State interference sours Irish dairy

A peek over the farm gate into an Irish dairy farm reveals that although the grass is certainly greener, farmers are facing unprecedented challenges that are placing their survival at risk. The O'Connor family spoke to Lindi Botha about countering the headwinds and sustaining production.

- Lindi Botha

The cool summers and ample rain in Ireland make for ideal grass-growing conditions. The rolling hills of verdant pasture, with sheep and cattle dotting the landscape, are synonymous with the Irish countryside, as is the world-renowned butter that farmers produce off these fields.

Dairy farmer Vanessa Kiely-O’Connor, from the picturesque outpost of Innishannnon in southern Ireland, is suitably proud of the cheese and butter that the country produces. She has managed to squeeze in my visit between running the dairy single-handedly and attending co-op meetings, yet still made time to bake a traditional Irish soda bread, slathered with golden-yellow butter. To save time, the butter is offered in a paddock where we stand inspecting grass among the cows, who periodically butt into our backs to coax a head scratch. An array of cheese is also put forward, since most of KielyO’Connor’s milk goes to cheese production.

“The grass makes all the difference,” she says. “Our soils are nutrient-rich, and with all the rain, over 1000 mm per annum, growing grass is what Ireland does best. And turning that into dairy is the most natural product. It’s the same recipe that has been followed since the beginning of time: the cows eat the grass, they produce milk, and we make butter and cheese.”

FAST FACTS 

• Maintaining high grass quality improves milk solids. 
• Manure slurry provides sufficient nutrients for pastures, so that chemical fertiliser is not necessary.