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Clare Keogh
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QUIZ: Cow-abunga! How much of a dairy expert are you?
See if you qualify as a dairy expert.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Ireland and dairy has existed on this island for 6,000 years. Aside from being used for milk, cheese and meat, cows even acted as the most common form of currency here until the 13th century.
As well as being useful as a bartering tool, dairy is key to a balanced diet. The Irish government recommends between 3-5 servings of dairy every day, depending on your age.
Currently, the Irish dairy farming and processing industry supports 65,000 jobs, which is one in 40 Irish jobs. Ireland exports dairy products to over 130 countries, with €6.5 billion worth of exports annually.
Like other industries, dairy farming is modernising and responding to the threats that impact the industry and the world at large. Every business in Ireland must adapt to the danger posed by climate change, and dairy farming is no different.
The government has tasked the sector with reducing its emissions by 25% by 2030. In 2022, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture’s emissions decreased in Ireland by 1.2%, meaning the industry is on the right track and is taking steps to decrease emissions further. Overall, agriculture was responsible for 38.4% of greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland in 2022.
Alongside greenhouse gas emissions, improvements in water quality is an area that the dairy industry is focusing on and attempting to improve. Efforts to raise water quality and increase biodiversity on farms are being carried out across the country by farmers, such as through sediment traps in sloping farmyards and planting willow trees.
Take part in our quiz to see how much you know about our dairy industry and the actions being taken to ensure its future.
Water quality is of great importance to biodiversity and animal health – but what’s a good way of assessing water quality in streams and rivers?
Filling a glass and holding it up to the light.
Dropping some on a white t-shirt and seeing if it stains.
Counting the number of creepy-crawlies (invertebrates) that are living in a sample.
Seeing if you can see the bottom or not.
Our Irish soil is incredibly important to dairy farming. Studying the soil microbiome – that’s the bacteria in the soil – helps us understand plant growth, nutrient content and animal health. But how many bacteria are there in a soil sample jar?
Thousands.
Millions.
Billions.
Trillions.
Knowing what types of plants are growing in your pasture is very important for improving environmental sustainability – but what are dairy farmers using to find out what they’ve got?
Specially-trained sniffer dogs.
Drones with cameras.
Really big magnifying glasses.
The ‘Plant Identification For Beginners’ book.
Dairy is an important part of a healthy diet. The Irish Department of Health recommends 3-5 servings of dairy a day, depending on your age. How many Irish adults (with kids) think dairy is an important part of their kids’ lunchboxes?
35%
49%
70%
82%
Irish dairy products are exported to hundreds of countries worldwide and have an international reputation for quality – how much are Irish dairy exports worth to the Irish economy each year?
€2.4bn.
€4.7bn.
€5.3bn.
€6.8bn
Waterford farmer Tom Power says that ‘we treat the cows better than we treat ourselves’ (https://ndc.ie/farmer/tom-power/) and on many farms, cows get given names. The NDC asked the Irish public what was a good cow’s name – what was the most popular?
Britney
Gemma
Daisy
Meghan
Calcium is important for healthy bones – how much of Ireland’s calcium intake comes from dairy products?
17%
25%
32%
39%
You scored out of !
Don't have a cow man!
You may need to brush up on your knowledge of dairy farming in Ireland. Going to a farm is an option or you can visit ndc.ie.
You scored out of !
Dairy good!
Great effort! You're close to knowing it all when it comes to Irish dairy farms. Visit ndc.ie to brush up on your knowledge.
You scored out of !
Holy Moo-ly!
Well done! You know your stuff about dairy farming in Ireland. Visit ndc.ie to learn more.