The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards recognise and reward the standards of excellence in dairy farming in Ireland. Over the next nine pages, we profile each of the 14 candidates shorlisted from over 17,000 dairy farmers across Ireland.
Each of the farmers profiled is essentially a winner in their own right as they have been put forward to represent their co-op at national level. The farms nominated for the annual awards undergo a detailed assessment by an expert judging panel based on milk quality test results and technical reports spanning a full 12-month period in order to select a shortlist of finalists.
This year’s judges are Prof Karina Pierce from UCD, Prof Paddy Wall from UCD and Dr David Gleeson from Teagasc Moorepark.
The awards are not just about producing milk with low cell count and low bacterial count, additional criteria has been introduced to identify farmers operating a sustainable dairy operation with clear evidence of excellent technical practices in the areas beyond quality milk such as care for the environment and animal welfare.
The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards assess the top dairy farms across a number of key areas such as animal health and welfare, dairy and parlour facilities, pride and passion, continuous improvement, hygiene, sustainability and the environment.
This year’s finalists are: