AgriSearch has today published its Annual Report for 2025, highlighting a year of significant progress, major research achievements and continued commitment to supporting Northern Ireland’s ruminant livestock sector through farmer driven innovation.

The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group is pleased to announce that its updated Nematodirus Hatching Forecast for the 2026 season is now live. “This free online tool has proved to be an invaluable resource for many producers, vets and advisers for a number of years”. says Kevin Harrison, SCOPS Chair and South Gloucestershire Sheep Farmer. “For 2026 we have made some improvements, which we hope will make it even more helpful when deciding if, and when lambs may need a treatment”.

200 delegates braved severe weather conditions to attend the AgriSearch Beef Conference at the Seagoe Hotel, demonstrating the strong appetite among farmers to learn from peers and industry specialists.

Grass has always done the heavy lifting on the Williamson farm near Scarva, Co Armagh. By putting milk from forage at the centre of their system, Ivan and Elaine Williamson, farming alongside their son Lewis, have built a herd capable of producing just over 9,000 litres from under 3.0 tonnes of concentrate per cow.

SCOPS and COWS experts recently reviewed laboratory test results, post mortems and feedback from farms, and while losses due to liver fluke continue to be low this season, they warn there is still time for a ‘sting in the tail’.

AgriSearch has launched CalfCheck, a new five-part video series designed to provide farmers with practical, science-based guidance to improve calf health, performance and welfare. The CalfCheck series follows the full calf‑rearing journey, from managing the pre‑calving cow through to weaning calves off milk. Each episode focuses on the key management decisions that influence lifetime performance, helping farmers apply proven best practice in a clear, step‑by‑step way.

Registration is now open for AgriSearch’s Beef Conference, “Beefing Up Performance – Driving Productivity and Profitability,” taking place on Tuesday 27 January 2026 at the Seagoe Hotel, Portadown, starting at 10.30 am. Kindly sponsored by ABP, Dunbia and Foyle Food Group, this full day conference is aimed at beef farmers and stakeholders across the Northern Ireland beef industry, with a strong focus on practical ways to improve on farm performance, efficiency and long term profitability across a range of beet systems.

AgriSearch, the farmer-funded research and innovation body, has announced the appointment of Dr Keith Agnew and Cormac McKervey to its Board of Trustees

Farm Liaison Officers, Jonathan McAleese and Stephen Shanks, have been discussing ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with their network of farms as part of the UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK_DCN) project.