THERE was further success for West Cork this week with local farmers claiming success at the Animal Health Ireland (AHI) 11th annual CellCheck awards in the Killashee Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare.
The awards recognise excellence achieved by Irish dairy farmers in herd health, specifically those that achieve a consistently low somatic cell count (SCC) in their dairy herds.
The CellCheck programme, coordinated by Animal Health Ireland, works with dairy farmers and their service providers, to increase the awareness and capacity to manage and prevent mastitis in Irish herds. The aim of the programme is to achieve a healthier and more productive herd, which contributes to increased efficiency and profitability on farms.
Over the past decade, national average bulk tank SCC has reduced by almost 50,000 cells/mL, to an average of 190,000 cells/mL in 2023. This improvement in udder health in the national herd is helping to reduce antimicrobial usage, improve farm profitability, and contribute towards reducing agri-emissions. According to AHI research, effective mastitis control can increase a farmer’s net profitability by at least 1c per litre.
This year’s FBD-sponsored event saw 500 top-performing dairy farmers from across Ireland recognised for achieving the lowest weighted annual average SCC based on the previous year’s milk supply. On the night, one CellCheck Champion was identified from each of the 17 winning processors. They included Aidan and Vincent Murphy (Bandon Co-Op), Kieran Whelton (Barryroe), Neil and Cathy Collins (Drinagh), John Joe and Andrew O’Sullivan (Lisavaird).
‘The CellCheck programme has helped to significantly reduce SCC across Ireland’s dairy herds, contributing to healthier herds and sustainably produced, high-quality milk,’ said AHI chair James Lynch.
