The Teagasc-organised event will focus on the practical steps taken by Kieran, Catherine and Cathal O'Sullivan on their farm in Dunmanus, Goleen, Co Cork, to win the national title.

The O'Sullivans milk 138 cows on their 107ha farm, supplying Drinagh Co-op. They have consistently achieved SCC levels of below 100,000 cells/ml over the last five years.

Milk quality is extremely important to the O'Sullivan family: "We are producing a food product here and we put the quality of the milk we produce on our farm as the number one priority. That is why the milking of the cows and the washing of the milking parlour inside and out is the most important job we do every day," Kieran said.

This attention to milk quality has meant that the farm has previously won the Drinagh Milk Quality Awards and the Carbery Milk Quality Awards.

Achievable steps

"The farm walk will allow dairy farm families see at first-hand the types of achievable steps which can raise quality standards and which can help to maintain those standards throughout the year," said Billy Kelleher, regional advisory manager at Teagasc.

"Many other farmers can learn from the O'Sullivans' experiences in relation to milk quality; they use the available information to make the right decisions and carry out the recommended actions correctly."

The importance of milk quality to Ornua was also underlined by Kerrygold: "Irish dairy farming is the best in the world, not only because of our natural grass-based production system, but also because our farmers, down through generations, generously share their knowledge and continuously improve standards in the industry and in their communities."

All dairy farmers are welcome to this event on Friday 17 June, running from 2pm to 4pm.

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Dairy management notes for farmers