The Logan Hall at the Eikon Exhibition Centre will once again be filled with the energy, ideas and ambition of the next generation of agricultural talent when the ABP Angus Youth Challenge returns on 22nd October 2026.
A much-loved event on the agricultural calendar, the ABP Angus Youth Challenge gives young people across Northern Ireland an opportunity to explore the world of agriculture and the wider agri-food industry, while developing practical skills, confidence and valuable experience along the way.
Run by ABP in partnership with Certified Irish Angus, the award-winning Challenge is open to Year 11 students aged 14–15, with teams of two to four representing a school, club or society. Importantly, participants do not need to come from a farming background or live on a farm to take part.
Bringing learning beyond the classroom
What makes the ABP Angus Youth Challenge particularly exciting is the way it connects classroom learning with real-world experience.
Students are encouraged to research an area of agriculture or the agri-food industry and develop their own project, exploring topics relevant to the industry today. Previous projects have looked at subjects including genetics, carbon reduction, beef and the consumer, farm succession, women in agriculture and the health and wellbeing of farming families.
The Challenge supports learning across a wide range of GCSE subjects, including Agricultural Science, Biology, Science, Geography, Business Studies, Home Economics, Mathematics, English Language, ICT and Learning for Life and Work.
Alongside subject knowledge, participants develop transferable skills including research, teamwork, communication, presentation, report writing, public speaking, problem-solving, decision-making and time management.
A chance to stand out from the crowd
The October exhibition at the Eikon Exhibition Centre is a key stage of the Challenge, with shortlisted teams invited to showcase their ideas and projects to an independent panel of industry experts.
It is an opportunity for the young participants to put their knowledge into practice, communicate their ideas and demonstrate the skills they have developed.
For those who progress to the final stage, the experience becomes even more hands-on.
Each finalist team receives five Aberdeen Angus-cross calves, worth approximately £3,500, which they will rear through to finishing with support from a specialist mentor from CAFRE's beef advisory team. The cattle can be reared on a suitable family or teacher's farm, or a host farm can be arranged where required.
The teams gain first-hand experience of the journey from farm to fork, while learning about livestock management, sustainability, nutrition and the wider food supply chain. At the end of the programme, the cattle are sold to ABP and, subject to the programme requirements being completed, the teams receive the original value of the calves along with any profit generated after costs.
More than just an agricultural competition
The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is about developing young people as much as it is about developing their agricultural knowledge.
Finalists benefit from a programme of additional opportunities throughout the year, including industry visits, mentoring, professional communication and presentation training, interview preparation and an annual study trip.
The 2026 study tour included visits to progressive farms, Harper Adams University and the ABP UK R&D farm in England, giving students an opportunity to see innovation, research and sustainable beef production in action.
Participants have also had the opportunity to develop their media and digital communication skills, with recent finalists taking part in practical media training at the Cool FM/Downtown Radio studios.
The programme can also contribute towards the Skills section of the Duke of Edinburgh/Joint Award, while providing valuable experience that can strengthen future college, university and employment applications.
Celebrating young agricultural talent
The success of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge was recently recognised at the Farming Life Awards 2026, where it won the Training and Skills Development Award, sponsored by Lantra.
Since launching in 2017, the Challenge has provided hundreds of young people with opportunities to combine classroom learning with practical experience, industry mentoring and exposure to the wider agri-food sector. To date, 237 schools have entered the competition, with 819 students taking part.
It is also a programme that demonstrates that agriculture has a place for everyone. Whether a young person's interests lie in farming, science, business, sustainability, communications, food production or the environment, the Challenge provides an opportunity to explore the many career pathways within the agri-food industry.
We can't wait to welcome the Challenge back to Eikon
At the Eikon Exhibition Centre, we love seeing our halls filled with young people who are passionate, curious and ready to learn.
The ABP Angus Youth Challenge brings together education, agriculture, industry and personal development in a way that gives young people a genuine opportunity to stand out from the crowd – this year's theme and a fitting description of what the Challenge encourages participants to do.
We look forward to welcoming this year's teams to the Logan Hall on 22nd October and seeing the ideas, enthusiasm and ambition they bring with them.
📅 22 October 2026
📍 Logan Hall, Eikon Exhibition Centre
We wish all the teams taking part the very best of luck – and we can't wait to see the next generation of agricultural talent take centre stage at Eikon!
