Latest news with #Dungannon-based
Belfast Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Pre-tax profits down £2m at Co Tyrone horticultural business
Westland Horticulture's results for the year ending September 1 2024 show that the company's turnover remained around £228m between the last two financial years, while costs increased in a number of areas. Westland has been in business since 1990, and the Dungannon-based firm has grown to become one of the UK's largest horticulture businesses. In the last two accounting periods, turnover fell only by a fraction of a percent, going from £228.9m to £228.4m. The strategic report attached to the accounts describes the sales in the period as stable, with growth being a long-term objective. Distribution and administrative costs went up in the same time period, however, by a cumulative total of over £4m. These were offset by a slight drop in cost of sales, as it fell from £166m to £163m. There was positive movement on the company's balance sheet, as cash in bank and at hand went up over by £10m to £43m. The amount of money owed to creditors due within 12 months fell by over £30m to a final figure £56.4m. Employee numbers fell slightly between the two years, with the average monthly number of employees going down from 788 to 764. The costs related to employment remained stable during the same timeframe, from £37.4m to £37.1m. Total directors' remuneration also went up a small amount, from £1.1m to £1.2m. Overall, the company's profit before tax went down slightly in the period, falling from £18.9m earned in 2023, to a total of £16.9m in 2024. In the directors' report, the leaders of the firm say they expect the company to continuing generating cash in the coming accounting period: 'The directors have considered the group and company's financial performance and cash flows for the period to August 31 2026, including modelling sensitivities that consider the risk of reductions in revenues and increased costs due to more adverse trading conditions and inflationary costs. 'These financial forecasts and sensitivities show the group and company are expected to continue to be cash generative taking account of possible changes in trading performance and will continue to operate within their facilities and meet their obligations as they fall due for the period to August 31 2026.'
Agriland
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Agriland
Tyrone herd sells Simmental bull to Scotland for £22,000
The Ranfurly Simmental herd based in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, has announced the private sale of its pedigree Simmental bull 'Ranfurly Rolo' to the Stronach family's Islavale Herd at Berryleys Farm in Keith, Banffshire in northern Scotland. The £22,000 deal includes the retention of semen and marks a new record sale price for the Dungannon-based herd, which was founded by David Hazelton more than 50 years ago. Rolo is the 24th Ranfurly bull to join a pedigree herd in the last 10 years. The £22,000 bull is sired by Banwy T-Rex and, at 13-months-of-age, the pedigree Simmental bull is the first calf bred from the Curaheen Bandit daughter, Ranfurly Weikel 45th VG87. The bull tested free of myostatin genes and boasts a yearling weight of 842kg, coupled with impressive Breedplan performance figures. Ranfurly Rolo's Breedplan performance figures: In the breed's top 1% for terminal production index (TPI) at +124; Has a self-replacing index (SRI) of +146; Milk (+14); Top 5% for eye muscle area (+6.1). Currently the Ranfurly 17-cow herd includes seven cows classified Excellent, eight VG, and two first-calf heifers awaiting classification. The Ranfurly herd has been built on the use of artificial insemination (AI) sires such as: Hillcrest Champion; Raceview King; Team Celtic; Samark Superman. Cow families include Weikel, Diana, Kleeb, Beauty, and Stella. The Weikel family, founded in 2003 with the impromptu purchase of South Park King Kong Weikel 2nd is the most successful female line at Ranfurly, according to the herd owners. Rolo's maternal great-grandam, South Park King Kong Weikel 2nd EX93 was a successful Simmental show winner, brood cow, and embryo donor. She has produced numerous Simmental and interbreed champions, both male and female. Her son, Ranfurly Formula One was supreme Stirling champion in 2015 and sold for 15,000gns. Her legacy has lived on through the generations at Ranfurly and within other pedigree herds. Rolo is the second Ranfurly bull to join the Islavale herd. The last bull to join the herd was Ranfurly Confederate EX94. This bull has produced sons to a top of 24,000gns. To date, Confederate has 562 progeny registered in 87 herds within the British Simmental Cattle Society herd book. He was the society's most popular sire in 2019 and 2020. The 200-cow Islavale herd purchased Ranfurly Beauty 13th for 7,000gns at the Ranfurly herd's third joint production sale in 2020. She has produced four heifer calves. Commenting on the private deal, Stewart Stronach said: 'We are delighted to have acquired another stock bull from the Ranfurly herd. 'Our most significant investment in Simmental bloodlines to date, Ranfurly Rolo is our type of bull, boasting fantastic breed character and presence. He is the complete package, wide from his plates right through to his shoulder, long and clean with a leg in every corner. 'Ranfurly Rolo really catches the eye and his pedigree is filled with excellent female lines. The herd has really come to the fore over the last few years, breeding our type of cattle.' 'We are hoping that Rolo does as well for us as our last Ranfurly stock bull, Confederate, whose first crop of Islavale calves included two bulls sold at Stirling to pedigree herds for 24,000gns and 16,000gns.' Stewart Stronach concluded: 'We believe Ranfurly Rolo is the foundation for the next chapter or our pedigree Simmental herd, and we thank the Hazelton family for allowing us to purchase him directly off-farm.' The bull is currently at the AI Services (NI) Ltd bull stud for semen collection and will be exported to Scotland in due course.
