The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards crowned the Hearne family from Rathgormack, County Waterford as the top-quality milk producer in the country.
The awards, dubbed ‘the Oscars of the Dairy World’ celebrates excellence in Irish dairy farming and this year expanded its criteria in the area of sustainable dairy farming to champion farmers committed to caring for their environment.
The winner was announced at a special awards ceremony in Dublin following presentations to thirteen farming families, representing the very best of Irish dairy, and which was attended by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed. Winner, Kevin Hearne, supplying Glanbia Ireland, received €5,000 prize money and took home the coveted NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards perpetual cup.
Kevin is a second generation farmer and has been farming since 1990. Both he and Ann come from generations of farmers so it’s really in the blood and they love a job that keeps all the family together. They have expanded the farm to make it more profitable and sustainable and to produce top quality milk.
Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine commented, “The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards celebrate what is truly special about Ireland – our unique way of farming coupled with the passion our farmers have in producing the best quality milk in the world. The environment which we operate in is ever-changing and while we face significant challenges, it is important to celebrate our dairy farmers who continue to strive for excellence. It’s their hard work and dedication that forms the foundation of success for our industry.”
Kevin Hearne is a second-generation farmer and has been farming since 1990. The family have expanded their farm in a sustainable manner to make it more profitable and continue to produce top quality milk.
Pat & Miriam Kiely and Ciaran Hanrahan (PMC Dairy Farm), Ballinamult, Co. Waterford also won an award for Model Business Collaboration
John Jordan, CEO Ornua, congratulated the Hearne family on their win commenting “Kevin is a true ambassador for Irish dairy – not only is he dedicated to producing top quality milk, but he also demonstrated his commitment to sustainable dairy farming. The pride, passion and dedication of our farmers is the vital ingredient to the success of the Kerrygold brand world-wide. Nature affords us with the natural advantage of our grass-based system but it’s farmers like Kevin that turn this advantage into one of Ireland’s most sought-after resources – the very best quality milk in the world.”
For each of the finalist farms, the judges detail the combined fat and protein percentage for each month of the year, the total volume sold from the farm, the weighted average somatic cell count (SCC) and the total bacteria count (TBC). These results, coupled with additional factors including evidence of sustainable dairy farming, help formulate the winning farms.
Zoë Kavanagh, CEO National Dairy Council commented “Sustainability was firmly on the agenda for us at this year’s awards. Consumers are demanding natural sustainably produced food and our dairy farmers are well placed to deliver this. Irish dairy has one of the lowest carbon footprints internationally, primarily due to the unique grass fed, family based Irish farming system which is extremely efficient and involves less intensive farming. I am proud to represent these excellent food producers today who once again have excelled in producing high quality Irish dairy 365 days a year!”
