Agriculture student Niall Morrow from Belfast has been selected to participate in McDonald’s innovative new Progressive Young Farmer Training Programme which was designed to help young people kick-start their career in the farming sector and learn from some of the progressive British and Irish farmers supplying the McDonald’s menu.

During his placement, Niall will complete a number of roles that will give him the blend of farming and business skills needed to succeed in today’s farming sector, as well as an understanding of the whole agricultural supply chain, from growing and rearing produce on the farm to serving food to customers at the restaurant counter.

“I’m really looking forward to following the McDonald’s supply chain as farmers never normally get to see what happens to produce beyond the farm”, said Niall.” I’m particularly looking forward to the time we’ll spend in restaurant as it will be a complete change of scene!

“The opportunity to gain experience with such a high-profile company will definitely help kick start my own career. Although I have a background in dairy farming, I have no family farm to go back to, so this will make all the difference when I start out looking to set up my own business.”

Throughout the training programme Niall will also spend some months working with several of the leading food companies that supply ingredients for McDonald’s menu, including OSI Food Solutions, which supplies McDonald’s 100% British and Irish beef patties, and potato and Fries specialist McCain. In the final stage of the programme, Niall will serve alongside McDonald’s employees in restaurants for the chance to speak to customer’s first-hand about what they look for in the food they buy and to prepare ingredients he has seen grown, reared and harvested.

As part of his placement Niall, is currently working on a beef farm in West Lothian, Scotland, where he is being mentored by the Aitken family, who have recently achieved McDonald’s Flagship Farm status – marking their farm as one of the most progressive farms in McDonald’s entire European supply chain. During his seven months on the farm, Niall will learn not only the practical farming and animal husbandry skills a farmer needs, but also the commercial knowledge needed to run a successful farm business.

ENDS