Gerry Boyle takes over as chair of AgriSearch

Gerry Boyle is the former director of Teagasc, leading the organisation from 2007 to 2021

Gerry Boyle has taken over the position of chair of AgriSearch, the Northern Ireland Agricultural Research and Development Council, at its recent AGM.

Mr Boyle is the former director of Teagasc, leading the organisation from 2007 to 2021, during which time he received the bestowal of the Academic Palm by the French government in 2017, and the conferring of an honorary degree in science by University College Cork in 2019. 

In 2018 he was elected president of EURAGRI, the EU network for public agri-food research and innovation organisations, and from 2017-2022 he served as an ex-officio member of the Climate Change Advisory Council.

New vice-chairs

Meanwhile, Norman McMordie and Ian McCluggage have been appointed as joint vice-chairs of AgriSearch.

Mr McMordie was brought up on a Co Down beef farm, home to the Solpoll herd of pedigree Herefords. 

An agriculture graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, he commenced his career at Richardson’s Fertilisers before moving to Dalgety Agriculture in the mid-1980s. 

After Dalgety left Northern Ireland in 1998 he joined the Veterinary Surgeons’ Supply Company, a wholesale business representing all the major pharmaceutical suppliers of drugs and vaccines to Northern Ireland vets. 

After managing the company for 20 years, he retired as managing director in 2018, and remains a director.

Meanwhile, Mr McCluggage was brought up on a Co Antrim dairy farm. 

He was head of branch for knowledge and technology transfer operational policy at CAFRE and previously served as head of dairy advisory for many years. 

He has served as president of the Ulster Grassland Society and president of the Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science. 

In 2021 he was awarded the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the annual Farming Life Awards.

Other appointments

At the AGM, Crosby Cleland was appointed to the board. Mr Cleland is a sheep farmer from Saintfield.

At the AGM the appointments of Sam Chesney and Alan McCay were confirmed, having both been co-opted onto the board since the last AGM. 

Mr Chesney is a beef and sheep farmer from Kircubbin. 

He is a previous chair of the UFU beef and lamb committee and a member of the UFU board. 

Mr McCay is a dairy farmer from Strabane, and is currently vice-chair of Lakeland Dairies.

New AgriSearch chair Gerry Boyle said: “I would like to warmly welcome Crosby, Sam, and Alan to the board of trustees and look forward to working with them. 

"The Northern Ireland ruminant livestock sector is facing a time of unprecedented challenges and AgriSearch is privileged to have secured the services of three such well-qualified and experienced trustees who will be invaluable in helping AgriSearch adapt to continue to meet the needs of the sector."

Mr Boyle also thanked Seamus McCaffrey for chairing the organisation over the past two years. 

"In addition, I extend my thanks to Wilbert Mayne, who stood down from the board at the AGM, and Martyn Blair and Peter Morrow, who both stood down earlier in the year, for the valuable contribution they made to the board," Mr Boyle added.