FARM FOCUS
Dear Suppliers,
Longer days have finally arrived and are a very welcome reprieve.
The weather this spring has certainly been more favourable. This has assisted in strong early milk supply volumes compared with the early months of 2024, which were extremely difficult for production on farm.
We are expecting moderate gains in the region of 3% this year. Globally, milk supply from the key regions remains mixed.
Milk Solids
In addition to milk supply volumes, our key focus for the coming months is assisting suppliers to increase milk solids production in a sustainable manner. Our teams are seeing significant results from herds through the new Milk Solids Growth Programme. The team are providing tailored advice that is specific to individual herds around optimising grassland management, herd health and nutrition.
The positive reaction to the programme has seen a large number of suppliers now using the Milk Solids Tracker on the Tirlán FarmLife website. There is significant potential for individual farmers to improve their performance by utilising more quality grass and conserved forages in the diet, plus providing supplementary feeds at the correct time. We want to help our suppliers to get more from every litre of milk in a sustainable manner.
Trading Bonus
Our Dairy Trading Bonus Scheme for 2025 was well-received, with good uptake of the €30 per tonne offer on dairy feed and €60 per tonne on Calf Milk Replacer currently available. In recent months, it was also confirmed Tirlán Co-op would pay out €5.9 million to 4,500 farmer shareholders as part of the 2024 Trading Bonus Scheme. Over €3.2 million, or €1,500 on average, was paid out with the January Milk Payment to 2,100 milk supplier Members who qualified for the Bonus.
TB Support Programme for suppliers
Your Co-op continues to work to assist our suppliers and meet their needs. A new €5 million TB Support Programme was launched on 11 March to aid milk suppliers who are impacted by a serious outbreak in their herds. It followed discussions with Council in relation to supporting our suppliers at a difficult time as they cope with cashflow and all the various challenges such an outbreak brings. The programme is optional and offers an advance on future milk payments of €750 per cow to milk suppliers that lose over 5% of their herd to a TB outbreak. Contact your Milk Supply Manager for more information.
Nitrates Derogation
The retention of the Nitrates Derogation remains a high priority for Tirlán. We continue to advocate on your behalf at home and in Europe. Growing numbers of suppliers are engaging with our Farm Support Service team, arranging farm visits and availing of free and confidential advice and financial support through the Farming for Water EIP. It is a crucial year for the retention of the Nitrates Derogation and we are continuing to work with our suppliers and in collaboration with our partners to continue our work to protect and enhance water quality.
Our Awards
We were delighted to have the opportunity to recognise our growers at the recent Tirlán Quality Grain Awards. It was fantastic to see the level of commitment from our growers to delivering both quality and see the numbers focusing on growing premium value-add grains.
We are also looking forward to celebrating the achievements of dairy farmers who demonstrate excellent practices in milk quality, animal welfare, farm management and adopting sustainability practices at our first ever Dairy and Sustainability Awards at the end of April. It is important to recognise and drive awareness among consumers and the general public of the great work carried out by Tirlán farmers.
Outlook
There continues to be a is a high level of volatility in the markets at present. Your Co-op is closely monitoring the tariff uncertainty in the global marketplace. Overall, demand has been relatively stable in the early part of the year. We are out in the marketplace seeking to grow in new regions and win new customers to add value to the milk and grain that you supply.
Please continue to farm safely through what is always a very busy period on farm.
Seán Molloy CEO, Tirlán
Seán Molloy, CEO
MARKETS UPDATE
By Paula O’Dwyer, Senior Business Intelligence Manager Tirlán
Balanced fundamentals support dairy market performance
Market fundamentals are reasonably balanced. Stocks of all primary product were relatively low at the start of 2025 and this has kept product availability tight.
European dairy product prices, particularly cheddar and SMP are relatively stable, while butterfat prices are elevated. European and New Zealand prices have seen some convergence on cheddar and butter which should be supportive to export opportunities for European dairy products on international markets.
Milk production across the major exporters is mixed. In Europe, milk is increasing seasonally. Good margins and easy year-on-year comparisons should keep production growing, although weather and Blue Tongue Virus are downside risks.
US milk supply is growing incrementally. California continues to weigh on overall US milk supply due to avian flu impacts. US cow numbers are increasing.
New Zealand has had a good milk production season but parts of the North Island have been reported dry in recent weeks which could curtail production as the season starts to wind down.
Global milk supply growth
Despite some challenges, global milk supply is expected to improve modestly in coming months with better margins and compared to a weak prior year base.
Global dairy demand remains mixed with consumer spending still under pressure across many economies. Dairy imports performed well during most of 2024 but have slowed recently to South East Asia and Middle East at higher price levels.
China import demand is still on the weak side. Domestic milk production continues to slow down there. China’s market balance is expected to stabilise gradually during 2025.
Geopolitics and the threat of tariffs is an increasing concern. The new Trump administration started its terms with several tariff hikes.
While the tariffs on Canada and Mexico were delayed for a month to allow for further negotiations, the 10% additional on Chinese imports remains. Later, the White House added tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. A reciprocal tariff against all trading partners is next in line. This creates uncertainty and the potential for adjustment in trade flows in the coming months.
Current balanced market fundamentals will keep the market supported into early Q2 2025 as peak milk volumes build.
Tirlán confirms €5.9 million Trading Bonus payout
2025 Trading Bonus Scheme
Tirlán's 2025 Trading Bonus Scheme aims to reward farmer Members and customers for their loyalty and trade with Tirlán.
2025 Dairy Feed Bonus
• In 2025, a Dairy Feed Bonus* of €30 per tonne is available on purchases of GAIN Dairy Feed made between 1 January and 30 April (subject to an overall maximum quantity of 110,000 tonnes)*.
• In addition, a Calf Milk Replacer Bonus** payment of €60 per tonne is available for purchases of GAIN Calf Milk Replacer during the same period (subject to an overall maximum of 2,000 tonnes).
The 2025 Dairy Feed Bonus and Calf Milk Replacer Bonus, which replace the Milk Trading Bonus paid from 2018 to 2024, will be paid into milk suppliers’ trading accounts at the end of quarter 2, 2025. There will be no Trading Bonus paid in quarter one of 2026 linked to 2025 milk supply volumes.
There was strong uptake of all feed offers, particularly the GAIN Calf Milk Replacer, after the schemes were launched.
2025 Grain Trading Bonus
The Grain Trading Bonus will continue to offer a payment of up to €10 per tonne of grain supplied for input purchases of greater than €60 per tonne in 2025 from Tirlán. A bonus rate of €7.50 per tonne will apply for input purchases of between €50 and €60 per tonne, while a rate of €5 per tonne will apply for input spend of €40 - €50 per tonne. The payments apply to both green and dried grain supplies from harvest 2025.
Beef and Sheep Feed Trading Bonus
Beef and sheep farmer customers of Tirlán that are Co-op Members will qualify for a Feed Bonus on their tonnes purchased throughout the full year of 2025.
• For non-milk suppliers, the 2025 Beef and Sheep Feed Trading Bonus will be €10 per tonne of Beef and Sheep Feed products purchased from Tirlán;
• For non-milk suppliers, the 2025 Feed Trading Bonus will be €3 per tonne for straights. The feed trading bonus is not open to dairy feed purchases or to milk suppliers.
Summary
• *€30 per tonne support on GAIN Dairy Feed will be capped at total sales of 110,000 tonnes.
• **€60 per tonne support on GAIN Calf Milk Replacer will be capped at 2,000 tonnes.
• If the total tonnage is exceeded before 30 April 2025, the promotion will close. This will be communicated to the customer at the time of any sale.
• Qualifying products for the 2025 Dairy Feed Bonus are Tirlán’s GAIN Dairy Feed and GAIN Calf Milk Replacer.
• The 2025 Dairy Feed Bonus will be paid as a rebate to trading accounts in the second half of 2025.
• Normal credit terms apply.
• A reasonable usage limit on the promotion tonnes will apply for each customer – this will be calculated relative to cow numbers/milk supply.
• References to active customers of Tirlán are those who have purchased dairy feed using their trading account in the last 12 months.
• Please refer to the detailed Terms and Conditions of each Bonus scheme for the terms of participation.
MILK SOLIDS PROGRAMME –
JOIN THE MOVEMENT!
Tirlán has launched a new Milk Solids Growth programme, which aims to help farmers to increase milk solids production in a sustainable manner. Using a farm specific data-driven approach, each Tirlán milk supplier will receive tailored advice that is relevant to their specific herd. This exciting initiative, is led by Bryan Harte, Tirlán Technical Manager and a dedicated team of four Milk Solids Growth Specialists.
Key features of the programme include:
Milk Solids Tracker:
Accessible to all Tirlán milk suppliers through TirlanFarmlife.com, this innovative online tool provides easy and efficient monitoring of milk solids performance. The tracker contains real-time data, giving a clear picture of herd performance compared to previous years and against targets which have been set by the milk supplier. It quickly highlights when targets are not being met, enabling farmers to take timely corrective actions. The Milk Solids Tracker can be accessed by logging into the “My Account” area and then clicking on the “My Farm” section.
Milk Solids Growth Specialists:
Tirlán has invested in a team of expert nutritionists dedicated to working one-on-one with suppliers to ensure optimal herd performance. The Milk Solids Growth Specialists will focus on maximising output from grass and quality forages, providing tailored advice and practical solutions to meet farm specific needs.
Insights for smarter decision making:
Tirlán will provide in-depth insights into milk data, such as the butterfat to protein ratio, which can act as a key indicator of herd performance. By analysing this data, areas for improvement can be identified and strategies to boost herd productivity can be implemented. Tirlán will automatically send a text alert to suppliers on a Monday and Thursday when their butterfat to protein ratio for the previous seven days goes above 1.4.
To discover more about how the Milk Solids Growth Programme can benefit you - visit TirlanFarmLife.com
L-R, Dean Kelly Tirlán Milk Supplier, Ailish Byrne Chief Agribusiness Officer, John Murphy Chairperson and Bryan Harte Ruminant Technical Manager.
L-R, Bryan Harte Ruminant Technical Manager and Dean Kelly Tirlán Milk Supplier
Quality Grain Awards
On Wednesday 12th February, Tirlán celebrated our annual Quality Grain Awards at the iconic Guinness Storehouse, situated in the heart of Dublin’s St James’s Gate Brewery. This year, we were proud to recognise 14 outstanding suppliers for their commitment to growing top-quality grain on their family farms.
The 2024 Tirlán Grain Grower of the Year title was presented to Art and Ann Murphy, for their Winter (Cassia) Feed Barley, grown on their farm in Ferns, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
The 14 winners and their families enjoyed a guided tour of the Roasting House, where they had the opportunity to see the Cassia Barley supplied by the Murphy family and other Tirlán growers undergo the roasting process to give Guinness its distinctive dark ruby-red colour.
Thanks to all who made this day a success. The day allowed us to honour the excellence, innovation, sustainability, and the dedication of our Tirlán growers and grains team.
TIRLÁN
Bank of Ireland Enviroflex loans now available to all Tirlán Milk Suppliers
We would like to inform you that Tirlán is now partnering with Bank of Ireland to offer the Enviroflex sustainability linked loan to Tirlán Milk Suppliers.
What is Enviroflex?
Enviroflex is available to all Tirlán Milk Suppliers who are actively engaged in the Tirlán Sustainability Action Payment programme. Enviroflex offers finance to support farmers invest in a range of purposes such as sustainable farm development, renewable energy projects, enhanced sustainability measures e.g. forestry/ tree planting, biodiversity projects.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must be a Tirlán Milk Supplier and will be required to provide evidence of receiving the Tirlán Sustainability Action Payment at loan application stage. As part of the terms and conditions of this loan, the borrower will agree to provide Bank of Ireland with the carbon footprint of their farm. Annually, Tirlán will share aggregated and anonymised carbon footprint data for all Enviroflex borrowers with Bank of Ireland.
The Enviroflex loan is available to Tirlán Milk Suppliers from Monday 3rd March 2025.
Next steps
In advance of applying for the loan, Milk Suppliers should request the eligibility letter by email to tirmilkaccs@tirlan.ie . The email should include the Milk Supplier applicant’s full name and address and their Milk Account Number.
Following review, Tirlán endeavours to complete and electronically respond to Milk Suppliers within two weeks.
Once received, Milk Suppliers can apply online at www.bankofireland.com/enviroflex
LAUNCHES €5M TB SUPPORT PROGRAMME
Tirlán has launched a TB Support Programme to assist its milk suppliers who are impacted by an outbreak of Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) in their herds.
Tirlán has put in place a €5 million fund to support the programme, which will offer an optional advance on future milk payments of €750 per cow to milk suppliers that lose over 5% of their herd to a TB outbreak. This pre-payment will be available for herds impacted in 2025 and 2026 and will be deducted from actual milk payments to the Supplier in year two and year three after drawdown. In the case of New Entrants to dairy farming, the programme will be available regardless of the number of animals impacted.
Tirlán Chairperson John Murphy said that Bovine TB outbreaks create significant financial and emotional stress for affected farm families.
“Given the challenges being experienced by a significant number of our farmers, the Board felt that it was appropriate for Tirlán to offer immediate and practical support to our impacted farm families. This voluntary programme will provide interest-free cashflow support to those adversely affected by a TB outbreak and will supplement payments available from the State-funded Bovine TB Eradication Scheme. Once an outbreak is confirmed, we want our farmers to know that Tirlán will support them through the challenge,” he added.
Seán Molloy, Tirlán Chief Executive Officer, said that there has been an increase nationally in the number of herds affected by TB and Tirlán is taking a proactive approach to the challenge.
“In addition to our TB Support Programme, we will engage with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other stakeholders to optimise the effectiveness of the TB Eradication Programme. Following feedback from members of our Council, we will also be offering technical support and advice to our farmers to help reduce the risk of a TB outbreak on their farm.”
2024 Tirlán Grain Grower of the Year Art Murphy (centre), who won the award for his Winter (Cassia) Feed Barley is pictured alongside his daughter Margaret, and Tirlán agronomist Fintan Treacy.
COLLABORATING WITH OUR MEMBERS TO RETAIN THE NITRATES DEROGATION
Stand-out policy issue for Ireland’s farming sector include water quality protection, farm economic sustainability and the future of the Nitrates Derogation. The Derogation is crucial to the viability and success of Ireland’s grass-based dairy farming model. The dairy sector generates direct output of €7.0bn, which through economic multipliers produces €17.6bn in total output in the Irish economy. This creates €4.3bn in Gross Value Added. The dairy sector also supports a total of nearly 54,000 FTE jobs across the economy.
Farming for Water: River Slaney Project
The Farming for Water: River Slaney Project is a an example of a community based and catchment focused project implemented by
the sector. This collaborative Project brings together expertise from Teagasc, Tirlán the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO) and accounting and advisory specialists ifac to help improve farm incomes while addressing water quality challenges in the River Slaney.
Tirlán Co-op farm family suppliers continue their participation in the Farming for Water: River Slaney Project. These farmers include Alan and Cheryl Poole from Co. Wexford, who have had a Farm Support Service (FSS) report completed for their farm. The FSS report (see summary below) sets out the current status of their farm and areas for further development regarding slurry storage, nutrient use efficiency, milk solids, carbon footprint, space for nature and susceptible water quality critical source areas on their farm.
Alan & Cheryl Poole. Farm Support Service Report - Summary
During 2025, the Farm Support Service will be expanded to support farm family suppliers in the most challenged Slaney Sub-Catchments and the wider Tirlán milk supply region. This activity will be supported by on-going Co-op wide Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) engagements in ‘Priority Areas for Action’ and submission of EIP applications. Since 2018 Tirlán has had over 2,000 on-farm water quality engagement and since the 2024 launch of the Farming for Water EIP, submitted almost €1 million worth of funding applications for on-farm water quality protection measures on behalf of our farm family suppliers.
An engaged forward looking farming community.
Tirlán Co-op Members like so many of the farming community are working closely with their Co-op’s, State Agencies and Agri-Consultants and are actively engaged in taking the necessary actions to address water quality challenges and support the retention of the nitrates derogation. This is evident in the over €300 million national investment by farmers and the State in two important actions, the use of low emissions slurry spreading equipment and investment in additional slurry storage.
This collaboration is paying dividend, with a December 2024 EPA water quality report stating that “nitrogen concentrations in waters nationally have reduced in the first half of 2024 relative to other years, and that they are at the lowest they have been since 2016.” Together through engagement, investment and activity we are making a difference in addressing the water quality challenge, which will support the retention of Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation this year.
Investing over €1million in on-farm actions through the Farming for Water EIP
Tirlán farm family suppliers, with the support of the Co-op’s AgriSustainability team continue to invest in their farm development, through schemes including the €60 million Farming for Water EIP.
Tom Murphy’s Farming For Water EIP Application
Tom Murphy is a member of the Tirlán & Teagasc Future Farm Programme, farming in partnership with his father and mother, James and Chrisse in Fiddawn, Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny. He has also declared his actions under Tirlán’s Sustainability Action Payment programme and receives the 0.5cpl payment for that. Tom recently made an application under the Farming for Water EIP and is bidding to receive over €6,000. Let’s take a closer look at his measures.
As a 100% farmer-owned co-op, we are proud to feature one of our dairy farmers Ciarán McEnteggart on our Avonmore Fresh Milk and Light Milk cartons.
Ciarán farms alongside his father Eamonn near Dundalk, Co. Louth. For the McEntaggerts, it’s more than a lifetime’s work. It’s a story that spans generations. A commitment that is renewed every day.
In Ireland our rich pastures are one of our greatest national assets, and our family farms take their responsibility to safeguard them for future generations very seriously indeed. It’s their mission, together, as part of Tirlán.
Currently over €1 million worth of funding has been applied for, for Tirlán farm family suppliers as part of this programme.
Thomas Ryan, Tirlán’s Head of Agri-Sustainability said, “This new Farming for Water EIP scheme launch in 2024 is an important funding source to support our farm family suppliers to improve farm infrastructure, which will help with farm management.”
Popular on-farm investments being made through the Farming for Water EIP include: farmyard bucket and brush, slurry testing, nutrient management plan, multi-species swards, fencing, farmyard settlement tanks and tree planting.
Contact any member of the Agri-Sustainability Team or your Tirlán representative if you would like to take part.
March saw the launch of our new campaign for Avonmore Fresh Milk.
The purpose of this campaign is to reconnect with consumers and energise Avonmore Fresh Milk to make it more magnetic to more consumers and increase our mental availability through an emotive creative approach.
‘Make every day this good’ is our creative idea. The campaign is a heavy weighted through the line campaign featuring TV, Radio, Digital Audio, Outdoor, In Store Activation, YouTube and Social. The campaign commenced this month and will run into April.
SPRING GRAZING UPDATE MARCH 2025
FITZGERALD’S FARM, PORTLAW, WATERFORD
of
Shane is farming with his wife Kate and his dad John just outside Portlaw in Co. Waterford. They are over 70% the way through calving their dairy herd and everything has gone well. They also have a 12 week placement agricultural student as well this year. The farm has over 15% grazed in what was a tricky month of February. As Shane explained it was easier in early February to get cows out as weather conditions were good but grazing power was low as so few had calved. As the numbers grew the weather started to turn so Shane resorted to on/ off grazing for 2 to 3 hours. This meant a short standoff of cows after milking in the cubicle shed and then out to grass. Shane has access to a good few paddocks around the shed so it did not take long to get cows out or back in. The hard work setting up correct allocation with reels and pigtails was already done so it was literally cows out to graze and when the 2 to 3 hours were up they were brought back in. As you can see from the photo below the cows did a good job.
Shane and Kate measure their grass using a plate meter and once the grass walk is completed all this information gets uploaded to their Pasturebase Ireland account. Here they know what amount of grass is in each paddock and it makes allocating grass an awful lot easier. Along with the Spring Grazing targets of 30% grazed by end of February, 66% grazed by St Patricks Day and last third by Magic Day in April, hopefully, they also follow a spring budget. This is important not to let their overall farm cover drop below a cover of 600kgsDM/ ha. Why is this important? Well if the overall farm cover drops below 600 kgs DM/ha you could run out of grass very quickly. Then you would end up supplementing the herd a lot of silage at the end of March/ early April and this in turn could drop milk protein levels and also drop yield depending on silage quality. It is more important to have grass in the diet at all stages of the spring. It is a high energy feed source and the cows will maintain and increase milk yields and protein % better if spring grass is in their diets. Therefore tools like the spring rotation planner and/or the spring feed budget are a necessity to manage to keep grass in the diet for as much of the spring as possible.
I often get asked why is it so important to get cows out so early in February to get them grazing ? The reason is that grass has been there since the winter, swards need to get grazed to allow the sunlight in to regrow and re generate new leaves. Being grazed early allows slurry to be applied in quantities in line with lower growth rates and in line with soil temperatures above 5.5°C. Growth rates are lower so it is important to allow enough time for these swards to grow. Normally they are back in time for the first 2 weeks in April and you start the second round of grazing. Following the spring rotational planner means the farm is grazed by percentages and this plan allows the farm to have cleaned out, renewed swards ready for the second round of grazing. This is important for peak milk supply and for a nutritional balanced diet before breeding starts.
For anyone that is behind on their grazing at the moment please see the checklist below that may help you get back on track. After walking the farm with Shane and Kate on Thursday the plan now is to graze paddocks with lower covers of 600-700kgs DM/ha now and continue to have cows out as much as possible especially now the weather has picked up. Their herd is on 3kgs meal per day and this increases if grazed grass is reduced. Grazing lower covers now will allow the Fitzgerald’s get back on track quicker and once 30% plus is grazed they can then graze the silage paddocks next. This farm is lucky in that the whole farm is available for spring grazing.
Grazing checklist for March
% of the farm Grazed
Average Farm Cover (AFC):
• Readjust plan if behind
• If 0% grazed by March 1st: Then 30% by Patricks Day, 60% by April 1st, 100% by 20 April
• if 10 % grazed by March 1st: Then 30% by Patricks Day, 60% by April 1st, 100% by 15 April
• Should be above 800 kg/ha on March 1st
• Calculate AFC Drop:e.g.900kg/ha on Mar 1st & target is >600kg/ha (>200kg/LU) on Apr 10th (42days)
• Can afford 300 kg/ha drop in over 6 weeks or 50kg/ha/week (e.g. 850 on March 8th)
• AFC drop will generally be higher on higher stocked farms & needs more monitoring
If Low AFC <750 kg/ha
Growth vs Demand
Level of regrowth on 1st grazed paddocks
Grass budget on PBI
• Grass by day only (6-8 kgDM/cow/day) during March
• Example: If Growth is 15 kg/ha and Demand is 25 kg/ha: then AFC drops 10 kg/ha/day or 70 kg/ ha/week
• either they are recovering or not
• Have you slurry or chemical fertilizer applied on these paddocks yet?
• Benchmark: To start 2nd Rotn. on April 7th –need 4-5 paddocks at 600kg DM/ha on March 17th
• Ultimate spring grazing tool!
• If above or below AFC target - plan adjusts
• Very useful tool as it will account for grass recovery/regrowth unlike Spring Rotational Planner
Key to getting as good graze out as possible is the correct allocation and as Shane said some days you get it right and others you don’t but the overriding factor is that you are getting grass into the cows and that is what they need and you see the results of your work in the bulk tank!
Coordinator
the Teagasc Tirlan Future Farm Programme Sandra Hayes Kilkenny
SPRING SCC CONTROL
By Fionnuala Malone SCC Programme Manager
Our recent spring SCC webinar highlighted changes in mastitis and SCC management this spring. A recording is available online for you to listen back.
Focus on minimising mastitis risk at calving by keeping calving boxes as clean as possible, and ensuring cubicles are limed twice per day, use plenty of teat disinfectant after milking on each teat, and keep cows standing for at least 30 minutes after milking to allow teat ends to close.
One of the key things to do as soon as possible this spring is do an early milk recording – the earlier you do this the faster you will assess whether your dry cow treatments worked and also identify any problem cows before they do too much damage spreading infection to younger heifers.
Geno Cells – Kevin O’Neill Progressive Genetics
“For herds genotyping cows, Genocells milk testing will allow us to find the highest contributors to the Bulk tank SCC from ONE sample from the bulk tank. Essentially - the more DNA of an animal present - the higher her contribution to the SCC. Genocell results will be outputted as percentage figures. This will complement milk recording data for solids and milk yield, and allow spot checking for high SCC cows from one bulk tank sample in between milk recordings.
How does it work? – Genotyping provides a record of cows individual DNA, this DNA is contained in the cows somatic cells which are distributed throughout the bulk tank. Therefore, when all cows contributing to the bulk tank are genotyped we can find the highest contributors based on the amount of their DNA in the sample.
Requirements – All cows in the herd need to be genotyped, members of Herd Plus, and the herd must be milk recording, having completed one test this year.
To enrol – contact your milk recording agency.
Progressive Genetics 046 954 1230 Munster Bovine 022 43228
Scan here to watch our webinar on 'Early Season SCC Control'
DAFM Veterinary LegislationCaroline Garvan (DAFM)
“There is now an increased focus by both farmers and vets on using antibiotics for mastitis in a more selective way and overall there has been good adaptation to the process on farm. The aim is to ensure more targeted use and increase efficacy of antibiotics.
An early focus on identifying problem cows (by identifying mastitis during milking and milk recording) is key to deal with SCC problems early this spring. Then following with culturing and sensitivity testing will help you pinpoint both the bacteria that are causing mastitis and the most suitable treatments (if any).
Then you and your vet can select the best possible treatment directions and management options – treating / culling cows / drying off quarters.
New prescriptions for non-antimicrobials are valid for 6 months for non-antimicrobials (since 2024) and five days for antimicrobials. The new NVPS system sees vet examination and risk assessment leading to prescriptions being recorded online, and scripts being sent by SMS to farmers. Milk recording gives you and your vet the most accurate information to make the right decisions by providing individual cow SCC. Further information on Responsible Antibiotic Use in Mastitis Control is available from your vet or online.
How to stay on top of SCC in the first 60 days
Focus on Housing Hygiene:
• Maintain calving pen hygiene: plenty of fresh straw, add lime
• Cows/heifers running milk – Use teat spray before calving
• Calve heifers in a separate calving pen
• Clean & Lime cubicles twice per day
• Sufficient cubicles for calved cows
• Scrapers – Run frequently enough to deal with the increasing number of milking cows
• Hold cows at the feed barrier / close off cubicles for 30 minutes after milking
• Scrape the collecting yard after each milking
Milk testing for antibiotics
Focus on Milking Routine:
Remember the basics:
1. Wear clean gloves
2. Post-milking teat disinfection
3. Changing liners at 2,000 milkings
4. Routine machine maintenance
5. Milk record
Raise the bar:
1. Forestrip to spot problem cows early
2. Use CMT or SCC testing
3. Dip clusters / milk high SCC cows last
4. Take a culture & sensitivity sample
A reminder that suppliers should contact your Milk Supply Manager with regards any suspected milk quality issues to get the milk risk assessed before collection – e.g. Antibiotics, tank failure, temperature issues etc. Milk which has been temporarily stored uncooled is not suitable for processing. Milk containing antibiotics is not suitable for processing – Delvo and Charm kits are recommended for use on farm for testing milk to ensure your sure its antibiotic free.
PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING BREEDING SEASON
By Joris Somers, Tirlán Veterinary Advisor
Adequate nutrition plays an important role in the weeks leading up to the breeding season. Not only are cows heading towards peak milk production, they also need energy and nutrients to recover from calving and gear up for the breeding season. Pre-breeding nutrition aims to reduce the negative energy balance (NEB) all cows go through during the post-calving period.
• Body Condition Score (BCS) is a great way of keeping track of cows’ energy status:
The target BCS for breeding is 3 – 3.25
Cows should not lose more than 0.5 in BCS since calving
Cows below the target BCS can be milked once-a-day or should be fed a higher rate of concentrates to improve their energy balance
• If BCS recording is not being done, Milk Protein < 3.05% can be used as an indirect indicator of NEB in cows in early lactation (<60 DIM).
• A Fat-to-Protein ratio >1.4 can also be used to indicate excessive NEB in Friesian herds, higher ratio’s apply to Jersey or JerseyX herds.
• Mineral supplementation is vitally important during the prebreeding time as grass is deficient in many crucial minerals and trace elements such as Phosphorus, Copper, Selenium, Iodine and Zinc.
From three weeks before the planned start of breeding it is a good idea to spend some time every day on Pre-breeding heat detection. Watching the cows and recording those that stand to be mounted or using tailpaint or automated sensors to identify the cows that are already bulling will not only give you an idea of when to expect those cows to come bulling again 21 days later, but also flag non-cycling cows before the breeding season starts.
• Which cows need a pre-breeding vet check to correct the situation as quickly as possible and not delay those cows going in calf?
– Any cows not seen bulling before the start of breeding.
– Cows that had a difficult calving.
– Cows that suffered from milk fever or held their cleanings.
Special focus should be on your replacement heifers, these are the future stars of your milking herd, and getting them off to a good start as a milking cow next year starts by breeding those heifers successfully early on in the breeding season. Heifers should achieve 60% of their mature body weight at breeding. -If you don’t know the mature weight of your cows, walk a selection of 3rd – 4th lactation cows onto a set of scales and take the average as a guide- Lighter heifers will not cycle, resulting in low submission rates during the breeding season. Turn heifers out to grass at least 6 weeks prior to breeding, then weigh all of them 3 weeks before breeding start and offer concentrates to those behind target to let them catch up in time.
If AI straws are kept on-farm, make sure the liquid Nitrogen is topped up in the container and that working AI guns, sleeves and gloves for DIY AI are at hand. Relying on stock bulls in the second half of the breeding season is common practice. New bulls should be bought 2 – 3 months before they are intended to be used. This allows time to screen bulls for infectious diseases such as IBR and establish their vaccination status. Vaccinate the bulls with the same programme as the cows in your herd. Ensure bulls are healthy and in good condition before they go out with the cows, paying particular attention to the bulls’ feet to prevent lameness.
Often a more efficient and safe method than a stock bull is using beef AI straws. Selecting beef sires based on their Dairy Beef Index (DBI) provides a higher degree of certainty in your dairy-beef breeding strategy.
• Using a bull only for his ‘easy calving’ or ‘short gestation’ attributes can result in lighter carcasses.
• DBI Incorporates several traits simultaneously into selection decisions, producing more balanced dairy-beef calves with more favourable economic returns (higher CBV).
Vaccinations should be carried out ahead of the breeding season. Aim to have all vaccinations (Lepto, IBR, BVD) completed at least 1 week before breeding starts. The stress of handling animals and a potential inflammatory response to the vaccine may delay cows’ cycling in the week following vaccination. At this time of the year, adult cows in general will have had little exposure to parasites, breeding heifers however may still be quite susceptible to worms and a pooled faecal sample will provide insight into parasite burden and the need for dosing in this cohort. Parasites are a major cause of heifers not achieving their growth target!
Breeding for Financial Success
This is an important time of the year for 2026 breeding planning on many farms. Over the coming weeks decisions will be made on areas including breeding strategy, bull selections and use of sexed semen which will all have a future impact on farm profitability, productivity and sustainability.
To support you with your decisions, Tirlán recently hosted an information webinar, with speakers from the Tirlán/Teagasc Future Farm Programme, Dovea Genetics, ICBF and Tirlán.
A clear focus on from the webinar was a the importance of breeding for improved milk solids, to deliver enhanced farm returns. For breeding ICBF recommends using only females with an EBI of at least €185. Dovea Genetics highlighted the significant facilities now available in Ireland, to support increase sexed semen uptake, with the webinar hearing a recommendation to use sexed semen to generate most or all of your dairy replacement calves.
Scan here to watch our webinar on 'Breeding for Financial Success'
EFFECTIVE YOUNGSTOCK WORM CONTROL DURING THE GRAZING SEASON
By Joris Somers, Tirlán Veterinary Advisor
Once the grazing season starts, animals of all ages are exposed to parasites. Worm larvae from eggs that survived the winter will rapidly develop once temperatures start rising, leaving grazing animals at risk of sudden parasite exposure.
Calves are born free of parasites and the development of immunity against worms will depend on exposure during the grazing season. However, excessive exposure will result in reduced growth rates or even clinical disease such as scour caused by stomach worms or coughing due to lungworm. Even in the absence of clinical signs, weight gain in calves can be reduced as much as 20% during the first grazing season due to high stomach worm burden. Lungworm and Liver fluke can further contribute to poor performance in youngstock resulting in missing the target body weight at breeding and delayed age at first calving.
Control of parasite burden
Grazing management
The objective is to reduce the concentration of infective larvae on pasture and so reduce the parasite challenge to grazing animals, especially first grazing season calves. Reseeded paddocks, silage aftermath or land not grazed by young cattle since mid-summer last year are your safest paddocks.
Good nutrition
• When young calves go to grass they have no immunity to stomach worms or lungworms (the cause of hoose)
• Due to this lack of immunity, calves can transfer a large amount of worm eggs onto pasture via dung
• Calves can quickly pick up a heavy infection of stomach worms, before they have developed a protective immunity
• First grazers born last autumn or this spring will be at highest risk of disease
• Yearling cattle, in their second grazing season, are also still at risk of disease as their immunity against worms will not have fully developed yet
Good quality grazing and appropriate concentrate supplementation can partially offset the negative effects of parasite infection and the associated reduced appetite. Well-nourished cattle are also better suited at building up immunity against parasites and limit parasites multiplying.
Appropriate use of anthelmintics
Anthelmintic resistance of some degree exists against all classes of dosing products. This could jeopardise the effectiveness of these products in the future. Therefore, these drugs must be used carefully in order to benefit both animals and farmers.
How to use Faecal Egg Counting (FEC)?
Faecal sampling can be carried out throughout the grazing season, with the most relevant results achieved starting 6 weeks post-turnout. Faecal samples from 10 animals in the same age group should be pooled with similar amounts per animal collected. The faecal samples collected must be fresh, stored in a cool dry area and tested in less than 48 hours after collecting the samples. FEC on dung samples taken before and after administering anthelmintic treatments is used to prove efficacy of wormers, in other words, provide evidence of anthelmintic resistance.
In young-stock, a FEC of greater than 200 eggs per gram indicates a worm burden high enough to affect growth performance, warranting a need to dose against gut worms using anthelmintic treatment.
Do not create anthelmintic resistance or waste money by using unnecessary worm treatments. Talk to your Tirlán representative or visit Tirlánfarmlife.com from more info on our FEC testing service.
DISCOVER YOUR LOCAL TIRLÁN
COUNTRYLIFE GARDEN CENTRE
Expert Advice, Quality Plants & Great Value
As the days grow longer and the gardening season kicks into full swing, now is the perfect time to start planning your garden. Whether you're a seasoned grower or new to gardening, Tirlán CountryLife Garden Centres, part of Tirlán's proud 100% farmerowned co-op, offer everything you need to make your garden flourish. With 15 locations across Ireland, your nearest garden centre may be just a short trip away.
Supporting Local Means Getting Top Quality Plants
At CountryLife, we take pride in offering top-quality plants sourced from Irish growers. As farmers ourselves, we understand the importance of supporting local businesses and ensuring that our customers receive the best plants suited to Irish conditions.
With exclusive bundle deals, you’ll find everything you need for your garden at competitive prices. Plus, as a Tirlán FarmLife customer, you can use your existing trading account to make purchases, or alternatively, sign up for our loyalty program and earn money off future gardening purchases.
Expert Horticultural Advice – Tailored to Your Region
Each of our 15 CountryLife Garden Centres is staffed with an expert horticulturist, ready to answer all your gardening queries. Our team members aren’t just gardening experts – they’re locals too, offering valuable advice tailored to your regional soil types, weather conditions, and the best plants to thrive in your area.
Find your local Tirlán CountryLife Garden centre:
Ashford - Wicklow
Rathdrum - Wicklow
Athboy - Westmeath
Ballyhale - Kilkenny
Castlecomer - Kilkenny
Campile - Wexford
Bunclody - Wexford
New Ross - Wexford
Castlelyons - Cork
Fethard - Tipperary
Kilmeaden - Waterford
Monasterevin - Laois
Mountmellick - Laois
Dungarvan - Waterford
From Backyards to Postcard Gardens
Beyond supplying quality products, we are committed to giving back to the communities we serve. We are delighted to return as proud sponsors of Bord Bia Bloom’s Postcard Gardens.
The Postcard Gardens are created by amateur community groups who showcase their locality or highlight the issues that matter to them.'
Ann Meaney, Chief Marketing & Customer Engagement Officer at Tirlán, shared:
“This initiative embodies the values of sustainability, creativity, and community spirit that are at the heart of what Tirlán CountryLife strives to achieve.”
John Murphy, Chairperson of the Tirlán Board, visited Bloom last year and shared his thoughts on the exceptional brand experience:
“Experiencing Bloom last year was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our amazing garden centres on a national stage, highlighting the passionate people behind them. I’m looking forward to another visit—and another well-earned rest in the Big Green Chair!”
Fergal Joy, Horticulturist at Tirlán CountryLife Bunclody
Tirlán kicks off 2025 trade show calendar with a strong presence at Gulfood
Tirlán showcased our portfolio of award-winning brands and ingredient solutions to customers at Gulfood, one of the world’s leading Food & Beverage industry events. Held in Dubai, Gulfood continues to set the benchmark for global food and beverage trade, welcoming a record-breaking 5,500+ exhibitors and visitors from over 190 countries across 24 halls.
A key event for Tirlán Ingredients, Gulfood provided the local MEA team with invaluable market insights while serving as a central hub to connect with multiple customers in one place. The week was packed with productive meetings, reinforcing existing partnerships and exploring new opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Avonmore Professional team showcased the growing Food Service portfolio, highlighting key products such as Avonmore Professional Cream Cheese, cheese, and butter. The range was well received, with strong customer interest in both product quality and packaging.
With a successful start to the year, Tirlán looks forward to building on this momentum at upcoming trade shows in the months ahead.
Tirlán partners with Too Good To Go to help combat food waste
We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Too Good To Go for the launch of their ‘Look-Smell-Taste’ initiative in Ireland. This campaign aims to educate consumers about the importance of using their senses to determine the edibility of products past their Best Before dates, thereby reducing unnecessary food waste.
Dr. Lisa Koep, Chief ESG Officer with Tirlán, which produces a range of award-winning consumer brands, including Wexford Cheese, said:, "We are delighted to be taking part in Too Good To Go’s ‘Look-Smell-Taste’ Initiative and will proudly feature the logo on the packaging of our award-winning Wexford Cheese brand in the coming months. This campaign builds on the existing work across our business to minimise food waste, and importantly supports consumers to understand that many food products can be consumed beyond their best before date.”
We encourage everyone to trust their senses and help reduce food waste. Look out for the ‘Look-Smell-Taste’ label on our Wexford Cheese products in the coming months and join us in making a positive impact on the environment.
For more info watch here
Tirlán Governance Academy
The Tirlán Governance Academy is dedicated to fostering knowledge, boosting confidence, and nurturing social connections among members. Whether through brief introductory courses on Co-op principles or comprehensive programmes like the Diploma in Corporate Direction and Board & Leadership Development, our academy is tailored to meet the diverse needs of our membership structure at every level.
The Tier 1 ‘Sowing the Seeds’ introductory level of the Tirlan Governance Academy is set to kick off again in April. Through three short modules offered over four days in April and May 2025, the Sowing the Seeds level aims to provide an understanding of our Co-op and build confidence and social connection amongst participants. The course is broken down into two short online sessions, one day in person in Tirlán headquarters in Abbey Quarter, Kilkenny and one day in the Ballyragget Plant.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
When: 07 May 2025, 11:00 AM
Where: Lyrath Estate Hotel, Paulstown Road, Lyrath, Kilkenny, R95 F685
The Annual General Meeting of Tirlán Co-operative Society Limited (the “Society”) will be held at the Lyrath Estate Hotel, Paulstown Road, Lyrath, Kilkenny, R95 F685 on Wednesday, 7 May, 2025 at 11am.
The meeting is open to all A1, A2 and A4 shareholders.
A folio held in joint names only has one vote, but all members of the joint shareholding can attend and speak at the meeting. If your shareholding folio is held in joint names, as per the Rules of the Society the first named of the joint shareholders has the entitlement to vote for the folio, unless otherwise instructed. In advance of the meeting or at the registration desk on the day of the AGM, any member of the joint shareholding can be the nominated voter for the folio. Any queries should be directed to the Society Shares Office on 058-44444.
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 corporatecomms@tirlan.com
From l-r: Paul Costello, Anil Babu Yarlagadda, Lisa Robinson Sweeney, Nitin Agarwal, Aoife Herlihy, Parveen Kasim & Kieran Duggan