Tirlán confirms €4.5 million Dairy Support payout

Tirlán Co-operative Society has confirmed that €4.5 million has been paid to milk suppliers who traded with the Co-op in the early part of this year.

The payment recognises suppliers who traded with their Co-op and met the support package’s qualifying threshold. A further payment run will take place before the end of 2026 for suppliers who reach the 5 cent per litre (cpl) qualifying threshold through their 2026 trading activity.
 

Dairy Support Package for 2026

In December 2025, Tirlán announced a targeted €5.5 million Dairy Support Package to support milk suppliers during the early stages of the 2026 lactation.

The package was designed to:

• Help manage on-farm costs, particularly feed and fertiliser
• Support strong cow performance, grass growth and milk solids output
• Recognise and reward ongoing trade with the Co-op

Supports available between 4 January and 2 May 2026 included:

• €40 per tonne rebate on GAIN Dairy Feed
• €60 per tonne rebate on calf milk replacer
• €10 per tonne rebate on Irish rolled cereals
• €3 per tonne rebate on straights

In addition, a €20 per tonne fertiliser rebate applied to purchases ordered between 1 December 2025 and 14 February 2026.

Milk suppliers who spent at least 5 cent per litre (cpl) with their Co-op in 2025, or who achieve this level of spend by the end of 2026, are eligible for the support payments. Payments were credited to trading accounts at the end of May for individuals who had already met the threshold, with a subsequent payment run planned for additional suppliers who reach the 5 cpl threshold by year-end.

Tirlán Chairperson Ger O’Brien said that “the Co-op is pleased to be in a position to recognise and reward those who trade with their own Co-op. In addition, farmers who availed of the support package secured their fertiliser requirements early in a year where supply chains were disrupted.”

First Published: 17 June 2026