AFBI Enters Second Decade of Innovation with Major International Science Outlook Conference
AFBI is marking the completion of a decade of leading local innovation and research for the agri-food industry with a major conference that promises to map out the major challenges and technologies that will shape the agri-food industry of the future.
AFBI went large at the NI Science Festival this year which was held between 16-26 February at a number of locations throughout Northern Ireland. AFBI attended 4 touring roadshows in Dungannon, Enniskillen, Newry and Coleraine as well as holding an Open Day at the AFBI Hillsborough Research Farm.
AFBI recently hosted final year agricultural students from Kildalton College, Teagasc’s largest college, situated in Co Kilkenny. The students visited the AFBI Hillsborough site for a tour of the research facilities.
A Lunchtime Seminar was held in AFBI on 9th March by Kerry McGarvey (Catalyst Inc – formerly NI Science Park) who is the Programme Manager of INVENT 2017, an annual competition and Dr Paul Watts (AFBI) who reached the final stage of the competition last year with the AFBI ‘Purple Magic Potato’.
A group of Level 3 QUB students from the Institute of Global Food Security recently attended a half day course on ”Sensory Evaluation in New Product Development” at AFBI Newforge.
The students are pictured with Terence Hagan and David Sanderson of AFBI’s Food Research Branch.
AFBI Bee Microscopy Workshop
Sam Clawson, Ivan Forsythe, Carol Hall and Archie Murchie (AFBI) ran a bee microscopy workshop and manned a bee disease information stand at the Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA) annual conference held at CAFRE Greenmount on Saturday 11th March.
My job title is Acting Head of Agri-Environment Branch (AEB) which I have been doing since 20th June 2016. The exciting and strategic parts of my job are leading and directing the science programme within AEB, and raising our profile at local, national and international levels. I also have the privilege of managing an excellent group of Project Leaders and scientific staff with the dual goal of delivering branch business objectives and staff career aspirations.
You can you help with a Honey Bee Husbandry Survey?
This is an annual survey to obtain information on current honey bee husbandry practices. The questionnaire is used to provide baseline data on bee health in Northern Ireland and is in conjunction with a similar national survey conducted by the National Bee Unit in York, England and CoLoss, a Europe-wide research group. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. All your answers are strictly confidential and will only be used for the purposes of this study.
