The future of dairying is in changing the hours worked

THE days of milking cows at nine or 10 o’clock at night are gone for the modern Irish milk producer.

“If dairying is to survive, the hours kept will have to be adjusted,” said 33-year-old Timothy Quinn, who delivered the farmers’ viewpoint at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference in Co Mayo.

At Castlecarra, Clogher, between the towns of Castlebar, Ballinrobe and Claremorris, he milks 95 cows, and has more than 117,000 gallons of quota.

The holding consists of 140 acres owned and a further 150 acres rented on long- and short-term leases. There are 100 dairy replacements between six months and two-and-a-half years.

Timothy also runs a suckler herd of 45 cows. “My farm at the moment is a one-man operation and I am quite happy for it to remain so. If I am being realistic, I think the sucklers will have to go, because of poor margins. I would be a lot better off to concentrate on my dairy herd,” he said.

Timothy said he seems to have less time for jobs like fencing and re-seeding, so rather than take on labour, he will contract out these jobs. “The work will be done faster, with no machinery to fix or maintain. I like to think of this as intelligent farming rather than lazy farming,.”

Timothy tries to keep his farming work between 7.30am and 7pm. These are the times that allow him spend most time with the family during the day. “If dairying can be managed within reasonable hours, it is an attractive career for young people to enter and there is a better living to be made than ever before.”

Timothy, who is married to Colette — the couple have a daughter Sarah — said, “By 2015, quota will not be a problem, if all the predictions are right, but things can change and nobody can predict the future. Just look at milk price, from an all-time low to an all-time high in a few months.”

Timothy sees himself milking at least 200 cows in the long-term. In the short-term, he needs to increase production from the existing herd, and breed replacements that can be used when expansion opportunities arise.

“I am 100% committed to dairying in the future, and look forward to bright and prosperous years ahead.”