Tirlán Announcement a Wake-up Call for the Government

IFA President Francie Gorman said that the Tirlán cost reduction programme announced this morning is very concerning and is a direct result of EU and Government policies.

The dairy sector is contributing hugely to the economic and social sustainability of rural Ireland. Yet margins are being squeezed by Government policies which are focussed on curbing production rather than on the sustainable growth of the sector.

“The tightening of the existing Nitrates derogation, together with increased regulation and cuts to supports, are making life more and more difficult for the dairy and tillage farmers that supply Tirlán,” Francie Gorman said.

“Today’s announcement must be a wake-up call for the Government to focus on the economic well-being of the sector,” he said.

“They oversaw a cut to the derogation limit without any proper assessment of the economic or indeed the environmental consequences. There must an immediate focus on the sector to see how we can grow it sustainably to protect farmers livelihoods and jobs in the sector,” the IFA President said.

“This morning’s announcement will be concerning for Tirlàn staff and their families. Morale is also very low amongst farmers. There is so much policy uncertainty that farmers cannot make plans. This must be addressed,” he added.

“I would emphasise the need for Tirlán to pay a strong milk and grain price to farmers and to ensure access to competitively-priced inputs. Farmers are hurting too and they cannot take any further cuts to their margins,” he concluded.