It is clear the country’s dairy farmers are making progress on the milk quality front.

At the National Dairy Council (NDC) and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards this week, the message was clear: milk protein is increasing, milk fat is increasing and somatic cell count is going down.

Amazingly this year’s 14 shortlisted entrants in the Quality Milk Awards all essentially supplied milk with an SCC under 100,000 cells/ml. We understand nationally that the average SCC figure has dropped under 200,000 cells/ml.

This is a significant and valuable improvement considering it comes at the same time as national milk production in the south has grown from 5bn to over 7bn litres in less than three years.

Fat and protein concentrations are increasing as a result of better breeding decisions and more grass being present in the diet.

The template that the overall winners – the Walsh family in Tipperary – follow and are delivering upon is the core of Irish production and one that is sustainable at farm and industry level. Congratulations to all involved.