Stephen Cadogan: IHFA praises ‘Yes We Can’ spirit of Irish dairy farmers

The current state of Irish dairy farming owes much to the leaders of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association, who have been rightly commended at the IHFA’s 50th anniversary celebrations this year.

Leaders like Michael Buckley of Ballinahina, Cork, who was described at last week’s anniversary gala ball as having adopted the Yes We Can motto at least 30 years before Barack Obama — so determined was he to overcome the barriers holding back Irish dairy farming.

Buckley was one of the earliest movers in bottling milk for direct sale, importing the best breeding stock, helping to set up the Irish Friesian Breeders Association, expanding the dairy artificial insemination industry, computerising pedigree records — and perhaps most important, leading the establishment of the milk recording services which now underpin management of our best dairy farms.