Top dairy farmers get their rewards

DAIRY farmers, Robert and Shirley Shannon from Ballinascarthy, Clonakilty, Co Cork, are the overall winners of the national Protein 350 competition for 2002.

The competition rewards the country's top dairy farmers who produce milk with the highest protein content and with a firm eye to cost efficiency.

The Shannons have beaten the Teagasc protein target of 3.5%, with their milk reaching a remarkable 3.6% in 2001 and targeted to reach 3.7% over the next two years. This compares with an average milk protein nationally of 3.28%.