Two weeks on from the announcement of this year’s NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards[1] winners – the Connelly family from Tuam in Co Galway – the air has cleared slightly and once again there’s time to reflect on the significance of the awards to the Irish dairy industry.
First, there has never been a more important time to celebrate excellence in Irish dairy farming and highlight the hard work and dedication of some of our country’s top dairy food producers.
Second, during challenging times like these, people need to be able to trust in what they know – that dairy is nutritious, accessible and affordable and is recognised as a vital part of people’s diet and general health across the life stages.
Third, Irish dairy – its farms, its produce, its export revenues – are indispensable to Ireland’s social and economic well-being.
Pride in Irish Dairy
Our winners, Austin and Yvonne Connelly, farm with their four daughters, Ava, Anna, Jane and Kate, in Tuam, Co. Galway. Fifth-generation farmers, they are relatively new to dairy farming having made the transition from suckler and sheep just four years ago.
According to them, the entire experience has been a whirlwind, albeit an enjoyable one and today their dairy operation is the epitome of modern farming, and the younger Connellys are constantly seeking out ways to make the processes on the farm even more efficient and effective.
The point being that the Connellys are deeply proud of what they do and, no doubt, delighted to have been recognised for the high standards they apply while doing it.
But it’s not just the Connellys. It’s all the twelve finalists, farmers from the length and breadth of Ireland, who – over the past fourteen days – have been interviewed on the radio and by the newspapers because there’s real interest in what they do and how they do it so well.
Dairy at the Crossroads
It is therefore strange that – in a country that celebrates its dairy industry, its sustainability and its quality through a scheme like the Quality Milk Awards – our family-farm dairy sector has become the focus of the environmental lobby and the climate change pressure groups.
It’s equally strange that the current narrative is that our climate change goals can only be achieved by a significant reduction in the national herd – which will change the dairy industry completely, affecting jobs and livelihoods.
Irish agriculture has been tasked with a 25% reduction in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. It’s a challenge – of that there is no doubt – but the dairy industry knows it needs to happen and is employing a range of different methods and employing a number of different approaches to address it.
It’s a journey – one that’s already begun and which is already delivering the results that we need.
Fit for the Future
It is not good enough to point the finger at one sector. It is not good enough to see agricultural emissions – comprised mainly of biogenic methane from cattle – as a quick fix that will buy other sectors time to deal with their reliance on fossil fuels. If other sectors cannot meet their targets, then our sector should not be held to account.
If the Quality Milk Awards are to continue to celebrate the successes of today’s farming families – like the Connellys – and be able to celebrate the success of the next generation of farming families, the Irish dairy sector needs wider support and understanding as it works to make itself fit for the future.
[1] The Quality Milk Awards recognise excellence in milk production. The farms nominated undergo a rigorous assessment by an expert judging panel in six key areas – animal health and welfare; dairy and parlour facilities; pride and passion; continuous improvement; hygiene; sustainability and the environment