Dairy Breeding Awards Announced

Pat and Pauline Ryan of Lauragh, Cappagh, Waterford were today announced as the overall winners of the EBI €100 competition at a reception held at Teagasc Moorepark. As overall winners the Ryans won a prize of €5,000 for the outstanding breeding and financial management of their 200-cow herd which has an average EBI of €63. More than 40 stock in the herd have an EBI of over €100.

This national competition attracted almost 50 entrants for a total prize fund of over €10,000. The purpose of the competition was to focus attention on improving profits in dairying through better breeding. Three regional winners were also announced. They were Kieran Hearne, Ballinacurra, Carrick-on-Suir in the Munster region, Eamon Fagan, Lough Ree House, Glasson, Athlone, Co. Westmeath in the Leinster region and Richard Starrett, Killendarragh, Lifford, Co. Donegal in the Connacht/Ulster Region. Each regional winner won a prize of €1,500. Speaking at the announcement of the winners - Matt Ryan, Teagasc Dairy Programme Manager said that the competition has clearly demonstrated the association between better breeding and higher profit.

“The twenty five contestants short listed for a farm visit were all high EBI herds with a common profit 1.8 c/litre higher than the average Teagasc client. This is worth an extra €5,400 in common profit on a 300,000 litre dairy farm” said Mr. Ryan.

Representing ACC Bank, the main sponsors of the competition, Paddy Horgan, National Agri-Business Manager said, “We were impressed by the performance of the farmers who entered the competition. Overall the competition has been an enormous success with a large number of exceptional entrants attracted to it”. Brian Wickham, Chief Executive, Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, said, “It is clear that commercial, profit-focused farmers are identifying the association between EBI and profit. The fact that the competitions finalists have herd EBIs that are twice or three times as high as the national average and have a higher profit than the average dairy farmer is not coincidental”.

Six runners up also attended the event. They included three Cork farmers Tom Kearney, Ballybrowney, Rathcormac, Robert Shannon, Droumgarriffe, Clonakilty and Michael Downing, Farranastig, Whitechurch. The other runners up were Mark Cassidy, Cookstown, Kells, Co Meath, Jim Delahunty, Ballykincash, Carrig, via Birr Co Offaly and Wexford farmer David French from Raheenvarren, Newbawn. Each received a prize of €250.

Ends

Issued by Larry O’Loughlin,

A/Head Public Relations Department, Teagasc

Tel: 059 9183408; 087 2562434;

Email: loloughlin@hq.teagasc.ie