Kerry Agribusiness Farmers

Andrew & Bernadette Killeen, Newtown, Kilkee, Co. Clare

Andrew & Bernadette farm 64.5 hectares & 12.2 hectares are leased. They focus on animal breeding & having good grazing infrastructure in place for on-off grazing. They are mindful of the importance of sustainable farming on a heavy type soil. The wintering of Greenland White-fronted geese & Whooper Swans on their farm is testament to this. They milk 104 cows at a stocking rate of 2.5 cows/hectare on the milking platform. The herd EBI is €145 and 2020 born replacements have an EBI of €216. They also retain non replacement on the farm to 12-14 months. Local Advisor Adrian Curtin.

Declan, Eileen & Kieran Murphy, Newpark, Effin, Co. Limerick (Local Advisor: John Bergin)

Declan, Eileen & Kieran farm 76Ha; 21 are leased. They milk 140 cows. The EBI of the 2019 & 2020 born replacements is €183 & €202. They use protected urea & are planning on using low emission slurry spreading & including clover in new reseeded ground. Their focus in the programme will be increasing the number of lactations per cow & also improving the fat & protein percentages. They want to continue to improve the soil fertility. Their focus is improving labour efficiency& infrastructure on the farm. EBI: €166 6 week calving rate: 78% Calving interval: 369 days Milk solids per cow: 557kgs

Dermot & Michael Kavanagh, Reenbee, Lispole, Co. Kerry (Local Advisor: Nora O’Donovan)

Micheal & Dermot are farming in partnership for 2 years. They farm 39ha. It is a high production herd. The milk sub-index is €73 & fertility sub-index is €52. Replacement stock born in 2019 & 2020 are average EBIs over €200. 39% of the farm is optimal for overall soil fertility; 95% for pH, 59% for P & 71% for K. This year they are building a calf shed to increase space for calves in the spring. Focus areas are increaseing grass growth with less N input, achieve 4 lactations per cow & cash flow management. EBI: €168 6 week calving rate: 83% Calving interval: 366 days Milk solids/cow: 580kgs

Gerry & Niall Moloney, Crecora, Co. Limerick Local Teagasc advisor: John Bergin

Gerry & Niall are farming together for the last 5 years. They farm 101.2ha; 61.1ha are on the milking block. They milk 172 cows. Niall won the Young Grassland Farmer of the Year 2019 award. Young stock born in 2019 & 2020 has an EBI of €177 & €198. They rear replacement heifers on leased land that is off the milking platform. They are building a new shed to bring accommodation to a cubicle per cow. Focus areas are increasing herd EBI, optimising N use, improving labour efficiency & cash flow management. EBI: €148 6 week calving rate: 86% Calving interval: 368 da Milk solids per cow: 479kgs

Joe Carroll, Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry

Joe farms by the coast near Ballyheigue. The farm is 25.5ha; 7ha are leased for replacements & silage. He has corrected a lot of the soil fertility & is focused on maintaining optimum covers for the cows throughout the year. Herd size is 80 cows. The EBI of the replacements born in 2020 is €201. He is focused on improving herd performance & cash flow management. As he farms by the sea the establishment of hedgerows & trees is difficult so he is exploring alternatives to enhance biodiversity. EBI: €159 6 week calving rate: 91% Calving interval: 362 days Milk solids per cow: 428kgs

John & Michael Casey, Castleshannon, Causeway, Co. Kerry Local Teagasc advisor: Niall Kerins

John & Michael are farming in a milk production partnership since 2018. They farm 65.4ha; 24.7ha is leased. There are 26.4ha on the milking block & the other 2 blocks are used for silage & rearing of replacements & non-dairy stock. Non-dairy stock is traded at 12-14 months each year. The EBI of the cows is €138 & 2020 born replacements have an EBI of €191. They milk 114 cows & had a 6 week calving rate of 91% this spring. The average number of lactations is 3.4 per cow & cows produced 461kg of milk solids per cow in 2019. They invested in improving water infrastructure on the milking platform.

John Galvin, Sackville, Ardfert, Co. Kerry Local Teagasc advisor: Nora O’ Donovan

John started farming in Ardfert 5 years ago. He was the Grass Coach for the Teagasc Grass10 programme in 2019. He is currently milking 55 cows on 18.6ha on the milking platform. 12ha are leased away from the milking platform for silage & replacement heifers. The EBI of the herd is €84 & the replacements born in 2020 have an EBI of €148. He is planning on milking 65 cows next year. His focus areas are improving fat & protein concentrations in the herd by using high EBI AI sires, continuing to improve the grazing infrastructure by incorporating spur roadways & emphasising financial management.

Michael & Alex McCarthy, Feenagh, Co. Limerick Local Teagasc advisor: Tom O’Connor

Michael & Alex are farming together for the last 3 years. They farm 107ha; 44 are leased. Theymilk 167 cows. Replacements born in 2020 have an EBI of €211. They built a new shed last year to accommodate 175 cows. They have received awards for excellence in milk quality. Environmental sustainability is front of mind for Michael. They planted hedgerows 2 years ago & plan on establishing more to enhance biodiversity on the farm. They also installed a heat recovery system in the milking parlour. EBI: €156 6 week calving rate: 81% Calving interval: 380 days Milk solids per cow: 515kgs

Patrick & Paula O’Hanlon, Tarbert, Co. Kerry Local Teagasc advisor: John Paul Lenihan

Patrick and Paula are farming 70ha; 60 are owned & 38.5 is dedicated to the milking block. Their aim is to improve the environmental & financial sustainability of their farm business by improving soil fertility; growing & utilising more pasture; grass measuring and improving grazing infrastructure; while also improving farm building infrastructure. They milk 97 cows & intend to increase herd size further to optimise the stocking rate. Current stocking rate on the milking platform is 2.52 LU/ha. EBI: €138 6 week calving rate: 80% Calving interval: 358 days Milk solids per cow: 450kgs

Sean & Diarmaid Fitzgerald, Cratloe, Co. Clare Local Teagasc advisor: Aidan Bugler

Sean & Diarmaid are farming in partnership for the last 4 years. They farm 68.7has; 67.5 are permanent pasture and 1.2 has is a wild bird cover. They milk124 cows that produced 442 kg milk solids per cow in 2019. Calving interval is 377 days & 6 week in-calf rate is 75%. Investment was made in the farmyard in 2019; a 20 unit milking parlour & a slurry tower with a capacity for 212,000 gallons of slurry. A shed conversion for additional cubicles is also planned. Soil fertility is being corrected on the farm with a particular focus on lime.

Stephen McAuliffe, Templeglantine, Co. Limerick Local Teagasc advisor: Shane Randles

Stephen & his brother Brian farm together near Loughill. There is 85ha on the milking block & the outside block is used for rearing replacements & silage. 40ha of the milking block are good & the remainder is challenging. They milk 168 cows. A proportion of the farm was reseeded each year & soil fertility is being corrected on the farm. Their objectives in the programme are to improve labour efficiency on the farm, achieve a greater number of lactations per cow to improve overall cow performance. EBI: €124 6 week calving rate: 85% Calving interval: 378 days Milk solids per cow: 419kgs

William Dennehy, Killeentierna, Currow, Co. Kerry Local Teagasc advisor: Denis Brassil

William farms on the banks of River Brown Flesk. He farms 43.6ha; 16.7 are leased. In 2019 he received a grassland merit award for investment in grazing infrastructure. Replacement animals are contract reared during the grazing periods & returned to the farm for winter months. He uses low emission slurry spreading. His focus is environmental sustainability; using protected urea & incorporating more clover into the swards; increasing the fertility sub-index of the EBI in his herd; cash flow management. EBI: €152 6 week calving rate: 88% Calving interval: 366 days Milk solids per cow: 467kgs