Higher Profit on EBI Award Winning Dairy Farm

Dairy farmers attending the Teagasc open day in Macroom, County Cork, today, Tuesday 11 September, will hear how better breeding can improve profits on dairy farms. This year’s EBI award winning farm generates almost twice the profit per cow of the average herd, emphasising how high EBI leads to higher income through improved production and better fertility.

The open day is taking place on the farm of Pat and Noreen Cronin, Cahirkereen, Kilnamartyra, Macroom, County Cork - the national winners of the EBI €100 competition.

Teagasc Dairy Programme leader Matt Ryan said: “The Cronin farm demonstrates how profit can be improved through higher EBI. They have combined improved herd fertility with higher milk production performance and excellent cost control. The Cronin’s have achieved a common profit of €1,075 per cow, nearly double that achieved by farmers completing Teagasc profit monitors. This was achieved through a combination of high milk solids yield per cow and low cost milk production.’

The large crowd at the EBI open day will hear how the host farmers plan to double cow numbers in the coming years. Currently farming in REPS, Pat Cronin plans to join the recently announced REPS 4 scheme, which will allow him to increase his production per hectare.

Presently the herd has an average EBI of €80 which places the herd in the top one per cent nationally. The milk production curve on this award winning farm follows the Moorepark milk supply profile closely. Top genetics for milk production and fertility contributed here. The Cronins herd produced an average of 501 kg milk solids with fat and protein contents of 3.94% and 3.48%, respectively. Excellent fertility also contributes and this spring, three-quarters of the herd calved in the first six weeks of the calving season. Good management and superior genetics for fertility help the Cronins to achieve compact calving.

ACCBank is the main sponsor of the EBI €100 competition, which is organised by Teagasc, ICBF and the Farmers Journal.