News

Strong Interest in National Dairy Council Quality Milk Awards

Friday 30 July, 2009 There has been intense interest from co-ops and farmers in the National Dairy Council Quality Milk Awards launched in June. Twenty one farmers from all corners of Ireland have been nominated by dairy co-ops to represent them in this year’s national competition

“Dairy co-ops who submit their top farmers to represent their entire group of farmer suppliers, have already undertaken a form of short-listing for the awards - and so the quality of entries is very high,” explains NDC Chief Executive, Helen Brophy. “Nomination for the NDC Quality Milk Awards is, in its own right, a reflection of very high farming standards at national level, which we believe the farmers involved can be particularly proud of.”

National judges for this year’s NDC Quality Milk Awards are Professor Paddy Wall, Associate Professor of Public Health at UCD; Dr David Gleeson, Milk Quality Research, Teagasc; and Dr. Jack Kennedy, Dairy Editor, Irish Farmers Journal.

In the next phase of the Awards, the judges will assess all of the technical and background data in order to select a further short list of approximately 6 finalists. The judges will then visit and inspect the farms of the finalists in order to select the overall national winner.

It is expected that the final results will be known during September, with the overall winning farmer set to receive a prize of €5,000 and the NDC Quality Milk Awards perpetual trophy. It is also at the discretion of the judges each year to select whether category prizes will be awarded – for instance in areas such as care of the environment or best family/small farm or a category prize for liquid milk production if the overall winner is not a liquid milk supplier.

The nominees for the 2009 National Dairy Council Quality Milk Awards are:

• Batt Casey, Mallow, Co Cork
• Richard Claxton, Portlaoise, Co Laois
• Brochan Cocoman, Naas, Co Kildare
• Tommy Culloty, Tralee, Co Kerry
• Michael Cully, Tubbercurry, Co Sligo
• Kevin Finn, Bandon, Co Cork
• Timothy Friel, Killarney, Co Kerry
• Tom Galvin, Listowel, Co Kerry
• Liam Grady, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
• Gerard Heery, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath
• Gordon Kingston, Clonakilty, Co Cork
• Sean & Goretti Leahy, Waterfall (near) Cork
• Tim D. Lenihan, Boherbue, Mallow, Co Cork
• Pat McMahon, Castleisland, Co Kerry
• Cathal Moran, Skeoughousteen, via Borris, Co Kilkenny
• Michael O’Donoghue, Killarney, Co Kerry
• Michael O’Donovan, Ballineen, Co Cork
• Gareth Porter, Demense, Castlefin, Co Donegal
• Rock Partnership, Tullamore, Co Offaly
• John & Graeme Taylor, Carrigallen, Co Leitrim
• Paschal & Irene Walsh, Edenderry, Co Offaly

The NDC Quality Milk Awards help to build awareness about the Irish dairy farmers who are behind Irish dairy brands; and create an opportunity to showcase to consumers the top quality of dairy farming in the Republic of Ireland. The Awards also provide a platform at a challenging time for the dairy sector, for co-ops to highlight to their own suppliers the technical requirements, standards and techniques which drive top quality milk production.

For further information contact:

Antonina Ni Dhuinn, Progress Communications - 01-2766117 or nina@progresspr.ie