Model county winner of Pasture Progress Awards 2025
Liam Rochford from Croase, County Wexford was crowned the overall winner of the Pasture Progress Award 2025, today, June 18 at an awards ceremony held at the Teagasc Crops Research Centre, Oak Park, Co. Carlow.
Presenting both the Pasture Progress and Student Grassland Farmer of the Year Awards, Minister Noel Grealish T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, acknowledged the county winners and congratulated the regional finalists, and the overall winner Liam Rochford.
To the student finalists, he said that you are the ambassadors for good grassland management and the future of farming. He congratulated the Student Category Winner, Glen Williamson from County Cavan, representing Ballyhaise Agricultural College.
The Pasture Progress Awards took on a change of format for 2025, recognising grassland farmers who not only have impressive levels of sustainable pasture production, but have also made the most progress in this area in recent years.
These farmers are growing and utilising more grass on their farms, contributing to sustainable livestock production systems.
Winners were selected in every county, with the regional and overall winner being selected from county winners. The student category award recognises students from agricultural colleges across Ireland excelling in grassland management and knowledge. The awards are supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with an overall prize fund of €40,000.
The Pasture Progress Awards are part of the Teagasc Grass10 Campaign, which is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc, AIB, FBD, Grassland Agro and the Irish Farmers Journal. The Grass10 Campaign focuses on promoting efficient nutrient management, high grass/clover pastures, routine grass measurement and overall good grassland management.
Farmer Category winners:
- Overall winner and Leinster Winner: Liam Rochford, Croase, Co. Wexford
- Munster Winner: Partnership of Anne Keane, Esther Walsh and Oisin Shannon, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford
- Connacht/Ulster Winner: David, Ian and Glen Williamson, Bailieboro, Co. Cavan.
Student Section
- Student Category Winner: Glen Williamson, Ballyhaise College
- Student Category Finalist: Emily Needham, Gurteen College
- Student Category Finalist: Owen McCarthy, Clonakilty College
- Student Category Finalist: James Lynch, Pallaskenry College
- Student Category Finalist: Thomas King, Mountbellew College
County Winners:
- Mayo: Alan and Craig McCormick
- Sligo: Glenn Patterson
- Leitrim: Keith Richardson
- Roscommon: Tommie Devine
- Donegal: David Lowry
- Cavan: David, Ian and Glen Williamson
- Monaghan: James and Anthony Meehan
- Galway: Gerard and Enda Armstrong
- Dublin: Jim Ryan
- Laois: Seamus and James Bennett
- Kildare: Sean Carpenter
- Carlow: William Griffin
- Louth: Peter White
- Meath: Enda Horgan
- Westmeath: Nigel and Eric Mills
- Wicklow: David and Peter Ryan
- Longford: John Payne
- Wexford: Liam Rochford
- Kilkenny: Leeson, Edward and Leeson Neale
- Offaly: Rob Stafford
- Waterford: Anne Keane, Esther Walsh and Oisin Shannon
- Cork: Darragh Scully
- Kerry: Donal Spring
- Tipperary: Shane Kennedy
- Clare: James Slattery
- Limerick: Declan Flynn
Congratulating the grassland farmers and students, Professor Laurence Shalloo, Head of Teagasc Animal and Grassland, Research and Innovation Programme, said: “The real competitive advantage that we have in Ireland is the ability to grow and utilise pasture over a long grazing season. Pasture is a high-quality feed that can be produced at a relatively low cost and converted into high-quality products.
“Every extra tonne of pasture utilised on average over the past 10 years has increased net profitability by €215/tonne.”
Chair of the Grass10 Committee, John Macnamara said: “It’s very important that the county winners, the 3 regional finalists and the 5 student winners use today as a stepping stone and ask themselves how they can take grassland management to the next level.”
Daire Cregg spoke on behalf of the competition judges. He thanked the farmers for hosting the judges for the visits to their farms.
“The regional finalists measured grass 45 times on average in 2025. The average yield was 12.1 tonnes per hectare and the average number of grazings were 8.4 per year. So, we had excellent grassland managers recognised in the awards this year,” he said.
The judging panel for the Pasture Progress and Student Grassland Farmer of the Year Awards consisted of Liz Hyland, DAFM, John Maher, Teagasc Grass10; John Farrell, AIB; Colin Heaney, FBD; Sean McMahon, Grassland Agro; Daire Cregg, Irish Farmers Journal.
Photo caption: The Overall Winner of the Pasture Progress Award 2025 is Liam Rochford from Croase, County Wexford. Pictured with Liam are; Sean McMahon, Grassland Agro; John Farrell, AIB; Nikki Kennedy, Grass10 Programme; Noel Grealish T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Liam Rochford from Croase, County Wexford, Overall Winner of the Pasture Progress Award 2025; Liz Hyland, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Chair of the Grass10 Committee, John Macnamara; Professor Laurence Shalloo, Head of Teagasc Animal and Grassland, Research and Innovation Programme; Liam Herlihy, Teagasc Chairperson; Daire Cregg, Irish Farmers Journal and Michael Berkery, Chair of FBD Trust.