High performers and awards are important for every farming sector. Award winners set standards of production, performance and behaviour and point the way for others to follow. For this reason it is important to acknowledge both the winners and the organisers of such events, and sometimes it takes those on the outside to tell us about the greatness of the things we do.
In recent months I was at two major national awards. Both were organised by companies for their suppliers. Achievements raise the bar of expectation and performance. A few years ago, people chose not to believe that five tonnes of winter wheat and four tonnes of spring barley were possible at field level. Now growers know this to be true and much more discussion time must be devoted to this topic at group meetings.
The two ceremonies I attended were Boortmalt’s malting barley excellence awards and Goldcrop’s quality seed grower award. Both require attention to detail and the performance of the winners is commendable.
Malting barley
excellence awards
Ivan Holden from Co Carlow was announced as the overall winner of the 2014 malting barley excellence awards. This award is co-hosted by Boortmalt and Diageo and it seeks to recognise the tremendous efforts and performance of growers who deliver top-quality ingredients to supply the food chain.
Ivan farms at Clonmore, Fenagh, Co Carlow, and supplies malting barley to Boortmalt’s Bagenalstown branch. He was initially awarded the Carlow/Bagenalstown award and was then selected as the overall winner from all the different award categories. Awards are presented to suppliers in each of the branch areas, with another specific award for seed producers.
These awards are meant to recognise the considerable efforts of growers throughout the Boortmalt supply network. And they recognise the fact that this is a crucial component in the supply chain to Diageo.
Speaking at the awards, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney commended growers, Boortmalt and Diageo for their efforts to link up the supply chain. He also praised the parties involved for their efforts to provide security of supply to the processors and for their combined efforts to create a pricing structure that was workable for all concerned.
While acknowledging that the formula fell foul of market circumstances in 2014, the minister said that prices will correct in time and encouraged all parties to fine-tune the current arrangements for the future.
“The pricing arrangements for malting barley is unique in the agricultural sector and is one of the very few such arrangements designed to help growers cope with volatility through the supply chain,” said Minister Coveney, and he encouraged all the parties involved to make this even more reliable for the future.
He commended the awards for identifying the best, stating that they lead by example and that others will follow.
Boortmalt’s chief operations officer Peter Nallen thanked all malting barley growers, as well as the winners, for their dedication in supplying the required combination of quantity and quality in the past year. He also commended growers for their willingness to take on board the specific advice needed to help ensure the quality required for both segments of the malt market.
He thanked the Department of Agriculture for its willingness to accommodate the specific needs of specialist malting barley producers and Teagasc for its continued support to the sector at all levels.
He acknowledged that 2014 was the first year that all of the distilling malting barley requirement was sourced locally. And this means no imports will be required for this growing market segment.
He also acknowledged that the pricing arrangements had come up short for growers in 2014 and said that Boortmalt would work with growers to continue to improve this for the future.
The IFA’s grain chair Liam Dunne said: “Malting barley production requires considerable attention to detail over time and growers are proud to be involved.”
It is a very traditional farm enterprise, supporting very many smaller farms, and growers are proud to produce what is required. Liam said that the IFA will continue to drive progress in the sector and called for the unique pricing structure to be supported as it further developed.
The other award winners in 2014 were:
Leeson Stanley from Donoughmore, Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, who supplies Portlaoise/Monasterevin.Robert Chambers from Castlemitchell House, Athy, Co Kildare, who produces in the Athy/ Stradbally region. Jim Fitzpatrick from Tomgarrow, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, who supplies the Kilcannon branch. The New Ross award went to Martin Foley from Ballyhack, New Ross, Co Wexford. The seed producer award went to Joe Warren from Springvale, Castledockrell, Co Wexford.Goldcrop seed grower award goes to Louth
Back in early November, John McGrane from Dunleer was announced as the overall winner of the Goldcrop quality seed grower award for 2014.
John’s win was announced at a ceremony in Kilkenny, which also announced winners in specific crop type seed categories for both its northern and southern regions.
Announcing the winner, Goldcrop MD John Murphy described John McGrane as being a dedicated and loyal seed producer for the company. In 2014 he produced 170 acres of seed comprising eight different varieties of four crop species. And such is the attention to detail that the winner returned every acre grown for certification. A commendable performance by any standards.
Mr Murphy said that John McGrane runs a very efficient and high-performing business which consistently produces top-class seed for Goldcrop. He also said that this quality awards scheme acknowledges not just John’s achievement but indeed all the other dedicated seed growers for their hard work and commitment, some of whom received awards on the day.
These growers practise good farm practice and set standards for yield which were as high as 4.28 t/ac for spring barley, 5.18 t/ac for winter wheat, 5.17 t/ac for winter barley, 4.6 t/ac for spring wheat and 3.5 t/ac for spring oats. These are all 20% moisture yields with grain quality to match.
As well as the overall winner, there were four award categories in both the north and south regions. These winners were:
Spring barley north: John Malone, Carlingford, Co. Louth.Spring barley south: Christy and Kathleen Ring, Cobh, Co Cork.Winter barley north: Alan Bothwell, Carlingford, Co Louth.Winter barley south: David Tait, Whitegate, Co Cork.Oats north: Dermot Hoare, Balbriggan, Co Dublin.Oats south: John Murphy, Rathcoole, Mallow, Co Cork.Wheat north: John McGrane, Dunleer, Co Louth.Wheat south: John Kennefick, Ballycotton, Co Cork.Speaking following the award presentation, John McGrane said that attention to the simple husbandry details is key to growing good crops.
“One must always strive for maximum yield and quality and good soil, good rotation, timely treatments and attention to detail are key elements,” he said.
High performers and awards are important for every farming sector. Award winners set standards of production, performance and behaviour and point the way for others to follow. For this reason it is important to acknowledge both the winners and the organisers of such events, and sometimes it takes those on the outside to tell us about the greatness of the things we do.
In recent months I was at two major national awards. Both were organised by companies for their suppliers. Achievements raise the bar of expectation and performance. A few years ago, people chose not to believe that five tonnes of winter wheat and four tonnes of spring barley were possible at field level. Now growers know this to be true and much more discussion time must be devoted to this topic at group meetings.
The two ceremonies I attended were Boortmalt’s malting barley excellence awards and Goldcrop’s quality seed grower award. Both require attention to detail and the performance of the winners is commendable.
Malting barley
excellence awards
Ivan Holden from Co Carlow was announced as the overall winner of the 2014 malting barley excellence awards. This award is co-hosted by Boortmalt and Diageo and it seeks to recognise the tremendous efforts and performance of growers who deliver top-quality ingredients to supply the food chain.
Ivan farms at Clonmore, Fenagh, Co Carlow, and supplies malting barley to Boortmalt’s Bagenalstown branch. He was initially awarded the Carlow/Bagenalstown award and was then selected as the overall winner from all the different award categories. Awards are presented to suppliers in each of the branch areas, with another specific award for seed producers.
These awards are meant to recognise the considerable efforts of growers throughout the Boortmalt supply network. And they recognise the fact that this is a crucial component in the supply chain to Diageo.
Speaking at the awards, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney commended growers, Boortmalt and Diageo for their efforts to link up the supply chain. He also praised the parties involved for their efforts to provide security of supply to the processors and for their combined efforts to create a pricing structure that was workable for all concerned.
While acknowledging that the formula fell foul of market circumstances in 2014, the minister said that prices will correct in time and encouraged all parties to fine-tune the current arrangements for the future.
“The pricing arrangements for malting barley is unique in the agricultural sector and is one of the very few such arrangements designed to help growers cope with volatility through the supply chain,” said Minister Coveney, and he encouraged all the parties involved to make this even more reliable for the future.
He commended the awards for identifying the best, stating that they lead by example and that others will follow.
Boortmalt’s chief operations officer Peter Nallen thanked all malting barley growers, as well as the winners, for their dedication in supplying the required combination of quantity and quality in the past year. He also commended growers for their willingness to take on board the specific advice needed to help ensure the quality required for both segments of the malt market.
He thanked the Department of Agriculture for its willingness to accommodate the specific needs of specialist malting barley producers and Teagasc for its continued support to the sector at all levels.
He acknowledged that 2014 was the first year that all of the distilling malting barley requirement was sourced locally. And this means no imports will be required for this growing market segment.
He also acknowledged that the pricing arrangements had come up short for growers in 2014 and said that Boortmalt would work with growers to continue to improve this for the future.
The IFA’s grain chair Liam Dunne said: “Malting barley production requires considerable attention to detail over time and growers are proud to be involved.”
It is a very traditional farm enterprise, supporting very many smaller farms, and growers are proud to produce what is required. Liam said that the IFA will continue to drive progress in the sector and called for the unique pricing structure to be supported as it further developed.
The other award winners in 2014 were:
Leeson Stanley from Donoughmore, Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, who supplies Portlaoise/Monasterevin.Robert Chambers from Castlemitchell House, Athy, Co Kildare, who produces in the Athy/ Stradbally region. Jim Fitzpatrick from Tomgarrow, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, who supplies the Kilcannon branch. The New Ross award went to Martin Foley from Ballyhack, New Ross, Co Wexford. The seed producer award went to Joe Warren from Springvale, Castledockrell, Co Wexford.Goldcrop seed grower award goes to Louth
Back in early November, John McGrane from Dunleer was announced as the overall winner of the Goldcrop quality seed grower award for 2014.
John’s win was announced at a ceremony in Kilkenny, which also announced winners in specific crop type seed categories for both its northern and southern regions.
Announcing the winner, Goldcrop MD John Murphy described John McGrane as being a dedicated and loyal seed producer for the company. In 2014 he produced 170 acres of seed comprising eight different varieties of four crop species. And such is the attention to detail that the winner returned every acre grown for certification. A commendable performance by any standards.
Mr Murphy said that John McGrane runs a very efficient and high-performing business which consistently produces top-class seed for Goldcrop. He also said that this quality awards scheme acknowledges not just John’s achievement but indeed all the other dedicated seed growers for their hard work and commitment, some of whom received awards on the day.
These growers practise good farm practice and set standards for yield which were as high as 4.28 t/ac for spring barley, 5.18 t/ac for winter wheat, 5.17 t/ac for winter barley, 4.6 t/ac for spring wheat and 3.5 t/ac for spring oats. These are all 20% moisture yields with grain quality to match.
As well as the overall winner, there were four award categories in both the north and south regions. These winners were:
Spring barley north: John Malone, Carlingford, Co. Louth.Spring barley south: Christy and Kathleen Ring, Cobh, Co Cork.Winter barley north: Alan Bothwell, Carlingford, Co Louth.Winter barley south: David Tait, Whitegate, Co Cork.Oats north: Dermot Hoare, Balbriggan, Co Dublin.Oats south: John Murphy, Rathcoole, Mallow, Co Cork.Wheat north: John McGrane, Dunleer, Co Louth.Wheat south: John Kennefick, Ballycotton, Co Cork.Speaking following the award presentation, John McGrane said that attention to the simple husbandry details is key to growing good crops.
“One must always strive for maximum yield and quality and good soil, good rotation, timely treatments and attention to detail are key elements,” he said.
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