embassy in Washington
for the past five years, where he was
enormously helpful to the ASA. He
is a former honorary secretary of the
ASA.
Scott Lovell, a current ASA Council
member, has taken up the position
of agri operations manager with
Barryroe Co-op. He was previously
technical manager with Dairygold
Co-op. Seamus O’Mahony has
joined Dairygold Co-op as supplier
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ASA_Digest.indd 8
Pat O’Keeffe
development manager, moving from
Barryroe Co-op where he was business
development manager. Adam Woods,
adviser with the Teagasc Better Farm
programme has moved to a high level
beef research position in Teagasc
Grange.
Congratulations to Tom Arnold on his
appointment to the 12-member global
expert panel on Agriculture and Food
Systems for Nutrition. It is another big
honour for Tom who is former chief
executive of Concern worldwide and
is currently director general of the
Institute of International and European
Affairs and chairman of the Irish
Times Trust.
Best wishes on their retirement to
our colleagues David Beehan, chief
inspector and Dermot Ryan, deputy
chief inspector respectively of the
Department of Agriculture, Food and
the Marine. Dermot retired in early
July while David will retire in late
August.
President Eoin Lowry addressing students at the
opening of UCD Careers Day.
Agribusiness Management; and Shane
Loughrey, studying Agri-Environmental
Science.
New Five Year Strategy
A new five year strategic plan for the ASA will be put
to members at our AGM in Kilkenny on 11 September.
The plan is the culmination of intensive consultation
with members and key stakeholders over the past nine
months on how best to further grow the ASA and its
membership base. The process included regional focus
group meetings with members and non-members,
attended by the President and Vice-President. Our
thanks to former president Dr Dermot Ruane for
expertly facilitating the process and to Council members,
former Presidents and all who contributed to the
initiative.
Death of Paschal
Hennessy
We remember
with sadness
Paschal Hennessy
(left) who died in
April after a short
illness. A careerlong member
of the ASA,
Paschal joined
the agrochemical
industry after
graduation in
1977 and was
marketingco-ordinator
for Bayer
CropScience in
Ireland at the time of his death. We extend our deepest
sympathies to his wife Mary, sons Hugh and Peter and
his extended family.
Agricultural Science Association, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.
Tel: 01 4603682; Email: [email protected]; www.asaireland.ie
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