Eleven dairy farms shortlisted for Dairy Council Quality Milk Awards

ELEVEN dairy farms in eight counties and representing eight co-ops have been shortlisted for a visit by the national judging panel in the 2010 National Dairy Council Quality Milk Awards – the competition which sets out to identify and reward top dairy farmers.

NDC chief executive Helen Brophy said dairy co-ops who submit their top farmers to represent their entire group of farmer suppliers have already undertaken a form of shortlisting for the awards, so the quality of entries is very high.

In the next phase of the awards, the judges will assess all of the technical and background data on the finalists alongside information from the inspection of their farms.

It is expected the results will be known in the autumn, with the overall winning farmer set to receive a prize of €5,000 and the NDC Quality Milk Awards perpetual trophy later this year.

National judges for this year’s awards are Professor Paddy Wall, Associate Professor of Public Health at UCD; Dr David Gleeson, Milk Quality Research, Teagasc; and Jack Kennedy, Dairy editor, Irish Farmers’ Journal.

Four of the 11 short-listed finalists are from Cork: Denis and Bridget O’Brien, Farranamoy, Kinsale; Noel O’Donovan, Ballymacwilliam, Clon-akilty; Owen O’Riordan, Islandbrack, Boherbue; and Robert and Shirley Shannon, Droumgarriffe, Ballinascarthy.

Another four finalists are also from Munster: John and Kevin Walsh, Kilna-frehan West, Dungarvan, Co Waterford; Michael Keating, Kilcoleman, Rathkeale, Co Limerick; Patrick Kennedy, near Toomevara, Nenagh, Co Tipperary; and Eoghan McCarthy, Milltown, Co Kerry

Billy and Deirdre Connor, Crossmolina, Co Mayo; Sean Hurley, Ballintemple, Arklow, Co Wicklow; and Seamus Murray, Racecourse, Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon, complete the line-up.

* The following blight warning has been issued by Met Éireann: Weather conducive to the spread of potato blight will occur midweek, mainly through Wednesday and Thursday. There will be opportunities for spraying late Tuesday and early Wednesday.