Tirlán’s fixed milk price support scheme is set to close soon. The deadline has been extended yet again, this time to 30 December.

In advance, Tirlán is contacting every farmer with a significant proportion of their milk in fixed price schemes to talk them through the latest version of the scheme.

The Irish Farmers Journalunderstands that recent changes mean milk in fixed milk price support scheme 17 (FM17), which extends through 2023, is now being prioritised for inclusion in the fixed milk price support scheme.

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This milk will now receive a base price of 40c/l for all of 2022, 32c/l in 2023, and 38c/l in 2024. While the base price in the support scheme for 2023 is lower than before, the overall changes will benefit suppliers, who previously had milk from earlier schemes committed to the support scheme for the next two years.

That milk now returns to a floating base price from 1 January 2023. In addition, all milk supplied to Tirlán will receive the 6.5c/l input support payment for the first three months of 2023.

Tirlán has committed to maintaining this payment through April-June, although the level of that support has not yet been determined.

‘Unrealistic’

Some suppliers heavily committed to fixed price schemes said they had still not received a letter regarding these changes as the previous deadline of 20 December approached.

IFA dairy chair Stephen Arthur has described the latest deadline as “unrealistic”, although there may be some leeway for individuals wrestling with the complexity of the scheme.

Arthur had called for the deadline to be pushed to the end of January and for Tirlán to organise a public information meeting for early in 2023 to clarify the exact operation of the scheme.

It’s understood six supplier meetings will be held in January, but the fixed price support scheme will probably be closed by then.