Teagasc news: Open day on national milk winners’ farm
The Teagasc-organised event will focus on the practical steps taken by the O’Sullivans to win the national title.
All dairy farmers are welcome to this event which will run from 2pm to 4pm on the O’Sullivan farm at Dunmanus, Goleen.
The O’Sullivan family milk 138 cows on their 107-hectare farm (in 2015) and supply their milk to Drinagh Co-op.
They have consistently achieved SCC levels below 100,000cells/ml over the last five years.
They claimed the top prize following an assessment of the performance of 13 shortlisted dairy farms from all parts of the country.
Milk quality is extremely important to the O’Sullivan family: “We are producing a food product here and we put the quality of the milk we produce on our farm as the number one priority.
"That is why the milking of the cows and the washing of the milking parlour inside and out is the most important job we do every day.”
This attention to milk quality has helped the O’Sullivans win Drinagh Milk Quality Awards and Carbery Milk Quality Awards.
Billy Kelleher, regional advisory manager, Teagasc, said that the farm walk will allow dairy farm families see at first-hand the types of achievable steps which can raise quality standards and which can help to maintain those standards throughout the year.
In relation to milk quality, the O’Sullivans use the available information to make the right decisions and carry out the recommended actions correctly.
Zoë Kavanagh, chief executive NDC, highlighted the role of the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards in raising standards: “Through this award programme we see the passion for progressing and learning the newest and best way of doing things; combined with a heartfelt wish to take care of, and develop the farm, so that it can be passed on to the next generation with care and pride.”
Seamus Daly, Drinagh Co-op, said: “We are delighted that the ‘Sam Maguire’ of milk quality awards has been won by a Drinagh Co-op supplier and that the O’Sullivan family has made their farm available for this farm walk.”
The importance of milk quality to Ornua was underlined by Kerrygold: “Irish dairy farming is the best in the world, not only because of our natural grass based production system, but also because our farmers, down through generations, generously share their knowledge and continuously improve standards in the industry and in their communities.
“This farm walk generously hosted by the O’Sullivan family is a perfect example of our farming community’s appetite to share knowledge and help one another. We look forward to welcoming a big crowd to West Cork in June,” said Jeanne Kelly, Kerrygold spokesperson.
Farm walk topics include achieving low SCC; and correct hygiene practices for minimising TBC, thermodurics and residues. They day will include an open forum with the O’Sullivan family and industry leaders.
Meanwhile, Drinagh Co-op has nominated their top three milk suppliers for this year’s Carbery Milk Quality Awards, based on butterfat, protein, TBC and SCC.
They are Billy Wolfe, Lisbealad; Michael and Maguerite Crowley, Bauravilla Upper, Skibbereen; and Timothy O’Mahony, Dreenane, Schull.
The co-op has congratulated the three finalists on their remarkable achievement of consistently producing top quality milk. The overall winner of the competition will be announced next month.
