Paula Hynes: Becky's on a high 'Down Under'

Becky Hynes winning the Sheri Martin Memorial Intermediate Showmanship at International Dairy Week

Although it is cold here, things are certainly heating up in Australia for our daughter Becky. They arrived at International Dairy Week three days before the showing began in order to settle all the milkers in after what was a seven-hour drive from the McGrath's farm.

I still feel it strange adjusting to the time difference, a few early morning or late night messages. Becky had a full team of animals to clip, but with six full days of showing, some of the clipping had to be left till show day. Sunday started early in Australia as Becky had two milkers to clip before she joined her teammates to compete in the youth challenge, which involves a team of four clipping and prepping a heifer in under 30 minutes and ready to be paraded. 

The team also had to complete stock judging, a great experience for her as the youth challenge is also the Australian trials for those wishing to travel abroad.

Our alarm clocks were set for a 5am wakeup so we could watch the showmanship classes, Jessica Gavenlock taking up the judging of the classes in what is the Sheri Martin Memorial Showmanship.

Sheri was a huge supporter of young people wishing to show dairy stock and the showmanship in memory of her is considered a huge accolade to win. 

The age categories differ somewhat to Ireland, while Becky is still considered an Intermediate handler in Australia, the age group is 15 to 18 years of age. We watched the livestream in anticipation with over 40 handlers making their way into the ring, a big class with the Australian heat topping 30 degree celsius adding an extra challenge for Becky. 

As Jessica began to sort her class, Becky was in the top six on the first lineup, with such a big class it can be hard for any judge to place handlers and it takes time, as the top handlers were put through their paces, Becky was up to second. 

When Izzy Laird judged Becky last summer, she commented that the girl never gives up and competes to the end of the class. True to form she set her heifer perfectly and kept an eagle eye on the judge, constantly adjusting the heifer, as Jessica went to tap her final lineup she gave Becky the nod and all of a sudden a young Irish girl was walking to top spot at IDW. 

It was an unbelievably proud moment for us a, parents hearing the commentator call out the winner as "Becky Hynes from Ireland". 2023 was a huge year for us as a family in the show ring, but it seems Becky decided she would start 2024 even bigger.

As we video called Australia, team McGrath were celebrating with the clink of champagne glasses; they truly are a great family to show dairy stock for. We have become huge friends with Rachel, her mum, Anne, has great Irish roots. She is a woman who has seen the highs and lows of dairying and always has a positive frame of mind, she truly is a warrior who has battled life and taught her family great values, work hard and relish any success because it never comes easy. 

As Rachel put down the champagne glass to lead the last cow into the clipping crate so Becky could finish clipping, Anne was talking up proud mum duties in my absence, and no doubt the whole of International Dairy Week now knows a 16-year-old Irish girl flew to Oz by herself to show the McGrath's heifers and cows and has started with big success in the ring. 

As I am writing this, it will be bed early this evening as Becky is showing in eight classes on day two of IDW so we hope to watch most of them through the night on TV.

At home here on the farm, ground conditions were super for the reopening of slurry spreading, so we have been making progress in getting slatted tanks lowered in case the weather breaks in the near future. 

Hopefully, this will allow some lower grass covers to grow between now and March. Fresh calvers have been out at grass by day; currently, they are getting seven hours daily at grass, but we will reduce this to three-hour breaks if the wet weather returns.

With the main calving season looming, easy days are numbered, so while we try to get some extra work done every day, we also try to make it our business to get home sharpish in the evenings before the late work nights return.

My main concern for 2024 is how fast the dairy processors will increase milk price, yes we have seen increases for December and January but with base prices still only hovering around 37c, the reality is the markets are delivering more so Irish processors are lagging behind by at least 2cpl.

The only way processors can remain efficient is through adequate supply and while intakes in November were 20% down on 2022, the reality is processors only have themselves to blame, they were lagging behind on milk price for months and farmers cannot be expected to work for free. 

The reality is that Irish dairy processors need to decide before the middle of February if they want an adequate supply of milk in 2024. They need to set base price at the highest possible when they meet in February, and that needs to be a base of 40c. Cows need to be fed well in early lactating, and if the processors are not willing to pay a realistic price, then cows will not hit a high peak milk production, and stainless steel will lie idle in May and June. 

Right across Europe, farmers are protesting; increased regulation frustrates them, but in simple terms, farmers cannot produce food for free, and Irish processors need to see that reality. As it stands, many hundreds of smaller dairy farms are yet again ceasing milk production this spring, and I have to wonder is sustainable Irish dairy farming content to see the demise of the family farm, which was globally recognised as a unique part of the Irish dairy industry?