Tipperary Couple Win Economic Breeding Index Competition

Tipperary farmers Jim and Pauline Delahunty from Carrig near Roscrea, Co Tipperary, are this year’s winners of the €10,000 first prize in the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) €100 Competition.

The competition, which is sponsored by ACCBank, carries a total prize fund of €20,000. In addition, there were three regional winners and a new Development category winner. The regional winners in Munster were Kieran and Anne Hearne, Ballinacurra near Carrick-on-Suir. The Connaught/Ulster winners were Patrick and Kathleen Kelly of Killygordan, Co Donegal and the Leinster winners were Mark and Phyllis Cassidy of Kells, Co Meath.

The regional winners take home a prize of €2,500 as do the winners of the Development category, Pat and Noreen Cronin from Macroom, Co Cork. This new category was awarded to the finalists achieving the highest rate of herd genetic improvement over a number of years.

The prizes were presented at a function at Teagasc Moorepark, Co Cork, this week by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Mr Brendan Smith.

Matt Ryan, Programme Manager Dairying, at Moorepark said this year’s competition again highlighted the link between the Economic Breeding Index and farm profit. “For every €1 increase in EBI, profit goes up by €3 per cow. The EBI of the national herd now stands at €32, up €8 on last year. The increase was worth an extra €15 million to Irish dairy farmers last year. The EBI of cow replacements is now €34 which indicates farmers’ commitment, through breeding, to improving the genetics of the national herd,” he said.

The Delahuntys will host an Open Day on their farm to showcase their high EBI herd on September 13th. Their herd has an average EBI of €61 and last year their common profit of 17.0c/litre placed them in the top 10 per cent of farmers nationally.