Tirlán Farm Focus June 2024

FARM FOCUS

Issue 87 – June 2024

TIME TO ACT TO RETAIN IRELAND'S NITRATES DEROGATION

2024 has delivered one of the wettest springs in recent memory. It has caused a significant level of hardship and challenge on farms. Yet, even throughout the recent wet weather the standout issue discussed at meetings and our recent Tirlán Co-op AGM is the future of Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation.

Swift and significant action at all levels across the State, including on our farms, is now imperative as we have less than 18 months to prove that we can farm at 220kgs of nitrogen per hectare and protect our water quality.

Tirlán has been extensively highlighting the requirement for a Government-supported national action plan and taskforce to put the best case forward to retain the Derogation.

Our recently-launched ‘Farming for Water: River Slaney Project’ featured inside this issue showcases how determined we are as a farmer-owned, farmer-focused co-operative in this regard. The collaborative project targeting the River Slaney catchment area in counties Wexford, Carlow, and Wicklow is intended as a template for the rest of the country. It is great to see Ministerial support for a whole of Government approach for a national retention action plan, and to see other Co-ops also taking action to highlight the importance of water quality.

National Biomethane Strategy

Our farmers have shown time and time again that they are willing to play their part with more than 95% of suppliers now taking part in the Sustainability Action Payment programme. They have shown significant capacity to adapt and innovate throughout the eras from the post-quota evolution to our new more moderate growth phase moving towards more diversified incomes on farm. However, clear policy guidance and support is vital for this transition.

Now is the time for the Government to deliver upon its National Biomethane Strategy to develop an indigenous biomethane sector, including increased slurry and digestate capacity on-farm.

We have seen from other countries that a successful biomethane sector will require farmers to almost double their current storage capacity on farm. It is vital therefore that capital support structures are put in place now to aid the expansion of storage capacity which will help deliver the Biomethane Strategy and protect water quality. In addition to retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation, this will enable farmers to play an important role in achieving the country’s biomethane targets and assist in meeting its climate commitments.

An Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund is being established for use after 2026 to support State expenditure on certain environmental projects including water quality. Why wait? Now is the time to bring this forward and deploy it.

Resilient performance in 2023

In the midst of a challenging year on so many fronts, the performance of the Co-op was quite resilient in 2023. While revenues reduced by 17% and profits were back by 5%, our core net debt was reduced from €234 million in 2022 to €155 million last year, the lowest level in a decade. A strong Coop enables us to support our farmers through the challenging times, as seen in the recent €34 million weather-support package.

Our Co-op is well set for the future

This is my final Farm Focus message to you. As I prepare to step down from my role as CEO, and hand over to Seán Molloy, I’m delighted to say the future of our great Co-op is positive.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with our organisation and our suppliers. The performance of our organisation in a challenging year reflects the underlying strengths of the business. This is testament to our excellent community of farmer suppliers and our talented and dedicated workforce. We’ve developed a world-class network of high-spec facilities with an increased focus on R&D. We continued to make good progress towards delivering on our strategy with the commissioning of our Kilkenny Cheese manufacturing facility at Belview which is bringing continental cheese varieties to new markets.

Tirlán is well set towards future investment with our €210 million Investment Fund for the benefit of our Members and our investment in Glanbia plc worth €1.3 billion.

I am confident that our organisation is in the best possible position to avail of the opportunities and to meet the challenges of the future.

Over my 40 year career, I can say that I’ve enjoyed many highlights, none more so than returning our Co-op and our processing assets into full 100% farmer ownership. Our Co-op now has one set of shareholders and is aligned on our purpose of delivering the best possible returns to our farmers.

I’ve enjoyed meeting all of our suppliers and shareholders, and in many instances, being challenged to ensure our organisation delivers to the best of its ability. Sincere thanks for the many courtesies I have experienced over the years and for placing your trust in my leadership for the last 18 years. I wish Seán and the team all the best and look forward to seeing you in the future.

Le gach dea-ghuí,

Jim Bergin CEO, Tirlán

MARKETS UPDATE

Dairy markets are generally stable with constrained milk supply and dampened demand

By Paula O’Dwyer, Senior Business Intelligence Manager Tirlán

Limited milk production growth is expected globally through second quarter of 2024

Global milk supply grew by only +0.1% in 2023. Expected milk supply growth for exporting regions in 2024 is also modest at +0.2%.

In Europe, wet weather held back production in Ireland and UK along with parts of the continent in March and April, but milk prices remain supportive and input costs have moderated. Better margins, and easier year-on-year comparisons, should improve milk production growth in Europe which is expected to turn positive in April/May data.

Avian Flu in the US

In the US, the emergence of avian flu in several states remains a key watch factor. Reports suggest yield is being affected for a few weeks before recovering. It has not had a material impact on US milk supply to date.

Lower milk supply from Ireland is contributing to more bullish sentiment around the butter market.

Demand situation remains sluggish

Demand recovery signals are mixed and consumers’ purchasing power remains under pressure. Retail sales volumes and exports have improved but foodservice sales are sluggish. Buyers remain cautious regarding their future demand profile with hand-to-mouth buying continuing to be a feature.

Chinese outlook remains soft. Imports in March were lower than expected across most products. Milk prices in China continue to trend downwards but domestic market supply remains heavy.

Middle East and North Africa demand strength has helped offset some of the decline from China.

Geopolitical risks remain high with conflict in Middle East and Ukraine. Prices are generally stable within current ranges with potential upside on butter markets. Dampened demand is unlikely to support any meaningful recovery of prices in 2024.

TIME TO DECLARE ACTIONS TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SUSTAINABILITY PAYMENT

The Sustainability Action Payment dashboard has re-opened on the Tirlán FarmLife website and all farm family suppliers that wish to continue to receive the 0.5 cent per litre (including VAT) sustainability payment next year are urged to take action now.

Dairy suppliers in the Republic of Ireland are requested to declare seven on-farm sustainability actions, from a menu of 20 options. A number of changes have been introduced to the Sustainability Action Payment programme to enhance both the benefits for the environment and the on-farm economics.

• The purchase of Protected Urea now represents double or two of the seven actions required to receive the full payment. The use of Protected Urea instead of other fertilisers such as CAN or straight urea has been identified as an impactful on-farm action to address climate change.

• In addition, Participation in a Genotyping Programme and the Water Quality EIP Programme are two new measures introduced as options to help suppliers enhance on-farm performance.

Tirlán Chairperson, John Murphy, said the latest changes are introduced to further support suppliers’ good work in addressing key water quality and emissions reductions challenges.

“Our farm family suppliers are renowned across the globe for producing high quality dairy products with world-leading natural credentials. We all have a role to play in climate action, water and biodiversity protection and air quality enhancement. It is important that our family farms are assisted as they continue to enhance their environmental and economic sustainability credentials.

“We want to do as much as we can to improve water quality and ensure that Ireland can put the best case forward for retention of the Nitrates Derogation.

“This initiative is designed to reward suppliers for adopting a series of measures identified as key to delivering on our comprehensive sustainability strategy, Living Proof. The use of Protected Urea is counted as two actions and the addition of genotyping and the participation in Water Quality EIP Programme showcases our farmerowned cooperatives commitment to support our farm families to become both economically and environmentally sustainable.”

Scan here for ‘How To’ video

Scan here for brochure

SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PAYMENT

Tirlán delivers robust 2023 performance in a challenging marketplace, with focus on innovation and sustainability

Tirlán has published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2023, reflecting a resilient performance during an extremely challenging year for the Irish dairy, grain, and wider agriculture sector.

Key highlights:

• Group turnover of €2.53 billion, a 17% year-on-year decrease, as commodity market prices fell from record highs

• Strong and supportive of Members, with €1.3 billion paid to farm families for milk and market-leading price paid for grain

• Progress on Living Proof sustainability targets through a 6.3% reduction in on-farm carbon footprint from 2018, with over 95% of milk suppliers participating in the €16 million Sustainability Action Payment programme in 2023.

• Modernisation of Co-op Member representative structure to deliver greater gender-balance and inclusion of young farmers

• €220 million Kilkenny Cheese Joint Venture continental cheese facility in commissioning phase

Tirlán Co-op AGMShareholder highlights

Tirlán Co-op’s Annual General Meeting saw shareholders' vote in favour of a 10% increase in the share interest (dividend) payment per share to 20.96 cent per share.

In 2023, the Co-op paid a dividend of 19.058 cent per share to Members, amounting to €6.5 million. There has been a 27.1% rise in the Co-op dividend payment since 2020.

Tirlán Chairperson John Murphy highlighted the distribution of value by the Co-op to its Members, with €866 million worth of Glanbia plc shares spun-out to Tirlán Co-op members since 2012.*

“The organisation continues to deliver for its Members and for rural Ireland. The strong balance sheet means the co-operative is in a robust position to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. It was reflected in the €34 million weather-related support package that the organisation was able to deliver for farmers this springtime.”

Jim Bergin, who is retiring from his position as CEO of Tirlán later this year, was thanked for his contribution to the Co-op and advocacy on behalf of farmers over a 40-year career.

*Share price as at 5th April 2024

The performance of the co-op remains strong, with an equity value of €1.3 billion. A continued focus on financial discipline delivered significantly reduced net debt, down from €234 million in 2022 to €155 million last year, the lowest level in a decade. Over that 10-year period, Tirlán invested over €600 million in new high-spec processing assets and an Innovation Centre to bring its outstanding grass-based milk and quality grains to over 95 countries around the world.

To view this year’s Annual Report scan the QR code

Tirlán Co-op Board appointments

Tirlán Co-op has confirmed that Wexford farmer John G. Murphy has been re-appointed as Chairperson for a further two-year term.

Gerard O’Brien from County Waterford and Thomas Phelan from County Laois have been appointed to the two Vice-Chairperson positions.

Pat Murphy (Vice-Chairperson) and Patrick Whyte retired as Directors from the Board of the Co-op at this week’s AGM. James O’Brien from County Kilkenny and James Finn from County Tipperary were appointed to the Co-op Board as a result of the vacancies arising.

Tirlán Vice-Chairperson Gerard O'Brien

Tirlán Vice-Chairperson Tom Phelan

Tirlán launches new ‘River Slaney Project’ to enhance water quality

The Farming for Water: River Slaney Project is a collaborative initiative designed to enhance water quality across the Slaney River catchment area in counties Wexford, Carlow, and Wicklow.

The River Slaney Project is closely aligned with the Government’s €60 million European Innovation Partnership (EIP) ‘Farming for Water’ project aimed at improving water quality at local, catchment, and national levels. This is crucial to help make the best possible case for Ireland to successfully retain the Nitrates Derogation from 2026.

The multi-year programme will include a series of combined projects, actions and activities led by Tirlán in collaboration with key stakeholders including Teagasc, professional services firm ifac, Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), County Councils and the wider community.

The project will follow a whole of sector and local Government approach with the aim of enhancing water quality through impactful actions across all farming enterprises, dairy, grain and drystock, and in the wider communities. A team of Tirlán farm advisors will work hand in hand with suppliers and focus on better nutrient use, improved milk solids, farm infrastructure and slurry storage capacity.

It aims to transform the Slaney from one highlighted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water testing programme as a ‘catchment of concern’ to one that provides best practice in how partnerships and collaboration can deliver real and meaningful changes and improvements that work for farmers, local communities, and the wider environment together.

In recognition of this, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, launched the River Slaney Project in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford in April. Minister McConalogue commented: “I am delighted to launch ‘Farming for Water: River Slaney Project’. This very welcome Tirlán initiative is aligned with the Government’s wider Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project that brings together a range of national agencies, authorities, and industry groups. These pioneering projects are working in partnership with farmers to implement targeted actions to reduce nutrient losses and improve water quality.”

The recent Tirlán Co-op AGM heard calls for an urgent Governmentsupported national action plan and taskforce to improve water quality to deliver the best case to retain Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation.

At the AGM, Tirlán Chairperson John Murphy highlighted the positive actions being taken on farm and the importance of the recently launched River Slaney Project.

“Tirlán will leave no stone unturned to retain the derogation because it is the right thing for our environment, it is the right thing for our farmers, it is the right thing for our Co-op and it is the right thing for the economy of rural Ireland,” he said.

Tirlán CEO Jim Bergin welcomed recent pledges by the Taoiseach, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Government.

“Our farmers have shown they are willing to play their part. It is vital that the Government act swiftly as there is only 18 months remaining until a decision is made on the retention of Ireland’s derogation to allow farmers operate at 220kg per hectare. Now is the time for the Government to deliver upon its National Biomethane Strategy to develop an indigenous biomethane sector, including increased slurry and digestate capacity on-farm.

“We have seen from other countries that a successful biomethane sector will require farmers to almost double their current storage capacity on farm. It is vital that capital support structures are put in place now to aid the expansion of storage capacity which will help deliver the Biomethane Strategy and protect water quality. In addition to retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation, this will enable farmers to play an important role in achieving the country’s biomethane targets and assist in meeting its climate commitments.

“An Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund is being established for use after 2026 to support State expenditure on certain environmental projects including water quality. Why wait? Now is the time to bring this forward and deploy it.”

Jim Bergin emphasised the need to continue to support and resource water advisory services across all farming sectors to ensure a farmer-centric practical approach to deliver on collaborative projects to improve water quality. He also highlighted the importance of consistently tracking progress through science-based measurement.

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40 Primary School pupils enjoy Farm Visit

Recently, more than 40 students from Ballyfin Primary School in Laois paid a visit to Bruce Thompson, a supplier of Tirlán milk, at his farm.

During their time there, the children gained insights into the daily activities and routines on a dairy farm. They received education on soil nutrients, planted a tree and learned about the efforts made by farmers every day to create room for nature.

Speaking afterwards, Bruce Thompson said: "I was absolutely delighted to have the children here for the morning and to share some key farming knowledge with them. They were incredibly engaged for the session and loved learning about the soil, Polly the cow and biodiversity.”

L-R Mathew Moylan Farm Sustainability Development Advisor Tirlán, John Murphy Chairperson Tirlán, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, Jim Bergin CEO Tirlán, Dr. Lisa Koep, Chief ESG Officer Tirlán and Cheryl Poole Tirlán Supplier from the Slaney catchment.

Scan here for

Farming for Water: River Slaney Project brochure

Scan here to watchback Jim Bergin's address at the launch event.

Watch this video from the Poole family, Co. Wexford and hear about their on-farm actions to protect water quality.

Tirlán announces new charity partnership with Aware

Tirlán and its employees have chosen Aware as their new charity partner and as part of the new partnership arrangement, many of Tirlán’s network of 2,300 employees will fundraise for the mental health charity. Tirlán will also make a corporate donation to support Aware’s invaluable work in communities nationwide.

The move will also raise awareness of the essential role Aware plays in Ireland today, as the national organisation supporting people impacted by depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and related mood conditions. In 2023, Aware directly supported up to 40,000 people via its support and education services.

Last year alone, Tirlán and its employees raised €116,000 for worthy causes and created a positive impact in communities across the south-east, midlands and north-east. Tirlán also proudly supports its communities through donations of funding and product via its 11 production facilities and 52 retail branches, alongside a number of other charitable donations and supports of various festivals.

Tirlán Chairperson, John Murphy explained: “Farming and living in rural Ireland can be isolating at times. But organisations like Aware are breaking the stigma, encouraging people to talk and to get support. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. We’re honoured to play our part in supporting Aware’s work.”

Dr Lisa Koep, Tirlán’s Chief ESG Officer, was one of over 140 employees who last year took part in the Tour de Tirlán cycle and the Two Peaks charity climb, two of Tirlán’s biggest fundraising events. “Our employees and our farmers are among the most generous and contribute a lot

to charitable causes. We pledged to give back to our communities as part of our Living Proof sustainability strategy. Our partnership with Aware is Living Proof in action. We look forward to the positive impact working together will have in all of our communities, inside and outside of Tirlán.”

Applications close on the 28th June for Sustainable Farming Academy 2024/25

Interested suppliers are reminded that the closing date for applications for the 3rd year of the Sustainable Farming Academy is Friday, 28th June.

Twenty places are available on the accredited and fully-funded Diploma in Environment, Sustainability and Climate delivered in person and online by University College Cork (UCC).

The Diploma is recognised by the national qualifications standards and students who complete the Diploma will graduate with a Level 7 Diploma, recognised by the National Framework for Qualifications.

The Diploma is part-time and is designed to fit in with the farming calendar, with time away from lectures and assignments at particularly busy times of the year on farm. It runs for one academic year and begins in September 2024. The majority of the Diploma will be delivered on-line, with some field visits.

The duration of the Diploma has been reduced to one academic year. This is because UCC has deemed that some of the modules

TIRLÁN HOST THE SAI PLATFROM DAIRY WORKING GROUP

International dairy buyers and processors from across the world came together in Tirlán’s Abbey Quarter headquarters, visited a supplier family’s farm and heard about our grass-fed dairy system and the importance of looking after the soil from suppliers as part of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform Dairy Working Group.

SAI Platform’s Dairy Working Group includes global dairy buyers, international processors, retailers and farmers representatives who account for over 30% of the global milk supply.

In Kilkenny, this international group from as far away as New Zealand, California and Switzerland came together over four days to discuss SAI Platform’s strategy for 2025 and beyond.

The week started with a welcome for the 60+ participants at Abbey

required are already completed due to current training and requirements, such as nutrient management planning requirements, use of LESS, measuring grass covers, etc.

Applications for this fully-funded Diploma can be made by Tirlán Co-op members aged 21 years of age and older. All suppliers interested in completing the Diploma are required to fill out an expression of interest form, which can be found by clicking on http://www.ucc.ie/en/ace/tirlan

For further queries, please contact Programme Coordinator Belinda Gascoigne at belinda.gascoigne@ucc.ie or scan here for further information:

Quarter and continued in the glorious sunshine to the farm of Tirlán suppliers, Bryan and Gail Daniels. They demonstrated all the hard work and good initiatives happening on their dairy farm to support sustainability.

Tirlán suppliers Eamon Sheehan with Gillian and Neil O’Sullivan presented at the Irish Co-op Farmer Showcase in the Parade Tower at Kilkenny Castle on upholding Ireland’s sustainability credentials and the benefits of our grass-fed dairy system.

The week ended on the farm of Tirlán suppliers Eamon & Lois Sheehan where the group received a deeper understanding of the importance of soil testing, Nutrient Management Planning (NMP), the use of Protected Urea, Sense Hub Collars and Herd Health Plans.

Pictured at the charity partnership launch were: Dr Susan Brannick, Aware’s Clinical Director; Stephen Butterly, Aware’s Head of Fundraising and Dr Lisa Koep, Tirlán’s Chief ESG Officer.

O’Sullivan farm showcases sustainability in action

Opening their gates to consumers during the West Waterford Festival of Food, Tirlán suppliers, Gillian and Neil O’Sullivan, provided a unique opportunity for visitors to experience firsthand the inner workings of a dairy farm.

Beyond just showcasing the daily operations of dairy farming, the O’Sullivan family focused on educating attendees about sustainability practices. They emphasised the importance of planting hedges and creating wildlife corridors to promote biodiversity and environmental health.

This initiative not only offered valuable insights into agricultural practices but also underscored the vital role of farmers in fostering sustainability within their communities.

TIRLÁN COUNTRYLIFE OFFICIALLY OPENS NEWLY-REFURBISHED AND EXTENDED FETHARD BRANCH

Tirlán CountryLife has officially opened its newly-refurbished and extended branch in Fethard, Co Tipperary. The free, family-focused and fun opening event featured competitions and give-aways, store discounts, food and drinks, as well as live demonstrations with the instore horticulturist.

Cutting the ribbon at the official opening of the branch, John Murphy, Tirlán Chairperson, said that investing in the local branch network is very much part of Tirlán’s Living Proof sustainability strategy and he encouraged farmer suppliers and members of the wider community to continue to support the branch.

“Tipperary is of major importance to our farmer-owned Co-operative. Tipperary dairy farmers are our fourth biggest suppliers and we paid €168 million in milk cheques to farm families in Tipperary in 2023.

“This branch has been completely redesigned to improve the customer experience and allow us extend our stock range. Our garden centre has

been extended by 30%, Fethard now has a dedicated farm equip area carrying an extended range of farm hardware and machinery and we’ve added a new bagged feed store and more.”

The foundation of our Fethard store dates back to the early 20th century, he continued. “From small beginnings as a privately owned creamery, it emerged as a progressive business servicing the needs of farmers in south Tipperary.

“Fethard amalgamated with several local creameries over the years, including Coolmoyne, Cloran, Killerk. As part of the South Tipperary Coop group, they joined Avonmore Creameries in 1973.

“The 80’s saw a period of great change for Fethard, with the old creamery building knocked and in 1983 a new store was built. This comprised of a grocery and hardware shop, along with two warehouses on this very site.”

Tirlán Chairperson, John Murphy, cutting the ribbon on the newly-refurbished Tirlán CountryLife in Fethard, Co. Tipperary

Scan here for guidance on hosting an open farm visit

WEXFORD DAIRY FARMER’S APPROACH TO RESEEDING USING TIRLÁN MASTERCROP

Shane Murphy, a dairy and tillage farmer based in Duncormick, County Wexford, runs a family-operated farm alongside his brother, Art, and parents, Lorcan and Marian Murphy. Their farm, consisting of 230 cows, primarily Holstein breed, is managed with a focus on spring calving, with approximately 220 cows being milked during the summer months.

The start of the 2024 grazing season presents a considerable challenge for all, not excluding Shane Murphy and his farm, due to unprecedented and unfavourable weather conditions. Despite the traditional expectation of starting grazing in January, the prolonged wet weather up to very recently had confined the cattle indoors.

Shane explained: ‘’Our cows had been housed since 15th October, and haven't been out until very recently. During a normal growing year, we’d be measuring grass and walking paddocks every week at the moment. Grass is abundant with many covers at 1800 and 2000 kg/dm/ha, but was too wet to graze until recently, unfortunately.

“We’re lucky, once we get to grass, that we can grow grass very well. Most years growing 12 and 13 tonnes annually. The main downside in the southeast is drought and its effects on growth rates.’’

Implementing a Structured Reseeding Programme

The Murphy family focuses on maintaining and improving their soil health through frequent soil testing, a liming program and good reseeding practices. ‘’Overall, the soil is in good condition. We soil test every three years, with the majority of the farm at Index 3 and 4. Like every farm, we have one or two paddocks stubbornly stuck at Index 2, which is a heavy type of soil. We spread about 60 tonnes of lime every year, to ensure the soil is at optimum pH.’’ This holistic approach allows Shane to assess the condition of the grass and make informed decisions regarding reseeding, highlighting the integral role of soil testing in their farm management practices.

Implementing a structured reseeding program on any farm will have lasting benefits to both the environment and a farmer's bottom line. Shane added: “Having good grass is very important, especially in the southeast, where we’re prone to drought. New reseeds including the multispecies swards handle drought conditions better than older swards, which helps sustain milk production. Along with that silage quality, especially in a year like 2024 is very important.”

Good quality grass ensures production is maximised right across the grazing season. The 220 milking cows averaged ‘’500kg milk solids with 6,300 litres at 3.8% butterfat and 3.3% protein’’ Shane explained.

Grass Seed Selection

The reseeding strategy on the Murphy farm is carefully planned from year to year, Shane explains. “We reseed 20 to 30 acres of grassland

annually, with that, we sow 25 acres in Westerwolds Ryegrass. This is sown after a crop of barley, which we try to graze in the autumn, followed by an early cut of silage. It is then ploughed and sowed in April with barley or maize. On the other ground, we use Tirlán Mastercrop Grass seed mixes, including multispecies and grazing mixtures which include timothy and white clover.’’

With Tirlán Mastercrop Premium you can achieve up to 40% difference in grass production when compared with older pasture. Research shows that permanent pastures are up to 25% less responsive to Nitrogen when compared to high perennial ryegrass swards according to trials at Teagasc Moorepark. As a result, these permanent pastures are costing farmers up to €300/ha per year due to reduced herbage production and reduced Nitrogen (N) use efficiency. Reseeding costs averaging around €750/ha, can be recouped within just two years due to improved profitability from enhanced milk performance and reduced feed and fertiliser costs, making reseeding among the most economically sound investments on farms.

The Road to Sustainability

Shane's approach to sustainability extends beyond reseeding. By diversifying plant species, particularly through clover and mixes, Shane anticipates a significant reduction in fertiliser usage, up to 30 to 40 units of Nitrogen per hectare. This practice not only reduces dependency on fertilisers but also improves biodiversity and promotes soil health. Clover incorporation was one of Tirlán’s seven sustainability actions for 2023. Incorporating clover can increase milk production from 30 to 60 kgs per cow per year. Additionally, the Murphy family's commitment to sustainability extends to tree planting, promoting good management of hedgerows, installing solar panels in 2023, and the purchase of energy-efficient equipment like a variable rate vacuum pump.

Tirlán Support

Paddy Wickham is Shane’s Tirlán FarmLife business manager. Shane believes that the support available from the team at Tirlán is a valuable service to have access to, adding: ‘’Paddy is nothing but helpful. If I ask Paddy for anything specific like the seed mix with timothy and white clover, it’s never an issue.’’

Future Plans

Even during challenging periods, farmers like Shane and his family continue to look at ways to improve their business to make it more efficient. For Shane, he emphasises that: “The main goal is to cut Nitrogen uses and to continue reseeding. We are also looking at constructing a new cubicle shed which is a big investment but a necessary one. Along with that, we also hope to continue improving cow genetics, to increase to 550 kg of milk solids.’’

Shane Murphy delves into his family farm's strategy for reseeding and reduction of Nitrogen usage, along with the obstacles they encounter in 2024 regarding grazing covers along with Paddy Wickham, Tirlán FarmLife Business Manager.

JUNE MILK QUALITY

By Fionnuala Malone , Farm Quality & Compliance Manager Tirlán

Thermoduric and TBC control for summer

Warmer weather often highlights build-up on areas that a wash routine might not be fully addressing. So this June, aim to be ahead of problems. Key areas:

• Detergent - Use high caustic content detergents and rotate with acid at least three times a week, to stay on top of scale and milk residue build up.

• Water Softener - Hard water or mineralised water containing iron etc will impact the cleaning power of detergent. Mineral scale building up provides an ideal environment to harbour bacteria. Use a water softener to avoid build up. Where water is hard, we recommend carrying out more acid washes. You always need at least three and may need as many as five to seven in a hard water area. Mains water is often hard water, so it is always advised to get your water checked, whether it is from a mains supply or a well.

• Water heating - Hot water and plenty of it is the secret to consistent milk quality. Without it, results will eventually fail. Invest in an optimum-sized water heater/ heat recovery unit for your operation that can heat sufficient hot water for your machine and bulk tank. Please ensure you can wash both on the one day.

. Temperature should be 75-85ºC at start and 45-55ºC when finishing circulation.

. Use a thermometer to check water when it is circulating and when it is in the wash trough to confirm what the wash temperature actually is.

Ideally have a separate heater for water for the tank and machine in case of breakdown. There are several economical water heating options:

• Gas water heating

• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Unit

• Heat Recovery Unit

• Electrical water heating

• Oil fired water heating

• Cooling - Milk being cooled quickly to below 4C is key for milk quality. Your system should be able to take the temperature down within two hours of milking. Invest in a plate cooler to make it more energy efficient. Milk that stays higher than four degrees for longer will have a higher bacterial count. Get your compressors checked for leaking gas, and get the fans cleaned for summer.

SCC in Summer – where to focus on

SCC is currently running at about 150,000 cells/ml across our milk pool. Staying on top of SCC is an ongoing task and for the summer, a few key areas to focus on are:

• Milk recording - Ensure you have started milk recording this year. Otherwise it is difficult to spot high SCC cows. Changes in legislation mean that vets will not be able to prescribe blanket antibiotic dry cow therapy and milk recording information is essential to identify what cows need antibiotic treatment at drying off. DAFM are now auditing both vets and farmers on antibiotic use. These audits are proactive in an effort to reduce antibiotic use in the food chain.

Aim for at least four milk recordings in a seasonal herd to get a good insight into SCC. The information you get from milk recording is also key for breeding, EBI, solids and overall cow evaluation. Without milk recording you wont find cows with subclinical mastitis – i.e. infections that are not showing clinical signs such as curds but have a high SCC. Any cows with mastitis, subclinical / clinical, are not as profitable as those with lower SCC. Contact your Milk Supply Manager to get started with your local Milk Recording agency.

• Teat disinfectant - It is proven to reduce new cases of mastitis by 50% so there isn’t any reason not to use it. Purchase a product with a good mix of chlorohexidine and lactic acid. The aim is to use at least 15 mls per milking , so a 100 cows herd should be using up a 200 litre drum in approx. two months.

• Cases - Identify clinical cases and subclinical cases so that you can treat infection and stop the spread to uninfected cows. Work with your vet and devise a plan for managing and treatments of high cows with the antibiotic treatments most suited to your herd. Your individual cow plan will be based

on SCC, and other factors such as pregnancy status, general health, age etc. Younger fresher cows will cure much easier than cows with ongoing chronic infections.

Your options for infected cows are:

1. Treat during lactation and see if this works. Check the SCC using a CMT to see progress.

2. Record what cows are treated so you can establish how many cases you are getting in a week / month and if its increasing.

3. Cull the cow if a persistently infected cow is showing no signs of cure after treatment.

4. Dry off any that are due to be dried off – that’s cow with extended lactations, or are due to calve in autumn. Treat at drying off and give a long dry period to optimize the chance of a good cure over the dry period.

• Cultures – We advise that you carry out sensitivity and culturing on a number of cows. This will give you a good insight into the source of infection in your herd and what are the best antibiotic products to target with.

The key piece with mastitis is always to look to break the spread potential between infected and uninfected cows. Bacteria in a herd such as Staph Aureus have limited potential for cure and infected cows will pass the bacteria on to other cows every time they are milked. Look at cluster flushing as a means to stop spread.

• Machine - Avoid overmilking cows to reduce mastitis. And don’t forget to change liners every 2,000 milkings.

CellCount Solutions Consultations

If you have a SCC at or above 200,000 cells/ml, you will be eligible for a free DAFM- sponsored consultation from a mastitis expert vet under the CellCheck CellCount Solutions programme. Contact your Milk Supply Manager to enrol.

The aim of this first consult is to kick-start a longer-term action plan and to include all the relevant professions, your vet, Milk Supply Manager, Milking Machine Technician working with you to support your mastitis control on farm.

A large number of Tirlan suppliers across the country have now completed these and overall are finding them helpful. Meath supplier Stephen Lawlor is pictured here, and is working with his farm vet Frank O'Sullivan, the UCD vet team, his Lely robot team and Tirlan. Stephen found that the process was very helpful to try and put together a plan and to connect everything together so that longer term SCC is easier to maintain at a low level.”

Tirlán Supplier Stephen Lawlor with his CellCount Solutions team – Sinead Gallagher (Lely), Fionnuala Malone (Tirlán), Catherine McAloon and Kevin Tomany (UCD Herd Health Group).

LATEST UPDATE FROM THE TEAGASC TIRLÁN FUTURE

FARM PROGRAMME

By Sandra Hayes, Co-Coordinator of the Teagasc Tirlán Future Farm Signpost Joint Programme.

Now in our 5th month of 2024, the 11 farmers in the programme are glad like all others to put behind them the spring of 2024. With longer brighter days ahead, the plans switch to making silage and ensuring enough winter feed is available for the months ahead.

A core part of the programme has always been grass measuring and part of this also means fodder budgeting. We use the fodder budget on the Pasturebase Ireland programme. It allows the farmers to enter their requirements with great accuracy, along with a contingency plan. The programme involves gathering the milk and grass data on a fortnightly basis as shown below. This summary below is from the 10th May and it also includes a key measurement for Sustainability. Examples include the use of LESS, Protected Urea, Soil fertility status, carbon footprint, NUE% etc.

All farms are conscious of the importance of our derogation and for them to show how small, simple chances in farming practises can help improve the water quality in their areas. These include keeping out the required distances when spreading slurry/fertiliser from streams, drains etc. Increasing their on farm slurry storage allows greater flexibility to spread when conditions are more suitable. All farms have had their slurry tested so they know the value of what is in their tanks and its saving in money when it can replace chemical fertiliser. These actions tie in with the Tirlán Sustainability Action Payment in which work completed in 2024 ensures the 0.5c/l payment for 2025. Please see the list below for actions that your farm can undertake this year.

This summary is a snapshot of what is going on in those 11 monitor farms at that time. We also focus in a little more detail on what is happening on one of the farms in regards to breeding, reseeding or a sustainability project like installing of solar panels on the farm.

We are focusing on the fertiliser strategy on all of the farms. We have recently clover scored all of the Milking platforms. Knowing these clover scores allows the farmer to cut back chemical fertiliser applications from May/June onwards as the 20% plus clover content swards are fixing enough nitrogen to replace the chemical required as shown below

This year has also meant adjustments to many of the monitor farms in terms of the Nitrates Derogation. To comply with the new organic nitrogen stocking rate of 220kgs org N/ha some of the following options were undertaken:

• Contract heifer rearing;

• Renting/long term leasing of extra land;

• Culling of non-productive cows for mastitis, long term SCC issues, lameness and not in calf;

• Keeping dry stock for less time on the farm.

Farm walks for the remainder of 2024:

• 18th June Midseason Clover management Farm of Larry & Jack Kearney, Barnahash, Rathcormac, Co.

Summer management for white clover swards

By Sandra Hayes, Co-Coordinator of the Teagasc Tirlán Future Farm Signpost Joint Programme.

White clover, where the average sward content on a dry matter basis is 20%+, has the capacity to fix between 100-200kg N/ha across the year. Most of this fixation will be done over the next few months, so it is time let it do the work.

To maintain pasture production on your farm whilst reducing chemical fertiliser requires trust. You need to be able to trust that when you reduce chemical nitrogen the white clover will be there to fill the gap.

To do this, Teagasc has developed a simple way of measuring white clover’s ability to fix enough nitrogen. It is called clover scoring. Clover scoring is simply quantifying the amount of clover in each paddock relative to a scoring card which was developed by Teagasc and is available for you to download https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/ crops/grassland/grass10/Clover-Content-Scorecard.pdf

Paddocks are scored based on the clover content of the sward. This is done on a dry matter basis, not on a visual basis. However, to convert the visual assessment to dry matter, a quick rule of thumb is that the dry matter is about half of the visual assessment. For example, if it looks like there is 50% clover in the sward, then this is closer to 25% on a dry matter basis.

Clover scores

Score 1 is anything less than 10%.There is not enough clover to reduce nitrogen, these paddocks can be targeted for over-sowing next year to boost clover content. Score 2 is anything between 10-20% and these paddocks are nearly ready to reduce; those closer to the 20% could receive a lower amount. Grazing these paddocks at a lighter pre-grazing yield and a tight residual can help let more light down to encourage stolon development and boost the clover content of the sward. Any paddocks at a Score 3, 30% plus clover on the Pasturebase App or above, are ready to reduce chemical nitrogen.

Now is the time to get out and assess clover content in your paddocks. For the month of April and into early May I have been clover scoring paddocks with all of the Teagasc Tirlán Signpost farmers. You can allocate a clover content to your paddocks on PastureBase while you are inputting the grass covers. So simple! Recording this makes it easier to remember which paddocks have what, so you can adjust your fertiliser applications in line with this. Make sure you download the clover scoring card and bring it with you on your next farm walk. Don’t get hung up on being right the first time, just be consistent and practice it every few months to train your eye in to measure clover content on your paddocks. This will pay off big time when you count up all the savings made on chemical nitrogen. The table below outlines what level of chemical nitrogen you should apply depending on the clover score of the paddocks. It is a handy guide to have along with your clover score map. Each of the monitor farmers have this table laminated with their clover score map on the other side.

Grazing management is similar for grass-clover swards and grass only swards. Flexibility and willingness to adapt to the conditions are important when managing grass-clover swards. Good grazing management is also important for increased persistency and production of white clover in grazed swards. Grass-clover swards benefit from low grazing residuals.

Mid-season (April to July):

• Maintain pre-grazing herbage mass between 1,300 and 1,600 kg DM/ha (8 to 10 cm);

• Target 4 cm post-grazing sward height – don’t let grass shade out white clover, let light down to the stolon;

• Chemical N fertiliser may be reduced in the mid-season on swards with good white clover content (see Table below).

Grazing management to prevent bloat

If clover content is gone too strong and taking over the grass, let this paddock carry a high cover over the winter to reduce light to the base, and lower the clover content for next year. If clover content is high or conditions aren’t right, bloat becomes a bigger risk. It is important to have all necessary precautions in place to avoid bloat.

• Graze high clover paddocks in drier weather. The higher dry matter reduces the bloat risk;

• Put up a 3-hour break with a strip wire and let all animals into paddock at the same time. This forces them to graze grass and clover together, thus increasing fibre intake.

• You can also add fibre (straw, hay, silage) to diet before entering the paddock, and add bloat oil to the water two days before entering the high clover paddock.

Clover Score Map April 2024 John Ryan, Teagasc Tirlán Monitor farmer

Water trough bloat oil dispenser

Calf growth and health at grass

By Elaine Brady, Ruminant Nutritionist Tirlán and Joris Somers, Animal Health & Hygiene Manager Tirlán

At weaning, calves are not yet fully functional ruminants, lacking capacity to sufficiently utilise forage, silage or grass to achieve their growth requirements. The weaned calf has a smaller rumen in comparison to older animals. Therefore, small changes to the diet have a more significant impact on the calf. Interruptions to performance during this growth phase of the replacement heifer/ beef animal will affect target weights being achieved.

Post-weaning dry matter intake provides the foundation for average daily gain (ADG). Minimising any stress and/or digestive upsets post weaning and having a healthy calf with a sufficiently developed rumen is the driving force. To minimise digestive adjustment after weaning, weaned calves should receive the same concentrates fed prior to weaning. Calves thrive on consistency!

Turning out to grass

Grass quality, grass growth and weather will influence intakes and performance. The sudden introduction of leafy grass and an underdeveloped rumen can be a recipe for dairy calves to display wasting symptoms post weaning and after turnout. Concentrate feeding and supplying a source of fibre such as straw or hay should continue when turned out to grass to allow the calf’s rumen to adjust to grazing and help maintain dry matter intakes.

Initially let calves out to stronger, stemmy covers to provide that extra bit of fibre and grass that isn’t too lush. Long fibre will slow down the rate of passage of the grass through the calf’s digestive system and promote rumination and cud chewing. Even if the calves have access to high quality grass, they should be fed meal for one month. High quality grass is high in energy and protein, but it is typically only 18% or lower in dry matter. Therefore the animal must eat large quantities to sustain growth.

To fill that nutritional gap, feed concentrates to match the protein and energy quality of grass. Feed at a rate of 1kg a head, increasing to 1.5kg a head if conditions are wet and cold. Slowly reduce this to 0.5kg before cutting out supplementary feed completely if calves are thriving and are at target body weight. However, where grass quality is average then it will be necessary to feed concentrates throughout the summer if the calves are to reach target weights within the first year.

Calf growth can be reduced by almost 20% due to Coccidiosis

A common cause of diarrhoea in Irish dairy calves, diagnosing and limiting the spread of Coccidiosis early is key. Many farmers associate

Making quality silage

With a challenging spring, high levels of rainfall and poor grazing conditions throughout, silage reserves became quite low and depleted on many farms. A good 2nd cut will be important, not only to replenish winter reserves but also to rebuild a buffer of good quality silage. A rolling reserve of 25-30% is recommended to manage risk on farm.

To maximise quality and yield of 2nd cut, it is imperative to replenish the nutrients removed with appropriate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus (P), potash (K), and sulphur (S). A crop of grass silage will remove approximately 4kg P and 25kg K /tonne of grass DM. Swards that have access to the right nutrients will bounce back quicker after cutting.

Slurry should be applied immediately after harvesting, with an application of chemical fertiliser a week later in accordance with a nutrient management plan. Using LESS 3,000 gallons of slurry will supply 15 units of N, 15 units of P and 96 units of K applications. Getting slurry tested will allow for a tailored fertiliser to match soil requirements, as K in particular can vary significantly from farm to farm.

In many cases, the yield being cut can often be a 5t/ha of dry matter (equivalent to approximately 10t of fresh grass/acre). When looking at the fertiliser requirements for second cut with a yield of 10 tonnes fresh weight/ acre, this crop will require 80 units/ac of Nitrogen. For P and K requirements.

Phosphorus is required in relatively large quantities during critical plant development phases such as rooting, seed production and is vital for cell division or regrowth. Grass silage yield, feeding value and nitrogen use efficiency will decrease rapidly depending on soil type if annually K offtakes are not replaced. These are important to optimise regrowth, quality and yields, particularly in year where silage reserves have been depleted.

Coccidiosis with a bloody scour but this is actually quite rare. The aim of Coccidiosis control is not to focus on the calf that shows clinical signs of sickness, like scour, but include all the calves in the contaminated environment.

Calves can become infected when housed in sheds, and after turn-out to paddocks contaminated with the dung of other infected calves, often carried over from last year. Coccidiosis is usually seen in young calves from three weeks of age, but can just as well affect autumnborn calves of 6 months old.

Good hygiene and good management are vital to achieve effective control.

The best way to diagnose coccidiosis is to test a faecal sample to identify if coccidiosis is causing an issue. Treating affected calves with coccidiostats is most effective two weeks after exposure to the parasite as it will prevent scour and growth checks, but still allows the build-up of immunity in the calves.

Calves showing signs of scour will need supportive therapy with painkiller and electrolytes to help rehydration and recovery.

Top tips to prevent and treat coccidiosis:

1. Keep calves batched by age and don’t mix batches;

2. Keep feed and water troughs elevated off the ground and free from contamination;

3. Prevent mucky areas from developing outdoors;

4. Don’t reuse contaminated dedicated calf paddocks from last year for calves this year;

5. Use the correct disinfectant at the end of calving season, targeting coccidia;

6. Treat affected animals with coccidiostats;

7. Keep affected calves hydrated by using electrolytes.

GAIN RumenCare Calf Nut is a complementary feed uniquely pelleted giving a ‘coarse in a nut’ appearance and effect, along with a health pack to support calves at grass or exposed to coccidia, helping prevent growth checks in calves.

*Units P required from chemical fertiliser (Total P Requirement)

*Units K required from chemical fertiliser (Total K Requirement)

*Assuming P & K applied in 3000 gallons slurry Increase or decrease by 1.6 units for each t/acre increase or decrease Increase/decrease K by 10 unit/ac for each t/acre increase/decrease

Good quality silage = good milk quality.

Aim for good presentation and fast fermentation as poorly preserved silage can have pockets with high levels of bacteria (such as bacillus and clostridia) which can survive digestion, be excreted in manure, and may end up coming into the milk via the teat surface.

• Cut silage when sugars are high and nitrates are low.

• Do not over wilt.

• Use an additive to achieve a fast fermentation.

• Avoid soil contamination – if there is soil coming in with silage there will be more bacteria, so avoid cutting grass too low.

• Cover and seal the pit as quickly as possible. Seal the sides with plastic.

A fast fermentation will preserve a silage correctly and a stable acidic pit will inhibit the growth of any unwanted bacteria.

The role of sulphur in second cut silage crops should not be overlooked, as it plays an important role increasing yield, nitrogen efficiency and reduces nitrogen leaching. Apply approximately 8-12 units/acre of S per cut of silage.

Animal health reminders

• Salmonella vaccine – Late summer, early autumn is the greatest risk period for Salmonella abortions. Vaccination against Salmonella should be completed before the start of the risk period.

• Parasites – Calves in their first grazing season are most at risk of being affected by parasites. Check your youngstock’s exposure to worms by doing pooled faecal testing and monitoring their weight gain performance to make the correct dosing decision.

• Parasites – Lungworm: diagnostics for lungworm are very limited – listen for coughing cows and look out for unexplained milk drop that are indicators that lungworm may be affecting the herd. Treatment should be used immediately, but it will be a period of time before symptoms resolve.

• Mastitis – Have you considered DIY milk recording in order to keep on top of your herd’s SCC and milk production data?

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• Mastitis – Use the milk culturing service to identify bacteria and effective treatments.

• Milking machine – change liners after 2,000 milkings and service the machine. The milking machine is a dairy farm’s combine harvester and needs to be kept in good working order.

• Lameness – Cows have been walking to and from paddocks for several months now. Plan in roadway maintenance and foot trimming for lame cows.

• Early pregnancy scanning – Plan to have the breeding herd scanned over the next few weeks to have preliminary results on the first 6 – 8 weeks of breeding. This will guide the breeding strategy for the remainder of the breeding season and provides detailed information on heat detection accuracy and potential embryonic loss.

Tirlán will be attending a number of events throughout the summer months and we’re encouraging everyone to come along, have a chat with us. As a farmer-owned, farmer focused co-op, we’re always keen to engage with our suppliers and the wider community. We’re hoping the weather improves as the Show season nears. Don’t be shy. Come along and have a chat!

A few dates for your diary:

Clonmel Show 7th July

Bannow & Rathangan 11th July

Tinahealy Show 5th August

Tullamore Show 11th August

Virginia Show 21st August

Iverk Show 24th August

Tirlán to host open days in Ballyragget on 24-25 September 2024

This event will offer our shareholders the opportunity to tour the facility and hear from our teams about what happens to the milk after it leaves their farm and the routes to market.

In order to concentrate our resources on delivering the best possible shareholder event in Ballyragget, we have decided that we will not exhibit at the National Ploughing Championships (17-19 Sept) this year.

If you have an idea, suggestion or any feedback on Tirlán Farm Focus please contact: Corporate Affairs Department, Tirlán, Abbey Quarter, Kilkenny, R95 DXR1 T: 056 779 6300 or email hello@Tirlánfarmlife.com