Oscars of an udder kind
4 families from Cork have been shortlisted for awards dubbed as the Oscars of the dairy world.
Those are the Deasy family from Ahafore, Timoleague; the Hawkes family from Keel, Innishannon; the Shorten family from Woodfield, Clonakilty and; the Collins family from Caheragh.
13 dairy co-ops nationwide have been shortlisted in the National Dairy Council (NDC) and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards which recognise and celebrate the highest standards of excellence in dairy farming with a focus on milk quality, animal welfare, and sustainable farming practices.
Care for our environment has never been a more prominent issue and these awards are working to ensure that the importance of sustainability is accurately represented, by awarding farming families who work towards this, those behind the awards have said.
In recent years, the awards have introduced additional criteria to acknowledge farmers that operate a sustainable dairy operation with clear evidence of excellent technical practices in the areas beyond quality milk, namely, care for the environment and animal welfare; dairy and parlour facilities; and hygiene.
Commenting on the awards, John Jordan, CEO, Ornua said: “As Ireland’s largest exporter of dairy products, and proud owners of Kerrygold, we see first-hand how Irish dairy is revered by consumers in every corner of the world. We’re proud to support the Quality Milk Awards each year and to celebrate the passionate farming families who work tirelessly to produce world-class dairy and maintain Ireland’s global reputation as a leading sustainable producer of quality dairy products.”
Zoe Kavanagh, CEO of the National Dairy Council said: “With more scrutiny than ever on how farmers produce milk, dairy’s reputation depends upon demonstrating greater commitment to practices that protect the environment. The single most important challenge facing the Irish dairy farmers ‘social licence to produce’.”
The overall winner of the 2022 NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards will be announced at a special ceremony in Ballyvolane House on 14 September.