Championing West Cork milk quality

For the first time in the history of these awards, we have joint monthly winners whose work on the Milk Quality Awards has made them familiar faces in West Cork agriculture

Quality a ‘team effort’, says Clonakilty’s Paddy Barrett

Paddy Barrett, (Carbery) on Shinagh Farm, Bandon. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

SINCE the Carbery Milk Quality Awards were launched in 2004 the standards being applied to milk production in the region have improved immeasurably.

How much that has to do with the actual awards is hard to know, says Paddy Barrett, one of the driving forces behind the initiative. What the Limerick man does know though is that farmers, particularly those from throughout this area, take fierce pride in their work, and key markers like SCC and TBC provide indisputable evidence of milk quality improving year on year.

It’s hard to believe that the Milk Quality Awards are almost 20 years old. Before they were established, each co-op had their own awards, but  then John McNamara, Teagasc and Paddy Barrett, quality assurance manager at Carbery were tasked with coming up with a way to do it all under the Carbery umbrella, with the four co-ops combined.

‘So, what we did was to ask the co-ops to each select their top three suppliers every year, based on milk quality (TPC, SCC, thermoduric counts TCM, fat, protein and total solids). We then visit them all and assess what they’re doing based on a range of criteria including milk quality protocols obviously, milk recording, and sustainable measures, safety, welfare and others,’ he said.

Interestingly the system is designed so that a past winner can’t be re-entered in the competition; and a nominee can only re-enter after 10 years. This ensures that there’ll always be a fresh cohort, which in turn has helped keep the interest in the long-running scheme very much alive, and the awards are a firm favourite in the social calendar for many.

‘Since the competition started, SCC has improved in a percentage of suppliers – for example SCC at <200,000 has gone from 30% to 75% in the last 10 years,’ said Paddy. He put that down to better breeding, better practices, and of course the incentive of a bonus for those under the 200k. Another positive marker is TBC: 20 years ago for 85% of farmers it was less than 50,000, but now 95% are at less than 50,000.

Milk quality is essential to Carbery, who manufacture complicated high quality, added value products for infant formulae, clinical nutrition customers and other sensitive customers.

‘Improvement in milk quality is also down to more information being at farmer’s disposal with testing at every collection which allows issues to be corrected at an earlier stage,’ said Paddy.

However, there’s more to it than that, he said. Paddy says that West Cork farmers are undoubtedly among the best, if not the best in the country. ‘As a Limerick man, I can’t say they’re the best hurlers, but when it comes to farming they’re top of their game!’ he said.

‘They have a great attitude, and are very progressive, grasping whatever technology is out there. For example, we recently visited two farms with robotic milkers. They’re also very competitive and perhaps the quality awards has brought that on a bit.’

Uncertainties facing the sector are unsettling, he admitted. ‘Personally, I feel there’s a disconnect between farming organisations and the policy makers, and that the great work being done on the ground aren’t being clearly communicated or understood. The majority of farmers are doing their very best,’ he said.

‘Farmers are very adaptable. Not that long ago the concept of high SCC was a bit of a mystery and now they instinctively know how to troubleshoot the issue and rapidly correct. Farmers are very educated so I feel they will continue to make a good living and I’d be confident for the sector,’ he said.

Paddy has very much enjoyed his involvement with the awards, witnessing the diversity and passion in farming. He has worked in Carbery since the 1980s, is gearing up for retirement. He grew up on a small dairy farm in Askeaton, Co Limerick, and is now living in Clonakilty. He’s an avid sports man who played GAA, rugby and even made an Aussie Rules team in 1990.

He’s now looking forward to spending more time with his family and travelling. His wife Maria, also from Limerick, will retire next month. They have three daughters and a son, and four grandkids, two in Clonakilty, and two in the UK.

‘One of our daughters lives in Australia and we’re looking forward to visiting again next year,’ he said.

Winning The Southern Star award is an honour, he said. ‘I’m not a fan of the limelight but it’s nice to be recognised all the same,’ he said.

The real winners, he added, are the local farmers. All the finalists, he pointed out, are already winners: ‘Most don’t realise how good they are. Milk quality is a team effort consisting of farmers, the co-ops, and Carbery.’

Producers delivering a world-class product, says John

John McNamara, (Teagasc) on Shinagh Farm, Bandon. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

THERE will always and forever be challenges for farming but our grass-based system is very resilient and can cope with both input and output price fluctuations.

That’s the buoyant feeling of John McNamara, CarberyTeagasc Joint Programme Coordinator, a well-informed voice and well-respected figure in local agri circles. ‘Some of the current challenges are regulation, age profile, labour and succession but in some cases these can create opportunities too,’ he said.

John started his career as a dairy advisor with ACOT (the precursor to Teagasc), in Dunmanway in 1985, before moving to Bandon in 1987, and was a driving force in the successful Carbery-Teagasc Joint Programme which launched in 1998.

‘It was about the four coops through Carbery giving something back to their milk suppliers, by helping to improve milk composition to give more product yield, which could then lead to a higher milk price. The key was doing it in a cost efficient way to create more profit.

‘The programme was about protein and profit, before sustainability was a word in our vocabulary. It has included other things during the years since but profitable farming is always at its core, driven by a focus on the key things that affect it: money, breeding, and grass management,’ explained John.

The current programme runs from 2021 to 2025, and its objective hasn’t strayed too much from the start: it’s to lead and demonstrate the development of carbon efficient and sustainable dairy farming in West Cork.

The objective of the programme is to connect with all dairy farmers in the West Cork region and demonstrate high standards of farming, including carbon efficiency, water and milk quality, financial performance, soil fertility, farm safety, lifestyle and health, and animal welfare.

Having been at the helm of this hugely successful programme since the start, it was hardly surprising, then, that John was recognised as the ‘right fit’ to partner with Paddy Barrett, Carbery to manage the Carbery Quality Milk Awards.

‘The objective is to essentially reward consistent high quality milk; and to promote improving all Carbery milk quality,’ he said.

‘The co-op advisors shortlist their suppliers based on their milk quality, including fat and protein and Paddy and I then have the privilege of visiting their farms to try and select a winner in each co-op, and an overall Carbery winner. The idea is that if a consumer arrived from any place in the world we’d be able to convince them to buy the product from that particular farm, and to be able to stand over the quality, good farming practices and sustainability,’ he said.

The awards have had a small part in improving the overall quality in the region, by making it achievable for every supplier to be an award winner at some stage. It has helped in spreading the message on milk quality. The policy of excluding previous entrants is a big factor in doing this.

The Farm Walk on the overall winner each year is a major public event attracting more than just farmers and their families, but also people from the non-farming community.

Each co-op has ensured it is a great occasion and have provided hospitality on the day. A big thank you to each farm family that has hosted the event each year since 2004, said John. He says that the awards could not work without the tremendous work done by the milk quality advisors in each co-op. He is adamant that the scheme is as important now as it was when it started nearly 20 years ago, and vital that new farmers are involved each year.

‘The consumer needs to be able to buy into what farmers are producing, and the awards are a great way to tell all those superb individual stories of what’s happening on farms throughout the region’ he said.

He has nothing but great memories of his involvement in the awards: ‘It was a real privilege and it was a wonderful way of visiting farms and seeing work that you otherwise wouldn’t have. I’d like to thank all the farmers I’ve worked with, we shared a lot of information and together achieved progress.’

While he’s confident for the future of dairy farming, he feels strongly that food is too cheap globally. ‘When demand exceeds supply, product prices, then milk and beef prices will increase,’ he predicted.

John retired in April and has been enjoying having more free time to spend with his wife Nora, and indulging his love of cycling. Originally from Kilfenora, Co Clare, he describes himself as an ‘economic immigrant’ to Cork, where he has made his living for the last 40 years. But it’s probably fair to say the local agri sector owes more of a debt to him, and the work he’s done over the past four decades.

Winning The Southern Star monthly award was, he said, a real honour especially for a ‘blow in’ from the Banner County, who arrived in West Cork hardly knowing how to milk a cow!

‘I have worked with great people; farmers, Teagasc colleagues, co-ops, private advisors, and vets. I am humbled to even be considered for this honour. Thanks to all involved.'

Why we support West Cork farming

Shane McCarthy AIB agri advisor talks about the importance of agriculture to AIB and the outlook for the sector.

AIB IS delighted to sponsor the West Cork Farming Awards which celebrate the best of farming in West Cork and highlight this vital sector for AIB. Agriculture is a cornerstone of our business, particularly in new SME lending through our branches around the country.

In Cork alone, agriculture accounts for around 40% of our SME lending, with some rural branches seeing even higher figures. Although the rain earlier this year dampened moods for many, every cloud has a silver lining and overall, the sector is performing well. Sheep are experiencing unprecedented all-time high output prices, for dairy, the first half of 2024 has been a period of cautious recovery and although subdued relative to 2023, beef and pigs are holding strong.

As the year progresses, the industry is poised to remain in a reasonably good position. Farm investment activity remains reasonably strong, and our research indicates that 69% of farmers plan to invest on farm in the next three years.

A significant proportion of this group is planning farm investment to adhere to environmental compliance requirements. This is an ever-increasing reality for many farmers as we near 2030 and consider how each of us can play our part in achieving the 25% sectoral Emission Reduction Target.

During this time of significant change, we acknowledge the challenges ahead and reaffirm AIB’s commitment to the agricultural market. Agriculture remains a critical part of our business and will continue to be in the future.