Ahead of the 2019 Kerrygold / National Dairy Council (NDC) Quality Milk Awards national final, Lakeland Dairies has paid tribute to its milk suppliers the McCoy family for making it to the shortlist.

David and Gladys McCoy from Smithboro in Co. Monaghan supply milk to Lakeland along with their four children Clive, Mark, Deane and Stephen. The farm has been in the family for 50 years.

The McCoys have expanded their cow numbers while still focusing on increased performance and efficiency on the farm. In 2018, they milked an average of 75 cows with an impressive performance of 596kg of milk solids per cow. The cows averaged nearly 8,000 litres last year with protein of 3.33% and 3.92% butterfat.

Quality is key for the McCoys with a 2018 average somatic cell count (SCC) of 78,000 and TBC of 8,000.

The McCoys were nominated by Lakeland Dairies and, after a rigorous selection and judging process, they were shortlisted in the final 13 farms from across the country.

The Kerrygold / NDC Quality Milk Awards recognise standards of excellence in dairy farming, with dairy co-operatives throughout the country invited to nominate their top suppliers.

Commenting on the family making it to the final shortlist, Lakeland Dairies’ chairman Alo Duffy paid tribute to the McCoys.

“David, Gladys and family set standards for their farm that are above and beyond the norm. Their attention to detail, commitment to excellence and passion for success made them the standout candidates for this year’s Quality Milk awards.

“It is a pleasure to work with the McCoys and, on behalf of everyone in Lakeland, I would like to wish them well at the national ceremony next week. We are very proud of their achievements,” Alo Duffy said.

The 2019 Kerrygold / NDC Quality Milk Awards final takes place on Wednesday 2 October next in Dublin.