Australian dairy farms recognised for milk quality

By Jessica Dempster

Two hundred Australian dairy farms have been recognised in the 2026 Australian Milk Quality Awards for achieving high standards of milk quality, based on bulk milk cell count data supplied by processors.

Dairy Australia has presented the awards annually since 2002, with the 100 farms recording the lowest cell counts receiving gold diamond awards, while farms in the lowest five per cent also earned silver diamond recognition.

Dairy Australia’s National Milk Quality and Biosecurity Lead, Dr Zoe Vogels, says low cell counts indicate effective mastitis control, supporting better cow health, productivity and farm profitability, and that this year’s results are particularly strong given the external challenges facing dairy farmers across the industry.

The awards form part of Dairy Australia’s Countdown program, which provides training, guidelines and technical support to improve mastitis control and milking management.