Poultry is one of the largest and best integrated sectors of the Northern Ireland agri-food industry which has seen major change within the last 100 years and continues to face many challenges today.

The Northern Ireland Poultry Association will be hosting conference to discuss the key issues facing the sector including, welfare, disease and nutrition. The conference will be held in the main conference hall at Loughry Campus, Cookstown on the 26 June 2008 from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm.

The conference is also part of the Centenary Celebrations at the Campus and offers an opportunity for former staff and students associated with poultry courses to renew friendships, view photographs from down memory lane, visit old haunts and tour the campus facilities.

Loughry was established as The Ulster Dairy School in 1908 for girls to study dairying and poultry-keeping courses. The 'School' went on to become 'Loughry College' and more recently a 'Campus' within DARD's College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).

The College will be celebrating Loughry's 100 years of support to the agri-food industry with a wide range of events during 2008.

Anyone interested in booking a place should contact Joanne Crozier on 028 8676 8189.