Tirlán has confirmed that Jim Bergin, the co-op’s former chief executive officer (CEO) who stepped down from the role in July, will “continue to support Tirlán on a number of activites”.
The Kilkenny-headquartered co-op said it is “pleased to be able to avail of the expertise of Jim Bergin who has more than 40 years’ experience in the agriculture and business sector”.
It is understood that Bergin will chiefly be involved in projects that are focused on sustainability and water quality.
Bergin has highlighted in the past the “importance of the dairy industry to Ireland’s economy” and has repeatedly warned that the loss of the nitrates derogation would have a devastating impact on farm families.
At the launch of the Farming for Water: River Slaney Project back in May he said: “Some commentators think that the derogation will result in a percentage reduction in our herd.
They are wrong, it will be a much greater level of devastation. 50% of our milk suppliers in Tirlán have an average herd of 60 cows and does any rational person believe that they can survive without the derogation on 49 cows?
“We will lose swathes of our farm families as we move to large corporate farms”.
But Bergin has also stressed that “good water quality is a fundamental need of every citizen” and that all “relevant agencies and all farm enterprises” must “address underlying behaviours and deficiencies that are contributing to poor water quality in our rivers”.
Tirlán
Bergin retired from his CEO role on July 31 of this year and said that it had been his “great privilege to play a leadership role in what has been ‘my local co-op’ for the past 40 years”.
Bergin began his career with Avonmore Co-op in 1984, he became CEO of Glanbia Co-op in November 2021 – which later became Tirlán.
The chair of Tirlán, John Murphy, has credited Bergin with the role he played “in establishing Tirlán as an independent, 100% farmer-owned co-op, culminating in the €307 million buyout of the Glanbia Ireland business.”
Seán Molloy was appointed as the new CEO of Tirlán and took up the role on August 1, of this year.