Closing Date Approaches in Search for Our Top Dairy Farmer
The closing date is approaching for Dairy co-ops to nominate their top dairy farmers for this year’s National Dairy Council & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards.
The national competition, known as ‘The Sam Maguire of Farming’, highlights the excellence of our dairy farming. High standards of milk are naturally at the heart of the awards, however the judges also take on board the broader aspects of quality in contemporary dairy farming – such as animal welfare, care of the environment and sustainability.
David & Kathleen Cassidy who run a family farm near Lisnagar, Cootehill, Co. Cavan are the most recent winners of the title.
Some short videos of a selection of finalist farms from last year’s awards can be viewed atwww.qualitymilkawards.ie, where this year’s nomination forms can also be downloaded and printed.
The overall winning farmer will receive a prize of €5,000 and the NDC & Kerrygold perpetual trophy.
Co-ops have until the end of the month to nominate their top dairy farmers, who must be living in and farming in the Republic of Ireland and who can be producing liquid or manufacturing milk. The minimum qualifying standard for entry is average TBC 20,000 or less/ml average per month; and average SCC 250,000 or less/ml with no count over 400,000 ml in any given month of the year in question. The judges will initially select a short list based on the entry form details. The judges will then visit and inspect the farms of the finalists in order to select the overall national winner.
Further information about rules and the number of nominees which can be submitted by dairy co-ops are published in full on the entry forms, at www.qualitymilkawards.ie.
Irish dairy farming excellence will also be celebrated during National Dairy Week, taking place from 29th April – 5th May 2013.
National judges for the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards are pictured (L-R): Dr David Gleeson, Milk Quality Research, Teagasc; Dr. Jack Kennedy, Dairy Editor, Irish Farmers Journal; and Professor Paddy Wall, Associate Professor of Public Health at UCD.