A2O-Unc«9ter Farming, Saturday, May 20,1989 Editor Note: During April, the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council sponsored a dairy tour of Ireland where we visited dairy farms and processing plants to understand better the Irish dairy industry and to com pare their methods with ours. Here’s Part 1 of a comprehen sive article about the compari sons of production, processing and promotion between the Irish and the United States dairy industries. WILLIAMSPORT (Lycoming Co.) The American Dairy Association and Dairy Council (ADADC) sponsored an eight-day tour of the Republic of Ireland from April 8-16. The 28-member tour group included dairy farmers and industry representatives from the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Through a combination of plant tours and farm visits, the group was able to compare Irish dairy production, processing and promotion methods with those of the United States. On their first day in Ire land, the visiting Americans were greeted by the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Margaret Heckler, who told them, “Ireland is a country with a glorious history and a young population-about half are under 26 years of age.” Known as the “Emerald Isle” because of the mild, damp climate that encourages growth almost year round, Ireland has about the same area as South Carolina. There are four provinces and 32 counties, six of which are known s as Northern Ireland. The other 26 counties form the Republic of Ire land with a population of about 3/4 million. Agriculture is a major industry, contributing 10% to the Gross National Product and 25% of total exports, including live animals and beverages. About 162,000 are employed in farms, plus 43,000 in related industries. Production By Quota Through visits with Irish dairy farmers, cooperative leaders, dairy processors and promotion executives, tour members learned that Irish production levels are highly restricted under the Euro pean Community (EC) quota sys tem which just completed its tilth year on March 31. Production above allowable quotas is assessed a penalty called a “Super Levy.” This year’s national Super Levy is about 10 million Irish pounds ($l5 million). Some Irish farmers have had their milk checks withheld since the first of the year to cover their portion of the Super Levy. A few larger farmers are expected to pay sever al thousand pounds. If farmers had not been feeding milk to their calves and other livestock since Christmas, plus having had a very wet March, the quota overages would have been even higher. Irish production is highly sea sonal with 14% more milk pro duced in June as in January because of the ninc-to-ten-month pasturing season, with very little concentrate needed. Irish cows average 8,500 lbs. milk produc tion compared to 13,750 lbs. pro duction in the U.S., but Irish farm ers’ feeding costs are minimal. In Munster, Ireland’s largest dairy province, farmers may only feed a half ton per cow all year. Because of the damp weather, they do not raise alfalfa, com or soybeans; they raise grasses. Efficient use of grasslands is the key to profitable dairy farming under a quota sys tem. The average farm milks 23 cows on SS acres. The group vis ited a dairy research farm and three other dairy farms, one of which is also a farmhouse cheese operation. The Agriculture Institute, estab lished in 1958 with grant money from the U.S., conducts research in all aspects of Irish agriculture at seven research stations, one of which is Moorepark Research sta tion devoted to dairy and pigs. - Their primary goal over the past thirty years has been the develop ment of a low-cost, high-output dairying system, styled after New Zealand’s dairy industry. Research included determination of stock-carrying capacity of Irish grassland per cow (from 3 acres/ cow to 1.2 acres/cow) and increas ing profitability of milk produc tion from Irish grassland by nitro gen use and white clover. Research continues in cost efficient feeding to encourage more winter lactation. Other suc cessful husbandry research pro jects arc earlier breeding of heifers and improved health and hygiene practices. They also compare milking systems. Product research has included UHT (ultra-high temperature) products, high protein products and butter quality research, including development of a more spreadable butter by feeding a whole soybean feed. Consumer costs are anticipated to be 12 cents/lb. higher than regular but ter. In general, like their U.S. counterpart. Dairy Research Inc. (DRINC), Moorepark Research ers concentrate on process deve lopment rather than product development One of the farm visits was to the Walshe Family farm, owned by the president of the Young Farm ers Association (Macra na Feirme) Padraic Walshe, and his parents. Their 75-acrctarm has a quota of 55,000 gallons plus a leased 45-acre farm and attached 14,000 gallons quota. They milk 64 cows. Ireland, U.S. Dairy Industries C Seamus O’Grady (left), Irish dairy farmer hosted Ida and Allen Rlsser, Leola, on a tour of his 150-acre farm In County Tipperary. O’Grady milks 80 cows, while the aver age Irish dairy farmer milks 23 cows on 55 acres. The Rlssers, (Ida writes for Lancas ter Farming), were among 28 dairy farmers and industry representatives from Penn sylvania, New York and New Jersey who toured dairy farms and processing plants on the third annual spring dairy tour sponsored by the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council. large for an Irish farm, and also raise beef (64 animals and 47 calves) plus 17 replacement heifers. They ship their milk to the near est large cooperative, Avonmore, and get the equivalent of $14.70/cwt. Some farmers may get as much as three to four dollars/cwL more based on pre miums for seasonality and other factors. This year, the Walshes fed as much as possible to their calves and pigs but still went over quota. They are not sure how much over quota they went because there is a pool of milk from those who woe under quota called “flexi-milk” which may offset a portion of the Super Levy they will have to pay. Another farm visited by the The Thurles Cooperative where group was the Seamus O'Grady he ships milk paid as high as farm, in the heart of County Tip- $2l/cwt for winter milk. They are perary. He milks 80 cows on 150 * small but profitable 30-year-old acres with a quota of 76,000 gal- cooperative with 200 members. lons. Production last' year was 100 active. They make two-thirds 11,680 lbs7cow with 3.72% aver- of their money on fluid milk, one age butterfat. He gets $15.10/cwL third on supplies-fecd, fencing, from the Thurles Cooperative two chemicals, etc. They market their miles away. He milks in a 10-unit fluid milk in a 20-mile radius.of herringbone milking parlour. He the plant has 70 weanlings overwintered on Processing For silage and 70 calves reared on • Export whole milk. Machinery includes a Dairy processing in Ireland is John Deere tractor, a silage grab, geared primarily to export as only fertilizer spreader and slurry tank- a** olll 30% of their production .is er. Two years ago his farm won an processed few home use- About award for quality of milk, regular- two-thirds of dairy exports are ity of supply, yields, and good casein and caseinate management. ($300,000,000) especially to the o sf
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