FARM FOCUS Issue 88 – September 2024
helping to lift butter and cream prices. This has translated into an uplift in the base price paid for milk supplied in July.
Supports
A number of support initiatives have been undertaken so far this year, with strong uptake of our most recent €30 per tonne GAIN dairy feed rebate to help our farmers in maintaining their constituents and to build and protect fodder stocks for the coming winter. Seán Molloy, CEO
In my first communication to you in Farm Focus as your Co-op’s CEO, I would like to say how honoured I am to have taken on this role in recent weeks. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish my former colleague, Jim Bergin, all the best for the future as he retires after 40 years with our Co-op. As previously mentioned, we will be hosting Tirlán supplier open days at our Ballyragget plant on September 24 and 25.I would like to encourage as many of you as possible to join us. The open days will give you an opportunity to find out more about the facility and enjoy a guided tour. You will be able to meet with the teams throughout the open days to see the process involved in transforming the milk you supply into award-winning brands, nutritional and functional dairy ingredients that are enjoyed across the globe. Online pre-registration is required and more information is available on our TirlánFarmLife website and on the back page of this Farm Focus edition.
Challenging Year
We’re past the mid-year point and so far 2024 has proven to be an extremely challenging year for farming. As you are only too well aware, there have been many challenges on farm with weather, the high-cost environment and difficulties sourcing additional labour. The wider macroeconomic environment has also proven difficult, with global uncertainty and disruption in policy, supply chains, energy and commodity markets.
Milk supply continues to be back, compared with last year, and at this point, we expect supply to be down by 3 to 5% for the full year. We are now in a different era and as an organisation we are looking at different ways to add value to our milk to ensure we maximise returns. The teams are working hard as the commissioning of the new Kilkenny Cheese facility continues, with the aim of bringing our milk pool to new markets through our continental cheese varieties.
International
The Ingredients Commercial team have had a very busy year to date, with several senior customer meetings conducted in market in Europe, China, Japan and the US. We have also welcomed many strategic customers to Abbey Quarter and to the Innovation Centre in Ballyragget for ideation and innovation sessions. We have participated in Trade Shows in Dubai, Geneva, and Shanghai focusing on promoting our range of value-add solutions and continuing to build the Tirlán brand in global markets. We worked with our key dairy customer Diageo to develop a new oat-based Baileys product which has launched in Germany with great success and will now roll out to further global markets.
The International Consumer Commercial team’s volumes are up 20% year-over-year in Asia and robust sales growth has been seen in the U.S. driven by the TGF brand. The TGF brand is now available in over 6,190 stores, with distribution continuing to expand. We’ve successfully launched Truly Family Farms and the Truly Gluten-Free premium Oat Drink range in this market. Growth continues across the Middle East, Malaysia and Korea in Southeast Asia. We have welcomed numerous strategic customers and media representatives to Abbey Quarter and the Innovation Centre in Ballyragget for information and innovation sessions.
Cost Reduction
As announced earlier this year, Tirlán is continuing to deliver on its cost reduction programme. All businesses, be they family farms or globally-trading cooperatives, must continuously assess costs. Tirlán is no different. Our cost reduction programme to manage overheads in key areas is continuing.
Nitrates Derogation
Over the summer months, we have continued to work at every level to ensure we highlight the importance of maintaining our Nitrates Derogation and put our best foot forward to do so. Work is continuing around our Farming for Water: River Slaney project and our advisory team are working with our farmers in our Slaney catchment and across our entire region to assess any measures that can be undertaken to further improve water quality on our farms.
Fodder Reserves
With evenings drawing in, we again ask that you plan for the winter ahead, that you ensure you have adequate fodder reserves. In this edition of Farm Focus there is a strong emphasis on securing fodder for the winter and we encourage you to take action now. Anyone requiring assistance should contact their local Milk Supply Manager. We look forward to meeting with you in Ballyragget in September and ask that you continue to farm safely.
We are very conscious of the high-cost environment on farms and our focus is on working to deliver the best possible returns from the marketplace for our milk and grains. In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in prices paid with tighter global supply and poorer milk constituent levels across Europe
Tirlán’s stand at the Food Ingredients China trade show, the largest ingredients show in Asia
Seán Molloy CEO, Tirlán
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 2
Markets Update, Embrace Farm Donation
3
Governance Academy
4
Donal Kavanagh Farm Event, Agri Aware Open Day
5
FarmGen Open Days, Agri Show highlights
6
Grassland management
7
Thermoduric control, Seasonal information, Mastitis, Milk Recording
8
Sustainability Action Payment, Sustainable Farming Academy update
9
Future Farm Update
10
Animal Health Reminders
11
Fodder and Feeding in the Autumn
12
Milk Supplier Open Days