College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) offers a range of Further and Higher Education courses at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).

For details of the course listing and prospectus, and for other information about studying at CAFRE, please see the CAFRE website.

CAFRE College Advisory Group

The college advisory group provides advice at a strategic and operational level to the college director and college management team of CAFRE.

The group, which meets four times a year, has a chairperson and 12 members who represent the key CAFRE stakeholders.

L-R: Martin McKendry, Maynard Mawhinney, Diane Ruddock, Roy Lyttle, James O’Boyle, Allan Chambers, David McDowell, Mike Johnston, Nicholas Cowan, Malcolm Emery, Esther Skelly-Smith and Eric Long. Not pictured: David Brown, Ivor Ferguson, Mark Gowdy.

In carrying out its work, the group takes full account of policies and strategies approved by the Minister and DAERA. The college advisory group members are:

Dr Michael Johnston – Chairperson - (Chief Executive of the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland)
David Brown – Red Meat - (Beef and Sheep Farmer from County Fermanagh)
Allan Chambers – Arable Crops - (Arable Farmer from County Down)
Nicholas Cowan – Environment in the Supply Chain – (Group Environmental Manager, Tayto Group Ltd)
Malcolm Emery – International Relations – (Director, Powerhouse Energy Management)
Ivor Ferguson – Intensive Livestock - Pigs - (Pig, Sheep and Arable Farmer from County Armagh)
Mark Gowdy – Agri-food Business Development - (Sales and Marketing Manager, Whites Speedicook)
Roy Lyttle – Production Horticulture - (Vegetable Grower from County Down)
Maynard Mawhinney – Food - (Independent Food Consultant)
Prof David McDowell – Education - (Emeritus Professor of Food Studies at Ulster University)
Diane Ruddock – Environment - (External Affairs Manager, National Trust)
Dr Esther Skelly-Smith – Equine – (Equine Veterinary Surgeon)
Vacant – Intensive Livestock - Dairy

Length of each term of appointment

Chair – 3 years

Members – 3 years

(Option for reappointment to a second 3 year term)

Remuneration

Chair – £352 per day

Members – £228 per day

Workload

Chair – Approximately 4 days per annum

Members – Approximately 4 days per annum

Name	Date of First Appointment	Expiry of Appointment
Chair
Dr Mike Johnston	01/01/2015	31/12/2017 Extension of second term until 30/06/2021
Members
Mr Allan Chambers	01/09/2013	31/08/2019 Extension of second term until 31/12/2021
Mr Ivor Ferguson	01/09/2013	31/08/2019 Extension of second term until 31/12/2021
Prof David McDowell	01/09/2013	31/08/2019 Extension of second term until 31/12/2021
Mr Maynard Mawhinney	01/09/2013	31/08/2019 Extension of second term until 31/12/2021
Mr David Brown	01/01/2017	31/12/2019 Reappointed for a second term until 31/12/2022
Mr Mark Gowdy	01/01/2017	31/12/2019 Reappointed for a second term until 31/12/2022
Mrs Diane Ruddock	01/01/2017	31/12/2019 Reappointed for a second term until 31/12/2022
Mr Nicholas Cowan	01/01/2020	31/12/2022
Mr Malcolm Emery	01/01/2020	31/12/2022
Mr Roy Lyttle	01/01/2020	31/12/2022
Dr Esther Skelly-Smith	01/01/2020	31/12/2022

College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)