Tirlán announces €4m support package for tillage and beef farmers
“There was very little opportunity to sow crops after last harvest, which significantly reduced autumn plantings," Tirlán chairman John Murphy said.
Tirlán has announced a €4m support package to assist tillage farmers and beef farmers who process their cattle through its Twenty20 Beef Club.
The announcement comes just a week after the farmer-owned co-op announced a €30m support package for its milk suppliers who are also experiencing ongoing challenges due to the prolonged period of difficult weather.
This package includes a 3c/litre 'weather payment' on all March milk volumes, and an extension of the current €30/tonne weather support payment on GAIN dairy feed until April 27.
Tirlán chairman John Murphy said that the co-op is "acutely aware of the significant challenges being experienced by its tillage farmers".
“There was very little opportunity to sow crops after last harvest, which significantly reduced autumn plantings," Mr Murphy said.
"This is now being compounded by the wet spring, with most farmers having little or no spring crops sown due to very poor ground conditions.
"Growers now face a race against time to get crops in the ground if soil conditions improve."
As part of the support package for tillage, an optional €15/tonne advance payment will be available to all grain suppliers based on their grain volumes supplied in 2023.
This payment will be interest-free and will be set off by way of deduction against actual grain payments due by Tirlán to the supplier for grain supplied at harvest 2024.
The advance payment, which will be made to the trading accounts of participating grain suppliers, will offer approximately €3,500 of interest-free cashflow support to an average grain supplier.
An extension of the fertiliser credit scheme will be made to the end of August – this offer of interest-free credit on crop fertiliser purchases normally ends in March.
Tirlán said it will also facilitate collaboration agreements between tillage farmers and the livestock sector.
In these farmer-to-farmer arrangements, livestock farmers can be charged for 50% of the seed, fertiliser, agro-chemicals and other inputs required by tillage farmers to grow fodder crops such as maize, beet and other forage crops.
Additionally, Tirlán and its Twenty20 Beef Club processing partner Kepak are offering an optional €30 per head advance payment to club members who are contracted to supply beef animals through the club before the end of September.
