The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) held its annual Industry Support Programme presentation at Loughry Campus in Cookstown. Industry partners awarded bursaries and scholarships totaling £106,000 to students in agriculture, equine, food and horticulture for the 2025-2026 year.

Food students at Loughry Campus received £35,500 in awards for BSc Honours and Foundation Degree programmes validated by Ulster University. Twelve companies presented bursaries to first-year food degree students, totaling £18,000. Those companies included Avondale Foods, Bank of Ireland, Dale Farm, Danske Bank, Fane Valley, Henderson Group, Kerry (Omagh), Lakeland Dairies, Leprino Foods, Mackle Petfoods, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association and Tyrone Farming Society.

Seven second-year food degree students received scholarships worth £17,500. Providers included Avondale Foods, Dunbia, Lakeland Dairies, Mackle Petfoods and Water Technology. Each scholarship carries £2,500 plus a paid work placement year.

Fintan McCann, Head of Food Education at CAFRE, addressed attendees at the Cookstown campus event. Paul McHenry, interim CAFRE Director, spoke on the agri-food industry's role in Northern Ireland's economy.

McHenry noted the sector generates over £6 billion in annual sales and employs more than 113,000 staff. He stated that 90% of its output goes to export markets.

Anne Brace from Avondale Foods presented awards to students including Erin Hadden from Aughnacloy, Ella Cassidy from Dungannon and Niamh Lavery from Lurgan. Hadden received a bursary for the Honours Degree in Sustainable Agri-Food Management. Cassidy and Lavery received scholarships and will complete placement years with Avondale Foods on the Food Innovation Management degree.