Mixed tillage and suckler farmers Oliver and Margaret Keating from Co Tipperary were crowned winners of Dairygold’s malting barley competition.
Farming in the Burncourt area, the Keatings were recognised for consistently producing excellent quality grain while adopting regenerative farming practices.
The judges referenced the farmers’ ability to maintain yields with reduced fertiliser use and to improve soil health by boosting organic matter as some of the sustainability actions they put into play.
The north Cork regional winner was Dan Kiely from Carrigoon in Mallow, the east Cork winner was Kieran Horgan from Carrigane in Carrigtwohill and the south Cork winners were Michael and John Henry O’Driscoll from Kilcrea in Ovens.
“Congratulations to all our regional winners and finalists in the malting barley competition on their exceptional commitment to delivering the highest quality grains,” Dairygold chair Pat Clancy said at the co-op’s annual tillage conference in Fermoy.
“In particular, I’d like to acknowledge our overall winners, the Keating family. Oliver and Margaret prove on their family farm that sustainability and productivity can go hand in hand.
“In addition to regular soil testing as part of his practices to support soil health, they have also focused on innovation through the adoption of precision farming utilising GPS and auto-steer technology.
The conference also heard of the recently-announced voluntary pilot sustainability assurance scheme for tillage.
The Department of Agriculture supported scheme aims to leverage the value of the strong traceability, quality and sustainability credential of Irish-grown cereals.
“We are seeking to verify the good tillage practices already underway on Irish farms and establish our carbon footprint to allow us to build differentiation in the marketplace for our native grains and, in particular, our malting barley for the Irish distilling and brewing sectors,” Dairygold’s head of business development Seamus O’Mahony said.
“The ultimate aim of this three-year pilot scheme with MCI is to leverage our premium crops and build price resilience for our grower members.”
Read more
Minimum price of €230/t offered for beans by Dairygold
Mixed tillage and suckler farmers Oliver and Margaret Keating from Co Tipperary were crowned winners of Dairygold’s malting barley competition.
Farming in the Burncourt area, the Keatings were recognised for consistently producing excellent quality grain while adopting regenerative farming practices.
The judges referenced the farmers’ ability to maintain yields with reduced fertiliser use and to improve soil health by boosting organic matter as some of the sustainability actions they put into play.
The north Cork regional winner was Dan Kiely from Carrigoon in Mallow, the east Cork winner was Kieran Horgan from Carrigane in Carrigtwohill and the south Cork winners were Michael and John Henry O’Driscoll from Kilcrea in Ovens.
“Congratulations to all our regional winners and finalists in the malting barley competition on their exceptional commitment to delivering the highest quality grains,” Dairygold chair Pat Clancy said at the co-op’s annual tillage conference in Fermoy.
“In particular, I’d like to acknowledge our overall winners, the Keating family. Oliver and Margaret prove on their family farm that sustainability and productivity can go hand in hand.
“In addition to regular soil testing as part of his practices to support soil health, they have also focused on innovation through the adoption of precision farming utilising GPS and auto-steer technology.
The conference also heard of the recently-announced voluntary pilot sustainability assurance scheme for tillage.
The Department of Agriculture supported scheme aims to leverage the value of the strong traceability, quality and sustainability credential of Irish-grown cereals.
“We are seeking to verify the good tillage practices already underway on Irish farms and establish our carbon footprint to allow us to build differentiation in the marketplace for our native grains and, in particular, our malting barley for the Irish distilling and brewing sectors,” Dairygold’s head of business development Seamus O’Mahony said.
“The ultimate aim of this three-year pilot scheme with MCI is to leverage our premium crops and build price resilience for our grower members.”
Read more
Minimum price of €230/t offered for beans by Dairygold
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