Richard Lucey, a farmer from Ballyclough, Mallow Co. Cork has today (Friday, January 17) been named as the winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition.

The official announcement was made at the Dairygold annual tillage conference, which took place in Corrin Event Centre in Fermoy, Co. Cork.

Richard was recognised by Dairygold for consistently producing excellent quality malting barley, while also prioritising sustainability and the use of environmentally friendly farm practices.

The farmer was a past regional winner in the competition and a runner up in 2018.

Richard is a firm believer of good sound soil nutrition, carrying out regular soil sampling and practicing an extended crop rotation, including beans as an important break crop.

Dairygold chairperson Pat Clancy congratulated Richard and his family on their "remarkable achievement today and 5 years ago".

He also acknowledged the "tremendous effort" demonstrated by all four finalists in the malting barley competition".

"It is very important that all tillage growers get the opportunity to showcase their sustainability credentials and the contribution that they make to our business.

"As a company, tillage growers are a very important part of Dairygold’s business, and we remain committed to supporting and developing this part of our business into the future," Clancy added.

The other finalists in this year’s Dairygold Malting Barley competition were:

Christy Ring (East Cork). Christy’s Cobh Island farm integrates dairy, beef, and malting barley in a sustainable and innovative mixed enterprise;
Barry Good (South Cork). A former architect turned farmer, Barry’s operation in Minane Bridge showcases sustainable practices and a rotation of beans, wheat, and barley;
John O’Donnell (Tipperary). Utilising a strip-till drilling system and a biodiversity-focused rotation plan, John exemplifies sustainable practices and soil health improvement.

The tillage conference, the 10th of its kind hosted by Dairygold, focused on the ever-evolving crop establishment techniques practiced on tillage farms today,

Dermot Forristal of Teagasc discussed the cutting-edge advancements in farming technologies, the various systems that can be used on farm and how they vary.

He also discussed the crop performance of wheat and barley, cultivation costs, soil carbon and how to deal with the challenges of tillage farming.

Ciaran Collins, from Teagasc, highlighted the importance of adaptability in farming through a case study where he investigated the difference in crop establishment costs when changing from a current plough system to a non-inversion (125mm) cultivation.

Dairygold has also announced a minimum contract price of €240/t for the 2025 protein bean crop.

Liam Leahy, Dairygold’s beef and tillage manager said that the minimum contract price "is a commitment to encouraging the harvesting of this valuable native crop for the season ahead".

"Beans are an important ingredient in Dairygold’s feeds supplying a rich source of valuable native protein and starch.

"This strong pricing commitment from Dairygold offers welcomed security to growers who want to make informed commercial decisions early in the season," he said.