Welcome to the Poultry Industry Education Trust!

Investing in people for the Poultry Industry.

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2023 Conference

Where

CAFRE Loughry Campus, Cookstown

When

Tuesday 31st Oct. 2023
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Talks Include

“Meeting The Challenges of Poultry Meat Production”

“Meeting The Challenges of Commercial Egg Production”

“Meeting The Challenges of Customer Insight & Marketing”

“Meeting The Challenges of Environmental Sustainability”

“Meeting the Challenges of Notifiable Poultry Diseases”

Have a look at the

Event schedule

Welcome

9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
9:30 AM

Morning Coffee & Registration

Morning Coffee & Registration

10:10 AM

Welcome & Opening Address

Richard Kennedy, CEO Devenish Nutrition

Morning Session

10:30 AM - 2:00 PM
10:30 AM

Mark Williams

Chief Executive, British Egg Industry Council

“Challenges & Opportunities Facing the Commercial Egg Sector”

11:00 AM

Robert Huey

NI Chief Veterinary Officer DAERA

“Veterinary Public Health Challenges and Opportunities for the Poultry Industry”

11:30 AM

Billy Armstrong

Food Standards Agency

“NI Food Safety Regulation, what’s next?”

12:00 PM

Discussion

Discussion

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Lunch

Lunch

Afternoon Session

2:15 PM - 4:00 PM (close)
2:15 PM

Alan Thomson

General Manager Aviagen UK Ltd.

“Challenges & Opportunities – A Poultry Breeders Perspective”

2:45 PM

Randy Stroud

Head of Global Live Support, Pilgrims Pride

“Comparing Challenges & Opportunities within the US & UK Industries”

3:15 PM

Discussion

Discussion

3:45 PM

Closing Remarks

Richard Kennedy

4:00 PM

Conference Close

Conference Close

These are

Our speakers & chairmen

Alan Thomson

GM Aviagen UK Ltd.

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Alan Thomson

Alan Thomson is General Manager for Aviagen UK Limited since 2018. Prior to that, he headed up the UK commercial and customer support and led a team of technical service managers in his position as Regional Commercial and Technical Service Manager – Western Europe. Alan has extensive experience of the organisation and the global poultry industry, having been with the company since 1997, holding senior production and quality assurance roles in Aviagen’s chicken and turkey operations in the UK and USA.

Billy Armstrong

Senior Policy Officer Food Standards Agency (NI)

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Billy Armstrong

Billy Armstrong graduated in Food Technology from Loughry in 1983 before joining Farm Fed Chickens Ltd. In 1987 he joined the DANI Veterinary Service as a meat inspector, then Senior Meat Inspector. He was appointed Senior Policy Officer in the Food Standards Agency Belfast in 2008 responsible for meat hygeine (including poultry), specified risk material and exports policy. His current role includes responsibility for the implementation of new EU official controls regulation in NI effective from December. He is a keen rugby enthusiast.

Mark Williams

Chief Executive, British Egg Industry Council

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Mark Williams

Mark Williams is a poultry farmer's son. He joined the British Egg Industry Council in 1999 and became Chief Executive in 2000. His additional roles include: Secretary-General of EUWEP (the EU trade association for egg packers, egg traders and egg processors) (since 1999).

Ivor Ferguson

President, Ulster Farmers Union

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Ivor Ferguson

Ivor Ferguson is a sheep and cereal farmer from Markethill in County Armagh. He is married with four children. He graduated from Harper Adams University with a HND in Agriculture and is a founder member of Armagh Quality Lamb Group. Ivor has always been a strong supporter of the Union.  He was Chair of the UFU Pork and Bacon policy committee and represented the Union at the Pork and Bacon Forum. He is also a member of the CAFRE Advisory Group, representing the intensive livestock sector. Ivor has successfully completed four years (2014 to 2018) as deputy president of the UFU representing the beef & sheep, arable & vegetable, the intensive sector and also hill farming committees. Ivor was elected president of the Ulster Farmers' Union at the AGM in April 2018.

Randy Stroud

Head of GLS, Pilgrims Pride

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Randy Stroud

Randy P. Stroud has been Head of Global Live Support at Pilgrim's Pride Corp. since January 2018. Mr. Stroud served as Senior Vice President of Live Production Technical Services at Pilgrim's Pride Corporation from 2007 to January 2018. He has worked for Pilgrim's for 38 years. He started out as a breeder service technician and has held the position of breeder/hatchery manager, live production manager and spent two years in Mexico as President of Pilgrims de Mexico. He was Vice President of Western Live Production at Pilgrim's Pride Corp. He served as President of Mexico Operations from 1998 to 2000, Live Production Manager at the Lufkin of Texas Complex from May 1989 to August 1998 and as Breeder Department Manager from June 1985 to May 1989 at Pilgrim's. Prior to that he was employed in various operating management positions by Plus-Tex Poultry, Inc., a Lufkin, Texas based Company acquired by Pilgrim's Pride in June of 1985.

Nigel Renaghan

Pres. Irish Farmers Association

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Nigel Renaghan

Nigel farms in Clontibret co Monaghan along with his wife Bernice 6 children 3 boys and 3 girls who help out where they can. Nigel also runs a commercial broiler farm 106k birds over 5 sheds supplying Manor Farm. He also keeps a heard of Aberdeen Angus Suckler cows and finish the offspring to beef. Nigel was the IFA national poultry chairman for 4 years and also ran for Deputy president of IFA during that time. Currently the Regional chairman of Ulster north Leinster of IFA for last 12 months after winning a election for the position.

Robert Huey

NI Chief Veterinary Officer DAERA

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Robert Huey

Robert Huey took up the position as Chief Veterinary Officer for Northern Ireland in November 2013. He joined Veterinary Service in 1989. From 2002 to 2009 he was responsible for the delivery of DAERA meat hygiene services for the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland.  He holds the RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Public Health (Meat Hygiene) and is co-author of the textbook ‘Meat Hygiene’ He has held the positions of President of the North of Ireland Veterinary Association, the Veterinary Public Health Association and the Union of European Veterinary Hygienists. He chaired the FVE Working groups on food hygiene and on the welfare of animals at slaughter and held the position of Vice-President of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe for 4 years. In 2017 he was awarded a Fellowship by the RCVS and in 2018 an Associate Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Society.

Richard Kennedy

CEO Devenish Nutrition

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Richard Kennedy

Richard Kennedy is Chief Executive Devenish. Richard secured a B.Agri.Sc from University College Dublin and established his knowledge as a specialist Pig Nutritionist. Having held several senior roles within Devenish, he has driven a forward-thinking vision and attitude throughout the business. Richard’s passion for farming and food is at the core of Devenish’s One Health, from Soil to Society strategy. This sees Devenish focus on developing innovative solutions for meat, milk and egg producers with the aim of enabling them to produce safe, nutritious food that improves the health of the consumer. Driving this strategy has seen the business transform from a trading company focused on the Northern Ireland market to a Research, Development and Innovation business trading in over 30 countries.

A few words

About the Poultry Trust

In 1997, the Poultry Industry Education Trust was established by the Poultry Association Northern Ireland as a charitable trust. The Trust assumed two activities previously undertaken by the Association. These activities were the awarding of scholarships to students in higher education and the organisation of a biennial conference. The Trust operates throughout the island of Ireland.

The overarching educational objective of the Trust is to encourage students to join third level courses of relevance to poultry production and to provide support to students on these courses.

Contact Us

Contact Us

The Trustees

Basil Bayne

Secretary

Peter Morgan

Moy Park Ltd.

Kenny McConkey

John Thompson & Sons Ltd.

Michael McCreesh

SenseHub Poultry

Keith Wilson

Moy Park Ltd.

Venue

​CAFRE Loughry Campus, Cookstown

Loughry Campus is located approximately 9 miles from Dungannon and 1 mile from Cookstown on the A29.

Get Directions
View Campus Map

The great brands behind us

Our great sponsors

Moy Park
CAFRE
Aviagen

Conference 2023

This conference has finished

Download the slides from the conference below!

Download 2023 Conference Slides

Conference registration 2023

Have you registered?

Come and join us for a day of talks and discussion regarding opportunities and challenges in the poultry industry over the next decade. With five expert talks and plenty of networking opportunities with other industry professionals over coffee and lunch, there is something for everyone. Get your tickets now and avoid disappointment should we sell out!

Register Now

Conference registration 2023

Have you registered?

Come and join us for a day of talks and discussion regarding opportunities and challenges in the poultry industry over the next decade. With five expert talks and plenty of networking opportunities with other industry professionals over coffee and lunch, there is something for everyone. Get your tickets now and avoid disappointment should we sell out!

Registration 2023

Register Now

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. It is Poultry Industry Education Trust's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect from you across our website, https://poultrytrust.com/, and other sites we own and operate.

We only ask for personal information when we truly need it to provide a service to you. We collect it by fair and lawful means, with your knowledge and consent. We also let you know why we’re collecting it and how it will be used.

We only retain collected information for as long as necessary to provide you with your requested service. What data we store, we’ll protect within commercially acceptable means to prevent loss and theft, as well as unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.

We don’t share any personally identifying information publicly, although may share what information with third-parties is necessary in the provision of our service, or information we are required to share by law.

Our website may link to external sites that are not operated by us. Please be aware that we have no control over the content and practices of these sites, and cannot accept responsibility or liability for their respective privacy policies.

You are free to refuse our request for your personal information, with the understanding that we may be unable to provide you with some of your desired services.

Your continued use of our website will be regarded as acceptance of our practices around privacy and personal information. If you have any questions about how we handle user data and personal information, feel free to contact us.

This policy is effective as of 18 July 2019.

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

Your privacy is important to us. It is Poultry Industry Education Trust's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect from you across our website, https://poultrytrust.com/, and other sites we own and operate.

We only ask for personal information when we truly need it to provide a service to you. We collect it by fair and lawful means, with your knowledge and consent. We also let you know why we’re collecting it and how it will be used.

We only retain collected information for as long as necessary to provide you with your requested service. What data we store, we’ll protect within commercially acceptable means to prevent loss and theft, as well as unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.

We don’t share any personally identifying information publicly, although may share what information with third-parties is necessary in the provision of our service, or information we are required to share by law.

Our website may link to external sites that are not operated by us. Please be aware that we have no control over the content and practices of these sites, and cannot accept responsibility or liability for their respective privacy policies.

You are free to refuse our request for your personal information, with the understanding that we may be unable to provide you with some of your desired services.

Your continued use of our website will be regarded as acceptance of our practices around privacy and personal information. If you have any questions about how we handle user data and personal information, feel free to contact us.

This policy is effective as of 18 July 2019.

Terms & Conditions
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