The winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition will be announced on Friday 13 January at the Dairygold Annual Tillage Conference, which takes place in Corrin Event Centre at 2pm.

Four regional winners have made it to the final.

Hitting malting barley quality parameters is essential in the competition, but implementing sustainable farming practices is an important part of the judging process. The finalists all rate highly on farm sustainability.

Cyrus and Colin Buttimer – North Cork

Cyrus and Collin Buttiner are the north Cork finalists. They farm near Fermoy and grow cereals and potatoes. Crop rotation is a big focus on the farm. Oats are generally planted as a break before the spring malting barley crop.

Richard Sweetnam – East Cork

The Sweetnams with Dairygold's Michael English.

Richard Sweetnam and his mother Peril farm near Mogeely, Co Cork. The Sweetnams run a mixed farm and have 45 suckler cows.

The organic manures from the livestock enterprise are an invaluable source of nutrients and feed for the soil that the spring malting barley crop is grown on. Cover crops are also grown on the farm after the malting barley crops and livestock on the farm graze these crops once soil conditions are suitable to do so.

Frank and Mary Quinlan – Tipperary

The Quinlans with Dairygold's Ger Hanley.

Frank and Mary Quinlan farm near Golden in Co Tipperary. Their land is ideal for early malting barley crops, which can be useful in reaching protein specifications. The Quinlans put a huge focus on soil fertility and keeping soil pH at optimum levels. Cover crops are planted on the farm where land is destined for spring cropping and these crops are incorporated back into the soil to help to build up soil organic matter.

Aidan and Jim Deasy – Mid Cork

The Deasy family with Dairygold's Tim McCarthy.

Aidan and Jim Deasy farm in Aherla, Co Cork. They grow cereals and forage crops on-farm and crop rotation is key to achieving high yields. The family brings organic manures, which are readily available in the area of south Cork where they farm, onto the farm and these organic manures are a standard part of their fertiliser programme on the farm.