Tirláns announcement of a 2.5 cent per litre cut to its August milk price has been described as a kick in the teeth to farmers by Kilkenny IFA chairman Brendan Hickey.
The Tirlán board has approved an August milk price of 46.08c/L including VAT
For an average sized supplier, this equates to a cut of over €1,200 for the August milk cheque.
He spoke to KCLR News’ Martin Quilty:
Tirlán Chairperson John Murphy said: “The Board recognises that many of our farmers will be disappointed by this month’s reduction in milk price. However, it is necessary to align our farm gate price with current market returns.
“The primary reason for this adjustment is the sudden and sharp decline over recent weeks in international market prices for key dairy products, particularly butter and cheese.
“This downturn has been driven by a rebound in global milk supply. After a period of constraint, volumes and constituents began to recover in the second quarter of this year and have continued to rise. Increased production across major dairy-exporting regions has been supported by favourable weather conditions, a strong milk-to-feed price ratio, and minimal impact from animal diseases.
“The Board will continue to monitor market developments on a monthly basis.”
