Beef Conference 2026

Driving productivity and delivering sustainability in the beef industry

Productive and efficient beef systems are the main drivers to delivering an economic and environmentally sustainable beef industry. That will be the key focus of the upcoming beef conference hosted by the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) and the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU).

The event combines a technical morning session with an afternoon farm visit, offering attendees the opportunity to see best practice, research, and innovation applied within a working beef system.

Conference speakers and topics

Speakers include: 

• Colin Smith, Chief Executive Officer, LMC
• Thomas Atkins, Agriculture Manager, Tesco
• Trevor Summerville, Farmer
• Dr Paul Crossan, Principal Research Scientist, Teagasc
• Professor Michael Lee, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Harper Adams University
• Declan Rafferty, Farmer

Conference topics include: 

• Genetics, including the Bovine Genetics Project.
• Efficient and productive suckler cow enterprises meeting policy and market demands.
• Beef finishing systems – growing cattle to profitably meet market need and achieve policy targets.
• Grassland systems and biodiversity to compliment resilient beef production.
• Animal health and handling – the secret ingredients to profitable and sustainable beef systems.

Conference details

Date: Wednesday 10 June 2026
Time: 9:30am to 5pm
Venue: CAFRE Greenmount Campus and CAFRE Beef and Sheep Centre

Register your place. 

First published 12 May 2026