Presbyterian Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Kerr, was in Saintfield as part of his tour of the Church’s Presbytery of Down last week. In one of several engagements in this rural area, he met a local poultry farmer who has been working within the sector for a number of years.
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Moderator discovers the challenges of poultry farming
Northern Ireland relies heavily on the agri-food industry as a source of employment, with poultry and egg production contributing significantly to the economy. So, having attended agricultural college and worked as a dairy farm manager, Dr Kerr had perhaps a greater understanding of farming and agriculture than most when he met with Mr Jonathan Kirk last Wednesday (4 November).
Although Dr Kerr was not permitted to enter the hen houses as he keeps a backyard flock himself, Mr Kirk was able to show him some videos and live footage via his house cameras. However, it is this strict control which provided the opportunity to further discuss the challenges of poultry farming in Northern Ireland.
“Disease control is at the forefront of poultry farming. Avian influenza has been the most prominent of all over the last few years and can be devastating for a crop of birds”, said Mr Kirk.
He continued, “As with other sectors within the agriculture industry, such as beef and diary farming, being tied to the farm seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, is a huge challenge – as is finding mechanically skilled employees with a genuine interest in the poultry sector.”
Jonathan Kirk grew up on a farm and always had an interest in farming, but when he left school aged 16 the BSE crisis had hit farms badly and he had to look for alternatives. At this point he decided to learn the electrical trade, which led to him gaining employment wiring and fitting out poultry houses across Ireland and England. It was this experience which ‘sparked’ his interest in the poultry sector.
“At this point I decided to return home and help on the family farm, but as many farming families will know, it is difficult to provide the income of two families from one beef farm. I then approached Moypark in 2012 to put up two broiler breeder units with a further unit being added in 2019,” said Mr Kirk.
Mr Kirk continued, “My father, who is an elder at Kilmore Presbyterian Church, has always been a strong and positive influence on me, whether that is in our shared passion for farming, or in our shared Christian faith. It is this Christian faith that has helped us weather the storms of farming life over the years.”
Reflecting on his visit, Dr Kerr said, “It was a privilege to meet with Jonathan and his parents today, and to hear first-hand of the challenges of working within the poultry sector of farming in particular. It was also a blessing to talk, listen, encourage and pray together.
“As we look forward to the Christmas season and the abundance of food many of us will enjoy, it was indeed a timely reminder that we should never take for granted the food on our tables and the hard work that takes place behind the scenes to provide it.”
Later that evening the Moderator took part in Down Presbytery Rally which was held at Kilmore Presbyterian Church, where Jonathan Kirk and his family worships and where he is involved in the praise band.