Kildare tillage farmer is top grain grower at Glanbia Quality Awards

KILDARE tillage farmer Laurence Flood won the overall Grain Grower prize at yesterday’s Glanbia Quality Awards in Kilkenny.

Mr Flood runs a tillage and livestock farm near Rathangan, Co Kildare. The award recognised the excellence of his crop husbandry, and the crop records he keeps in accordance with IGAS and department guidelines.

His winning sample was from a crop of winter wheat, variety Grafton, sown on October 5, 2009.

He is married to Lisa and they have three daughters.

Glanbia chairman Liam Herlihy said: “Quality assurance, traceability and high standards are essential to success. The high quality of Laurence’s crop shows why Ireland and Irish farmers enjoy an excellent reputation throughout the world for our quality food and drink products.”

CEO of Glanbia Agribusiness Colm Eustace thanked Dick Walsh of the Malting Company of Ireland for supporting and judging the awards, along with judging partners — John Bergin of R & H Hall; Marian Murphy, Glanbia grain operations manager; and Seamus Greene, quality manager, Glanbia Agribusiness.

Mr Eustace added: “In recent years we invested significantly in our facilities at Portlaoise, Clonroche and Ballytore. We continue to work with growers to develop alternative purchasing models for grain — premium contracts for Winter Barley, Malting Barley, Equine and Milling Oats and Seed Grain.”

In 2010, Glanbia handled 160,000 tonnes of grain in its catchment area from Co Cork to Co Louth.

- The winners included: (Dried Wheat) Laurence Flood, Rathangan, Co Kildare (1st); Colin Thompson Moore, Clonmel, Co Tipperary (2nd); Fred McCann, Athy, Co Kildare (3rd). (Dried Barley) Jeremiah Morrisson, Knockanore, Co Waterford (1st); Peter Timmons, Navan, Co Meath (2nd); Simon Houlihan, Rathangan, Co Kildare (3rd). (Winter Barley) John Murphy, Ballybrittas, Co Laois (1st); Niall O’Connell, Fethard, Co Tipperary (2nd); Chris Farrell, Athy, Co Kildare (3rd). (Feed Wheat) Pat McEvoy, Athy, Co Kildare (1st); Mervin Bayley, Ballickmoyler, Co Carlow (2nd); JW Stringer, Newcastle, Co Wicklow (3rd). (Oats) David O’Dwyer, Newbawn, Co Wexford (1st); Nicholas Kelly, Glenmore, Co Waterford (2nd); Kevin Duffy, Navan, Co Meath (3rd). (Malting Barley) Edward Murphy, Maddoxtown, Co Kilkenny (1st); John Cummins, Clough, Portlaoise, Co Laois (2nd); Pat Foley, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford (3rd). (Feed Barley) Pat Lowry, Portlaoise, Co Laois (1st); Cecil Bradshaw, Glenealy, Co Wicklow (2nd); Antony Brennan, Athy, Co Kildare (3rd).