Dairy farmers celebrate boom times

DAIRY farmers celebrated boom times for their industry at the 25th National Dairy Show in Millstreet, Co Cork.

Breeders paid up to €8,000 for the best bred calves sold at the show, a few hours after farming leaders said they expect to be paid strong milk prices for at least three years.

Irish farmers are benefiting as dairy commodity prices have doubled globally, largely due to fast-growing demand, and drought in Australia reducing export supplies.

However, farming leaders Jackie Cahill of Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and Padraig Walshe of the Irish Farmers’ Association signalled their intention to fight for their members’ share Irish dairy industry earnings.

Addressing the Irish Examiner Dairying Forum held in conjunction with the show, Mr Walshe warned farmer co-ops can no longer afford to employ one person for every two farmers supplying the milk, when a New Zealand industry employee processes twice as much milk, and Dutch industry workers are 36% more productive than their Irish counterparts.

Forum chairman Tim O’Leary said dairy farmers are looking forward to between three and five high-earning years, but many of them would need that to clear debts built up in recent lean years.

Meanwhile, the country’s best looked after cows, each capable of earning at least €4,000 per year at the farm gate milk price of nearly 40c per litre, were paraded by their owners in search of the Irish Examiner Supreme Championship of the Show.

Clonakilty and Listowel-based breeders John and Tim Kirby took the overall award again, for their Smearlaview A Storm Vixan, and John Hurley, Arklow, Co Wicklow and his Cradenhill Linjet Fame had to be content with second best again.

The junior in milk champion, Smearlaview Champion Shower, was also shown by the Kirby brothers. The junior champion was jointly shown by M and P Jones, Wexford and Roy Cromie, Donegal. The confined champion was shown by Jerry Hegarty, Skibbereen, Co Cork. Aidan and Jamie Foody, Crossmolina, Co Mayo showed the overall Jersey champion of the Show.

Full Show results and Forum report in Thursday’s Farming Section.