Dairy farmers warn against sacrificing quality to hit targets

DAIRY farmers should not sacrifice milk quality while reaching for the 50% quantity growth sought by Food Harvest 2020, says the National Dairy Council (NDC) Dairy Farmer of the Year.

Waterford farmer Kevin Walsh agrees with the NDC view that the 50% boost is achievable. He was speaking at the launch of the 2011 NDC Quality Milk Awards, which took place on his farm.

Kevin and John Walsh were presented with the NDC Perpetual Cup and €5,000 in 2010. The brothers supply milk to Glanbia from their farm in Kilnafrehan West, Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

“Expansion can’t just be all about doubling your cow numbers,” said Kevin Walsh. “You have to maintain quality standards, and hold onto the attention to detail. We milked about 107 of our herd last year. We will milk a few more, but we will mostly try to expand through greater milk yield.

“If there is an explosion on the market, will the processors be able to handle the extra volumes? You’d also wonder will we be rewarded in terms of price, or will the price go back to 2009 levels. We will expand cow numbers a little, and focus on greater milk yield.”

The Walsh brothers own 180 acres and rent the other 120. They have 130 in their Friesian-Cross dairy herd, operating a strict spring system, supplying no milk in December and January.

They follow strict hygiene practices. All cows are washed before every milking and stripped to check for any clots in the milk. They are dried with paper towels, so there is no transfer from cow to cow and teats are sprayed after every milking.

The brothers receive texts confirming hygiene results after every milk collection. They monitor protein and butterfat levels closely and attend Teagasc discussion groups.

“Dairy production is all about quality, hygiene and attention to detail,” said Kevin Walsh. “Our milk is collected by Glanbia every second day and every collection is laboratory tested.

“We have put in years of hard work into the farm. Winning the NDC award was an honour and a great source of pride for us. No matter what game you are in, it is great to be recognised.

“Glanbia were delighted as well, with their farmers winning twice in the first two years of the awards. In 1996, our father won a Waterford Foods award, which was all about hygiene and attention to detail as well. We’re really gobsmacked to have won this national award.”

The brothers have set the bar high for the 2011 Quality Milk Awards, a competition widely known as the “Sam Maguire of Farming”. Entry forms are available in co-ops and the closing date is May 6.

This year’s expert judging panel includes Prof Paddy Wall, UCD, Dr David Gleeson, Teagasc, and Dr Jack Kennedy, dairy editor, Irish Farmers Journal. The judges will visit and inspect the farms of national finalists in order to select the overall national winner.

Prof Paddy Wall said: “It is absolutely vital that dairy farmers keep a focus on the importance of high quality standards, especially in light of the potential 50% expansion forecast in the Food Harvest 2020 report.”

* Entry forms for the NDC Milk Quality Awards are available in dairy co-ops, with a closing date of May 6. For more, visit: www.qualitymilkawards.ie; or www.ndc.ie; or call [phone].