Local Tipperary farmer wins top prize at national awards ceremony

Andrew Hogan of Borrisokane was recently named CellCheck Champion at the Animal Health Ireland CellCheck Awards.

Animal Health Ireland celebrated its 11th annual CellCheck awards in the Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co Kildare.

The awards aim to recognise the excellence achieved by Irish dairy farmers in herd health, specifically those that achieve a consistently low somatic cell count in their dairy herds.

The CellCheck programme works with dairy farmers and their service providers, to increase the awareness and capacity to manage and prevent mastitis in Irish herds.

The aim of the programme is to achieve a healthier and more productive herd, which contributes to increased efficiency and profitability on farms.

Speaking at the awards, James Lynch, Chair of Animal Health Ireland, said: “The CellCheck programme has helped to significantly reduce SCC across Ireland’s dairy herds, contributing to healthier herds and sustainably produced, high-quality milk. The aim of these awards is to celebrate the dairy farmers who achieve these excellent results on their farms, and to acknowledge the hard work that goes into achieving this success.”

CellCheck Programme Manager Finola McCoy said: “The farmers we’re recognising tonight with these awards are real life examples of how low somatic cell counts and effective herd health can be maintained by being brilliant at the basics. We are also continuing to see a reduction in the number of cows in this cohort receiving antibiotic dry cow therapy, as the implementation of selective dry cow therapy continues to grow. Our CellCheck Champions are setting a standard for all dairy farmers. It is encouraging to see all of our winners achieve SCC levels below 76,000 cells/mL, which is a significant accomplishment.”

Michael Berkery, Chair of FBD Trust, said: “Animal Health Ireland’s work is making a significant contribution to the health of Ireland’s livestock sector. The CellCheck programme continues to deliver improvements in milk quality and savings for farmers. FBD is proud to sponsor the CellCheck Awards and is committed to supporting these awards for the next three years.”