A group of Northern Ireland's (NI) top farming talent - and future industry leaders - recently participated in a behind-the-scenes tour of Asda’s local operation.

Eighteen representatives from the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) Next Generation Forum visited Asda in Portadown to better understand the 'complexities and challenges faced by the supermarket' which has 17 stores and a distribution centre in NI, Asda said in a statement.

Thanking the group for their interest and time, Asda’s senior director for NI, George Rankin said:

“Their interest was obvious, not just from a farming perspective, but in terms of our entire operation, including how we approach sustainability and minimise our environmental impact.

Commenting on the benefits of the visit, James McCluggage, policy manager of the UFU said:

"It provided a fascinating insight in how a supermarket works. It was also particularly useful to see how Asda is ever changing to drive efficiencies while meeting new customer demands and buying habits, and also working towards being more environmentally sustainable.

“As a group, we were particularly pleased to see Asda’s support for local agri-food companies and its genuine commitment to buy and source local.”