On Thursday 13 June, the Assembly's Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs took its weekly meeting to the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise's (CAFRE) Greenmount campus in Antrim. Following the meeting, Members visited the ‘state of the art' dairy centre which can house up to 180 cows and has a 32-point milking parlour.
Speaking after Thursday's visit, the Committee Chairperson Tom Elliott MLA recently said:
“We were delighted to visit Greenmount and to get the opportunity to learn more about the new technological approaches and facilities available in the dairy centre. We were particularly impressed with how the centre blends high efficiency dairy production and comfort housing for the herd with a strong emphasis on promoting and ensuring environmental sustainability.”
This week's meeting and visit to the Greenmount campus was the first time the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairshas met formally outside Parliament Buildings during the current mandate.
The Chairperson continued:
“It is important that Assembly Committees take every opportunity to take their meetings outside Parliament Buildings and to meet with local communities, education providers and industry to better understand their issues and needs. Highlighting and supporting practical learning initiatives such as those showcased at Greenmount, we feel, does much to increase the Committee's and public understanding of the very real benefits provided to students and to all those involved in the agricultural, rural and environmental industries here.”
The Chairperson concluded:
“The CAFRE model of continual best practice and innovation through both classroom, hands-on training and the use of new efficient and sustainable technologies is exemplary. I have no doubt that the skills and knowledge acquired here by students will go a long way towards future-proofing fair, sustainable and efficient farming which will in turn benefit our rural communities as a whole.”
For media enquiries please contact:
Sinead Murphy, Communications Officer
Northern Ireland Assembly
Mobile: 0789 9864 368 Email: Sinead.murphy@niassembly.gov.uk
Notes to Editor:
- The recent meeting was held in the Manor House at CAFRE'S Greenmount Campus.
- At today's meeting, the Committee also received briefings from CAFRE, the Assembly's Research and Information Service and from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Further information can be found on the Committee agenda here:
- Further information about the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, its Membership and its work can be found here.