Pedigree sheep farmer Dwayne Shiels from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was crowned FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2023 at the Macra competition’s 25th anniversary in Sligo on Tuesday.
Shiels scooped the overall award, along with winning the land mobility category for his operation. He keeps a flock of 350 pedigree ewes split between nine different breeds, along with 500 commercials across 100ac.
He lectures in agricultural science at Atlantic Technological University Donegal and previously completed a PhD through Teagasc in lamb mortality.
The young farmer puts his success as young farmer of the year down to his early adoption of emerging technologies and a focus on grass to keep costs down, while maintaining performance at a stocking rate equivalent of 12 ewes/ac.
This year saw the flock undertaking fat and muscle scanning to build on top of five-years’ worth of genotyping data and performance recording.
“The whole place has been reseeded over the past five years and we are on our second round of multispecies swards,” Shiels told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“We are going back into multispecies ground that was stitched in five years ago and the performance has been great. The multispecies really took off last year but I went in early when I saw the swards in New Zealand.
Breeding
Pedigrees including Belclares, Suffolks and Charollais are bred on the better land farmed by Shiels around Letterkenny, with pedigree Lanarks on hillier ground further north in Fanad.
Sheils stated that the rams sold are targeted towards commercial breeders, a focus which ties in well with the low levels of meal feeding and the push for performance towards grass.
“We sell mostly into the commercial market, to commercial farmers, but the special ones that do very well and go onto another pedigree flock are a nice bonus,” he commented.
The flock is looking to push more into selling rams as shearlings, rather than lambs, to boost returns.
“This year we have about 150 lambs and 50 shearlings to sell. Next year, we are looking at 150 lambs and 100 shearlings with a view to having an equal 150-150 lamb-shearling split in future. The shearlings go for €500, €600, €800. The lambs are the icing on top.”
‘Best and brightest’
Macra’s president Elaine Houlihan stated that the competition gives an opportunity to recognise the talent and hard work of Ireland’s young farmers.
“Tonight’s winner, Dwayne Shiels, is a shining example of the talent of Ireland’s young farmers. In fact, all of the finalists here tonight, highlight the best and the brightest in the industry,” she said.
“While much has changed over the past 25 years, one thing that remains constant is the infectious energy, dedication and enthusiasm of competitors over all these years,” added CEO of FBD Insurance Tomás Ó Midheach. “Our hope is that these awards will continue to inspire the next generation of farmers to build their farm businesses for a sustainable future.”
IFA president Tim Cullinan congratulated the winner and all those who participated.
“This competition in conjunction with Macra is an important part of our work to encourage new blood into farming. Anything that promotes the sector as a career option is positive.”
Other winners
Drystock winner and overall runner up: Patrick Egan, Co Mayo.New entrant winner: Stephen O’Keeffe, Co Limerick.Other enterprise winner: Philip Tallon, Co Meath.Dairy winner: Seán Kelly from Co Tipperary.Biodiversity young farmer of the year: Conor Doran from Co Wexford.
Pedigree sheep farmer Dwayne Shiels from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was crowned FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2023 at the Macra competition’s 25th anniversary in Sligo on Tuesday.
Shiels scooped the overall award, along with winning the land mobility category for his operation. He keeps a flock of 350 pedigree ewes split between nine different breeds, along with 500 commercials across 100ac.
He lectures in agricultural science at Atlantic Technological University Donegal and previously completed a PhD through Teagasc in lamb mortality.
The young farmer puts his success as young farmer of the year down to his early adoption of emerging technologies and a focus on grass to keep costs down, while maintaining performance at a stocking rate equivalent of 12 ewes/ac.
This year saw the flock undertaking fat and muscle scanning to build on top of five-years’ worth of genotyping data and performance recording.
“The whole place has been reseeded over the past five years and we are on our second round of multispecies swards,” Shiels told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“We are going back into multispecies ground that was stitched in five years ago and the performance has been great. The multispecies really took off last year but I went in early when I saw the swards in New Zealand.
Breeding
Pedigrees including Belclares, Suffolks and Charollais are bred on the better land farmed by Shiels around Letterkenny, with pedigree Lanarks on hillier ground further north in Fanad.
Sheils stated that the rams sold are targeted towards commercial breeders, a focus which ties in well with the low levels of meal feeding and the push for performance towards grass.
“We sell mostly into the commercial market, to commercial farmers, but the special ones that do very well and go onto another pedigree flock are a nice bonus,” he commented.
The flock is looking to push more into selling rams as shearlings, rather than lambs, to boost returns.
“This year we have about 150 lambs and 50 shearlings to sell. Next year, we are looking at 150 lambs and 100 shearlings with a view to having an equal 150-150 lamb-shearling split in future. The shearlings go for €500, €600, €800. The lambs are the icing on top.”
‘Best and brightest’
Macra’s president Elaine Houlihan stated that the competition gives an opportunity to recognise the talent and hard work of Ireland’s young farmers.
“Tonight’s winner, Dwayne Shiels, is a shining example of the talent of Ireland’s young farmers. In fact, all of the finalists here tonight, highlight the best and the brightest in the industry,” she said.
“While much has changed over the past 25 years, one thing that remains constant is the infectious energy, dedication and enthusiasm of competitors over all these years,” added CEO of FBD Insurance Tomás Ó Midheach. “Our hope is that these awards will continue to inspire the next generation of farmers to build their farm businesses for a sustainable future.”
IFA president Tim Cullinan congratulated the winner and all those who participated.
“This competition in conjunction with Macra is an important part of our work to encourage new blood into farming. Anything that promotes the sector as a career option is positive.”
Other winners
Drystock winner and overall runner up: Patrick Egan, Co Mayo.New entrant winner: Stephen O’Keeffe, Co Limerick.Other enterprise winner: Philip Tallon, Co Meath.Dairy winner: Seán Kelly from Co Tipperary.Biodiversity young farmer of the year: Conor Doran from Co Wexford. 
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