The Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association is proud to be the hub of Northern Ireland's agricultural supply trade industry, representing the interests of its traders, manufacturers, processors, distributors, brokers and service providers, since its inception in 1966.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead NIGTA as its new CEO, continuing the excellent standard of representation the body is known for and providing leadership and policy direction to address the future needs of the industry.

This is a unique and varied opportunity, which will utilise your strong stakeholder management skills, collaborating with the experienced team of industry specialists who form the NIGTA Executive, lobbying and influencing at the highest ministerial level and understanding and meeting the needs of member businesses.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership

  • Develop and deliver NIGTA’s strategic plan in alignment with Board objectives.
  • Provide informed analysis of policy developments, and regulatory change.
  • Identify emerging risks and opportunities for the feed and fertiliser trade in Northern Ireland.
  • Ensure NIGTA remains financially sustainable and member-focused.

2. Representation and Advocacy

  • Represent NIGTA and its members in discussions with:
    • Northern Ireland Executive departments and agencies
    • UK Government departments
    • EU officials and representatives
    • Regulatory and standards bodies
    • Agri-food industry stakeholders
    • Other business trade associations
  • Lead lobbying and advocacy efforts on issues including trade, EU-Exit, regulation, biosecurity, sustainability, and supply chain resilience.
  • Act as the public face and spokesperson for the Association.

3. Member Engagement and Services

  • Build strong, trusted relationships with member companies.
  • Ensure members receive timely updates on regulatory, legislative, and market developments.
  • Facilitate working groups and committees to address technical and policy matters.
  • Support recruitment and retention of members.

4. Governance and Compliance

  • Report regularly to the Board on financial performance, risk, and strategy delivery.
  • Ensure compliance with governance, legal, and regulatory obligations.
  • Oversee policy development and internal controls.

5. Financial and Operational Management

  • Manage budgets, financial planning, and reporting.
  • Ensure efficient administration and effective communication systems.

 

REPORTING AND GOVERNANCE

The CEO reports to the Board of NIGTA and is accountable for delivering agreed strategic objectives and maintaining the Association’s reputation and effectiveness.

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

  • Strong understanding of the agri-food landscape and regulatory environment.
  • Demonstrable experience in policy development, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Proven ability to influence at senior government and industry levels.
  • Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation and inter-personal skills.
  • Strategic thinker with commercial awareness.

Desirable

  • Leadership experience, ideally within the agri-food, agri-supply trade, or wider agricultural sector.
  • Experience working with membership organisations or trade associations.
  • Understanding of sustainability, supply chain assurance, and regulatory compliance frameworks within the agri-supply sector.

Personal Attributes

  • Credible and authoritative industry ambassador.
  • Politically astute and diplomatically skilled.
  • Collaborative and relationship-driven.
  • Resilient and adaptable in a dynamic policy environment.
  • High integrity and commitment to members’ interests.
  • Flexible approach to work and working hours and be able to travel to meet the needs of the role.

 

WHAT WE OFFER

  • A uniquely placed opportunity to expand your breadth and depth of knowledge of the NI Agri-sector and become a leading authority for the industry.
  • An experienced and supportive Executive Committee, with a wealth of senior expertise to draw upon.
  • A mature and resilient industry, which provides an exciting range of strategic policy areas and partnerships to influence and engage in.
  • A full-time permanent role with flexibility in relation to working hours and location.
  • Role compatibility for self-employed or freelance applicants.
  • A salary package commensurate with experience.

If you feel this role matches your attributes and aspirations and you are excited about the opportunity to shape the economic, environmental and regulatory roadmap for our industry, we welcome your application.

 

Applications may be made in the strictest confidence by submitting your CV and a cover letter outlining your interest and suitability for the role, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the closing date of 5.00pm on Friday 10th  April 2026.

 

We are an Equal Opportunities Association; all applications will be progressed on their merit.

The Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association (NIGTA) recently held its Annual General Meeting and are pleased to announce the new office bearer team for 2025-26.

Mr David O’Connor, Trade Manager for Ireland with grain importer Cefetra Ltd, has been elected to lead the Association as President for the year.  This is the second time David has been at the helm of NIGTA, having held the same position in 2016.

David brings a wealth of experience having spent most of his career in the animal feed trade.  He has worked with Cefetra, formerly McCorkell Limited, for almost 35 years and was elected to the NIGTA Executive in 2013. 

Commenting after the meeting David said, “It is an honour to be asked to lead the Association for a second time, particularly during our 60th anniversary year, as we navigate the stormy waters of the ongoing unstable geopolitical situation and trade tariffs.  We will continue to work to find better ways of managing regulatory divergence, the inevitable consequence of EU-exit, and we remain committed to helping the supply chain address the environmental challenges of today and tomorrow. Despite the complexities facing businesses for the year ahead, I remain buoyed by the strength of the NIGTA membership, the level of expertise contained within it and the unwavering commitment to working together for the benefit of the local agri-food industry.”  

The other appointments made at the AGM include Aidan Fisher, Trouw Nutrition as Vice President; Michael McAree, Precision Liquids as Honorary Secretary; and Debbie Stewart, United Feeds as Honorary Treasurer.

Outgoing President, Gary McIntyre, presented a report on the activities of the Association over the past year.  He noted that sustainability continues to be a top priority for NIGTA and outlined the work of the Sustainability Committee, including the considerable effort put into helping to develop the Carbon Awareness training with CAFRE. 

The various forums where NIGTA is represented and engages with government and stakeholders was highlighted along with the importance of doing so to bring an understanding to issues, explaining the practicalities and impacts of proposed measures.

Gary thanked members for their respective contributions and paid tribute to David Garrett for having done an outstanding job throughout the year as interim CEO while Gill Gallagher was on maternity leave.

Following the AGM, members heard from Vicky Robinson, Head of Sustainability with the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), on a range of topics including sustainable sourcing and the differing regulations in the EU and UK on deforestation.  

NIGTA then hosted its quarterly lunch for members where Keelin Reilly, Director of Operations at Rural Support, provided an overview of the vital services the charity provides to the farming and rural community across Northern Ireland.  Members were pleased to support Rural Support and raised a total of £1932.50 by raffling a hamper of local produce, which was won by Fane Valley Feeds. 

Brainwaves NI, a volunteer-led charity dedicated to supporting individuals affected by brain tumours, and funding research to treat and ultimately cure brain cancer, was the chosen charity to benefit from funds raised at the Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association’s 57th Annual Dinner held in April.

NIGTA President Gary McIntyre was delighted to present a cheque for £4,967 to Colin McMillan, Chairperson Brainwaves NI and Sylvia Watt, Vice Chairperson Brainwaves NI.  

Brainwaves NI does not receive government funding; all funds are raised within Northern Ireland and used locally. Brain tumours are a leading cause of death for young people under 40, yet brain cancer receives only 1% of national cancer research funding. This highlights the need for more attention and investment in brain tumour research.


At the presentation, Gary commented on how raising funds is crucial for continuing both the research efforts and the support services for those affected by brain tumours, making tonight’s fundraising event especially significant.

To learn more on Brainwaves NI, please visit https://www.brainwaves-ni.org/

The Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association NIGTA held its quarterly meeting recently at the Culloden hotel.

There was a full agenda on the day including detailed discussions on new deforestation regulations (EUDR) for raw materials such as Soya which come into effect on 1st January 2025. 

These regulations seek to prohibit the use of raw materials that have been produced on land that has been illegally deforested, particularly in the world’s rainforests. In relation to this, Leprino Foods, a leading name in Mozzarella production, gave a presentation on the future demands from retailers and supermarkets to show compliance with the new standards.

Some dairy farmers supplying into Leprino’s milk pool are already making preparations in advance. Getting the correct certification from suppliers in growing regions globally is proving a major challenge and is highly likely to have a cost impact on the raw materials concerned.

Food Fortress is now independent of NIGTA and has rolled out right across Ireland and into GB. This industry leading initiative was started by NIGTA more than ten years ago as a safeguard against contaminants getting into feeds and therefore the food chain. The scheme has been a major success with strategic sampling and testing done in conjunction with a matrix planned by the Institute of Global food Security (IGFS) at Queens University, Belfast who will continue to run it independently.

Kieran Shields reported on the main concerns for the Country Compounders which were common to all and included the incoming EUDR regulations and the availability of skilled labour.

Mary Preston, Technical Manager at Moy Park who heads up the NIGTA Legal and Scientific Committee updated the delegates on developments on feed additive applications and authorisations as well as veterinary medicines regulations within the Windsor framework.

Jim Uprichard, sustainability manager at Trouw Nutrition reported on a successful run of Feed Advisor training sessions at CAFRE, Greenmount. NIGTA Feed Advisors and others in the agri-food industry have been availing of a Carbon Awareness course jointly designed by CAFRE and NIGTA. The course aims to provide those interacting with farmers the knowledge to help them improve their carbon footprint and to be aware of the mitigation strategies available.

NI is committed in legislation to reducing its carbon emissions and farming needs to play its part in that journey. Much of what needs to be done can improve farm profitability and therefore can be a win-win for both the farmer and the environment.

The guest speaker on the day was Dr Anne Richmond, Director of Research and Development at Pilgrims, Europe. Anne spoke about her career so far at Moy Park / Pilgrims and how the business of producing chicken has improved, changed and evolved over many years. She is optimistic about the industry and expects to see continued growth and development in the coming years. As with all businesses in the agri-food sector, there is a strong emphasis on sustainability and carbon emission reductions coupled with a strong desire to improve animal welfare.

As the Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association (NIGTA) enters its 60th year, the Association chose to kickstart its anniversary celebrations by raising funds for Rural Support. 

Rural Support is a charity which helps farmers and rural dwellers across Northern Ireland.  It provides a range of services, including a helpline, mental health support, bereavement assistance and business mentoring as well as programmes designed to combat social isolation.

NIGTA recently hosted its quarterly lunch for members, which followed the Annual General Meeting, and invited Keelin Reilly, Director of Operations at Rural Support, to provide an overview of the services on offer. 

Many NIGTA members were familiar with, and have benefitted from, the ‘Boots on the Ground’ programme, which is specifically designed for those working within the agri-sector and dealing directly with farm families.  This programme includes a general awareness of mental health, how to engage supportively with someone experiencing difficulty and sources of help available. It also provides self-care tools to deal with the impact on the employee. 

Newly elected NIGTA President David O’Connor said, “During my first NIGTA Presidency in 2016 I was proud to support Rural Support and since then I have watched the charity grow and evolve with an expanding portfolio of programmes that are making a huge difference to farming families right across Northern Ireland.”

NIGTA was pleased to support Rural Support and raised a total of £1932.50 by raffling a hamper of local produce, which was won by Fane Valley Feeds.

 

To find out more about Rural Support and the services provided, please visit www.ruralsupport.org.uk 

With the food and farming sector facing many challenges in terms of its environmental impact the Food Fortress program for managing the contaminant risk from feed materials is making a significant contribution to the sustainability of livestock farming.

The program which was set up over ten years ago as a partnership between local feed businesses and the Institute of Global Food Security at Queens University Belfast was originally established to protect consumers from chemical contaminants entering the food chain.

According to Executive Director, Robin Irvine, the network which comprises over 80 feed manufacturers and importers throughout Ireland is now playing a major part in the management of anti-nutrients which can impact on feed efficiency and animal performance.

“Precision nutrition and feed efficiency are key to reducing emissions to air and water and anything which impacts on the feed conversion ratio not only adds to production costs but creates more methane, phosphorus and other chemicals harmful to the environment.”

“Members of Food Fortress take part in a rigorous program of testing for the main contaminants - they share in an extensive database of results and are regularly updated with expert analysis and guidance on how to mitigate the current risks from feed materials”.

The support of Queens University has been a key element of the program says Robin - “They are recognised worldwide as the leading authority on food safety and authenticity. The facilities at the Institute of Global Food Security headquarters are very impressive – with a state of the art testing laboratory capable of detecting a wide range of chemical compounds”.

The effect of climate change has meant that growing and harvesting conditions for many of our key feed materials are conducive to the growth of the moulds which produce mycotoxins. “As our scheme has developed over the years we have seen the emergence of mycotoxins as a major threat to feed efficiency. QUB’s work has brought our awareness of these contaminants to a new level – we are now able to screen for 35 different mycotoxins – including many new and emerging toxins which often go undetected”.

Animals exposed to these toxins can suffer impaired feed intake and digestive disorders – often resulting in reduced performance. The impact varies according to species with pigs and young poultry most susceptible while adult ruminants are more tolerant. Mycotoxin loading is now factored in by feed formulators in preparing rations for different species and types of livestock to ensure optimum feed efficiency.

According to Dr Simon Haughey of Queens University “Food Fortress is an excellent exemplar of an industry collaborating and working with researchers and academia to add value to a key sector of the economy. It is unique to Northern Ireland and gives competitive advantage to our food producers while helping the industry meet its climate change commitments”.

NIGTA held its Quarterly meeting recently where delegates discussed some of the big issues currently facing Agri-Food in Northern Ireland. The biggest challenges within the sector include air and water quality as well as the continuing journey towards Net Zero Carbon emissions.

Dr Alistair Carson from DAERA attended the meeting to present to the Feed Executive the full scale of the challenge in addressing the high level of nutrients, especially Phosphorous, in Lough Neagh and other water courses. It is principally phosphorous that causes the blue-green algal bloom each summer. Much of this nutrient excess is stored in the sediment on the lough bed and it is estimated that it could take more than a generation to correct the excess.

Dr Carson discussed the Lough Neagh Action Plan (LNAP) – the 37-point range of actions to try to reverse the nutrient surplus in Lough Neagh and other water courses in NI. NIGTA members are committed to do their part in helping to turn the situation around and continue to consult with DAERA regarding phosphorous levels in feed to safely reduce phosphorous emissions to the environment.

Teddy Roosevelt the former US President is quoted to have said “Don’t Bring Me Problems—Bring Me Solutions!”

With this in mind, Declan Billington proceeded to deliver a considered and well thought out presentation entitled Energy Solutions for a Green Future. This gave a fresh perspective on the generation of energy using farm wastes. His contention is that in the near future, Anaerobic Digesters (AD) should provide much of our base load power requirements from farm manures with wind making up the balance. He stressed the importance of scale and estimated that NI should have around eight large AD plants to cope with the farm wastes currently being produced. Slurry separators are widely available to reduce the tonnage being transported by removing the liquid fraction efficiently.

As an example, the enlarged AD plant planned for Tully near Ballymena when it is completed, will process up to 200,000 tonnes of poultry manure per annum and will be a ‘biomethane to grid’ plant generating up to 300 GWh per year. That is sufficient gas for the town of Ballymena or enough to fuel 600 HGVs. This could also reduce phosphorous going onto land by 6000 tonnes, which is more than the annual surplus currently being spread either as slurry or chemical fertiliser. By 2035 we should be mostly using organic fertilisers derived from the residues from AD plants as opposed to using imported chemical fertiliser.

Carbon offsetting with tree-planting and the use of methane inhibitors in ruminant diets should be the norm once their efficacy can be confirmed at farm scale.

It was encouraging to hear that whilst the agri-food industry here in Northern Ireland is under the microscope in terms of the emissions it produces, there are practical solutions out there that will address both nutrient excesses going onto land and that will advance our journey to Net Zero Carbon by 2050.

NEW PRESIDENT AT NIGTA

6th March 2024

Mr Gary McIntyre, Head of Feed Milling with Moy Park, has been elected as the new President of the Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association (NIGTA) for 2024 - 25 following the Association’s Annual General Meeting which was held on 6th March 2024.

Gary started his career in North Antrim Turkeys in 1996, then transferred to O’Kane Poultry before moving to G. E. McLarnon & Sons Feed Mill in 1999. Having worked in several roles within the McLarnon Feeds business, and subsequently Moy Park, Gary is now responsible for the feed milling operation for the Moy Park/Pilgrims business across the UK.

Gary thanked outgoing President, Mr Patrick McLaughlin for his achievements over the previous year and said that it was an honour to be elected President of NIGTA. 

Commenting after the meeting, Gary said, “The Association has always been a champion for our industry and we represent our members both in agriculture and the wider agri-food industry in Northern Ireland in the many challenges we face.  We will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders and government departments as we navigate our way through the various agenda points, not surprisingly, the sustainability challenges of carbon and ammonia emissions are a high priority for us.   

“Within NIGTA, we have a fantastic team of subject matter experts who represent our members and NI agriculture on all of the key bodies and forums across the industry, and the association will continue to effectively use our voice to ensure Northern Ireland Agriculture is in the best position possible to grow and to produce the highest quality food.”

Mr David O’Connor, Managing Director at Feed Materials Importer, Cefetra, was installed as Vice President for 2024-2025.

Claudine Heron, CEO of W&R Barnett has stood down from the Executive in favour of Ben Fraser also of W&R Barnett. Immediate Past president, Patrick McLaughlin paid tribute to her considerable contribution to NIGTA in the fifteen years since her appointment.

Outgoing President, Mr Patrick McLaughlin reflected on the activities of the Association over the past year, where our landscape has been dominated by the sustainability agenda, and the Northern Ireland Protocol. Following on from the passing of the Northern Ireland Climate Change Act in 2022, NIGTA established a Sustainability Committee to focus on the environmental challenges that our local agri-food industry now faces. The climate change legislation has laid down ambitious targets and NIGTA is committed to working closely with all the stakeholders to help meet these requirements. In April 2023 NIGTA ran a successful Environmental Footprinting Workshop in Cookstown and the association has also agreed to support The NI Carbon Steering Group.

NIGTA as a member of the NI Business Brexit Working Group, has engaged with politicians, officials, and stakeholders to highlight the practicalities and impacts of proposed measures. NIGTA will continue to press for improved trading links for Northern Ireland within the UK, to Europe and further afield.

Following the AGM, NIGTA hosted its quarterly lunch for members where Ian Stevenson CEO of the NI Dairy Council was as the guest speaker. 

Ian outlined the work of the Dairy Council and the collaboration with other Trade Associations such as NIGTA in “Telling our Story” to promote the healthy, safe and environmentally aware food we produce here in Northern Ireland.

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