Cork Family Wins Top Milk Award

15 October, 2002

Dairy farmers, Robert and Shirley Shannon from Ballinascarthy, Clonakilty, Co Cork, are the overall winners of the national Protein 350 competition for 2002.

The competition, which is run by Teagasc and sponsored by ACC Bank in association with the Farmers Journal, rewards the country's top dairy farmers who produce milk with the highest protein content with a firm eye to cost efficiency.

The Shannons have beaten the Teagasc protein target of 3.5%, with their milk reaching a remarkable 3.6% in 2001 and targeted to reach 3.7% over the next two years. This compares with an average milk protein nationally of 3.28%.

The Shannon's award winning protein level was achieved at a remarkable milk yield of 7,500 litrel (1,650 gallons) per cow and a highly impressive cost of 9c per litre (32.2p/gallon). They were presented with the national trophy and a cheque for €3,000 by Jan Molenaar, Deputy Chief Executive of ACC Bank at a function in Dublin.

Robert and Shirley Shannon are winter milk producers, supplying 208,000 litres (46,000 gallons) per year to Lisavaird Co-operative. Their milk is used in the production of value-added dairy products by Carbery Milk Products at Ballineen, Co. Cork.

They are active participants in the national Teagasc campaign to improve protein levels in Irish milk, thereby increasing milk price to the farmer and expanding the range of value-added products manufactured by the dairy industry.

As a `monitor farm' under the joint dairy development programme run by Teagasc and Carbery Milk Products in West Cork, the Shannon farm is used to demonstrate the latest technology for milk production. They have received professional guidance from Seamus O'Dowd of Teagasc Clonakilty and Eleanor Hayes of Lisavaird Co-op.

According to Seamus O'Dowd, the Shannon success story is due to a combination of superb grass management and a clearly focused dairy breeding policy. Last year, cows were on grass for 300 days, an exceptional achievement even in the normally more favourable climatic conditions of West Cork. They are also adamant that only AI bulls with a proven ability to lift milk protein are used in the dairy breeding programme.

Regional awards were presented to David Kerr from Ross, Portlaoise, who supplies Glanbia and to Malcolm Cooper, Castlefinn, Lifford, Co. Donegal, who supplies Donegal Creameries.

Speaking at the awards, Dermot McCarthy, chief Dairy Adviser with Teagasc, said the intensive Teagasc advisory campaign has resulted in an increase in average milk protein levels from 3.21% in 1997 to 3.28% in 2001. This has lifted milk value at farm level by €15m per annum.

"The majority of dairy farmers can increase profit by €70 per cow by following the Teagasc blueprints for increased milk protein. This is one obvious way of counteracting the impact of the current downturn in milk prices," he said.

He warned that unless a proper breeding policy is used milk protein levels cannot be increased above 3.3%, even with the best grass management.

"All finalists in this year's competition are committed users of AI. In this context, the swing away from AI is worrying and will ultimately result in a loss of income to dairy farmers".

"The odds are stacked against the dairy farmer who thinks he can select a `stock bull' that will genetically improve his herd. While there may be short term savings, there is very likely to be long term genetic damage with significant income loss," he said.