Poots marks NI100 with tree planting event
Date published:
DAERA Minister Edwin Poots has planted a Coral Bark Maple tree in the grounds of CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus to mark a £75million re-development project for the Greenmount and Loughry campuses and commemorate the centenary of Northern Ireland.
The Minister said: “CAFRE has an exemplary record of delivering high-quality education and investing in the leaders of tomorrow. The college offers a wide portfolio of courses that have sustained and enriched our local agri-food sector over the last 100 years. Last week, I was delighted to announce a £75million investment in the CAFRE campuses at Greenmount and Loughry which will reinvigorate and modernise the college and ensure that the next generation of students have access to world class facilities.
“I was also pleased to plant a Coral Bark Maple Tree in the grounds of Greenmount which is a fitting commemoration during the centenary year of Northern Ireland. This particular tree symbolises strength and endurance – something that I hope for in the next century for us all, especially after a difficult 2020.”
Minister Poots added: “By investing in the next generation of students, I am also supporting the wider Northern Ireland economy - around 75% of Northern Ireland’s land is used for agriculture with the agri-food sector employing over 100,000 people and generating £5billion for our economy. Investing now, will ensure that our agri-food sector is secure in the long term and can compete on a global scale.
"We have so much to offer, from our food to tourism with beautiful landscapes and environment, economic and development potential, and the most important of all the people. I look forward to the future.”
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption - DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA is pictured with Paul Mooney, Head of Horticulture at CAFRE and Martin McKendry Director of CAFRE planting a Coral Bark Maple Tree in the grounds of CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus to mark a £75million re-development project for the Greenmount and Loughry campuses and commemorate the centenary of Northern Ireland.
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