Tirlán cooperative has announced a €4 million support package to assist its tillage farmers and also support beef farmers who process their cattle through its Twenty20 Beef Club.
The announcement comes just a week after the farmer-owned co-op announced a support package for its milk suppliers who are also experiencing ongoing challenges due to the prolonged period of above average rainfall.
Tirlán and its Twenty20 Beef Club processing partner, Kepak, have come together to offer an optional €30/head advance payment to club members who are contracted to supply beef animals through the club before the end of September.
Tirlán supporting tillage
Tirlán chairperson John Murphy said that the co-op is also acutely aware of the significant challenges being experienced by its tillage farmers.
“There was very little opportunity to sow crops after last harvest, which significantly reduced autumn plantings,” he said.
“This is now being compounded by the wet spring, with most farmers having little or no spring crops sown due to very poor ground conditions.
“Growers now face a race against time to get crops in the ground if soil conditions improve.”
Tirlán will make an optional €15/t advance payment available to all grain suppliers based on their grain volumes supplied in 2023.
This payment will be interest-free and will be set-off by way of deduction against actual grain payments due by Tirlán to the supplier for grain supplied at harvest 2024.
The advance payment, which will be made to the trading accounts of participating grain suppliers, will offer approximately €3,500 of interest-free cashflow support to an average grain supplier, according to Tirlán.
There will also be an extension of the Fertiliser Credit Scheme to the end of August – this offer of interest-free credit on crop fertiliser purchases normally ends in March.
Agreements
Tirlán has said that it will also facilitate collaboration agreements between tillage farmers and the livestock sector.
In these farmer-to-farmer arrangements, livestock farmers can be charged for 50% of the seed, fertiliser, agro-chemicals and other inputs required by tillage farmers to grow fodder crops such as maize, beet and other forage crops.
These arrangements should utilise the well-established Contract Forage Cropping Agreement developed by Teagasc, according to the co-op.
Tirlán chief executive designate, Seán Molloy, said the co-op is putting in place targeted supports to assist its tillage farmers.
“We are very conscious of the challenge faced by our tillage farmers and are pleased to announce this package of measures to support them as they bid to get crops sown,” Molloy said.
“On top of our track record of paying the strongest possible market price for grain at harvest, our agronomy team will continue to support farmers as they adjust their cropping plans and try to overcome the weather challenge.”