Munster farms named Flahavan's oat growers of the year
Pictured are Flahavan's conventional oats category winner David Keane, Cappoquin Estate, Co Waterford, and John Collins, farm manager, with Johnny Flahavan, and organic oats category winner Evan Delaney, Red City, Fethard, Co Tipperary.
Munster farms have taken the top prizes in Flahavan's 2023 Oat Growers of the Year Awards.
The awards were split into two categories - conventional oat growers and organic oat growers and despite the difficult growing conditions experienced this year, the competition was "extremely strong".
The winner in the conventional oats category was the Keane family of Cappoquin Estate, Co Waterford, where Charles Keane was one of the first Irish growers to introduce tramlines to Irish cereal growing in the 1980s.
Farm manager John Collins has also looked after the tillage operations on the estate since the 1980s, paying "great attention to protecting the environment through building hedgerows and using buffer zones as well as planting native tree species on nearby land".
"We are delighted with our success in this competition, we value our contract for oats with Flahavan’s, with whom we have had a longstanding relationship," Charles Keane said.
Padraig Connery from Villierstown Cappoquin was runner-up in the conventional oats category. He grows a range of crops including winter oats, winter wheat, winter and spring barley and spring beans.
Mr Connery was commended for his planned approach to production.
He uses soil tests regularly to decide his nutrition/fertiliser programme and uses pig and cattle slurry to cut down on chemical fertilisers.
He is cognisant of the importance of his role in improving the environment.
He has also pursued third-level qualifications in mechanical engineering and agriculture.
The overall winner in the organic oats category was announced as Evan Delaney who has been farming tillage crops plus a small area for livestock around the house with his family at Red City, Fethard, Co Tipperary.
He has an organic feed business in conjunction with his organic cropping programme.
He is knowledgeable on organic growing technology and is keen to explore the market potential for organic crops.
He is noted as a leader in the organic movement and is a member of the Limerick-Tipperary organic group.
His farm is used by both the Irish Organic Association and Teagasc for knowledge transfer.
Eoghan O’Sullivan from Roseville, Donohill, Tipperary town was named runner-up in the organic oats category.
Mr O'Sullivan, who is relatively new in tillage, was praised by the judge for his simple system that produces quality oats which are delivered to Flahavan’s directly from the harvester.
Both conventional and organic growers were assessed on the basis of overall grain quality, taking into account kernel content; bushel weight; moisture levels; aroma; flavour; colour & cleanliness.
Johnny Flahavan, operations manager at Flahavan’s, commented: "While 2023 has been a difficult year for growers across the country, the standard of oats supplied to Flahavan’s is consistently excellent and we’re particularly delighted to see that so many of our suppliers are introducing more and more environmentally sustainable practices into their farming."
