Tirlán December milk price 41.08 cpl

Tirlán will pay a total of 41.08 cent per litre (cpl) (including VAT) for December creamery milk supplies at 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein.

The December milk price consists of the following:

• Base milk price of 35.58 cpl (including VAT), unchanged from November;
• A Seasonality Payment of 5.0 cpl (including VAT) which applies to all creamery milk volumes supplied during December that meet quality criteria. This payment also applies to non-contracted volumes from our Autumn calving and Liquid Milk scheme members;
• Sustainability Action Payment of 0.5 cpl (including VAT) to all qualifying suppliers.

The base price, Seasonality Payment and Sustainability Action Payment will be adjusted to reflect the actual constituents of milk delivered by suppliers.

The actual average price paid by Tirlán for December creamery milk, based on delivered constituents, will be 53.01 cpl (including VAT).

Tirlán confirmed that unconditional seasonality bonus payments will be paid over the next three months on any milk volumes that do not qualify for Liquid Premium or the Autumn Calving Scheme. The rates of payment are 5 cpl for December, 7 cpl for January and 5 cpl for February. The payments will be adjusted to reflect the constituents of the milk delivered.

The Board of Tirlán has today agreed that the same rates of seasonality bonus payments will apply in December 2026 (5 cpl), January 2027 (7 cpl) and February of 2027 (5 cpl).

The Tirlán Board has today also confirmed its intention to hold the current milk price for January and February supplies, subject to any unforeseen events. In effect, this will see a milk price for January of 43.08 cpl and 41.08 cpl for February, inclusive of seasonality bonus payments.

Change to VAT rate

This month’s milk payment is based on the reduced VAT Flat Rate Addition which applies for payments made after 1 January 2026. In Budget 2026 (announced on 7th October 2025), the government reduced the VAT Flat Rate addition for non-VAT registered farmers from 5.1% to 4.5%. Based on Tirlán’s VAT-inclusive milk price of 36.08cpl announced by the Board for November and December, the milk price announced this month for December milk should be reduced by 0.21cpl to adjust for the reduction in the VAT rebate from the Government. The Board has decided to absorb this cost in the short term, but confirmed that it will be reflected in milk pricing from March milk onwards.

Business Outlook

Tirlán Chairperson John Murphy said that the Co-op Board and management has just completed an intensive week meeting milk suppliers at eight Business & Market Outlook meetings across the Co-op’s catchment area.

“It was great to engage with our farmer members across the country. Farmers are understandably concerned at the dairy market outlook, but appreciated that the Co-op is doing all it can to support them. At the meetings, we told our milk suppliers that we are currently paying somewhat ahead of market returns. This reflects our desire to support our milk suppliers over what are very high cost production months.”

John Murphy added: “Tirlán will act in what ever way we can to support our farmers – and we have already significantly started this journey with our €5.5 million Agri support package which was announced in December. I would encourage all milk suppliers to engage with their local Tirlan representative and consider trading with their own Co-op to avail of that support.”

“The Board will continue to monitor market developments on a monthly basis.”

Tirlán Co-op Support package

In December, Tirlán Co-op announced a targeted €5.5 million Dairy Support Package aimed at supporting milk suppliers through the early stages of the 2026 lactation. In order to recognise and reward those who trade with their Co-op, rebates are available to Tirlán Milk Suppliers who spent at least 5 cpl with their Co-op in 2025, or who do so in 2026.

From 4 January to 2 May 2026, qualifying Tirlán milk suppliers can avail of the following Supports:

• A €40 per tonne rebate on GAIN Dairy Feed purchases;
• A €60 per tonne rebate on Calf Milk Replacer purchases;
• A €10 per tonne rebate of Irish rolled cereal purchases;
• A €3 per tonne rebate on Straights.

In addition, a rebate of €20 tonne is available on fertiliser ordered between 1 December 2025 and 14 February 2026 and paid for at the time of purchase or by instalments on the milk account over the peak milk supply months.

The rebates will be paid into qualifying farmers’ trading accounts in the second quarter of 2026. A second payment run will be made before year end for those who qualify based on their 2026 trade.

As part of the Support package, anti-parasitic prescriptions from Tirlán Co-op will be provided free of charge for all of 2026, delivering further cost savings for milk suppliers.