A new Young Farmer Forum led by Kepak in partnership with Musgrave, has been officially launched at a special event which took place at Mountbellew Agricultural College.

Building on the success of the Young Sheep Farmer Forum, launched in 2025, the expanded beef and sheep programme will include a structured series of events designed to support the future of the Irish beef and sheep sector through shared learning across farmers, industry, education and retail.

The expanded programme aims to address supply challenges as well as generational renewal and farm viability.

The aim of the new young farmer forum is to bring together the next generation of farmers from across Ireland to build skills, share knowledge and support the long-term sustainability of Irish beef and sheep sectors.

The initiative has been developed in collaboration with industry and education partners, including Mountbellew Agricultural College.

The programme will focus on practical, on-farm learning and real-world business skills to support decision-making, resilience, and long-term sustainability at farm level.

Those taking part are all under the age of 35 and from within the Kepak supplier base.

They will play "an active role in shaping the programme, ensuring it remains grounded in the real on-farm experience," according to Kepak.

Participants will also take part in full supply-chain learning visits across SuperValu and Musgrave Marketplace, providing insight into how beef and lamb move from farm through processing to supermarket shelves and into wholesale and foodservice channels.

It will also include exposure to international best practice, including a visit to the Sommet de l’Élevage Livestock Show in France.

The 2025 Forum delivered a farmer-led recommendations report to government, alongside the establishment of a dedicated Kepak Young Sheep Farmer Producer Group to support succession, land access, and sector viability.

The expanded forum aims to continue to build on this work.

A statement from Kepak on the initiative said that the forum comes "at an important time for Irish agriculture, as the sector continues to adapt to evolving challenges and opportunities, reinforcing the need for continued support and knowledge-sharing".

Commenting on the roll-out of the industry-led young farmer initiative, Frank McGeeney, Beef Business Unit director at Kepak, said: “We’re at a pivotal moment for beef and sheep farming in Ireland.

"This forum is focused on practical skills, real on-farm experience and developing the next generation of leaders who can drive efficiency, sustainability and long-term growth.

"This new forum is a shared supply-chain initiative and Musgrave’s insight will actively shape the learning and capabilities of participants who take part in the programme.

"The forum is structured as a programme of events for shared learning across farmers, industry, education and retail."

Graham Caulwell, director of sustainability and regulation at Musgrave, said: “Through our food retail and wholesale brands SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave Marketplace, we see first-hand the importance of working closely with farmers to deliver a sustainable supply of high-quality Irish beef and lamb.

“At Musgrave, over our 150-year history, we have always championed locally-sourced produce and are proud to support 1,800 Irish food and drink producers.

"SuperValu is the greatest supporter of Irish produce in the country, with 100% of fresh meat across SuperValu and Centra sourced from Irish, Bord Bia Quality Assured farms.

"This initiative takes a holistic, end-to-end approach – strengthening the supply chain while also creating an opportunity for us to listen to and learn from farmers, whose knowledge and innovation have sustained the sector for generations and will continue to shape its future.”

Aoife Mahony, past and present participant in the Young Farmer Forum, said: “I’m delighted to be taking part in the forum again this year and to build on the work we started last year, as we continue to work towards a more viable future for Irish farmers.

The programme will focus on key areas including production efficiency, financial planning, sustainability and knowledge transfer.

Participants will take part in a mix of workshops and on-farm sessions, with exposure to best practice in beef and sheep systems, grassland management, animal health and emerging technologies.