Eight Aurivo milk suppliers from seven counties were recognised for their excellence in milk production at the annual Aurivo Milk Quality Awards.

Best performing new entrant – Francis Nally

He started milking in February 2011 and has a good yard set up, he says. “I have a good yard set up adequate cubicles, adequate housing for all your animals and a good road structure for getting too and from your paddocks.

“I bought all heifers for the first year. Sometimes when you are buying cows your buying someone else’s trouble.”

“Grass quality is key to a good payment at the end of the month. After quotas I don’t think we will change that much. We will probably stay around the 90 – 100 cow mark, it more than enough for one man to operate on his own.”

Lowest TBC liquid milk – Brian and Vincent Mitchell

“Farther and son farming in partnership.”

“We are working hand in hand here together.”

Brian: “When I finished college I did my work placement in New Zealand. I am trying to implement a lot of the things I learnt over there on the home farm.”

He said they achieve our low TBC count by keeping the cows clean first and foremost. “The wash routine for the milk plant is key. It is washed every day with a caustic detergent and it is washed every second day with a hot wash. It is descaled twice a week and the milk tank is descaled once a week and is washed every collection with a caustic detergent.”